This. Is. Big. Virginia, a former Confederate state that has executed more people than any other state in the country, just just voted to end the death penalty, with the House of Delegates passing an abolition bill 57-41. Virginia’s achievement today once again sounds the death penalty’s demise. But it does more than that. It…
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This week, our executive director, Shari Silberstein, shared with you that she would leave EJUSA at the end of the summer after more than 20 years of extraordinary work. While we are deeply saddened to say goodbye to an amazing leader, I am pleased to announce our search for our next executive director. If you…
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My heart is full as I write this message. On July 31, 2021, I will step down as the executive director of EJUSA after more than 20 years at this organization that I love. The events of the last year have intensified the urgency to reverse centuries of racial injustice in our nation. That…
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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….
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At this point, there isn’t any aspect of life in the U.S. that hasn’t been affected by the pandemic. This is especially true in Black and Brown communities. Covid-19 has magnified every inequity. People are struggling to put food on the table, pay their rent, get high-quality health care, and make sure their kids are…
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Can you imagine a world where we work together to repair the harm that is caused by violence? Where we work to understand the root causes of violence and deliver healing for all those impacted by harm? That vision is already taking shape! On Tuesday, November 10, EJUSA hosted “The Right to Repair: Hope &…
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The world lost a giant yesterday. Bill Pelke, founder of Journey of Hope…from Violence to Forgiveness, passed away in his home in Alaska after suffering a heart attack. Bill is the heart behind the anti-death penalty’s powerful mantra “love and compassion for all of humanity.” He came to this vision — and spread the message…
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Working on the frontlines to build community safety and prevent violence is incredibly hard work in the best of times. The COVID-19 pandemic multiplied the degree of difficulty because the work is about relationships, it’s about seeing people face to face and building trust and camaraderie. In the first months of the pandemic, we spent…
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Dear Reader, In 2001, my son, Khaaliq, was murdered over a parking spot dispute. He was a young social worker, determined to serve children and families in our community. Together, we were going to start an organization that would do just that. I felt so much grief and trauma after his death, and I thought…
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Reimagining Justice This Month | September 2020 Reimagining Justice This Month highlights stories about effective responses to violence – responses that disrupt cycles of violence, heal trauma, and address structural racism. If we want to change our justice system, we have to change the way we talk about it, Represent Justice Words Matter. When we…
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