We as the Coalition for Juvenile Justice join our country in mourning the lives of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbrey, Breonna Taylor, and countless other men and women of color. We stand with our young people and their families, holding space for this moment of sorrow.

We remain committed to creating more just and equitable outcomes for all youth and children. We recognize that the history of oppression in the United States has resulted in ongoing and systemic disparities and we are well aware of the limitations of a nonprofit framework to address them. Yet, we believe that organizations that intentionally prioritize addressing disparities and engaging the perspectives of diverse stakeholders can evolve into an inclusive ally with a commitment to equity and will have profound impacts on the broader society.

The Coalition for Juvenile Justice is a powerful network of members and change agents who embrace the opportunity before us to create positive systemic change. For these reasons, CJJ is committed to transforming each aspect of our organization by eradicating our own biases and operationalizing our values. We know that intention alone will not change the experience of historically marginalized and oppressed populations. To this work, we bring the successes and mistakes of our own continuing efforts towards equity on behalf of our members. The mission and vision we hold for enriching the lives of all young people demands we directly challenge our working assumptions as we move forward together to deconstruct existing frameworks of oppression in order to create more opportunities for deeper learning, lasting change, and transparent accountability.

We acknowledge that: 

This work is urgent,

We will always be learning,

We will make mistakes and,

We will own our responsibility for corrective action.

Our efforts will be tireless and

We will not stop. 

CJJ is committed to our own equity journey, the diversity of our membership, and the broader youth justice field as change agents. We contribute to an inclusive and equitable country and champion diversity as the foundation of success.

During this challenging time, we encourage our members to remember to take time to care for themselves. To practice self-care and self-preservation. We also encourage our members, especially white allies, to learn more through resources put forward by the Burns Institute, Race Forward, and other similar organizations.

Together, we can make sure this moment is a turning point.