In honor of the twentieth anniversary of Neighbors in Action—our Brooklyn-based program formerly known as the Crown Heights Community Mediation Center—we've re-released this episode on our podcast this week. It's a profile of one of Neighbors in Action's core programs: Make It Happen. The original post for this episode, including photos and a transcript, is here.
If you follow debates about the criminal justice system, you've likely heard a lot about trauma. Maybe you've heard that many defendants, victims, and witnesses are suffering from some form of it. But what trauma is and its relationship to the criminal justice system isn't always defined. To try to get some more understanding of these questions, our New Thinking podcast visited the Make It Happen program in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, to profile its innovative approach to working with young men of color affected by violence. Through interviews with participants and practitioners, the episode addresses the intersections of trauma, involvement with the justice system, and the lived experience of race.