Young people are not cannon fodder to the whims of adults. They should not be caught in the storms of our failures. We are no more and no less than the safety we provide for them, the community we offer them, and the support we give them.

PWF partner Milwaukee Turners is taking on mass incarceration by educating the public, collaborating with stakeholders for policy change, and, through its Zero Youth Corrections initiative, ensuring young people are not permanently negatively affected by incarceration.

Young people deserve our best and brightest ideas and innovations – and it starts in their communities, where they are rooted, loved, and understood. #YouthJustice #TransformativeJustice

History isn’t centuries past – it's right in front of us, woven into the fabrics of our families. Their legacies of resilience, perseverance, and tenacity call us to continue their persistence upon freedom – theirs and others. #History #TransformativeJustice #FirstAmendment

Over the last few months, we have seen a rapid erosion of the fabric of democracy. While targets broaden quickly, the game plan is consistent: create confusion, fear, and chaos. When attacks come, regardless of whom they target, we must speak up. #UniteinAdvance #FreedomToGive

These tactics are designed to instill fear and force those who disagree to abandon their core beliefs, leave jobs and careers, and even flee the nation. We will not stand idly by as this happens. The First Amendment is nonnegotiable . #UniteInAdvance #FreedomToGive

#Juneteenth is a celebration of the tenacity, resilience, and audacity of enslaved people to forecast freedom, to conjure it from the depths of terror and violence, and fight, tooth and nail, to achieve it. It is their legacy that we hold and honor.

We are not doing this work without guidance. The freedom fighters of our past – those we know and those we don’t – have left us a roadmap. Their gentle but ever-present light leads us along.

As we stand atop the debris of that past, we have an opportunity to ask ourselves, to ask our children: What brave new world do we want for ourselves? Painting: ‘Floating Ideas’ by Frank Morrison, housed at the True Reformer Building

I had the pleasure of joining Elevating DC Youth to share my journey from the West side of Chicago to CEO of @publicwelfare & my love for A Different World. Most importantly, we talked about changing the narrative for youth of color. bit.ly/ElevatingDCyou…

“I hope you will deem the sacrifice for a future generation worth the toil. I hope you remember where you’ve come from, how courageous you are, and how much you are needed in this moment.” Read more from PWF President & CEO Candice C. Jones: linkedin.com/pulse/my-ameri…

The next generation is keeping watchful eyes on us in this moment. The work we do now carries them forward until we pass the torch onward – let's make it all count. #TransformativeJustice #YouthJustice

We recover in community, in joy, in solitude, and in solidarity – all of this, so that we can return to the work with fresh eyes and hope at our heels.

Our #YouthJustice partners are challenging us to replace systems with resources and support that keep kids safe in their communities and reflect the heart and devotion that families have for them. Let’s join them in catalyzing change that meet our youth’s needs.

Our young people are fountains of wisdom – how they feel, move, and engage with the world is a barometer for whether it is truly safe and just. We owe it to them, and to the future they deserve, to respond to those gleanings with love, restoration, and transformation.

We are part of an incredible constellation of survivors, believers, teachers, fighters, and healers who left us a North Star to follow. Let’s follow it, diligently, thoughtfully, and steadfastly. Mural at the True Reformer Building in #WashingtonDC, by Kaliq Crosby

We need to dream about a future where justice and equity thrive – and we need to be willing to employ any means necessary to realize it. #Philanthropy #TransformativeJustice #RestorativeJustice

When systems are shrouded in mystery and unknowns, when opacity snuffs accountability, freedom dies in that darkness. Our partners, like Southern Center for Human Rights, are beacons of truth, casting light onto systems’ harms and equipping people with the righteous indignation to fight back.

We can preserve our resilience in this work by honoring the legacy of those who came before us without holding tightly to trauma and grief. Healing, joy, and fellowship are irreplaceable companions of resilience.

In this work, the path is winding, and the learnings are constant. But one truth holds, even as the landscapes change, the threats shape shift, and uncertainty cloaks the road ahead: We do this work in community, fellowship, and solidarity. Together is the only way forward.