About six weeks ago, Najee Seabrooks sent out a call for help. He texted his co-workers at the Paterson Healing Collective — an EJUSA partner and ally in the movement to build community safety — that he was in crisis and he needed them. Najee was trained as a healer and a violence interventionist, so…
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In 2018, I left the Department of Justice after a dozen years as a prosecutor. I had seen our criminal legal system up close and came away certain that it was too big, too rigid, and too steeped in its racist origins to ever deliver true justice. I wanted to find the solutions to violence,…
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The idea began with a question: What would it look like to accompany a church willing to match faith with deeds so they can meet the justice needs in their community? The question that led to an idea led to a journey to Richmond, VA. I teamed up with Will Simpson, EJUSA’s director of violence…
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Meet our friend and activist Ms. Sharon Redding. I’m not alone in seeing her as a pillar of her city. She’s worked for the Newark Community Street Team since 2016 as a community advocate. Ms. Sharon is a vital voice connecting her community and its concerns with city and state leaders to build community safety…
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After the dust settled on the 2022 elections, we spent the dark weeks of winter getting grips on the balance of political power across the country. And here we are. February. The plunge into legislative sessions is squarely upon us. Some states are already nearly done for the year, but the buzz is still loud…
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“There is no reason to kill. No reason for me to kill, no reason for you to kill, and no reason for the state to kill.” These are the words of Lawrence Hayes as he spoke at the “Live from Death Row Tour,” a national speaking tour with a focus on building opposition to the…
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Early last week I got an automated message on my phone from my kids’ school that there was an active shooter within two miles and that the school was under a shelter-in-place order from the Charlottesville Police Department. I went through the arc of emotions: fear to worry to curiosity to a trust in my…
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They didn’t tackle me so much as deliver a hard body check. My phone — I was listening to a voicemail — fell to the ground but I kept my feet, off balance for a second before turning to face one of the guys mugging me. We were under a street lamp on a normally…
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Black History Month ended yesterday. It’s traditionally been a month where we celebrate the achievements of Black people, some iconic and some lesser known but still vital to U.S. history. Our history is deep, long, complex, and incredibly inspiring to me. It is also an important lens for our work, which is why the growing…
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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.). …
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