OUR MISSION
The Gathering for Justice’s mission is to build a movement to end child incarceration while working to eliminate the racial inequities that permeate the justice system.
OUR PURPOSE
The Gathering for Justice is a social justice organization founded by Harry Belafonte in 2005. Led since 2010 by Carmen Perez, The Gathering utilizes Kingian nonviolence as a social application for change and civic engagement. The organization is unique in that we provide direct services, engage artists and cultural leaders as foot soldiers in grassroots mobilization, and consult and advise on legislative and policy initiatives while organizing in local and national communities – all to sustain and build this Movement, the essence of which is grounded in the Movement for Racial Equity.
Since 2013, The Gathering has been building justice initiatives on multiple fronts. Our work includes leading policy initiatives for police accountability; bringing in individuals and groups from diverse communities to organize as a ‘family coalition’ in order to capitalize on our combined power and build the agenda for sustained black and brown liberation; being the catalyst for the re-introduction of federal legislation to end racial profiling and stop the militarization of law enforcement; engaging a serious and sustained effort for Raise the Age in NY State; and creating a blueprint – in the form of a substantive list of demands – for criminal justice redress and accountability for NY City and State.
The Gathering for Justice follows a set of guiding principles. We stand on the shoulders of Civil Rights leaders and elders like our Founder Harry Belafonte, who was mentored by Paul Robeson. We ground ourselves in Kingian nonviolence because we understand the power of nonviolence as a tactic in the struggle for social justice.
Accepting that nonviolence is not passive, but is a strength-based tactic helps The Gathering and Justice League NYC and CA maintain integrity in an environment often fraught with internal struggles for identity and messaging. We are grounded in methodology. We’ve got a lot of work to do. The nation needs us, now, to change the unjust systems that have shackled our youth for generations.
Never in our lifetime has there been a more urgent call for Justice and Equity. We see the hopeful signs of change coming – and we know we cannot take our eyes off the road for even a moment – for the moment is right now.
OUR VALUES
1. The Gathering for Justice is the beloved community, grounded in dignity, justice and liberation
2. The Gathering for Justice believes intersectional organizing builds collective power and works in solidarity to develop intergenerational and intercultural leadership
3. The Gathering for Justice is rooted in nonviolence, a historical tactic that is not passive but a strategic approach to achieving justice
4. The Gathering for Justice believes in a collaborative and transformative approach to achieving equity and racial justice