Earlier this fall, RYSE participated in YJAM, a national campaign to raise awareness and inspire action on issues prevalent within the youth justice system as well as advocate against the sentencing and prosecution of youth as adults. RYSE organized workshops, film screenings, art activities, and discussions, to uplift the voices of young people who have been directly impacted by incarceration.
We’d like to celebrate the youth members who helped envision and organize this year’s campaign—our RYOT interns, Sam Rayfield, and D’Ana Clark.
RYOT interns hosting a creative workshop for their peers as part of YJAM.
D’Ana Clark, Youth Justice Fellow (left) and Briana Urrutia, Restorative Practices Specialist (middle) facilitate a healing circle and discussion after a screening of WHEN THEY SEE US.
Our RYOT interns held a powerful workshop for their peers focusing on personal and group liberation, justice and equity. We’re grateful for their work as youth leaders during YJAM and beyond, how they consistently demonstrate to us, in action, what loving and liberatory community organizing and peer-education looks like.
During initial planning for RYSE’s YJAM, Sam Rayfield proposed the idea of screening the Netflix mini-series When They See Us directed by Ava DuVernay about Antron McCray, Kevin Richardson, Yusef Salaam, Raymond Santana and Korey Wise—known in the media as the Central Park Five—five young black and brown boys who were wrongly accused and convicted for a horrific crime.
Sam’s idea became the creative structure for this year’s YJAM. To balance the heaviness of the series, we split the screenings over the course of a month and followed each viewing immediately with a healing circle and discussion around justice, the youth justice system, and rebuilding trust. We’re grateful to Sam for his recommendation, and have great respect for how he faces the challenges in his life in ways that make him a stronger person and supporter of his peers.
Below is a letter written by D’Ana Clark, our Youth Justice Fellow, who played a critical role in ensuring YJAM was a healing space for other youth.
D'Ana has overcome so much at such a young age, including being incarcerated when she was 16. She has used her experiences to become an advocate for her community, and is an example of how successful young people can be once backed by the right resources—a young leader full of love and potential.
Dear Community—
Let me begin by introducing myself. My name is D’Ana Clark, and I became a member at RYSE 4 years ago.
Throughout my time at RYSE I’ve received services and participated in programming such as arts and media, health and wellness, Sister Circle, diversion and youth justice. Through art, I’ve learned to express my creative self and communicate my life experience. Through health programming, I’ve learned to take care my mind, body, and soul, and to take care of my peers. Sister Circle has taught me to love, respect, and support myself in all ways possible, as well as build healthy relationships.
RYSE’s diversion and youth justice work has definitely impacted me the most. As a formerly incarcerated youth, I worked closely with my mentor Briana Urrutia, one of RYSE’s Restorative Practices Specialists. Briana supported me at numerous court dates—including assisting with my transportation at court, and helping to express myself and my potential to the court.
Briana coached me into becoming a better communicator with my parents and guardians, helping me build better relationships with them. This process with her has helped me prove my innocence, pursue amazing new leadership opportunities, and become an advocate for my friends, family, and loved ones about the potential dangers of the justice system.
I have appreciated being a part of RYSE. RYSE’s services helped me navigate through the juvenile justice system and find employment. What I’m most proud of is that I grew personally and professionally. I was a person who was still trying to figure out my individuality and my mission in life.
I went from being a very troubled child to a person that aspires to be one of the best criminal defense lawyers—someone driven by a series of injustices to pursue success, a person that youth at RYSE can look up to.
D’Ana facilitates a workshop during this year’s Night Out for Safety and Liberation.
RYSE has taught me discipline, and how to be articulate. RYSE has helped me grow professionally while keeping my personality. RYSE gave me the opportunity to be elected as part of the Contra Costa County Juvenile Justice Coordinating Council, where I get to advocate for and represent youth who have been systems-impacted, and ensure safe returns and positive outcomes for youth.
I am excited that RYSE is constructing RYSE Commons, which will open in Spring 2021, and will expand restorative justice work in Richmond. With RYSE Commons, we’ll be bringing in younger and older youth so we can engage youth ages 11-26, as well as have a larger space and greater capacity to grow partnerships for the greater good. We’ll have more leadership opportunities, education and justice help, safety, love, and healing as well as a health clinic. We’ll be combatting gentrification and practicing decolonization with our indigenous folks.
In terms of restorative justice, it will definitely give us more room to house more re-entry youth and network with other organizations and groups that have similar values to RYSE. Earlier this year, we announced our partnership with Impact Justice and the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office to bring the first restorative justice diversion program to Contra Costa County. With the growth of RYSE Commons, we’ll continue create safe spaces grounded in social justice that builds youth power for young people to love, learn, educate, heal, and transform lives and communities.
D’Ana Clark
Youth Justice Fellow
SUPPORT RYSE COMMONS, SUPPORT YOUTH LEADERSHIP
We have so much gratitude for everyone who has donated toward our gift registry! Thanks to our donors, we have support to help cover costs for some of our RYSE Commons essentials such as the planter boxes for our community garden, lighting and seating for our counseling spaces, a healing garden water feature, outdoor benches, screenprinting materials, pots and pans, white board paint, musical equipment, and more.
Jennie Armstrong
William Walker MD
Angela Clausen
Molly Couto
Brian Malte
Angela Clausen
Shasa Curl
Ahna Suleiman
Rebecca Tilley
Colleen Boyle
Toivo Ollila
Raina Lee
Jenn Lynn-Whaley
Laura Pooler
Jill Minkus
Mariana Moore