As it should be, there is a lot happening in our community to address historic and impending injustices. Saturday night, NCCU launched the opening of its Social Justice and Racial Equity Institute (SJREI). This effort is led by Professors Scott Holmes and Ansel Brown, and is located in the School of Law.
On April 4, 2023 (the 55th commemoration of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.) the SJREI convened a Restorative Circle with community stakeholders who are focused on the future of Hayti. Specifically, the Circle was convened to afford interested parties the opportunity to voice their hopes and concerns about the impending rehabilitation of Hayti. It is planned that this initial Circle will set a precedence for the community building that will be needed to support efforts to "save Hayti".
As a Restorative Practitioner and servant leader of Hayti Reborn, I was greatly encouraged and sent this response to the organizers and facilitators:
“Last night’s gathering of community stakeholders and gatekeepers of Hayti was a powerful forward motion for change.Successfully, many voices and kindred spirits were gathered in one space for this purpose. The work of the Restorative Justice community in the NCCU School of Law is gratefully appreciated. Thank you, for providing a model for addressing restoration and healing in our community.It is understood that more and more is needed, but the successful launch of community engagement Circle was the right way to begin.More power to you as you continue your work by empowering the community with restorative practices.More power to us all as we carry on in our endeavors to repair harm and restore Hayti”.
Yours in service, Anita Scott Neville, Director Hayti Reborn