Los Angeles

Critical Resistance seeks to build an international movement to end the Prison Industrial Complex by challenging the belief that caging and controlling people makes us safe. They believe that basic necessities such as food, shelter, and freedom are what really make communities secure. Their work is part of global struggles against inequality and powerlessness.

Dignity and Power Now (DPN) is a Los Angeles based grassroots organization that fights for the dignity and power of all incarcerated people, their families, and communities. Their mission is to build a Black and Brown led an abolitionist movement towards the goal of achieving transformative justice and healing.

Dr. Melina Abdullah is a scholar, activist, and a recognized expert on race, gender, class, and social movements. She was among the original group of organizers that convened to form Black Lives Matter and continues to serve as a Los Angeles chapter leader.

Janaya Future Khan currently serves as the International Ambassador for Black Lives Matter. Also the co-founder of Black Lives Matter Canada, Janaya is a writer and lecturer that has been featured in Vogue, The Cut, and CNN.

The JusticeLA Coalition (JLA) was born from countless families separated by the largest jail system in the world. They work to reduce the footprint of incarceration by stopping jail expansion—reclaiming, reimagining and reinvesting dollars away from incarceration and into community-based systems of care.