“New Yorkers Against the Death Penalty (NYADP) is proud of shepherding a moratorium resolution through the New York City Council, but it wouldn’t have happened without Equal Justice USA. EJUSA’s Northeast Field Organizer, Celeste Fitzgerald, guided the way based on strategies that had been used successfully elsewhere, so we didn’t have to reinvent the wheel. When we ran into snags, Celeste was always there with a practical solution and calm reassurance to settle our frazzled nerves. Once the resolution passed in June, EJUSA helped spread the word to national media.
“The NYC moratorium resolution was actually just one component – albeit a key component – of a statewide strategy that EJUSA helped design. Prior to the NYC Council resolution, Celeste facilitated a retreat in which the NYADP Board of Directors developed a strategic plan for the organization; later, she did the same for NYADP’s local chapter in Albany, the state capitol. Having EJUSA as a partner helped NYADP get off the ground as a credible statewide organization with the ability to make an impact on the news, politics, and climate of opinion in New York.”
By Shari Silberstein
Since 2000, Shari Silberstein has dedicated her career to transforming the justice system from one that harms to one that heals. Under her leadership, and using campaign strategies she helped develop, Equal Justice USA has helped end the death penalty in nine states, built first-of-its-kind conservative and evangelical coalitions for justice reform, secured millions in state funding for healing services to families of murder victims, launched an innovative model for training and dialogue between police and communities on trauma and race equity, and strengthened dozens of local organizations across the nation working for justice, violence reduction, and healing. Shari has been a national voice in helping to break down the silos between criminal justice reformers and crime survivor advocates. Her expertise has been a source in the New York Times, the Washington Post, the New Yorker, and Harper’s Magazine, and she has written op-eds for an array of media outlets, including Fox News, the Marshall Project, and U.S. News and World Report. Shari has a bachelor's degree in film from New York University and a master's degree in Middle Eastern studies from the University of Texas at Austin.
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