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Dear friend–



We hope this email finds you well.



This week marks the start of Black History Month, and we are excited to kick off a month of continuing to elevate the critical role of Black leadership in the fight to end gun violence.



While this is a special month to celebrate, we believe that Black History should be celebrated daily, and are committed to sharing the stories and work of our communities year round. We strongly believe that the true path to ending gun violence must be led by our community and uplift the leaders within our community that are working everyday to build a brighter future, so this month we will be featuring Black leaders past and present whose work has pulled us closer to a world without violence.



We will kick off our month of features with an Instagram Live on Friday, February 5th 2:00pm EST/ 1:00pm CST [[link removed]] with our Executive Director Amber Goodwin, who will talk about the history of CJAF and the importance of centering gun violence survivors of color and Black leadership in the fight to end gun violence.



Thank you for your continued support,



In solidarity,



Greg Jackson Jr.

National Advocacy Director



Follow CJAF on social media!

Twitter [[link removed]] , Instagram [[link removed]] , and Facebook [[link removed]]




Upcoming Events & Opportunities:

Black History Month

Join us on Twitter [[link removed]] , Instagram [[link removed]] , and Facebook [[link removed]] for an empowering and critical series of conversations, educational content, and celebrations in honor of Black History Month.

Sign Our Petition Calling on President Biden and Vice President Harris

In the face of violence, communities of color mobilized to elect change. Now we need a Biden-Harris Administration to #InvestinUs [[link removed]] . Join us and sign our petition [[link removed]] calling on the Administration to commit in the first 100 days to help end gun violence [[link removed]] .



Volunteer Meetings

We are excited to continue to train and work with communities to get ready for upcoming legislative fights to end gun violence this month. Please join us!



February Volunteer Events

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February
9

Maryland 6:30 pm ET [[link removed]]

Wisconsin 6:30 pm CT [[link removed]]

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February
17

North Carolina 6:30 pm ET [[link removed]]

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February
24

Texas 6:30 pm CT [[link removed]]

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February
25

Federal 7:30 pm ET [[link removed]]



Trigger Project Gun Violence Survivors Week

Our partners at Trigger Project are hosting a number of events in honor of Gun Violence Survivor’s Week.

Check them out here ! [[link removed]]












Community Justice Policy Updates:



Federal:

The Biden-Harris Administration has officially begun. In its first week the administration has taken strong action on issues such as climate change, racial equity, and the COVID-19 pandemic. Yet to be seen is action on violence prevention, particularly gun violence in communities of color. Community Justice Action Fund and partner organizations will vigorously push for significant investment in community- and survivor-led solutions to gun violence. Join us and sign our petition [[link removed]] calling on the Administration to commit in the first 100 days to help end gun violence [[link removed]] .



District of Columbia:

DC Mayor Muriel Bowser appointed the city's first Director of Gun Violence Prevention [[link removed]] , Linda Harllee Harper, who most recently served as Senior Deputy Director of the Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services (DYRS). The new role will oversee the city's violence interruption strategies, and will advance a public health approach [[link removed]] to prevention.



Florida:

Policymakers for Peace member State Senator Shevrin Jones introduced S.B. 836 [[link removed]] , which would create the Urban Core Gun Violence Task Force and the Florida Firearm Violence Reduction Pilot Program. The role of the Task Force would be to investigate system failures and the causes of crime and gun violence in Florida's cities, and subsequently make recommendations for improved interagency communication. The Pilot Program would support the implementation of evidence-based violence reductions strategies in Florida counties that are most impacted by gun violence.



Illinois:

The State of Illinois announced the winners [[link removed]] of the Restore Reinvest Renew (R3) program, which directs 25 percent of tax revenue from legalized cannabis sales to community-based solutions, including violence prevention. This initial round of the program awarded 80 grants totaling $31.5 million. You can read more here [[link removed]] .



Maryland:

The Maryland House of Delegates has not yet voted on Gov. Hogan's veto of SB 708 [[link removed]] , a bill that would allocate $3.6 million in critical funding to violence intervention and prevention programs across the state. There is still time to get involved and advocate for the House to override the veto. Find out more at the Maryland volunteer meeting [[link removed]] .






News of Interest:



CBS Baltimore: Loved Ones Remember Dante Barksdale, Safe Streets Leader Killed In Shooting [[link removed]]

Family and friends gathered Thursday night to remember the life of Dante Barksdale, leader of Safe Streets Baltimore who was killed in a shooting nearly two weeks ago. We keep Dante's family and community in our thoughts and continue the fight in his honor.



The Journal of Law, Medicine & Ethics: Investing in the Frontlines: Why Trusting and Supporting Communities of Color Will Help Address Gun Violence [[link removed]]

Check out our Executive Director Amber Goodwin’ s new publication that proposes potential strategies to address gun violence in communities of color while identifying the harms associated with a policing-centered, criminal legal approach. The paper highlights a series of violence prevention programs that rely on community relations to detect and prevent incidents of gun violence and that view gun violence as a public health rather than criminal legal issue.



KXAN NBC: Doctor held hostages, shot pediatrician and himself at her office on Tuesday [[link removed]]

This week in Austin, TX, a shooter held five medical staff hostage, and shot and killed one pediatrician. We are following this horrific story, and our thoughts are with the families and communities of all involved.



The Lily: The Capitol riot was uniquely traumatic for congresswomen of color: ‘We knew that we were targets’ [[link removed]]

For Congresswomen of color, the Capitol attacks were particularly traumatic. In this feature, Congresswomen describe the compounded trauma of experiencing racism and sexism.



New York Times: What Defines Domestic Abuse? Survivors Say It’s More Than Assault [[link removed]]

"Every time we see that someone died at the hands of their partners, that’s something we could’ve stopped, as a society.” — Rep. Cori Bush who survived domestic violence and gun violence spoke to the New York Times on the need to end gender-based violence as a path towards gun violence.



University of California Berkeley: Advance Peace Stockton 2018-20 Evaluation Report [[link removed]]

A report issued this week by the UC Berkeley, Center for Global Healthy Cities and the School of Public Health, found that after two years (2018-2020), the Advance Peace Stockton program contributed to a 21% reduction in gun homicides and assaults compared to the average dating back to 2015. We encourage you to read the full report for more information.



KQED: Gun Violence in the Bay Was Decreasing. Then the Pandemic Happened

For the past few years, community efforts to combat gun violence was working in Richmond and Oakland. But then the pandemic happened, and a lot of in-person community building became unsafe, and advocates are worried that the years of work will be lost.



Youth Today: Massachusetts Must Focus On Root Causes Of Gun Violence: Racial, Economic Disparity [[link removed]]

“Investment in our communities and in our youth will not only help end gun violence, it will also create a support system for marginalized communities where the ripples of trauma are deeply felt.” Powerful opinion piece from Ruth Zakarian from MA Coalition to Prevent Gun Violence on the need to focus on root causes to end gun violence.





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