On the morning of June 25, while attending the Giffords community violence intervention (CVI) conference, I along with several hundred other leaders, advocates, and practitioners heard the news that U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy had officially announced that gun violence is a public health crisis in our country. This was huge, a validation to so… Continue reading A New Era for Safety
Author: Will Simpson
Our Priorities Must Shift
During his 2023 State of the Union Address, President Biden could mention investment into community violence interventions or non-carceral responses only by pairing it with his stated support for continued investment into policing (this comes on the heels of the Safer Communities Act, where the White House funded 100,000 police in communities across the U.S.). … Continue reading Our Priorities Must Shift
Momentum in New Jersey
On April 1, some of New Jersey’s fiercest advocates for community-based violence prevention sat down — virtually — with Gov. Phil Murphy to build out the road ahead and ensure the state remains a national leader on this all-important front. In addition to myself, the group included Aqeela Sherrills and Solomon Middleton-Williams from the Newark… Continue reading Momentum in New Jersey
Forward With Purpose
For two weeks, we waited to see how our nation would show up for inauguration day. Just 14 days separated a moment vital to democracy and one of the most grotesque manifestations of white supremacy in our history. The images of violence and bigotry will stay with me forever. People taking selfies beside a noose.… Continue reading Forward With Purpose
