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BHM Recommendations

Multi-colored illustration of healing.

This Black History Month, immerse yourself in stories that highlight Black resilience, history, and culture through powerful books, podcasts, and museums. Let this be a time of learning, reflection, and deeper engagement with the past to shape a more just future.

LISTEN: 40 Acres and a Lie
This podcast, from Reveal and the Center for Public Integrity, came out in 2024 and tells the stories of some of the more than 1,200 formerly enslaved people — and, ultimately, all of their descendants — who received property from the U.S. government as compensation for the many harms suffered, including stolen wages. The government quickly changed its mind and seized the property back to return it to enslavers. Today, that land is worth tens of millions of dollars that should be in the hands of Black families. Reparations could be a tool for justice.

READ: The Quaking of America: An Embodied Guide to Navigating Our Nation’s Upheaval and Racial Reckoning
Resmaa Menakem reminds us that the tremors of history aren’t just in the past, they ripple through our present. Menakem challenges us to see America as it is, not just as we wish it to be, and that’s an uncomfortable reckoning. This month isn’t just about celebration; it’s about reflection, about asking ourselves what we’re doing to honor the struggles and triumphs of those who came before us. Black history isn’t distant—it’s alive, shaping the ground we walk on. The question is: are we willing to feel the quake and respond?

EXPLORE: Florida Virtual Civil Rights Museum
There’s something about museums that has the powerful ability to transform your mind in time and space. Museums are such a powerful way of exploring history and culturally significant movements while also putting into context and perspective the beauty and struggle of the present moment. They’re cost effective and easily accessible. Take some time to visit a local Black history museum in your area or a Black history exhibit at your favorite museum. If nothing comes to mind, check out Florida’s free virtual civil rights museum. It’s an immersive, interactive way to see history through the lens of the Black pioneers who’ve shaped our society in countless ways… and you don’t even have to leave home to experience it.

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Forever Takes a Village

Khlilia, founder of forever takes a village

Imagine living in a community where children can’t play outside, morning coffee on the porch feels unsafe, and the streets are marked by violence instead of connection. For many in Bogalusa, Louisiana, this has been the reality. Yet, amidst the challenges, seeds of change began to grow with the help and determination from people like Khlilia Daniels. 

Through her partnership with Equal Justice USA (EJUSA) and the formation of her nonprofit, Forever Takes a Village, Khlilia has helped transform communities. Her story, intertwined with community efforts like EJUSA’s Pathways to Healing sessions, offers a glimpse into how communities can begin to heal. 

How did you learn about EJUSA?

I first encountered EJUSA on social media but wasn’t sure what they were about. I got invited to a meet-and-greet event, and a friend who was cooking asked if I could make some sweets since I used to own a bakery. I agreed and brought candy to the event.  

At the meet-and-greet, I listened to Josie Alexander [our Senior Louisiana Strategist] and the EJUSA team, and everything started to click. I knew what I wanted to do but didn’t have a clear direction, and that moment made it all come together—I realized EJUSA was where I needed to be.  

What did you want to accomplish for the community of Bogalusa?

At the time, Bogalusa was in turmoil. Murders and shootings happened practically every day. Kids couldn’t go outside, local parks were empty, and even sitting on your porch to drink coffee in the morning became unsafe. I had a bakery downtown, but with COVID and the violence, I had to close my doors in 2021. That August, I couldn’t host my usual back-to-school event for the kids—it had gotten that bad. You’d see certain people and know to turn around and go home because it was only a matter of time before your phone rang with news of something terrible happening.

Then, an incident at my shop happened in December of 2022, when a 15 year old was killed at my niece’s party. Everything changed. The next day, I knew exactly what I wanted to do, which was to start my own nonprofit to prevent further violence. I had always felt strongly that the name of the nonprofit needed to include ”village,” so I tried to reserve It Takes a Village with the state, but it wasn’t available. I spent hours brainstorming until I came up with Forever Takes a Village, which was accepted.

I stayed in touch with Josie and Tonjie Reese [our Learning and Practice Director] because I didn’t know who else to contact or what to do next. I told Josie, “I’m new to this—I’ll do whatever you say.” I’m genuinely grateful for their support. Fast forward to 2024, I found Forever Takes a Village, and it has blossomed, and now we’re going into year two in 2025. 

How have you seen the community come together, and what has been the most impactful thing you have witnessed so far? 

We still have a long way to go, but when Josie and the team came down to host the Pathways to Healing listening sessions, it brought the community together. People were able to speak openly and share their feelings. Some kids who typically wouldn’t say a word ended up talking by the end of the session, and we were all laughing and crying together. 

After that, even though people in Bogalusa can be skeptical about things, the response was positive. People still ask if I can gather parents and kids for more sessions to talk. That was my most impactful moment—it truly helped unite this community. Some may not admit it, but that made the difference.

What do you think healing looks like in Bogalusa?

Healing in Bogalusa starts with finding truly committed people with the same mindset and vision for change. It’s not easy because, along the way, you’ll lose some people and gain others. But ultimately, it will come down to a small, dedicated handful of individuals who stick with you through it all.  

There will be disagreements, but the key is learning to agree to disagree and staying focused on the bigger picture. That shared commitment and willingness to push forward together, even when things get tough, makes healing possible.

How have you personally grown in creating Forever Takes a Village? 

Our town is very divided racially, and there are still many things being said that can be hurtful. I’ve had to learn to overlook the negativity. For instance, the Bogalusa Day of Action—an event where Equal Justice USA released a comprehensive report based on six listening sessions held in Bogalusa—didn’t unfold as I expected. However, I’ve learned to focus on the bigger picture instead of getting caught up in the details.

One thing that’s been eye-opening is how some of the people who were critical of me or the work in the past are now supportive. That’s the reality: people change their minds when they see the work happening. I’ve had to grow in how I react to situations like that, and I credit Josie for helping me understand that sometimes what I “want” to say isn’t what’s best for the problem.

What advice would you give to others starting their own organizations towards safety and healing? 

Find people who are truly committed and share the same vision. You’ll lose some people along the way and gain new ones, but it will always be just a handful of individuals who will stick with you through it all. You may not always agree on everything, but as long as you can agree to disagree and stay focused on the mission, those are the people you want by your side.

Read the Bogalusa Report to discover the power of community-driven healing in Bogalusa, Louisiana.  Local voices are leading the way toward a world where violence is rare and every community is safe and healthy.

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The Threat to Safety

White house for federal funding email action

The second week of this new White House administration brings another crushing wave of executive orders and federal directives. This week, they are attempting to freeze $3 trillion of taxpayer money — lawfully approved and allocated by Congress — that funds critical life-saving work in neighborhoods, cities, and states across this country. The potential harm is huge. 

I want you to know how this applies to EJUSA’s work: We have a federal grant through the Department of Justice through which we fund and strengthen five amazing Louisiana organizations. 

Beyond Harm is a New Orleans organization that prevents violence, especially intimate partner abuse and sexual violence. They plan to create at least one job in a community that always needs more, and that person will work with the community to heal trauma and prevent more violence. They will save lives. And the White House is threatening that. 

Ours is one of countless examples of vital work that can’t move forward right now. And we know this is just one of many fights ahead. Trump will keep trying to dismantle the work we do. We will keep resisting.

Here’s what we need you to know: we are powerful. And more than ever, we need to be connected to each other and to our communities.

These moments are meant to overwhelm us, to make us feel isolated and powerless. But history—and our own movements—tell a different story. We have always built safety and resilience in our communities, not because of government support, but because of each other. Now is the time to double down on those connections—to organize, to look out for one another, and to remind ourselves that we are not in this fight alone.

We need to push back, and we need to do it together. We’re going to make it as easy as possible for you to take action, to stand up, and to stay engaged—so that we can focus on what really matters: building the world our communities deserve.

So let’s connect. Let’s organize. Let’s fight, together.

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What is Healing Justice?

people in a circle at healing justice

In our Healing Justice work at EJUSA, we have created a sacred space for survivors, victims’ family members, service providers, and those impacted by the justice system, who work to build safety and change national conversations around violence, trauma, and healing. 

Modeling the Kindred Collective Model, we are creating our conditions for wellness and resilience across the movements we touch. The selfless sacrifices of our movement leaders don’t come without a cost. We often sacrifice our mental and physical wellness in the process of caring for others. Cultivating these spaces allows us, as advocates, to care for our most vulnerable, our healers. It’s our responsibility to support ourselves. Collectively we hurt, collectively we heal. To help us breathe, recharge, and refill our individual cups. 

In my previous role, supporting our Trauma and Healing Network, I would check in with our partners, and each call mirrored the same troubling theme…exhaustion and depletion. All acknowledge their unhealthy commitment to the work and do not prioritize their wellness as they move towards burnout. Mentally and often physically, they were drained from the stresses of carrying the trauma of their communities. Their dedication to supporting their communities at the cost of their well-being seemed fractured. So, who saves the superhero in our spaces? We do. Community shows up for community; that’s safety, wellness, and our type of care. 

It started with a simple vision. We didn’t have a big budget, so we led with our hearts. The first retreat we organized was cobbled together with whatever resources we could muster. Investment in our care was our priority. We retreated with our partners with a “relaxing workload” and thought we hit the mark. With laid-back sessions like “PJ’s and Productivity and Poolside Chat,” we changed the atmosphere and setting but met to discuss “the work.” We showed up as organizers instead of caretakers. Our partners told us, “We love the environment, but we don’t need an agenda—we are tired, and we just need to rest.” We heard them. We were putting superheroes in the classroom, asking them to continue to save the world instead of arming them with the tools to save themselves. They wanted fellowship, healing, care, and intentional time together. It was time to pivot.

 We finally understood the assignment. We adjusted and built a retreat that was centered on care. The need for some therapeutic support was obvious and requested, so we prioritized and infused therapeutic care into our framework. We incorporated meditation for mindfulness, culinary healing, and tea parties for wellness, embracing ancestral holistic approaches of care by teaching the benefits of essential oils and creating candles and bath salts for care in our spaces. All in fellowship, all in community with one another. Together, the vision grew.

When we retreat, we’re not just resting; we’re learning. Our spaces are a resource. I call it “workshopping our healing”—every moment is a chance to learn how to care for ourselves, and that knowledge becomes a tool we take with us to refuel and share with our partners. I remember the first time Herman Lindsey, a death row exoneree who now leads Witness to Innocence, attended one of our retreats. Initially, he was a little skeptical: “All this lovey-dovey stuff isn’t for me.” But by the end, he had cultivated a collection of teas for his health and he shared the benefits of the meditation sessions embedded in the agenda.These are the moments where healing happens—when you’re surrounded by community, learning and creating resources, taking care of yourself, and realizing that you’re not alone.That’s the magic of these spaces—they meet you where you are and give you what you didn’t even know you needed. 

This work is a journey, and we’re just getting started. As we continue to , we’re learning more and more about what it means to care for our community of caretakers. We’re not just organizing events; we’re creating lifelines for individuals who are doing the heavy lifting in the fight for justice.. If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that healing isn’t a one-time thing. It’s ongoing. It’s a commitment. And it’s something we must continue to invest in as we prioritize care—not just for others, but for ourselves.

Healing work is personal. It’s emotional. And it’s hard. But it’s also beautiful. Every time we hold space for our partners, we remind them that they matter—that their healing and wellness matters. And in turn, we remind ourselves of the same.  Now that’s justice, that’s healing justice.

Stay tuned for more information and stories about our healing justice work in 2025!

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Expanding Restorative Justice

picture of RJ team at RJ circles

When the Restorative Justice Project joined Equal Justice USA in 2023, we knew they were ready to grow their work — and that the world needed greater access to restorative justice. This past year, the first significant step in that growth occurred as we partnered with four new communities to launch restorative justice diversion programs. These diversion programs shift people from a lens of punishment toward healing. This process is rooted in an understanding that harm stems from existing trauma, including racial oppression, and that harm requires healing and accountability that repairs for all parties affected by a harmful experience.

In 2024, our Restorative Justice Program began partnering with Hinds County, MS; Richmond, VA; Oakland County, MI; and Pulaski County, AR. These communities have started in the early stages to receive training and technical support from EJUSA as they strive to develop programs that provide a pathway for accountability while addressing the root causes of harm. These programs also aim to prevent youth from entering the punitive criminal system, instead offering a structured process that helps those who have caused harm and have been harmed. 

The momentum continued in August when leaders from these four organizations joined EJUSA staff in Minnesota to launch their work officially. During this gathering, they dove into restorative pathways to healing, a training offered to the system partners present. Community-based organizations also participated in community circle training, where they began to learn about how circles can be used to build community.

For Cymone Fuller, Senior Restorative Justice Director at EJUSA, “Developing partnerships in these four communities allows us to expand our restorative justice diversion work in the Southern and Midwestern regions of the country—areas that will strengthen the national representation of our Restorative Justice Diversion Collaborative and tend to the areas of our country experiencing the heaviest resurgence of tough-on-crime backslides.”

These programs will continue to focus on designing and implementing these kinds of programs, engaging their communities, and building the partnerships needed to build out their work. It’s the beginning of a journey that will reshape justice for these communities and inspire similar efforts.  

Throughout 2025, we’ll be sharing stories from our partners and the communities they serve. Look for updates on the incredible happenings across the country.

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The Hope We Need

Photograph of the Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama

I will remember this holiday break as a special one. My youngest daughter expressed a new interest in movies about Black history, and I was all in!

We watched some inspirational movies focused on the roles of Black women, like the new film The Six Triple Eight, depicting the first and only Women’s Army Corps unit of color to be stationed in Europe during World War II. And we saw Hidden Figures, which tells the story of three brilliant mathematicians who supported NASA’s launch of the first astronaut into space.

We also watched Ava Duvernay’s Selma, a moving depiction of the 1965 voting rights marches from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama, that were led, in part, by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

As we sat together watching, a particular scene in the movie really struck me. It showed Dr. King at Brown Chapel Church speaking to mourners after the murder of Jimmy Lee Jackson, a young activist killed by an officer as he tried to protect his mother during the protests. In the face of this atrocity, Dr. King spoke passionately about both the horror of the senseless killing and the hope required to keep marching and fighting.

This ability to hold on to hope in the midst of the horror of so much injustice was one of Dr. King’s many gifts. And he maintained that hope even when the fight for justice included taking on the White House.

Today, we honor the legacy of the man who led our country forward in the struggle for racial justice. And we do so on the same day that we inaugurate a president who has been anything but an advocate for Black communities. During a troubling election, he relentlessly belittled Vice President Kamala Harris and her historic candidacy. He dehumanized Black and Brown immigrants in repulsive ways. He reminded us that the fight for racial equity is far from over.

Yet we must hold tight to hope.

Today, our country is in a place of tension and division. We are challenged with constant opposition to and resistance of our values. Systemic racism is still prevalent in institutions — the criminal justice system, education, health care, and housing. The road ahead is daunting, but it’s one we must walk together.

And EJUSA’s work has created powerful momentum…
…We are building safety by elevating communities and their solutions—the things they know they need to be safe.
…We are rooting restorative justice programs and processes across the country, and keeping young people free of the harm of our legal system.
…We’re on the frontlines with our anti-death penalty partners, securing historic victories like the recent federal commutations while also organizing several state repeal campaigns.

As Dr. King once said, “Now let us begin. Now let us re-dedicate ourselves to the long and bitter, but beautiful, struggle for a new world.”

We are grateful to you for marching with us in this beautiful struggle and to Dr. King for inspiring the vision that guides us every day.

Toward justice.

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Rest, Recharge, Rebuild

Individual holding crystals

Greetings in this new year.  

Just weeks ago, I had the pleasure of traveling to Arizona to the EJUSA retreat that was so on time! Our team’s time together was a ray of collective light. 

It came, however, against a hard background and reality…

Daniel Penny, the ‘unofficial’ killer of Jordan Neely, was cleared by a jury, as the system continues to reduce us to being ‘expendable,’ especially when our mental health is challenged.

To be sure, that skinny, hungry Black dancer’s life didn’t ‘matter’…

I came to Arizona from a press conference in Philadelphia on the sinister MOVE Bombing of 1985 where it was revealed that some of the remains from that incinerating hell on earth were not only passed around but also put on exhibit by University of Pennsylvania ‘researchers’ over the years, and that the  remains of 12-year-old Delisha Africa are among the most recent — just ‘discovered’…39 years later…

That’s a rabid hole hatefully even darker than that!

On the 43rd anniversary of Mumia Abu Jamal walking into a bullet, a frame up for killing a cop, a death sentence, surviving death row, but only to still languish in prison even after exculpatory evidence around his case is now a matter of record…

And Trump is not even in place yet…

Just as I settled in, I learned that the drum had sounded for the great NIkki Giovanni, beloved poet of the Black Arts Movement, best known for her epic signifying poem ‘ego trippin’… a poem that celebrates the beauty and awe of the Black woman like no other…

In December 1977, just after stealing The Autobiography of Malcolm X in a drug transaction and trying to walk away from a dangerous life rhythm on my bullet-popping streets, one of the first books i came across seeking to ‘clean up’ my act — that i did not steal — was Nikki’s book Cotton Candy On A Rainy Day…a beautiful poem about the need for beauty and peace no matter our circumstance…

She was my soft coming out of a space time and rhythm that was deadly hot and hard. I would dare say that you can make a case for her being the Movement’s ‘soft’ to balance the hard and fire of our struggle and resistance…

It mattered to us then…

In the coming year, savor the intentionality of your own healing and rejuvenation. You need it…We all need it…And the people we serve, the hurting communities we come from and serve, they need it and need us at our best…so rest recharge rebuild…

Our communities need y’all at your best…

Reparations Now!

Love Honor Respect 

Baba Zayid

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Thousands of Leaders, Advocates, Civil Servants and Activists Call on President Biden to Commute Federal Death Row

(December 9, 2024) Thousands of stakeholders from across the political and faith spectrums are calling on President Joe Biden to commute all federal death sentences before he leaves office. The group includes Black pastors, Catholics, former corrections officials, civil rights advocates, current and former prosecutors, families who have lost loved ones to homicide, pro-life conservatives, mental health advocates, business leaders, and more.

Their voices reflect the widespread, bipartisan concern about the death penalty system and a growing national shift away from capital punishment.

“The death penalty has for generations been a veiled extension of our national legacy of racial terror and lynchings,” said Jamila Hodge, CEO of Equal Justice USA. “President Biden has a historic opportunity to do the right thing by preventing an execution spree that will not make us safer, while moving us closer to reckoning with a system that unfairly targets Black people.”

Hodge also pointed out that the mere existence of a working death penalty — at the federal level and at the 27 states with statutes still on their books — consumes massive resources that could be used to build and expand community-led solutions proven to create safety and well-being.
Hodge and EJUSA join an alliance of leaders and activists who have released letters to the President today, which were also delivered to the White House in recent weeks and over the course of his presidency. They can be accessed here.

In a letter citing the harm executions pose to corrections staff, a group of 29 retired correctional professionals are urging the President to commute the federal row. “[W]e know first-hand the devastating toll executions take, not only on the correctional professionals directly involved in the process but on their families and on the larger correctional community,” they wrote. Commuting federal death sentences, they explained, will enable the Bureau of Prisons to prioritize rehabilitation and redemption of prisoners and the safety and security of staff. This group includes former directors of the correctional systems in California, Colorado, Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Hampshire, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Washington, and Wyoming as well as other retired federal and state correctional officials.

“While we each have a unique story, our experience with the criminal justice system and our struggles with grief and trauma have united us in our opposition to the death penalty,” wrote a group of 166 family members of homicide victims. They urged President Biden to draw on his personal experience with loss, and stressed the profound harm the death penalty inflicts on family members who must endure a lengthy legal process that retraumatizes them and delays healing. “The death penalty does not prevent violence,” they wrote. “It does not solve crime. It divides families when we need each other the most, polarizing us, telling us that only some murders are heinous, and creating more trauma for more families.”

Please direct any media inquiries to Jon Crane, 203-982-4575, joncrane@criticalpr.com

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Take Care Today

EJUSA all Staff Circle.

Over the last week, I have been flooded with calls from friends, family, and people across our network of healers. Many of them have asked me how I’m doing, many have asked for support. I’ve heard fear, rage, grief, anxiety, and confusion. All have told me how tired they are.

So they reached out, because they know that in times like these, one thing is always true: we need care and community.

We have been through a lot together these last several months. The presidential election brought dangerous, harmful rhetoric into the open, including racist attacks on communities like mine. Our neighborhoods and families have continued to face challenges and tragedies. Now we know that the next president is a person who has promised cuts to programs our communities rely on, and been open about plans to attack people many of us love. We expect an agenda that breaks apart community, rather than building it.

That means our work to show up for each other is more important than ever.

It is okay to feel however you feel right now. I want you to know that no matter what, you are not alone, because we are in this together.

Take a moment now to notice your breath. Breathing in, notice what it’s like to be alive in this body, in this moment. Breathing out, let any tension soften, even if it’s just a little bit. Take a few more intentional breaths, knowing our community of care is breathing together.

Healing justice reminds us that collective trauma requires collective healing, and that our ancestors and our local communities are wellsprings of knowledge and medicine. So gather your people, and as you do, you are welcome to try any of these practices we come back to over and over again in our healing spaces and retreats:

  • Accountabili-Tea is a simple practice that can help you meet yourself right where you are. Create the blend that you need and consider giving your creation a name.
  • A little lavender or chamomile aids in relaxation. Lighting a candle, applying essential oils, or lighting incense can all bring you a sense of calm and peace.
  • Sometimes, a walk to a favorite place is just the right reset or escape. Water is my happy place, so that’s where I go. Where’s that place for you? Whether you can get there physically or close your eyes and travel mentally, take the time to go.
  • Journaling can help ground anxiety, clarify emotions, and surface insight. Take 5-10 minutes to write about what’s on your mind. If you’re with others, share about how it felt.

No matter what is ahead, we know that our work together will continue. Whether you’re working to end the death penalty, protect and heal your community, or both, our community of care will be here with you.

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Care and Community

EJUSA presenting on building community power in Bogalusa, LA.

This morning we woke to heaviness and uncertainty. We cannot predict the future, but there is no denying: we elected a president who promised retribution, who dehumanized so many people, and who spewed blatant hate and harm. It remains to be seen how deep and how wide the impact will be of this election, but the fear—especially for those most marginalized and demonized—is real.

We have to sit with that. And we should pause and absorb the pain of that reality.
But I want to offer something: we have been through this before. We have been pushing the boulder of true justice and racial equity up the hill since the founding of this country. History has taught us repeatedly that progress up the hill is often followed by rollback.

From the promise of Reconstruction when Black people gained representation and power after slavery, and the backlash of Jim Crow; to the progress of the Civil Rights Movement and the regressive policies that led to the war on drugs and mass incarceration. We stand on the shoulders of so many who persisted in the work at far greater risk with far fewer resources.

They succeeded because they worked together and found power in community. That will ultimately be the cure to the pain we feel: care for one another and power in community.

We are here with you right now. Our EJUSA community is built on a vision of healing and safety for all, a vision where violence is rare and we collectively reject anti-Blackness and racism of every kind.

The playing field for 2025 and beyond will be much different than we had hoped. But our fundamental goal remains the same. Safety is always on the ballot. Each and every one of us wants to be safe.

Our healing approach to safety will be critical given all that we’ve experienced and all that is to come. And the essence of community safety doesn’t change. For everyone, everywhere, the ingredients to thrive include good jobs, affordable housing, quality education, health care, and much more.

I hope it helps to remind you that this is not our first election. EJUSA has been around for more than 30 years. We have team members who have been with us for 15 and even 20 years, weathering the impact of elections from cities to states to our federal representatives. We are already planning how to meet the challenge while always holding firm to our values and our core mission.

We will heal those who heal their communities. We will drive funding into those same communities to strengthen the solutions they built that bring them safety. We will challenge the violence of today’s criminal legal system. And we will tell the story of all this work so others can know that there is a different pathway to safety.

We will continue to make an impact through care and community.

Please invest in this mission. I hope you can see how vital it will be in the months and years to come, as we heal together from this election.

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