There have been so many moments these past months when I wanted to pause, gather my thoughts, and tell you about the incredible things happening at EJUSA. I am finally getting that chance. I told you a little about our incredible event with the Players Coalition in Las Vegas, just days before the Super Bowl.… Continue reading Beyond the Choir
Author: Jamila Hodge
Building on Love
As you’re reading this blog, I am in South Africa, celebrating something deeply special to me while keeping the inspiring life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King firmly in my heart. Fifteen years ago, my mother began a quest to build a church building here in Reiger Park, South Africa, for a wonderful community… Continue reading Building on Love
What Lies Ahead
I hope that the new year has so far brought you peace, health, and excitement for what lays ahead. I speak for all of us at EJUSA when I tell you how eager I am for the opportunities to build community safety in cities and neighborhoods across the country. There’s so much happening: The Restorative… Continue reading What Lies Ahead
Expanding Our Vision to Include Restorative Justice
I’ve been waiting to tell you this news for some time. Today, Equal Justice USA officially welcomed the Restorative Justice Project onto our team. Impact Justice, an ally organization in the justice movement, has been operating the Project, launched by the visionary sujatha baliga, since 2015. Impact Justice felt like now was the right time… Continue reading Expanding Our Vision to Include Restorative Justice
Revenge Does Not Heal
I don’t doubt that you learned of the recent conclusion to the trial for the mass murder at the Tree of Life synagogue, in Pittsburgh. A jury delivered a death penalty sentence for the killing of 11 worshippers in 2018. At Equal Justice USA, we focus on survivors of violence and trauma in every aspect… Continue reading Revenge Does Not Heal
The Momentum is Real
I recently got a text message from one of the most prominent district attorneys in the country. He thanked me for writing this op-ed on what survivors of violence need — and why meeting those needs, especially in the communities most impacted, builds community safety. He told me that his attorneys were talking about it. … Continue reading The Momentum is Real
Stop the Cycle of Trauma
Thirty years ago, my father was the victim of a brutal assault that had a lasting impact that no one in my family could appreciate in that moment. We all struggled in different ways. A big part of that struggle stemmed from not seeing ourselves as survivors of violence, and not having access to the… Continue reading Stop the Cycle of Trauma
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… Continue reading How We Respond to Tragedy
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,… Continue reading Newark’s Community-Centered Public Safety Ecosystem
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… Continue reading A Pillar of Newark