Please join us on Thursday, October 27, 6:00pm-8:00pm for an interactive presentation and conversation facilitated by Keshet’s Youth Leadership Council to discuss the current state of our juvenile legal systems, and proposed alternatives for a stronger and healthier community.

Keshet’s Arts and Justice Youth Leadership Council Co-Chair, Emani Brooks states, “For decades, America’s (in)justice system has broken down our communities with the extensive criminalization and mass incarceration of the underserved and marginalized individuals that they claim to protect, serve, and render justice to. When placed in this revolving cycle of punitive punishment our youth are exposed to substantial amounts of trauma and are not given the tools to heal from that trauma. However, the system is working how it was made to do so; by breaking down the families and communities within its control, the power remains within the system(s). As a victim of these injustices I know now that it is up to us to correct those wrongs because if not, no one will and more will continue to suffer.”

Keshet has been working at the intersection of arts and justice for the past 26 years, and over the past six years has developed a deeply aligned partnership with Los Angeles-based Arts for Healing & Justice Network (AHJN), empowering youth and families to heal and transform systems through the arts. Inspired by AHJN’s recently released film Our Voice Now, which is a call to action for viewers to take a deeper look at youth incarceration and probation in Los Angeles County via shared stories from courageous youth who want to see Youth Justice Reimagined, Keshet’s New Mexico-based Arts and Justice Youth Leadership Council will be showing clips of this film to share and facilitate similar conversations with the New Mexico Community.

This public sharing and discussion is supported in part by the New Mexico Humanities Council.