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The Intersection of Gun Violence and Intimate Partner Violence

Protest in Detroit for Gun Violence Awareness Month

Last weekend, a booming bass drum and blaring horns filled up the block where I live in Detroit, along with shouts of “No more silence, end gun violence”. It was an unusually hot June day, a marching band led the parade, and folks wearing orange held signs with the faces of loved ones. They were marching to raise awareness about Gun Violence Prevention Month. The echoes of their voices permeated the street, reminding me of the loved ones I have lost to gun violence – a crisis that claims the lives of more than 120 Americans every day. Their declarations and cries also reminded me of the countless victims of intimate partner violence (IPV) who are part of that number. The reality became more harrowing when I learned that another one of my community members lost their life to gun related IPV just three days after the march. 

Gun violence is an intersectional issue. IPV or domestic violence (DV) must be part of the conversation. Gun violence occurs in 61% of domestic violence homicides, however, firearms are used in 72% of domestic violence homicides in the Black community.  It’s often believed that IPV isn’t relevant to gun violence prevention or community-based violence because it happens in “private” or is a “family issue” that stays within the home. On the contrary, having guns in the home creates a greater risk for DV-related homicides, and threatens the safety of everyone in the community. It’s impossible to break cycles of gun violence when one of the most common forms is minimized. 

The intersection of IPV and gun violence exists on a continuum, with few protections and rights for those who are being harmed. Prisons across the country are filled with survivors who have killed their abusers by gun violence. While incarcerated, survivors are at risk of experiencing more violence, degradation, being denied resources, and being isolated from loved ones. There are also survivors of domestic violence like Marissa Alexander, who was incarcerated for firing warning shots to protect herself from her abuser, being revictimized by the criminal legal system. Someone experiencing abuse may be asked, “Why don’t you leave?”. The truth is, it’s not that simple. Abuse can become most dangerous when someone is trying to leave or has already left. A victim of IPV is five times more likely to die when an abusive partner has access to a gun. Community support and awareness can provide better outcomes for folks experiencing abuse, and end cycles of violence. 

What can the community do to address these intersectional forms of violence?

First, we must explore the root causes of gun violence and identify similarities to gun violence, including racism, white supremacy, poverty, and income inequality, inequitable systems including education and health, exposure to violence, and historical trauma. We must also lean into protective factors. At the community level, this looks like engaging in meaningful conversations with community members about IPV, integrating IPV considerations into intervention services, building relationships with domestic violence advocacy organizations, ensuring survivors have access to victims’ rights resources, and redefining our understanding of safety in the community to include survivors of IPV.

As a DV advocate, I know that justice for survivors and victims is rooted in safety, healing, and accountability. Keeping that at the center of how we address IPV will bring us closer to a world where violence is rare. 

 

References

Intimate Partner Violence, Firearm Injuries and Homicides: A Health Justice Approach to Two Intersecting Public Health Crises

Intimate Partner Violence And Gun Violence In The U.S. Are Inextricably Linked.

Domestic Violence Prevention 

Domestic Violence and Firearms 

Innovating Justice

The Facts on Gun and Domestic Violence

The Intersection of Guns and IPV

DV and Gun Violence in the Black Community 

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Black Twitter

Original twitter icon with a black backdrop

Do you remember the 2015 Oscars? I’m guessing no, and that’s okay because that was forever ago. So I’ll remind you: all 20 acting nominations were for white people. For the second straight year!

April Reign was, at the time, a media strategist active on Twitter. When she posted about the stunning absence of Black actors, she tried a new hashtag: #oscarssowhite. And she probably changed the Oscars and the film industry forever. 

That hashtag started thousands of online conversations on Twitter and, well, everywhere. Today, people pay a different kind of attention to the Oscars and awards and other similar cultural events.

Now, that was not the beginning of Black Twitter, but it’s one of the great stories you’ll find in “Black Twitter,” the new docuseries on Hulu that tells the story of Black voices on that platform. But maybe it would help if we go a little further back in time. 

In 2009, early Twitter, then three years old, was a place for rebellion, with punchy and useful content in 140 characters. The Black Twitter community started gaining traction, expanding conversations. In the U.S., especially for Black people, there was a growing sense of disillusionment. When George Bush was in office, Kanye West famously said on a TV show hosted by Mike Myers, “George Bush doesn’t care about Black people.”  The internet promised a bigger world than real life felt, and on Twitter, one could openly criticize politicians or ideologies. Black people felt more connected than ever, sharing their voices and opinions on Black Twitter, where they were validated by each other and mattered. This marked the rise of Black Twitter in Obama’s America.

Songs by rappers were shared on Black Twitter, uniting Black America, including lyrics from Jeezy’s “My President.” “My President is Black. My lambo’s blue. And I’ll be damned if my rims ain’t too. My money’s light green and my Jordan’s light grey.” This line spread across Twitter, bringing Black communities together in celebration and pride. Reflecting on years of slavery and systemic racism, a Black president had taken the White House. Black communities nationwide began to party and turn up, deeply appreciating a Black man, Obama, leading the country. 

Following Obama’s takeover of the White House, Black Twitter continued to blow up, with a creative emphasis on hashtags that brought Black users on Twitter together virtually around specific topics. For instance,  #YouKnowYoureBlackWhen exploded across the platform, highlighting shared reference points and similarities in Black culture. These hashtag topics allowed users to feel connected in their Black experiences, emphasizing that even in the smallest details, Black people were one; 

  • #YouKnowYourBlackWhen you cancel plans when it’s raining 
  • #YouKnowYourBlackWhen you wear tall tees 
  • #YouKnowYourBlackWhen you can go to a cookout late and still be early
  • #YouKnowYourBlackWhen nobody is allowed to be in the living room 

Up until this point, these hashtags revealed cultural reference points, allowing Black people to see the roots of their identities and connections visually.  

Twitter became a tool to tell Black stories. Black Twitter made the news, blending humor with political discourse. It created a new era of Black media, supporting television shows and hosting watch parties, for shows like Insecure by Issa Rae. Twitter encouraged racial equity by providing a space for these discussions. It also gave access to people you might not meet in real life but could interact with online, including celebrities like Rihanna and Ciara.

Black Twitter was a space for Blackness and Black culture. It fostered linguistic innovation, with words having multiple meanings and meme creation becoming a form of communication. For Black people in America, it created a new internet language and communication style. Black language and gesture were vital, with visual culture playing a huge role. Memes became a way to express Blackness, showcasing creativity and talent using tools like Photoshop.

I invite you to watch Black Twitter. I invite you to remember, reflect, and engage with a dialogue highlighting a virtual space that provided Black users with a community where individuals felt free, relentless, joyful, and powerful. 

Black Twitter became an instrument for the expression of Black people in a country that has so often silenced the Black community and still tries to. 

 

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Celebrate and Interrogate

I recently read a briefing from our allies at the Prison Policy Initiative, and it contained a startling figure: 19 million people in America are living with a felony conviction. That’s nearly equal to the entire population of New York. 

This reminded me of a friend. Her brother was once incarcerated. Since serving his sentence nearly 20 years ago, he’s earned a college degree, then a PhD. He is brilliant. Yet he can’t sit for the professional certification exam in his field because of the conviction on his record. He is one of the 19 million who continue to be punished by being denied the opportunity to thrive and to achieve without limitation. 

I’m sharing this on Juneteenth for a reason. Today is a celebration of Black liberation. Across the nation — which finally recognized the importance of this day just three years ago — Black families and communities will gather in beautiful moments. We will cook out and share stories, we will dance and sing, we will laugh and be together.  

We must celebrate, but we also must interrogate! What does liberation truly mean? How much distance still exists between our community and that ideal? 

Until June 19, 1865, enslaved people in parts of Texas lived without knowing that the Civil War had ended two months before. They had been unaffected by the Emancipation Proclamation, issued two years earlier. On June 19, Union troops arrived in Galveston Bay, TX, to let 250,000 human beings know they were finally free from the horrors of slavery. 

But it wouldn’t be so simple. After a brief period of hope and promise for Black Americans, white supremacy re-established its dominance with viciousness. Policing, prosecutions, and prison became a cornerstone, a foundational strategy, in the institutionalization of racial oppression. 

Our criminal justice system today has a direct lineage to our slavery legacy. Slave patrols evolved into what today is a police force. Leaders have long enacted laws–not just in the South–designed to oppress and control Black people. The system’s focus has always been punishment, and that punishment rarely ends once a person is no longer locked behind bars. 

I knew this when I became a federal prosecutor, hoping to drive change inside the system. But that experience revealed the strength of a system that won’t release its grip on racial oppression and retribution. 

We have to build a new system for those 19 million people — one that recognizes that their criminal act was something they did, not who they are. We need a system that recognizes that virtually everyone who causes harm has themselves been harmed. And that they all need healing. 

We need a system that gives people an opportunity to truly be accountable by repairing the harm they have caused and changing so they don’t do it again. That system should recognize the inherent dignity and worth of every person. 

Our punitive system today still trains its sights on Black folks and other marginalized people. Only when we replace it can we achieve true liberation. 

However you recognize Juneteenth today, please do more than celebrate the past. Together, let’s aspire to a future of true liberation. That will be a beautiful moment for all of us. 

Toward justice,

Jamila Hodge 

PS: If you haven’t yet, read about how Maryland Gov. Wes Moore liberated approximately 100,000 people from low-level marijuana convictions–recognizing their humanity and dignity. Read more here.

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EJUSA’s New Board Chair

Organizing Value Icon

I am honored to be elected as Chair of the EJUSA Board, an organization I have long admired.

I was introduced to EJUSA many years ago through its work to end the death penalty, driving repeal campaigns in New York, New Jersey, Maryland, and other parts of the country. I became more intimately familiar with its work during my tenure at Open Society Foundations (OSF), where EJUSA was an anchor grantee in our death penalty portfolio.

I vividly recall a conversation I had over lunch one day with founder Shari Silberstein. She spelled out a vision for a criminal legal system that turned away from punishment as its primary response, one that instead focused on healing, safety, and accountability that repairs everyone affected by harm.

At the time, my team at OSF was wrestling with the urgency of reducing the harm and excesses of the current system while at the same time recognizing we needed to support building something concrete in its place, something that provided real community healing and safety. Something that confronted the disproportionate harm that longstanding practices had wreaked on Black and Brown communities. Our job was to invest in those solutions, and we were eager to support EJUSA’s bold vision.

In 2021, after years of witnessing EJUSA evolve and demonstrate how to work with partners to center the community in creating true solutions promoting safety, I discovered that Jami Hodge was taking over for Shari. I knew Jami to be a brilliant thinker, passionate advocate, and effective leader. When she called soon after to ask if I was interested in joining the board, I had no hesitation.

Now, I’ve been elected to be our next board chair, succeeding Jesselyn McCurdy and her six years leading the board. They are big shoes to fill. Jesselyn has been a leader on various social justice issues throughout her career, and a dedicated and tireless chair and champion for EJUSA and its work.

I am committed to building upon her leadership and impact, along with the rest of our outstanding board, visionary leader, and exceptional staff. I am excited about what lies ahead. We continue to beat back the death penalty in multiple states. Our groundbreaking Trauma to Trust program, fostering greater understanding between the community and police, is on the cusp of national expansion. Our new Restorative Justice Project is a powerful pathway to healing that demonstrates our vision for true justice, safety, and accountability that repairs.

I take all this in as I reflect on that question we had at OSF years ago: What organizations are building solutions to a racist, harmful legal system?

In EJUSA, I’ve found one with a distinct, inspiring vision and a strategic plan to make that vision real. I’m honored to offer my experience and leadership as, together, we build the justice system that people need to thrive. My ultimate goal as incoming chair is for you to see that same promise of safety and justice, to inspire a shared investment, and to make our vision reality.

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Equal Justice USA Appoints Leonard Noisette as its Next Board Chair

Lifelong justice strategist and advocate brings experience and passion to organization.

(June 12, 2024) — Equal Justice USA announced today that Leonard Noisette will be the organization’s next board chair, effective immediately. He brings his decades of justice experience, strategic vision, and deep knowledge of financial scaling to EJUSA at a crucial juncture, as the organization expands the reach of a community-centered model for building public safety ecosystems.

“When I became the leader of EJUSA, one of the first things I did was connect with Lenny in hopes of bringing his wisdom and decision-making to the team,” said Jamila Hodge, EJUSA’s CEO. “Lenny’s perspective and intellect, as well as his connections throughout the justice movement, will be even more valuable to us as he takes on more leadership.”

After graduating from New York University Law School, Noisette began a long career in public defense, with nearly two decades at the Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem, where he would eventually rise to the executive director role, leading a staff of 35. Noisette brought that experience to the Open Society Foundation, where he led the U.S. criminal justice program and invested $20 million annually, over 13 years, in organizations reforming and transforming our system. Since leaving OSF, he has continued to teach at Fordham University School of Law while also consulting with other justice leaders.

“After years of witnessing EJUSA evolve, demonstrating how to work with partners to center the community in creating true solutions promoting safety, I’m thrilled to support the team in an expanded capacity as it builds real community healing and safety.” said Noisette. “EJUSA’s vision for true justice and accountability that repairs, manifested through its groundbreaking programs and advocacy, is much needed in this particular moment.”

Noisette succeeds Jesselyn McCurdy, the executive vice president for government affairs at The Leadership Conference of Civil and Human Rights, who steps down after six years as the board chair, and leaves the board after 14 years of extraordinary service, helping steer the organization as it grew into its current vision.

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Nurturing Mental Health Amidst the Fight for Justice

Water on the wood, healing, water trickling, green back drop

In the ongoing battle against systemic injustice grassroots leaders and social justice professionals are often at the forefront, tirelessly advocating for change. However, amidst the fight for equity and well-being, it’s crucial to emphasize mental health this May and every month for recovery and healing.

Communities of color continue to be disproportionately affected by the devastating impacts of unjust systems. Our collective trauma permeates through generations, manifesting in individual, social, and historical layers of pain. At its core, justice must encompass the holistic well-being of all individuals involved, for those who have experienced harm and those who have caused harm. By centering healing and restoration in our pursuit of justice, we can create pathways toward true reconciliation and transformation.

We show up for our children, our elders, our families, and our friends filled with the power and passion needed to confront the difficulties of enacting change. To bear the losses, to forge on for the victories, and to seize the opportunities and get in good trouble. By prioritizing our mental health, we strengthen our capacity to enact meaningful change while safeguarding our well-being, leaning on one another for support, and sharing our stories and experiences all while taking the crucial steps towards our collective healing and resilience.

As the director of the Healing Justice Program, I too am often reminded by my colleagues of the need to pause and regroup. My village always reminds me of the need for my care and rest and with that nudge, I retreat. I often seek renewal near water. Water’s healing power almost has a transfixed hold on me. I often feel the urge to find it and seek solace within it, when recalibration is needed. The mystery is I’m not sure what lures me to it. I just need it so I go. For me, there is no specific location, where I land is where I need to be. The sound of the ocean calms me, the stillness of the lakes center me, and the ripples of the rivers ignite me. My mental care flows with the rhythm of the waves and the cleansing aroma in the air. This rhythm speaks to my worries, my pain, and my stressors. I can release or I can reflect. I can escape or I can find resolve as I seek guidance with a peaceful mind. From that peaceful state, I can find the energy to continue showing up to the work of changing systems and sustaining other healers and organizers.

As we stand together for one another collectively we must continue to nurture the core of our movement…our people. Recently, in Mecklenburg, NC, a room full of healers explored the benefits of essential oils, sharing their remedies that have been passed on through their lineage, like the power of lemongrass that helps with pain or swelling to ease the long days and nights working tirelessly for the community they love. Others shared the nostalgic memories of a hot cup of chamomile tea that aids in sleepless nights but rekindles memories of a mother’s love as she pours a hot cup of chamomile tea to make us feel better and to rest. We all have those people and experiences in our lives that have helped us to slow down, settle our systems, find a home and connection and heal with each other. It’s important to find those small things – maybe a place, maybe a person, maybe some herbs or oils or a spiritual practice – that help us feel more whole, and to pass on that knowledge collectively to support our people.

it’s imperative that we acknowledge and process the grief and trauma that accompany our work. The perpetual cycle of witnessing injustices, advocating for change, and confronting systemic biases can be emotionally, mentally, and physically taxing, emphasizing the need for intentional self-care and communal support. We must always allow ourselves the space to grieve, to feel, and to heal. And when we step in for others to do the same we pull from our very essence to nurture our own. Through shared tears we hold their hands, in loss, we embrace them through their pain, in solidarity we activate when harmed.

Our communal care fosters environments that promote open dialogue, empathy, appreciation, and understanding of our diverse perspectives and common adversities. Each of those is essential to the soil from which we can generate the systems of care, repair, and safety that our communities need. 

As we commit ourselves to our advocacy and our communities, We must not overlook the importance of nurturing our mental health and fostering spaces of healing and support. By coming together, sharing our experiences, and prioritizing self-care, we support our village and continue to pour into our collective mental care. And in these moments let us not forget about our own place of refuge, either by the water or in a cup of tea, words scribbled in a journal or tapping our feet to our favorite beat. This May, let us commit to paying attention to our mental care as we prioritize our peace individually so we can care for our village collectively.

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The Harm of Misinformation

broken glass with blue tape on it

A few weeks ago, we shared some essential facts about misinformation and propaganda so that readers could recognize it as they see it. Today, we will discuss narratives that perpetuate harm against minority communities. 

In 1619, European traders kidnapped and enslaved the first of 12.5 million Africans. Those that survived the trans-Atlantic journey worked and suffered as slave labor. The enslavers soon created patrols to oppress and control these human beings—the first policing force. 

Policing is the front line of incarceration. Black Codes and Jim Crow laws to reinvent enslaved labor and oppress Black people. The repression of the civil rights movement and the war on drugs and everything between served as tools in a legal system that has built our mass incarceration crisis that has made the U.S. one of the most carceral nations in the world, with almost 20% of the global prison population, is a relentless force intent on sustaining itself. 

The exploitation of forced (slave) labor as part of incarceration is still part of a massive system geared toward survival and growth. And the actors in that system know that propaganda can play a key role in its sustainability. Here are three narratives built on mis- or disinformation that support the system:  

Disinformation Narrative 1: More police equals more safety.

Heightened police presence does not decrease the number of reported crimes in areas with substantial Black populations (source). Unsurprisingly, with more cops, the number of arrests for minor crimes increases, but the homicide rate does not decrease. This is because policing is a product of racism created to oppress Black people, and is only trained and equipped to react to harm. By design, they don’t, and can’t, address the factors that lead to harm.  

Impact: This narrative is driven by fear. It preys on society’s fear of crime and criminals. The narrative distracts citizens from the true causes of crime. By perpetuating this narrative, cities increase the number of arrests. This increase only serves to fuel the prison industrial complex that capitalizes on slave labor.

Disinformation Narrative 2: Police are being defunded.

The United States has the most well-funded police force in the world, and yet, all this spending does not decrease the overall crime rate. “Defunding” hasn’t happened—no matter how much the news, politicians, or presidents state it. In fact, funding for policing increased substantially in the past few years (source). Despite the increase in police funding, and despite having the most well-funded police force in the world, violent crimes still happen.

Impact: This deliberately false narrative’s purpose is to increase funding for law enforcement at all levels. By pushing the lie that local law enforcement does not have enough funds, politicians, police chiefs, and lobbying organizations reinforce the fear of increasing crime. Cities have the excuse to divert money from preventative programs and services that work to address the root causes of crime.

Disinformation Narrative 3: Police need more training.

When police commit violence against community members, the response is often a push for more training. After all, it’s only a few bad apples spoiling the bunch. Media outlets insisted that it was the problem of the individual officer, not the institution itself. They called for putting more money into the police departments because officers weren’t trained enough. They did not have the right equipment such as body cameras. Cities did not decrease police spending. Funds increase each year, but those funds have not led to a significant  change in police brutality.

Impact: This narrative is interwoven with the other two lies to increase money siphoned into local police departments. It does not serve to address the economic, structural, and societal factors that cause harm. It’s a band-aid solution.

These narratives and techniques serve to capitalize on fear, divert attention away from causal factors, and divert much-needed funding from social services. They are jingly keys to distract us while police continue to arrest Black and Brown people at a disproportionately higher rate. More prisoners means more forced labor for the companies that lobby to prevent societal changes. When you see these messages, ask yourself who benefits? Who might be funding these narratives? Who might be financially benefiting from them? Following the money is a useful tool when debunking propaganda. 

Where to go from here

The next post in this series will cover how to recognize misinformation when you see it. We may be surrounded by propaganda, but we are able to identify it, combat it, and work towards addressing the harm it does.

Links for further reading:

Articles on Prison Labor

These states still have slavery language in their constitutions

These states use prison labor without pay

Even in states where the language was removed, prisons still use free labor

Read more about companies that capitalize on prison and slave labor (globally): 

12 Corporations Benefiting from the Prison Industrial Complex

Forced labor in China

US Prison labor tied to the world’s most popular food brands

Law enforcement:

Evolution of Law Enforcement 

Police don’t stop crime

NYT Twists Stats to Insist we Need More Policing

Propaganda and technology:

Why Propaganda is More Dangerous in the Digital Age

Racialized Disinformation

Propaganda Eduction for a Digital Age

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Beyond the Choir

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. Since then, our program team has built an ambitious agenda of actions for partnership with the Coalition. The focus is on Louisiana, where the recently elected governor is driving a brutal legislative package that doubles down on punishment, especially of young people. 

The success in that state of our community-led public safety strategies and our restorative justice work is a shining counterargument to the punishment-first mindset. 

Just weeks after the Super Bowl, I was in Austin for South by Southwest, a multilayered conference and festival, to talk about the role the community can play in their public safety. We put this panel together, which featured Lisa Daniels, the founder of the Darren B. Easterling Center for Restorative Practices; Greg Jackson, who works in the White House as the deputy director of the historic Office of Gun Violence Prevention; and our phenomenal moderator, James Cadogan, the executive director of the National Basketball Social Justice Coalition. 

This event was especially important because it brought us outside “the choir,” talking to people that are still learning about alternative approaches to violence and community-centered public safety. Here’s a sample of the conversation:

The first days of April took me, and several members of our team, to a community violence intervention conference hosted by the Department of Justice. I was honored to speak during a plenary session on the power and role of narrative in our efforts to transform what justice means in this nation. 

Finally, just days ago, I took part in another fascinating conversation, this one about the potential risks that AI could have in the criminal legal system by perpetuating the racism and bias inherent in that system. 

And those are just some of the highlights. We have more incredible work coming down the road. Our research team is putting together a fascinating report on the safety needs of a rural community in Louisiana that struggles with violence—our strategies aren’t just for cities. In the coming months, we will be selecting four new communities in which to launch our restorative justice work. And we’re unveiling a new version of our Trauma to Trust curriculum this summer. 

If you’re inspired by this momentum, I hope you’ll consider making an investment today in the future of public safety.

PS: If you have a second and are interested in learning about a different aspect of our work, please read Taylor Mason’s blog about helping a new organization make its first roots strong. It’s a wonderful read.

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Healing in Community

Graphic with a backdrop of a tree and its roots and the title of the blog

You may have heard the news last December about a new development at Equal Justice USA: the Restorative Justice Project.

Our Restorative Justice Project is a groundbreaking endeavor aimed at fostering healing and accountability within communities across the nation. At EJUSA, we firmly believe that restorative justice offers an impactful approach to building communities and ensuring their safety.

Through this project, our dedicated team is working closely with communities from California to Philadelphia, and from Nashville to New Orleans, and beyond, to develop restorative justice diversion programs. These programs are designed to address harm, meet needs, and identify root causes, while also providing a platform for meaningful accountability and transformation.

To give you a glimpse into the incredible work being done as part of our Restorative Justice Project, I encourage you to watch “Healing in Community: The Power of Restorative Justice Diversion Trailer.” This video showcases the perspectives and experiences of several restorative justice diversion programs within EJUSA’s National Restorative Justice Diversion Collaborative.

In these programs, participants are invited to deeply explore a set of questions that look very different from the questions asked by the criminal legal system. Instead of focusing on what law was broken and how we punish the person that broke it, restorative justice recognizes that what is elevated as a crime is not always an accurate reflection of the harm caused or a directive on what is needed to make things right. Restorative justice starts with the questions:

  • What happened?
  • Who was harmed and what do they need?
  • Whose obligation is it to repair the harm and meet those needs?

Furthermore, these programs address unmet needs that may have led someone to cause harm. By asking questions like “Who else has been impacted by this harm? What are the root causes? and What is needed to address those root causes and prevent further harm?” We delve into the restorative justice process, aiming not only to repair harm but also to sow transformative seeds that lead to deeper relationships and meaningful accountability.

We distinguish between crime and harm. While crime is a violation of the law, harm is described and defined by those involved. For restorative justice, this distinction is understood deeply, and for survivors of harm, the category of crime determined by law enforcement rarely describes the harm they experienced and what impacted them most. Furthermore, as crime categories are often linked with corresponding punishments as dictated by the criminal legal system, the distinction between crime and harm is another example of returning power back to folks most impacted to describe what happened and determine what is needed to make things as right as possible.

Our Restorative Justice Project is honored to partner with communities across the country to answer the fundamental question: What do we do when harm happens? Through our work to develop innovative programs and partnerships, we’re providing communities with the tools and resources they need to navigate conflicts and harm in a way that fosters healing, growth, and connection — a pathway to real safety. 

Thank you for your continued support of our work and please check out the work of our amazing partners. 

We also want to express our gratitude to our funders, Just Impact and Galaxy Gives, for believing in our restorative justice diversion work over the years and for providing us with the flexible funding that made this video possible.

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Honoring Waymakers

Grey background with a woman in the back and words on top to highlight the title of the blog

Women’s History Month gave us time to reflect on the incredible contributions of Black women throughout history. We deeply value these waymakers who have tirelessly fought against injustice and paved the way for a more equitable future. Recently, I had the privilege of attending a Peer Learning Lab hosted by EJUSA, where the focus was on celebrating the legacy of Black women in the movement. Co-hosted by Tonjie Reese, EJUSA’s Director of Learning and Practice, and Josie Alexander, Baton Rouge Strategist, the lab was a powerful reminder of the resilience and strength embodied by Black women.

Immediately I was struck by how the presentation was thoughtfully designed, incorporating vibrant shades of purple that echoed the imagery found in Alice Walker’s work. The session began with a grounding exercise, drawing inspiration from the words of Octavia Butler. As we reflected on the affirmation, “We can, each of us, do the impossible as long as we can convince ourselves that it has been done before,” it served as a reminder of the collective power we hold when we stand together. Watching a short video on the Woman’s Club Movement further highlighted the pivotal role Black women have played in advocating for social change throughout history.

Josie and Tonjie led us through a timeline highlighting key moments of Black women’s involvement in various movements, from abolition to civil rights to contemporary activism. It was a testament to their enduring legacy. We also delved into the challenges Black women face in organizing spaces, where their voices are often marginalized and their leadership undervalued. Despite these obstacles, Black women continue to be at the forefront of social movements, driving change and demanding accountability. As we discussed the importance of passing the torch and preserving the flame of activism, it became clear that honoring Black women’s contributions is not just a matter of historical recognition but a commitment to amplifying their voices and ensuring their legacies endure.

To conclude the session, we recited a creed and commitment, reaffirming our dedication to honoring and elevating the stories, struggles, and triumphs of Black women. In solidarity, we pledged to be relentless in our pursuit of justice, equity, and equality, recognizing that the liberation of Black women is intertwined with the liberation of all.

As a Black woman myself, this Peer Learning Lab was deeply meaningful. Thank you, Tonjie and Josie, for reminding me of the resilience of my ancestors and the responsibility I carry to continue their legacy of advocacy. Let’s recommit ourselves to the ongoing struggle for justice, guided by the wisdom and courage of Black women who have paved the way for generations to come.

 

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