Lakeesha Eure

NEWARK ANTI-VIOLENCE COALITION

"We wanted to end business as usual," Lakeesha Eure says, recalling the founding of the Newark Anti-Violence Coalition (NAVC). In 2009, Newark saw a surge in shootings, especially the number of women who were victims. After the death of a young woman named Nakisha Allen, NAVC's soon-to-be founders grew angry at the lack of outrage.

So they went to the intersection where Nakisha was murdered and stopped traffic. "This was a life interrupted," says Lakeesha. "So business was going to be interrupted."

This wouldn't be an isolated protest. Violence was rampant, so the group held weekly vigils and rallies in response to every shooting. The group met 155 weeks in a row, with their number growing throughout.

"At first the community saw us as a nuisance," Lakeesha says, laughing, "but after a while, they started calling us when things would happen. They know we're going to show up."

The work expanded. NAVC members attend funerals, assist families in applying for victim compensation, support families in court and with finding relocation resources, and advocate for more trauma-informed education in schools. One of Lakeesha's proudest moments is NAVC's role in getting a formal, city-wide acknowledgement of gun violence as a public health issue. They now bring violence intervention programs into Newark schools.

The coalition has been a unique partner to EJUSA. It is a volunteer-run organization of community members, many of whom work full-time jobs. Capacity building with NAVC has meant understanding the flexibility of their work and finding ways to provide assistance and structure within that. "EJUSA has always been available for us to ask questions about how we can do things better," Lakeesha says. "Whether how to go after funding, develop greater partnerships, or putting some infrastructure behind what we do."

NAVC's results have led to growing influence. "I'm proud that we have a voice and a place at the table," Lakeesha says. "For so long, we didn't have that, and that's why we were founded."