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Upcoming Events
Next Invest in Us Coalition meeting: The INVEST IN US Coalition consists of national and local gun violence prevention organizations committed to building support to fund evidence-based community solutions to end gun violence and educate leaders and the general public about proactive solutions to make our communities safer. At these meetings, we discuss federal and state affairs for gun violence prevention in communities of color, including strategies for congressional appropriations, funding, and legislative events.
This coalition meets monthly . The next meeting will be on Thursday, August 15, at 3 PM EST . If you would like to join this coalition, please email Adzi Vokhiwa at [email protected] , or click the button below.
JOIN THE INVEST IN US COALITION [[email protected]?subject=REQUEST%20TO%20JOIN%20INVEST%20IN%20US%20COALITION&body=Hi%20Adzi%21%0A%0AI%20would%20like%20to%20join%20the%20Invest%20in%20Us%20Coalition%20ahead%20of%20the%20upcoming%20meeting.]
JULY RECAP
Meet José and Adzi: Our New Team Leadership!
We are thrilled to welcome our new Executive Director, José Alfaro, and our new Vice President, Adzi Vokhiwa, to the Community Justice leadership team! We can’t wait for you to meet them in their new roles. These incredible leaders bring a wealth of experience, passion, and dedication to our mission of ending gun violence in Black and brown communities.
Since our establishment eight years ago, Community Justice has become the leading gun violence prevention organization in policy and advocacy led by and centered around people of color. Alfaro and Vokhiwa have been long-time voices in the gun violence prevention movement, and they are recognized for their organizing and policy expertise.
Alfaro is only the third person to hold the Executive Director role at Community Justice while Vokhiwa joins in a newly created role as Vice President to help José lead the organization’s overall efforts and strengthen our laser focus on policy at the local, state, and federal levels.
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Pictured (L to R): Amber Goodwin, Community Justice Founder; Adzi Vokhiwa, Community Justice Vice President; Representative Maxwell Frost; José Alfaro, Community Justice Executive Director
READ OUR FULL STATEMENT HERE [[link removed]]
Community Justice celebrates its 8th anniversary in Washington DC
Eight years ago, Amber Goodwin founded Community Justice with the vision of shifting the gun violence prevention narrative to be public health-focused and centered on the communities who experience gun violence daily. Through her leadership, we’ve been able to build power and advance policy for Black and brown communities who are disproportionately impacted by gun violence.
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Community Justice and the Players’ Coalition visit White House and Capitol Hill for Day of Action
Community Justice continued our annual Week of Action in Washington with a powerful Day of Action at the White House and on Capitol Hill, advocating for comprehensive gun violence prevention measures. Our founder, Amber Goodwin, alongside our new Executive Director, José Alfaro, and Vice President, Adzi Vokhiwa, joined the Players Coalition at the White House to raise awareness about the devastating daily impacts of gun violence on Black and brown communities and to call for urgent policy action and investments in community violence intervention (CVI) solutions.
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Marching to End Gun Violence Detroit
Community Justice participated in the March to End Gun Violence rally hosted by the Charles W. Reid Community Help Center in Detroit, MI. This is a part of the 20 Silence the Violence Rally being hosted across the state throughout June.
JUNE RECAP
Democratic Leader Jefferies GVP Stakeholder Roundtable
Community Justice participated in Leader Jeffries (NY) Roundtable with Gun Violence Prevention Stakeholders . Community Justice discussed the life-saving impact the Bipartisan Safer Communities Law has on Black and Brown communities, as it included $250 million for community violence intervention and prevention programming, of which $100 million has already been deployed to communities facing high rates of gun violence. Other topics of discussion included the United States v. Rahimi landmark decision, and House Democrats’ gun violence prevention legislative efforts this Congress.
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White House Safer States Convening
Our founder, Amber Goodwin, attended the White House's Safer States Convening on behalf of Community Justice, where 60 state legislators from 30 states gather to discuss gun safety policy accomplishments to advance the Safer States Agenda next session.
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Two-year Anniversary of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (BSCA)
The Bipartisan Safer Communities was the first gun safety law passed by Congress and signed into law in nearly 30 years. Thanks to the advocacy of Community Justice and frontline violence intervention groups, BSCA provided $250 million over 5 years to support community-based violence intervention (CVI) programs through the Department of Justice’s Community Violence Intervention and Prevention Initiative (CVIPI) grant program.
To date, a total of $100 million of this funding has already been distributed to communities, and another $50 million will be granted this year. BSCA is a major accomplishment for the gun violence prevention movement, and it couldn’t have been done without the essential voices of victims, survivors, and CVI personnel who were able to emphasize the value and benefits of community-based solutions to gun violence.
READ THE WHITE HOUSE OGVP'S REPORT ON BSCA [[link removed]]
Community Justice applauds Supreme Court decision in U.S. v. Rahimi
The Supreme Court's decision to overturn the Fifth Circuit's ruling in Rahimi reaffirms the rights of domestic violence survivors to live free from fear and harm. This victory is a testament to the relentless advocacy of survivors and the decision sends a powerful message that having a gun does not provide a license for dangerous individuals to inflict further terror.
READ THE FULL SUPREME COURT DECISION [[link removed]]
Rocket Foundation SPARK Grants Summit
Community Justice attended the Rocket Foundation SPARK Grant Summit , where gun violence prevention and CVI organizations came together in Atlanta to discuss strategies to make Atlanta safer. The one-day summit included panel discussions featuring our Southeast Regional Associate, Brent Bailey, along with our partners at Cities United, Pastor Mike McBride with Live Free USA, and Chico Tillmon.
In addition, Vice President Kamala Harris joined a fireside chat with Quavo and Greg Jackson Jr., deputy director of the @whitehouse Office of Gun Violence Prevention and our former executive director. Finally, we had the honor of receiving a grant from Rocket Foundation! The Annie E. Casey Foundation matched the $10K from Rocket Foundation, making it $20K each for every organization that received a grant. The total amount of grant dollars that will be distributed increased from $100K to $200K. We are immensely grateful to Quavo and the Rocket Foundation for investing in our mission. With their support and partnership, our continued advocacy for community-based solutions to gun violence, and empowering Black and brown communities, is stronger than ever.
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Juneteenth Healing Conversation
In response to the tragic shooting at a Juneteenth celebration in Round Rock, TX, our partners at Life Anew hosted a gathering in Austin to hold space for healing.
READ OUR FULL STATEMENT IN RESPONSE TO THE ROUND ROCK SHOOTING HERE. [[link removed]]
Washington Mystics Wear Orange: Courtside Conversation
In honor of Gun Violence Awareness Month, our Northeast Regional Advocacy Manager, Tarria, represented Community Justice as a featured panelist in the “ Courtside Conversations: Gun Violence Prevention in Our Community ”, hosted by Everytown and the Washington Mystics. This community-focused event aimed to raise awareness, foster dialogue, and promote actionable solutions.
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FORCE Detroit CVI Lobby Day
Community Justice joined Force Detroit in their CVI Lobby Day in Lansing, MI. The day entailed legislative canvassing, guest speakers, and funding education for CVI initiatives. It concluded with State Rep. Donovan McKinney’s House Resolution being PASSED to recognize June 13th as Community Violence Intervention Day in the state of Michigan.
We End Gun Violence Conference 2024
Our founder, Amber Goodwin, represented Community Justice as a keynote speaker at the 2nd Annual We End Gun Violence Conference 2024 in Seattle, WA. Congratulations to the incredible survivors, frontline organizers, and advocates for an amazing event, and we're grateful to our King County partners for their continued support of our work.
STATE & FEDERAL LEGISLATIVE UPDATES
Federal Funding for FY2025 in Process. Congress has begun writing its Fiscal Year 2025 legislation. In the House of Representatives, H.R. 9026 [[link removed]] , the Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies Appropriations Act 2025, does not include any funding for DOJ’s CVIPI program. H.R. 9029 [[link removed]] , the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act 2025, does not include any funding for firearm injury prevention research and was passed out of committee with an amendment that would ban money for research on gun violence prevention. On July 25, the Senate Appropriations Committee approved its own FY Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies legislation which included $55 million for CVIPI!
New DOJ Funding Opportunity. The Department of Justice posted a new funding opportunity titled the Community Based Violence Intervention and Prevention Initiative Training and Technical Assistance Program . Eligible entities can apply for funds to provide a range of training and technical assistance (TTA) to grantees and the field at large under the Community Based Violence Intervention and Prevention Initiative (CVIPI). A total of $9.1 million will be awarded to 5 entities. The link to the overview document and the solicitation are below. The first deadline of this grant is July 30, 2024 at 8:59 p.m. EST. [[link removed]] [[link removed]]
READ THE OVERVIEW DOCUMENT [[link removed]] READ THE SOLICITATION [[link removed]]
STATES IN ACTION
Our Northeast Regional Advocacy Manager, Tarria Stanley, moderated an impactful panel at Netroots Nation, titled " Mothers on a Mission: Gun Violence, Grief, & Glory", centering survivors of gun violence who turned their pain into purpose: Councilwoman Zeneta Everhart of Buffalo, NY; and Kimberly Rubio of Uvalde, Texas. Their discussion centered around combating grief after such an immeasurable loss, and sharing their vision of safety for their communities.
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Virtual Netroots Panel: Ni Uno Mas: Our States Program Director, Kim Gutierrez, was featured in a panel discussion on the different ways gun violence shows up in Latino communities and the work that leaders are doing to keep our communities safe. From organizations that have been in the fight for generations to leaders that are just getting started, this panel discussion will aim to provide a diverse perspective on the issue that plagues Latinx communities.
In California, Community Justice attended and participated in the GIFFORDS CVI Conference in Los Angeles, where we learned from practitioners in this movement from across the country. Our States Programs Director, Kim, facilitated a panel called “Strategies for Peace in Los Angeles and Chicago”, alongside Vaughn Bryant from Metropolitan Peace Initiatives, and Fernando Rejón from the Urban Peace Institute.
In Washington, DC, Community Justice attended and participated in several events:
[[link removed]] First, our Northeast Regional Manager, Tarria, gave remarks at the Center for American Progress' event, “ The Impacts of Gun Violence in Black, Latino, and Indigenous Communities ”. The event featured the voices of community leaders and survivor testimonies and included a panel highlighting the impacts of gun violence in Black, Latino, and Indigenous communities. The event aimed to provide attendees with a community-led, binational perspective on the gun violence prevention movement while highlighting the efforts of US-based and Mexico-based leaders working to build safer communities.
[[link removed]] Tarria also participated in the End Gun Violence Citywide Conference & Festival , hosted by our partners at the TRIGGER PROJECT. The festival worked with local partners to connect with youth in the area, raise awareness to the issue of gun violence, and celebrate Gun Violence Awareness month celebrate Wear Orange Month.
[[link removed]] Our Midwest Regional Advocacy Associate, Mariah, was a featured panelist in a discussion hosted by Everytown and Moms Demand Action titled, “ Elevating the Role of the Divine 9 to Stop Gun Violence ”, alongside Michael Woody from the Peace 4 DC Initiative, and Tyreese McAllister, a survivor and mental health expert.
The panel connected members of the Divine 9 directly to community gun violence prevention organizers to discuss how to mobilize ahead of November 2024 and beyond.
In Illinois , Community Justice participated in two major events:
Strides for Peace’s Annual Race Gun Violence: This race celebrates the life-changing work of community organizations and provides a dynamic platform for people who care about ending gun violence to connect and get involved. Each year over 30 gun violence prevention groups table to amplify their work with 100% of the donations from the race directly going to participating charities.
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Peoria’s 4th annual Juneteenth Festival and Parade: We connected with Mayor Rita Ali, Peoria's Chief of Police, the NAACP, House for Hope, and other groups passionate about ending gun violence.
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In Louisiana , our Southeast Regional Advocacy Associate, Brent Bailey, participated in "The Public Safety Summit: "A Holistic Approach to a Safer New Orleans", hosted by the New Orleans Mayor’s Office, Dillard University’s Center for Racial Justice, and local partners (Ubuntu Village, the Vera Institute, and Total Community Action). The event featured public safety professionals and practitioners from a broad spectrum of disciplines who are working towards addressing violence and public safety in the City of New Orleans spoke with community leaders about what they are doing to protect the city, addressing the root causes of violence, and how they are promoting a safer city.
In Georgia , Brent attended Grady IVYY’s quarterly “Circle of Safety” meeting. At this meeting, Brent was able to connect with local violence prevention from across the Atlanta metro area. The Grady IVYY hospital-based intervention team shared data about their clientele, revealing the average age and race of those admitted to the hospital from a gunshot wound. Local organizations also presented to the attendees to inform them about community violence prevention and intervention and go over real-life scenarios and violence prevention and intervention.
In Texas:
Our Southwest Regional Advocacy Associate, Christina, prepresented Community Justice as a panelist at the 3rd Annual Baker Institute “Preventing Firearm Injury Through Purpose and Policy” Convening . Christina joined panelists from Texas and Illinois to discuss how policy and advocacy are an important pillar for change.
In partnership with ATX Peace, Community Justice hosted the 3rd annual Austin Gun Violence Prevention Summit . The event featured a two-day conference. Day one of the summit involved two panel discussions from frontline violence interrupters, survivors, and local leadership that supports on-the-ground work in Travis County. Following the panels, participants got a first hand look at the ATX Peace home office to learn about programs offered to participants as well as tour the Harvest Trauma Recovery Center that provides wrap-around services. Day two of the event participants participated in a day of action, shadowing ATX Peace in the community.
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Christina was also a panelist for “Addressing the Epidemic: Strategies to Prevent Mass Shootings and Gun Violence in Schools” . Here, Christina, who has family and friends that survived the 2018 Santa Fe High School Shooting, joined Veronica Mata (mother of Tess Mata, victim in Robb Elementary school shooting in Uvalde) in a conversation that delved into the urgent need of preventing tragedies in schools and communities. The conversation also provided guidance on how to support those directly affected by the trauma of losing someone to gun violence.
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UPCOMING TRAININGS & PARTNERSHIPS
Louisiana Invest In Us Coalition Meeting – The purpose of the Louisiana Invest In Us Coalition is to collectively address the issue of gun violence and work towards its reduction or elimination. Our priorities are to actively work towards reducing instances of gun violence through collaborative efforts and strategies. This includes implementing policies, promoting education, and supporting community-based interventions to address the root causes of gun violence. This coalition aims to collaboratively create safer communities and protect individuals from the devastating impact of gun-related incidents.
SEND US AN EMAIL TO JOIN THE COALITION [[email protected]?subject=REQUEST%20TO%20JOIN%3A%20Louisiana%20Invest%20In%20Us%20Coalition%20Meeting&body=I%27d%20like%20to%20join%20the%20Louisiana%20Invest%20in%20Us%20Coalition%21]
NEWS OF INTEREST
Michigan Governor passes FY25 budget, approves $75M to establish Public Safety Trust Fund for CVI resources [[link removed]]
Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s office passed the budget for FY2025. The budget approved $75 million to establish a Public Safety Trust Fund to provide Michigan municipalities with additional resources for police services and to support community violence intervention efforts. This funding goes along with the newly established statewide Gun Violence Prevention Task Force.
Councilwoman Zeneta Everhart proposes Buffalo Office of Gun Violence Prevention [[link removed]]
Councilwoman Zeneta Everhart’s resolution to establish the Buffalo Initiative for Safer, Organized Neighborhoods (B.I.S.O.N.) –– a dedicated, city-wide Office of Gun Violence Prevention –– is not just timely but essential following recent heartbreaking tragedies that have devastated our community and highlighted the urgent need for proactive measures against gun violence in Buffalo.

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