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inside roof of Oklahoma capitol building

Halt all executions in Oklahoma!

Tell your Oklahoma lawmakers, urging them to support legislation that would halt all executions so they can address the recommendations of the Oklahoma Death Penalty Review Commission and the concerns raised by Richard Glossip’s case.

Tell Your Lawmakers
Director's Corner
group of people bowing their heads for moment of silence

How We Respond to Tragedy

About six weeks ago, Najee Seabrooks sent out a call for help. He texted his co-workers at the Paterson Healing Collective — an EJUSA partner and ally in the movement to build community safety — that he was in crisis and he needed them. Najee was trained as a healer and a violence interventionist, so…

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News
man sitting in chair next to plant

Newark’s Community-Centered Public Safety Ecosystem

In 2018, I left the Department of Justice after a dozen years as a prosecutor. I had seen our criminal legal system up close and came away certain that it was too big, too rigid, and too steeped in its racist origins to ever deliver true justice. I wanted to find the solutions to violence,…

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News
people sitting at table

Safety & Healing Session

The idea began with a question: What would it look like to accompany a church willing to match faith with deeds so they can meet the justice needs in their community?  The question that led to an idea led to a journey to Richmond, VA. I teamed up with Will Simpson, EJUSA’s director of violence…

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Director's Corner
Ms. Sharon Redding

A Pillar of Newark

Meet our friend and activist Ms. Sharon Redding. I’m not alone in seeing her as a pillar of her city. She’s worked for the Newark Community Street Team since 2016 as a community advocate. Ms. Sharon is a vital voice connecting her community and its concerns with city and state leaders to build community safety…

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News
legislative building with blue sky

One Part of Transformation

After the dust settled on the 2022 elections, we spent the dark weeks of winter getting grips on the balance of political power across the country. And here we are. February. The plunge into legislative sessions is squarely upon us. Some states are already nearly done for the year, but the buzz is still loud…

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News
Lawrence Hayes, activist for justice

The Movement Has Lost a Legend

“There is no reason to kill. No reason for me to kill, no reason for you to kill, and no reason for the state to kill.”  These are the words of Lawrence Hayes as he spoke at the “Live from Death Row Tour,” a national speaking tour with a focus on building opposition to the…

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News
street view of downtown Charlottesville Virginia

How Do I Talk to My Kids About Gun Violence?

Early last week I got an automated message on my phone from my kids’ school that there was an active shooter within two miles and that the school was under a shelter-in-place order from the Charlottesville Police Department. I went through the arc of emotions: fear to worry to curiosity to a trust in my…

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News
street at night

What I Know Today

They didn’t tackle me so much as deliver a hard body check. My phone — I was listening to a voicemail — fell to the ground but I kept my feet, off balance for a second before turning to face one of the guys mugging me. We were under a street lamp on a normally…

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Director's Corner

Blocking Black History Is Just The Beginning

Black History Month ended yesterday. It’s traditionally been a month where we celebrate the achievements of Black people, some iconic and some lesser known but still vital to U.S. history.  Our history is deep, long, complex, and incredibly inspiring to me. It is also an important lens for our work, which is why the growing…

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