The Gathering for Justice was founded in 2005 by Harry Belafonte after he witnessed news reports of a 5-year-old Black girl, J’aiesha Scott, being handcuffed and arrested in her Florida kindergarten classroom for “being unruly.” From its inception, The Gathering for Justice has convened dialogue between generations of activists, artists, community members, formerly-incarcerated individuals, gang members, systems stakeholders and academics from all communities and cultures. Since 2010, The Gathering has engaged artists and cultural leaders in intersectional grassroots mobilization, building movement connections, cultivating leadership and creating a blueprint for criminal justice redress and accountability in New York State, California and nationwide. The Gathering for Justice has two state-based task forces, Justice League NYC established in 2013 and Justice League California established in 2016, both of which bring together juvenile and criminal justice experts, advocates, artists and individuals from diverse communities to utilize our combined power to build the agenda for sustained Black and Brown liberation. In the footsteps of their legendary founder’s activism, The Gathering for Justice and its Justice League state task forces utilize Kingian nonviolence as a social application for systemic change and civic engagement.

Additional Context on Racial Justice Expertise. At its core, The Gathering for Justice operates as a multilateral force within the Movement for Racial Equity, leveraging its legacy in the Civil Rights movement, its connections to artists and cultural organizers, and smart rapid response to breaking events, to create strategic campaigns for public education and policy advocacy. The Gathering is the legacy of Harry Belafonte, standing on the shoulders of our elders in the Civil Rights Movement, committed to intergenerational and intersectional organizing and bringing culture and history to every aspect of our work including our book and film series, Radical Readz and Revolutionary Reelz. Our work brings new supporters into the Movement and energizes existing supporters by connecting influencers with grassroots activists and front line organizers, detained and recently detained youth, and more. The Gathering for Justice has a wealth of expertise in the curation, planning and facilitation of trainings for young people, activists, artists and influencers, elected officials and other groups interested in topics of organizing, leadership development, Kingian Nonviolence, Know Your Rights, racial justice, and violence reduction and de-escalation. We create customized curricula that incorporates our intentional approach to organizing for social justice and nonviolent movement-building.

Additional Context on Topics of Expertise

• Current Movement language and demands (i.e. understanding “Defund the Police”)
• Policing in America (ins and outs of the system where the traps lie, especially for people of color).
• What is Criminal Justice Reform (what is the overall picture, front end and back end of the system, disproportionate arrests, sentencing, re-offending, parole and probation bias and more).
• Youth Engagement and Organizing in the time of COVID
• Organizing for Change, Know Your Rights, Direct Action, Direct Action, Power Mapping, Civic Engagment Trainings

Additional Context on Relevant Work & Awards

Additional Context on Consulting Services + Credits

• Members of The Gathering staff and Justice League task forces contributed to (on camera or in consulting positions) the Michael Brown documentary “Stranger Fruit”
• Members of The Gathering staff and Justice League task forces contributed to (on camera or in consulting positions) Jay Z’s series “Time: The Kalief Browder Story”
• Members of The Gathering staff and Justice League task forces contributed to (on camera or in consulting positions) the Steve Maing documentary “Crime and Punishment”
• The Gathering works closely with Roc Nation to advise clients including Meek Mill. The Gathering and Justice League NYC led the #freemeekmill campaign