John,

This week as we commemorated Martin Luther King Jr. Day, I was taken back to last Juneteenth when we took our formerly incarcerated staff and youth Members on a trip to Atlanta to visit the birthplace of Dr. King and the MLK National Historical Park. The experience provided our youth and staff an up-close opportunity to reflect on the life and work of a man, whose dream set the course towards justice we still follow today. It also offered a stark reminder of the forces that continue to defer this dream. 
 
Mass incarceration disproportionately affects communities of color, perpetuating a cycle of injustice that Dr. King fought against. It is imperative that we embody his teachings and channel our efforts into dismantling the structures that perpetuate racial disparities within our criminal justice system. 
 
Since our founding, ARC’s greatest hope for change has always come from the stories of our members. Watch below as Kumari, a youth Member who went on our Juneteenth trip, reflects on the legacy of MLK and the inescapable connection between their stories.