Viral Justice: Ruha Benjamin In Conversation with Fahamu Pecou
2022-10-13 18:00 - 20:30 UTC | The Trolley Barn, 963 Edgewood Avenue NE, Atlanta, Georgia, 30307, United States
Please join the Southern Center for Human Rights as we host Dr. Ruha Benjamin to discuss her latest work, Viral Justice, in conversation with Dr. Fahamu Pecou.

Long before the pandemic, Ruha Benjamin was doing groundbreaking research on race, technology, and justice, focusing on big, structural changes. But the twin plagues of COVID-19 and anti-Black police violence inspired her to rethink the importance of small, individual actions. Part memoir, part manifesto, Viral Justice is a sweeping and deeply personal exploration of how we can transform society through the choices we make every day.

About the Speakers

Dr. Ruha Benjamin is an internationally recognized writer, speaker, and professor of African American Studies at Princeton University, where she is the founding director of the Ida B. Wells Just Data Lab. She is the award-winning author of Race After Technology: Abolitionist Tools for the New Jim Code and editor of Captivating Technology, among many other publications. Her work has been featured widely in the media, including the New York Times, the Washington Post, CNN, The Root, and The Guardian.

Dr. Fahamu Pecou is an interdisciplinary artist and scholar whose works combine observations on hip-hop, fine art, and popular culture to address concerns around contemporary representations of Black men. Through paintings, performance art, and academic work, Dr. Pecou confronts the performance of Black masculinity and Black identity, challenging and expanding the reading, performance, and expressions of Blackness.

Pecou’s work is featured in noted private and public national and international collections including; Smithsonian National Museum of African American Art and Culture, Societe Generale (Paris), Nasher Museum at Duke University, The High Museum of Art, Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Seattle Art Museum, Paul R. Jones Collection, ROC Nation, Clark Atlanta University Art Collection and Museum of Contemporary Art Georgia.

Safety Protocols

We are committed to the safety of our staff and supporters. This event will adhere to all federal and local COVID-19 recommendations. Proof of vaccination or negative COVID test result within 48 hours of the event as well as compliance with mask mandates will be required for all guests.

26th Annual Frederick Douglass Awards Dinner
2022-11-10 18:00 - 22:00 UTC | Willard InterContinental, 1401 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, District of Columbia, 20004, United States
The Frederick Douglass Awards Dinner is SCHR’s flagship gala to recognize and celebrate those who demonstrate exceptional courage and tenacity in the defense of human rights and equal justice. This gala allows us to illuminate allies who share our vision and commitment to a more just society. Proceeds from the Frederick Douglass Awards Dinner support SCHR’s work to protect the civil and human rights of people ensnared by the criminal legal system.

Community Safety & Police Violence Town Hall
2022-11-16 18:00 - 19:30 (America/New_York) | Paradise Baptist Church, 1711 Donald Lee Hollowell Pkwy NW Floor 3, Atlanta, Georgia, 30318, United States
SCHR’s Community Safety and Police Violence Town Halls are a series of community convenings across the city of Atlanta that examines disparities in policing between zones, community experiences with policing, and community safety. These town halls hope to understand how the police are serving each zone of Atlanta and what policy recommendations could be made to the city to create a safer and more just home for everyone.

Please complete the Typeform survey before registering for the event. It takes less than 30 minutes and will automatically direct you to our Eventbrite registration page. Use the password “Safety2022!” and wait about five seconds for the page to load.

2022 San Francisco Benefit Reception
2022-12-10 18:00 - 20:00 (America/New_York) | Munger, Tolles & Olson LLP, 560 Mission St Fl 27, San Francisco, CA, 94105, United States
Please join the Southern Center for Human Rights for a benefit reception hosted by the family and friends of the late Susan Ten Kwan on Saturday, December 10, 2022, at 6:00 PM PT at the offices of Munger, Tolles & Olson LLP in San Franciso, CA.

We are excited to return to San Francisco, where we will share updates on SCHR’s efforts to challenge unconstitutional and unconscionable practices within the criminal legal system in the Deep South. We will be joined by former President & Senior Counsel Stephen B. Bright and former Solicitor General of the United States and Partner at Munger Tolles Donald B. Verrilli, Jr. as guest speakers.

For further details and to RSVP, follow the link below.

Justice Deferred: Detaining Youth
2023-02-21 18:00 - 19:00 (America/New_York) | Online
According to the ACLU, an estimated 250,000 youth are prosecuted in adult criminal courts and subjected to the consequences of adult criminal convictions. In addition, 36 states continue to incarcerate youth under 18 in adult jails and prisons, where young people are at greater risk of degrading mental health, dying by completing suicide and both physical and sexual assault.

The over-representation of youth of color in youth detention centers and adult prisons remains a persistent and troubling dynamic. Nowhere is that more present than in the state of Georgia, where many are still seeking the unfulfilled promises of bi-partisan juvenile reform that prioritizes raising the age, ending juvenile life without parole, and reexamining sentencing youth as adults.

Join us for legislative solutions we know will honor the humanity of young people and prove not only cost-effective but work in transforming safety for our families and communities.

Thou Shall Not Kill: A Conversation About Faith and the Death Penalty
2023-02-28 19:00 - 20:00 (America/New_York) | Online
We are thrilled to announce that the Faith Leaders of Color Coalition, the Ohio Council of Churches, and Ohioans to Stop Executions will be hosting “Thou Shall Not Kill: A Conversation About Faith and the Death Penalty” on February 28th at 7 PM. This event will feature the legendary Sister Helen Prejean, author of Dead Man Walking, and promises to be a thought-provoking and impactful evening. Don’t miss this opportunity to explore the intersection of faith and the death penalty.

Wired for Racism? A Conversation With James Woodall
2023-03-02 18:30 - 20:00 (America/New_York) | Auburn Avenue Research Library, 101 Auburn Ave NE, Atlanta, Georgia, 30303, United States
Drawing on evolutionary insights, the latest research on the human brain, and wisdom from religious traditions, James Woodall and co-author Mark Ellingsen bring their unique perspective to Wired for Racism? as they explore why there is so much racism in America.

Join SCHR as we host James Woodall, co-author of Wired for Racism? and Public Policy Associate at SCHR, in conversation with Joia Erin Thornton, National Policy Strategist at SCHR and Coalition Director of the Faith Leaders of Color Coalition.

This event is a part of SCHR’s Justice Series and is hosted in partnership with the Auburn Avenue Research Library.

JUSTICE DAY 2023: Justice Reform Makes Dollars & Sense
2023-03-08 08:30 - 15:00 (America/New_York) | Central Presbyterian Church, 201 Washington Street Southwest, Atlanta, Georgia, 30303, United States
Learn from experts and perform advocacy related to criminal justice reform at the Georgia State Capitol. This event is hosted by the Justice Reform Partnership (JRP), a collective of over 50 organizations and individuals committed to criminal justice reform. Speakers and panelists will provide information about problems in Georgia’s criminal legal system, as well as opportunities to impact change. There will also be networking opportunities, a chance to engage lawmakers, and ways to support people who are incarcerated.

Breakfast and lunch will be provided.

The JRP is committed to making it possible for people to travel to Atlanta from other parts of the state for this advocacy day. We are trying to arrange transportation options from various cities. Please indicate on your registration if you would like to utilize this transportation if we are able to secure it. Be aware that vans may leave as early as 5 AM and arrive home after 7 PM.

A more detailed agenda will be made available via the Justice Reform Partnership website.

Chained in Silence: A Conversation with Talitha LeFlouria
2023-03-23 18:30 - 20:00 (America/New_York) | Auburn Avenue Research Library, 101 Auburn Ave NE, Atlanta, Georgia, 30303, United States
In Chained in Silence, Talitha L. LeFlouria draws from a rich array of primary sources to piece together the stories of African American women ensnared by Georgia’s convict leasing system, recounting what they endured in Georgia’s prison system and what their labor accomplished. LeFlouria argues that African American women’s presence within the convict lease and chain-gang systems of Georgia helped to modernize the South by creating a new and dynamic set of skills for black women.

Join SCHR as we host Dr. Talitha LeFlouria, scholar, author, and authority on the history of Black women and mass incarceration, in conversation with Atteeyah Hollie, Deputy Director at SCHR.

This event is a part of SCHR’s Justice Series. It is hosted in partnership with the Auburn Avenue Research Library, the Georgia Association of Black Women Attorneys (GABWA), Motherhood Beyond Bars, SisterSong, and Women on the Rise. Books will be available for purchase via Charis Books & More.

Refreshments will be provided!

New York City Benefit Reception
2023-04-03 18:00 - 20:00 (America/New_York) | Home of Janet Dewart Bell, 444 Central Park West, New York, NY, 10025, United States
Dr. Janet Dewart Bell and the members of the host committee invite youto join them for an evening of community and justice to raise needed support for the inspiring work of the Southern Center for Human Rights and to celebrate the upcoming release of The Fear of Too Much Justice (The New Press), co-authored by Stephen B. Bright and James Kwak.

HOST COMMITTEE(in formation)

Dr. Janet Dewart BellCatherine ChadwickBernard E. HarcourtJoyce S. JohnsonJames KwakMia RuyterDr. Kitty M. Steel and Lewis Steel

Crosstown Conversation One
2023-04-27 18:00 - 20:30 (America/New_York) | Little Five Points Community Center, 1083 Austin Avenue NE, Atlanta, Georgia, 30307, United States
After conducting six in-person town halls in each policing zone of Atlanta, the Southern Center for Human Rights is holding crosstown conversations representing residents in all areas of Atlanta to work together on common ground to find solutions for community safety and police violence.

All Atlanta residents will earn $50 for participating!

2023 Justice Taking Root Benefit Reception
2023-05-09 18:00 - 21:00 (America/New_York) | The Foundry at Puritan Mill, 916 Joseph E. Lowery Blvd NW, Atlanta, GA, 30318, United States
The Southern Center for Human Rights invites you to join us as we celebrate a year of tenacity and courage!

Proceeds from Southern Center for Human Right’s Justice Taking Root annual benefit reception provide unrestricted support for our work for equality, dignity, and justice in the criminal legal system. Further, this evening grants us an opportunity to thank friends and partners and to introduce new friends to SCHR.

HONORING

Caplan Cobb / 2023 Luminary Award

The Merchant Law Firm / 2023 Vanguard Award

PROGRAM6:00 PM – Reception7:00 PM – Program8:00 PM – Closing Celebration

ENTERTAINMENTEdgewood String Quartet

COVID-19 GuidanceDue to the nature of this event, guests are highly encouraged to take all necessary safety precautions, including vaccination, testing within 48 hours of the event, and usage of face marks and social distancing when possible.

Crosstown Conversation Two
2023-05-10 18:00 - 20:30 (America/New_York) | Paradise Baptist Church, 1711 Donald Lee Hollowell Pkwy NW Floor 3, Atlanta, Georgia, 30318, United States

SCHR Ambassadors Open House
2023-06-21 18:00 - 19:00 (America/New_York) | Southern Center for Human Rights, 60 Walton St NW, Atlanta, Georgia, 30307, United States
Join the SCHR Ambassadors for an Open House to learn more about SCHR’s current work, tour our new offices, and learn how to get involved with the SCHR Ambassadors.

About the SCHR Ambassadors

The SCHR Ambassadors are an incredible group of young professionals who volunteer, organize social and community engagement events and help to raise funds to support the mission of SCHR. Joining the SCHR Ambassadors is a great opportunity to network with other young professionals while growing a deeper relationship with SCHR and their important work.

COVID-19 Guidance

Due to the nature of this event, guests are highly encouraged to take all necessary safety precautions, including vaccination, testing within 48 hours of the event, and usage of face marks and social distancing when possible.

The Visiting Room Project in Atlanta
2023-06-24 15:00 - 17:00 (America/New_York)
Join the Southern Center for Human Rights as we host The Visiting Room Project in Atlanta.

The Visiting Room Project is a digital experience that invites the public to sit face-to-face with people serving life without the possibility of parole to hear them tell their stories, in their own words. More than five years in the making, the site is the only collection of its kind, containing over 100 filmed interviews with people currently serving life without parole. The interviews were filmed at Angola, the Louisiana State Penitentiary, which is, in many ways, the epicenter of life without parole sentences worldwide. As of 2022, more than 55,000 Americans are living in prisons serving life without parole, their lives largely hidden from public view.

Marcus Kondkar and Calvin Duncan created The Visiting Room Project. Marcus is chair of the sociology department at Loyola University New Orleans, where he researches incarceration and sentencing patterns. Calvin is an expert in post-conviction law. After being wrongfully convicted and sentenced to life without parole, he served 28½ years in Louisiana prisons before winning his freedom in 2011. Originally, Marcus and Calvin gathered information on life sentences for an academic audience, but, due to their shared belief that the public needs to hear directly from people who had served decades in prison, their collaboration became The Visiting Room Project, documenting stories of growth behind prison walls. Arthur Carter, who has served more than 30 years of a life sentence, captured the meaning of The Visiting Room Project during his interview, stating, “If I have to die here, I appreciate this opportunity to be able to let my voice be heard.”

Learn more.

The event will include a screening of some of the stories from The Visiting Room Project as well as a discussion featuring SCHR clients who have participated in the project and have since been released. This event is hosted in partnership with the Auburn Avenue Research Library.

The Fear of Too Much Justice with Stephen B. Bright and James Kwak
2023-06-28 18:00 - 20:00 (America/New_York)
Join Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton LLP and the Southern Center for Human Rights (SCHR) as we host former President and Senior Counsel Stephen B. Bright and immediate past Chair James Kwak to discuss their latest book, The Fear of Too Much Justice.

Almost 70 years ago, Supreme Court Justice Hugo Black wrote there ”can be no equal justice where the kind of trial a man gets depends on the amount of money he has.”

In The Fear of Too Much Justice, legendary death penalty defense attorney Stephen Bright and legal scholar James Kwak show the myriad ways the US criminal legal system fails to live up to this ideal of fairness: Innocent people are condemned to death and convicted of crimes because they cannot afford lawyers and because of the color of their skin. Racial discrimination in jury selection perpetuates all-white juries, even in communities that have substantial Black and Latino populations. The mentally disabled are incarcerated instead of given the treatment they need, while the poor are processed through many courts with little or no legal representation in an assembly-line fashion. And many courts act as centers of profit whose main purpose is to raise money by imposing fines on the most vulnerable in their community and jailing them when they cannot pay.

But Bright and Kwak also see the promise of meaningful change on the horizon. They point to jurisdictions across the political spectrum that have made significant progress. The use of the death penalty has plummeted, and the authors see a future where it will remain in only the most ardent holdouts. Public defender offices that protect clients from wrongful convictions have been established across the country, and many places have reduced the use of cash bail and stopped imposing fines and fees on people who cannot afford them.

The Fear of Too Much Justice is a timely and trenchant look at the numerous injustices occurring in criminal courts today and a practical look at how they can be corrected to create a brighter and more equitable future.

Books will be available for purchase the day of the event courtesy of Charis Books & More. Books are available for pre-order now to be picked up at Charis.

The event will include a book signing by Steve and James and a catered reception. Registration in advance is required.

RSVP

Mass Incarceration: Prioritizing Safety, Dignity & Rehabilitation in Georgia's Prisons
2023-07-26 15:00 - 16:30 (America/New_York) | Online
Please join the Southern Center for Human Rights Waleisah Wilson, Client Services Advocate, for a virtual conversation with SCHR attorney Ali Ganem to discuss issues that address and support safety, dignity, and rehabilitation within Georgia’s prisons.

Topics

Prison conditions & violence

Advocating for an incarcerated loved one’s safety or medical care

Tips on what to include in a parole packet

Host & Moderator

Waleisah Wilson, Client Services Advocate at Southern Center for Human Rights

Guest

Ali Ganem, Staff Attorney at Southern Center for Human Rights

Pain & Power: Confronting Police Violence in Atlanta
2023-08-19 10:00 - 15:00 (America/New_York) | The King Center, 449 Auburn Avenue NE, Atlanta, GA, 30312, United States
We are pleased to extend you an invitation from the Southern Center for Human Rights (SCHR) to attend the Stakeholder Symposium for our Community Safety and Police Violence project featuring Samuel Sinyangwe, Founder of Police Scorecard and Mapping Police Violence, on August 19th, 2023, from 9 AM to 3 PM at The King Center, 449 Auburn Ave NE, Atlanta, GA 30312.

We will welcome Samuel Sinyangwe, a renowned data scientist and co-founder of Campaign Zero, The Mapping Police Violence Project, and The Police Scorecard, as our keynote speaker. His notable contributions to countering police violence reflect our larger commitment to data-driven solutions. Because we believe the people closest to solutions are those closest to the problem, Atlanta residents who have participated in this project over the last year will also offer solutions directly to elected officials as community experts.

Legal Resources & Services for Adults and Youth: Reentry, Housing and Disabilities
2023-10-11 15:00 - 16:30 (America/New_York)
Please join the Southern Center for Human Rights for a Community Connections Reentry Series event that will introduce you to legal services throughout Georgia that support and advocate for Georgians in the areas of housing, accessing services for children and adults with disabilities and mental illness, and for Georgians seeking legal help regarding criminal record related assistance such as expungements.

Please register and attend to hear each presenter’s overview of their legal services and how they may be able to assist you.

Guest Presenters

Shannon Mills, Supervising Attorney at Georgia Legal Services Program

Ann Colloton, Policy & Outreach Coordinator at Georgia Justice Project

Susan Goico, Director of the Disability Integration Project at Atlanta Legal Aid Society

Rich Merritt, Attorney (Housing) at Atlanta Legal Aid Society

27th Annual Frederick Douglass Awards Dinner
2023-10-19 18:00 - 22:00 (America/New_York) | Renaissance Washington, DC Downtown Hotel, 999 9th Street NW, Washington, District of Columbia, 20001, United States
The Southern Center for Human Rights returns to Washington, DC, on Thursday, October 19th, for our annual Frederick Douglass Awards Dinner! Join us at 6:00 pm ET at the Renaissance Washington DC Downtown Hotel as we celebrate this year’s honorees, Ruth Friedman, former SCHR attorney and Director of the Federal Capital Habeas Project, and Earlonne Woods and Nigel Poor, co-creators of the award-winning podcast Ear Hustle, which features stories of the daily realities of life inside San Quentin State Prison and people’s experiences after release from incarceration.

We will also take a moment to remember and celebrate the life of Professor Charles J. Ogletree, Jr. led by former President and Senior Counsel Stephen B. Bright.

The Frederick Douglass Awards Dinner is SCHR’s flagship gala to recognize and celebrate those who demonstrate exceptional courage and tenacity in defending human rights and equal justice. This gala allows us to illuminate allies who share our vision and commitment to a more just society. Proceeds from the Frederick Douglass Awards Dinner support SCHR’s work to protect the civil and human rights of people ensnared by the criminal legal system.

2023 Decriminalizing Race & Poverty Symposium
2023-10-25 10:00 - 15:00 (America/New_York) | Georgia State University College of Law, 85 Park Pl NE, Atlanta, Georgia, 30303, United States
Buy Tickets on Eventbrite

RSVP

Join us for the 2023 Decriminalizing Race & Poverty Symposium at Georgia State University College of Law. This in-person event aims to foster an open dialogue and explore innovative solutions to address the intersection of race and poverty within the criminal legal system.

We have pulled together a slate of experts-lawyers, scholars, and activists-to tackle this year’s theme: In the Shadow of Reform: Fighting When the World Is on Fire

Our panelists will explore state and community responses to gang violence, financial investment in the carceral system and alternatives, health equity for system-impacted people, right to counsel, sentencing and mass incarceration, and more. Further, we are thrilled to host a keynote by Loyola University’s Dr. Norman C. Francis Distinguished Professor of Law Andrea Armstrong on Dismantling Carceral Secrecy.

Prof. Armstrong is an interdisciplinary scholar, integrating incarceration law with history, health policy, and the arts. She is the lead investigator for the Deaths Behind Bars in Louisiana project, supported by Arnold Ventures and in partnership with the Promise of Justice Initiative and Voice of the Experienced. In 2019, she received a three-year Interdisciplinary Research Leader grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, shared with the Voice of the Experienced and LSU Center for Healthcare Value and Equity, to examine the effects of incarceration on health service use in Louisiana, currently a global and national leader in incarceration rates. Prof. Armstrong has also served as an appointed member of the Louisiana Advisory Committee to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights and on several Louisiana legislative study committees on issues related to incarceration practices. She has also worked with museums, local artists, and philanthropic foundations to translate incarceration law and policy into spaces and mediums that are accessible to the general public.

The Call to End the Death Penalty: Not In My Name
2023-12-06 15:00 - 16:30 (America/New_York)
Join the Southern Center for Human Rights (SCHR) for a discussion on the death penalty, the faith community’s role, to hear about SCHR’s and GFADP’s death penalty advocacy work and learn how you can advocate to end such a cruel, torturous, expensive and racially biased practice.

Moderator & Host

Waleisah Wilson, Client Services Advocate, Southern Center for Human Rights

Guest Speakers

Paulina Lucio-Maymon, Equal Justice Works Fellow, Southern Center for Human Rights

Dr. Cathy Harmon-Christian, Executive Director, Georgians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty

2023 San Francisco Benefit Reception
2023-12-08 18:00 - 20:00 (America/New_York) | Keker, Van Nest & Peters LLP, 633 Battery St, San Francisco, California, 94111, United States
Please join the Southern Center for Human Rights for a benefit reception hosted by the family and friends of the late Susan Ten Kwan on Friday, December 8, 2023, at 6:00 PM PT at the offices of Keker, Van Nest & Peters LLP in San Francisco, CA.

We are excited to return to San Francisco, where we will share updates on SCHR’s efforts to challenge unconstitutional and unconscionable practices within the criminal legal system in the Deep South. We will be joined by former President & Senior Counsel Stephen B. Bright to discuss his latest book, co-authored with James Kwak, The Fear of Too Much Justice.

In late June, California’s capital defense community lost a wonderful friend and mentor, Jeannie Sternberg. We will also take a moment to remember and celebrate her life and legacy.

The Movement to End Mass Incarceration: The Importance of Centering the Voices, Experience & Leadership of Formerly Incarcerated People
2023-12-14 15:00 - 16:30 (America/New_York)
Join the Southern Center for Human Rights (SCHR) for a discussion with formerly incarcerated leaders about ending mass incarceration, the importance of centering the voices, experiences, and leadership of formerly incarcerated people, and the critical need to prioritize ending the mass incarceration of women and girls.

Moderator & Host

Waleisah Wilson, Client Services Advocate, Southern Center for Human Rights

Guest Speakers

Tanika Nicholas, Justice Reform Partnership Strategist, Southern Center for Human Rights

Robyn Hasan-Simpson Bey, Executive Director, Women on the Rise

Page Dukes, Program Manager, Mourning Our Losses

Dr. Chalana McFarland, Board Director, NewLife-Second Chance Outreach, Inc.

2024 Talk Justice Tuesday
2024-01-16 08:00 - 17:00 (America/New_York)
Hosted by the Justice Reform Partnership (JRP), Talk Justice Tuesday is a state legislative series to discuss the issues and solutions important to communities impacted by criminal legal systems and identify strategies for moving forward. We’ll dive deep into specific criminal legal policy questions and hear from community members, advocates, and lawmakers about opportunities for reform in 2024 and beyond.

Talk Justice Tuesday Dates

Advocacy Training – Tuesday, January 16 @ 6:30 PM

Youth Justice – Tuesday, January 23 @ 6:30 PM

Prison Conditions – Tuesday, February 6 @ 6:30 PM

Reentry – Tuesday, February 20 @ 6:30 PM

Legislative Action – Tuesday, March 12 @ 12:00 PM

REGISTER

Pain & Power Part II: Tackling Police Violence in Atlanta
2024-02-22 18:00 - 20:00 (America/New_York) | Auburn Avenue Research Library, 101 Auburn Ave NE, Atlanta, Georgia, 30303, United States
Please join the Southern Center for Human Rights on Thursday February 22, 2024 at 6:00 PM at the Auburn Avenue Research Library for Pain & Power Part II: Tackling Police Violence in Atlanta.

In August 2023, we welcomed Samuel Sinyangwe, a renowned data scientist and co-founder of Campaign Zero, Mapping Police Violence, and The Police Scorecard, as our keynote speaker at Pain & Power Part I. His notable contributions to countering police violence reflect our larger commitment to data-driven solutions. Because we believe the people closest to problems are also closest to the solutions, Atlanta residents participated in our Community Safety & Police Violence project over the last year and offered solutions directly to elected officials as community experts. Because of Samuel’s research, we now know that 2023 was one of the deadliest years on record for police violence.

Pain & Power Part II will feature the mini-documentary we commissioned about the project, followed by a lawmaker panel and community talk-back about what change is possible right now. This is our effort to provide a brave space for lawmakers and community members to discuss the implementation of practical policy solutions.

We’ll begin the evening with a light reception at 6:00 PM and programming will immediately follow at 6:30 PM.

2024 Justice Day
2024-02-29 09:00 - 15:00 (America/New_York)
Join the Justice Reform Partnership (JRP) on Thursday, February 29, 2024, at 9:00 am ET for Justice Day 2024: Justice is a Family Affair!

This event will take place in person at Central Presbyterian Church in Downtown Atlanta and will be live-streamed. Learn from policy experts and perform advocacy related to criminal legal reform at the Georgia State Capitol.

LEARN MORE & REGISTER

2024 New York City Benefit Reception
2024-03-14 18:00 - 20:00 (America/New_York)
YOU’RE INVITED for an evening of community and justice to raise needed support for the inspiring work of the Southern Center for Human Rights and to celebrate the upcoming release of Demand the Impossible: One Lawyer’s Pursuit of Equal Justice for All (W.W. Norton forthcoming Mar. 2024), authored by Robert Tsai, which chronicles the life and times of Stephen B. Bright.

HOST COMMITTEE(in formation)

Dr. Janet Dewart BellCatherine ChadwickPat IrvinJoyce S. JohnsonJames Kwak and Sylvia BrandtDr. Kitty Muldoon Steel and Lewis Steel

Address Upon Confirmation

Special Guests

Robert L. Tsai is a professor of law at Boston University School of Law, where he teaches courses in constitutional law, presidential leadership, and individual rights. He is keenly interested in political culture, legal change, democratic design, inequality, and popular sovereignty. Professor Tsai is the author of three books: Practical Equality: Forging Justice in a Divided Nation (W.W. Norton 2019); America’s Forgotten Constitutions: Defiant Visions of Power and Community (Harvard 2014); and Eloquence and Reason: Creating a First Amendment Culture (Yale 2008).

Professor Tsai is finishing his fourth book, Demand the Impossible: One Lawyer’s Pursuit of Equal Justice for All (W.W. Norton forthcoming Mar. 2024), that explores the life and times of Stephen Bright, who for nearly 40 years led the Southern Center for Human Rights. SCHR’s experiences handling capital cases and prison condition suits teach us about the strategies and ideas that worked during the early decades of mass incarceration in America.

Stephen B. Bright has tried capital cases before juries in Alabama, Georgia, and Mississippi; argued four capital cases before the United States Supreme Court; and argued many other cases before state and federal appellate courts. The Supreme Court ruled in favor of his client in each case. Three involved racial discrimination in jury selection, and the fourth involved the right to a mental health expert for a poor person facing the death penalty. He served as the director of the Southern Center for Human Rights in Atlanta from 1982 to 2005 and as its president and senior counsel from 2006 to 2016.

With Remarks From

Terrica Redfield Ganzy is Executive Director of the Southern Center for Human Rights (SCHR), where she leads the SCHR team in carrying out its mission to dramatically transform the criminal legal system through direct representation, impact litigation, policy advocacy, and public education.

Prior to becoming SCHR’s Executive Director, Terrica served in several different roles at SCHR, most recently as Deputy Director, helping to coordinate SCHR’s strategy and programs. Terrica also served as SCHR’s development director, designing and leading SCHR’s development strategy and building strategic partnerships. For nine years, Terrica served as a Staff Attorney in SCHR’s Capital Litigation Unit, where her work focused on representing clients on death row in Georgia and Alabama. For five years, she also served as the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL) Death Penalty Resource Counsel, providing training and resources to capital defense attorneys throughout the nation.

Organizer Training: Digital Security & Searches
2024-04-12 17:00 - 19:30 (America/New_York) | The Ke’nekt Cooperative, 1492 Ralph David Abernathy Blvd Suite A, Georgia, 30310, United States
Join us on April 12th at 5:00 PM (in-person and virtual) for a training on digital security and searches for community activists and organizers. Hosted by the First Amendment Lawyer Bridge (a project of SCHR), the Center for Constitutional Rights, and Project South, the training will also cover general know-your-rights topics regarding state repression. We will be joined by a digital forensics expert from Envista Forensics.

This is a hybrid event. Registration is required, and in-person attendance is limited.

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REP-A-THON
2024-05-04 12:00 - 18:00 (America/New_York) | Virtual Broadcast
Legal representation is important. This is especially true in Atlanta today as dozens of individuals are being prosecuted as a result of exercising their First Amendment Right to protest and dissent.

On May 4th, 2024, join the Southern Center for Human Rights, Color of Change, and the Center for Constitutional Rights for “Rep-A-Thon”, a live-streamed legal defense fundraiser.

Harkening back to old-school telethons that generated attention toward worthy causes, this new-age Rep-a-Thon is centered on raising awareness of the attack on the right to protest and dissent in Metro Atlanta and to raise funds to support SCHR’s First Amendment Lawyer Bridge, a joint effort with Community Justice Exchange to coordinate legal representation for individuals facing prosecution for exercising their right to protest and dissent, as well as providing support and training to the attorneys representing them.

As prosecutions against protesters grow in complexity and frequency, First Amendment protections are slowly being eroded. The Bridge is an innovative, first-of-its-kind permanent response to efforts to quell dissent—a permanent mass defense infrastructure, harnessing the collective expertise, creativity and power of movement and zealous advocacy.

Join us for an afternoon of history, education, music, and wellness, and learn how you can help support the fight against State repression.

Register today to make a pledge and receive reminders, updates, and other information about Rep-a-Thon.
