Now may be the reason we were born. We all have skills that are needed. Now is the time. This is the place. We are the people. It is time for a radical transformation – to have policies based on life, liberation and love.” – Rev. Dr. William Barber II – the Poor People’s Campaign 2020
Webinars
On May 26, 2020 the Jordan Institute for Families partnered with the UNC School of Social Work’s Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion to host a webinar titled: Racial Disparities in COVID-19: Implications for Policy, Practice, Research and Teaching.The presenter was Dr. Enrique Neblett, Professor, School of Public Health, University of Michigan. Panelists included Jillian Johnson, Mayor Pro Tempore, City of Durham, NC, Valerie Arendt, Executive Director NASW-NC, Dr. Iheoma Iruka, Director, Center for Early Education Research and Evaluation, and JP Przewoznik, Clinical Assistant Professor at the UNC School of Social Work. Click here for the flyer. Click here to watch the video. For a starter list of resources for learning, growth and action please read the blog post “Racism and Action” Click here to read a summary of the key points shared during the webinar as described by Lindsay Klinck MSW student.
On June 30, 2020 the Jordan Institute for Families partnered with the UNC School of Social Work’s Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion to host a webinar titled: Re-Imagining Community Safety: How We Can Move Beyond Policing. Presenters and discussants included Maya Hart, MSW, NC Coordinator for SisterSong Women of Color Reproductive Justice Collective and Member of the Black Youth Project 100 Durham, Seth Kotch, PhD, UNC Chapel Hill Dept. of American Studies and author of Lethal State, Danielle Purifoy, PhD, Durham Beyond Policing Coalition and UNC Chapel Hill Dept. of Geography, and James Williams, JD, Orange Bias Free Policing Coalition and Chair of the Task Force on Racial and Ethic Bias in the Criminal Justice System. Click here to watch the video. Resources discussed during the video are available below.
On September 3, 2020 we hosted a webinar titled: In Conversation: Recognizing and Disrupting Systemic Racism in Social Work Practice. The National Association of Social Workers Code of Ethics stipulates that one of the ethical principles that must guide social workers is to challenge social injustice. During this event, social workers across fields shared where and how they notice and perpetuate systemic racism and how they work to disrupt it. Click here to watch the video.
Panelists included: Derrik Anderson, MSW, Race Matters for Juvenile Justice, Alan Dettlaff, MSW, PhD, Dean University of Houston School of Social Work, Jackie Jencks, MSW, Interfaith Council, Bonita Joyce, MSW, School Social Worker, Lia Kaz, MSW, Dispute Settlement Center, and Rebecca Swofford, MSW, NC Coalition Against Domestic Violence.
Resources
Website with data and resources on North Carolina traffic stops
Reports about organizing in Durham, NC to remove School Resource Officers (SROs) from schools:
BYP100’s campaign #SheSafeWeSafe
Orange Bias Free Policing Coalition – Policing Reform Recommendations
SisterSong, Women of Color Reproductive Justice Coalition
Police Accountability Community Project in Raleigh, NC
For those who have access to UNC libraries there’s a great documentary: Visions of Abolition: from Critical Resistance to A New Way of Life (Available streaming)
Carrboro’s Resolution on Next Steps in Advancing Racial Equity in Law Enforcement and Public Safety.
Chapel Hill’s resolution on developing new community approaches to improve racial equity in public safety in Chapel Hill
The Cut – What Does Defund the Police Mean: The Phrase Explained
Short video: Defunding Vs. Abolishing The Police Explained In 6 Minutes
James Forman’s Locking up Our Own: Crime and Punishment in Black America
NYC’s Restorative Justice Initiative (RJI) is a citywide, multi-sector network of practitioners, advocates and community members seeking to increase support for, and access to, restorative justice approaches for all New Yorkers.
