Google.org: A life-saving investment

Last month, I had the pleasure of standing beside gun violence advocates from across the country, for the announcement of Google.org $2 million investment  -- into reducing gun violence in communities of color. This grant was announced as a part of new national gun violence prevention campaign; aims to accelerate evidence-based prevention in communities heavily impacted by gun violence. 

As a consultant with the Community Justice Reform Coalition, some of that funding will allow me to develop and manage the Community Justice Speakers Bureau. A 12-month intergenerational leadership development program, that’ll mentor directly impacted individuals working at the intersection of criminal justice reform and gun violence prevention.  The program objectives are to increase the sustainability of the work by training leaders in communities across the country and equipping them with the necessary skills to enable maximum impact in the lives of people everywhere.

Over the course of 12 months, leaders will work side-by-side with leading experts in the areas of criminal justice and gun violence prevention, they’ll participate in online professional development workshops, to help enhance their speaking and advocacy ability. Also, leaders will have numerous opportunities to represent their work on the national stage. We believe that to build strong and safe communities, we first have to build strong leaders and place them at the center of change.