At Tom Tom, we try to focus on what we are for, but at times like these it is essential to establish what we are against.
In response to nationwide protests surrounding the death of George Floyd, whose death was situated so closely on the heels of the deaths of Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery, we want to make clear to our community where we stand:
We are against racism in all its forms. None of our programming matters if we don't first begin to deeply question and root out the racist thoughts and tendencies embedded in our psyches, our communities, and our culture, and work to dismantle the systems and structures that perpetually devalue and endanger people of color. We are committed to doing that both as an organization and in our work. We stand against racism, against police brutality, and against excessive violence.
We are grateful to our incredible network of justice leaders across the country. These nonprofit organizations work tirelessly towards criminal justice reform and we invite you to support their work:
Charlottesville
Legal Aid Justice Center - LAJC partners with communities and clients to achieve justice by dismantling systems that create and perpetuate poverty.
Lending Hands - Lending Hands acts as a liaison with support agencies in Charlottesville to meet the needs of all ex-offenders in the community.
REAL Dads - REAL Dads coaches incarcerated fathers and fathers who want a stronger relationship with their children to have responsible, empowered, available and loving relationships with their families.
Resilience Education - Resilience Education stops cycles of incarceration by improving employment outcomes and reentry success through high-quality business education.
The Fountain Fund - The Fountain Fund improves the lives of the formerly incarcerated through lending, financial education, and community support.
Regional
Carolina Justice Policy Center (Raleigh, NC) - CJPC empowers communities to bring change to North Carolina’s justice system.
Just City - Memphis (Memphis, TN) - Just City pursues a smaller, fairer, and more humane criminal justice system in Memphis, Tennessee.
Justice Forward (Virginia) - A non-partisan PAC created to bring urgency to criminal justice reform in the Commonwealth and to support candidates for state/local office who advocate for comprehensive reform.
Nolef Turns, Inc. (Richmond, VA) - Nolef Turns fights to reduce recidivism by helping those with court and justice involvement successfully thrive post-conviction.
National
Austin Justice Coalition (Austin, TX) - AJC is a Racial Justice Group that educates and builds community power for people of color who live in Austin, Texas that need support, community, and liberation during a time of systemic injustice in America.
Campaign Zero (National) - Data-driven policymakers dedicated to ending death by police force by limiting police interventions, improving community interactions, and ensuring accountability.
Civil Rights Corps (National) - Civil Rights Corps are leaders in landmark litigation and high-impact advocacy that empowers communities to change the unjust legal system.
Reinventing Reentry (National) - Reinventing Reentry works to reshape our society's perception of former inmates so they have equal opportunities for employment, housing, and education. They take their reentry simulation around the country to build empathy in organizations and communities.
The Fortune Society (New York, NY) - The Fortune Society helps individuals with justice involvement rebuild their lives through innovative services and advocacy.
Vera Institute of Justice (National) - Vera fights for justice reform built on bedrock American values and grounded in action at the state and local level.