what we see
Perspectives
Perspectives is where stories take root and voices are lifted. Through essays, reflections, and op-eds from our co-founders and guest writers, this space brings forward the lived experiences of families and communities navigating racial violence and healing. From Stand Your Ground laws to the ripple effects of gun violence, from cultural traditions to film and art that spark dialogue, Perspectives invites us to listen deeply, honor truth, and carry forward the stories that shape our path to justice.
Brown Hope is Inspiring a Movement of Collective Courage
by: cameron whitten
Despite harsh and hostile conditions, Brown Hope shone in our community as a beacon of inspiration. We countered the ugliness of the world by creating beauty. Instead of responding with fear and hate, we answered with courage and love. To this day, one of my favorite interviews ever was when I went on Fox News to talk with Tucker Carlson about Brown Hope’s inaugural event, Reparations Happy Hour.
Toward a Culture of Repair
by: Aria Florant
In 1988, President Ronald Reagan signed the Civil Liberties Act, which paid $20,000 to each of the more than 80,000 Japanese Americans who were unjustly interned during World War II. A Republican president signed it. Congress passed it. In 1994, the Florida legislature itself — the same state where AJ Owens was killed — passed a reparations package for the Rosewood Massacre. In 1923, a white mob burned a thriving Black town to the ground, killing at least six people while government officials looked the other way. Seven decades later, Florida paid $150,000 to each of the nine surviving victims. It was an acknowledgment that the state had failed and that repair was required.
Stand Your Ground and the Architecture of “Justified” Harm
by: Melba V. Pearson
I remember standing in a courtroom waiting for a Stand Your Ground hearing to begin.
The courtroom was quiet in that particular way courtrooms get quiet before something irreversible happens. The victim’s family was sitting behind me. The defendant was across the aisle. Everyone knew the stakes.
If the judge granted immunity, the case would never go to trial.
No jury.
No testimony.
No reckoning.
Just dismissal.
That is what Stand Your Ground changes.
A Statement from Standing in the Gap Fund
Pamela’s choice came from a place of courage and clarity — much like Mamie Till, who decided the world needed to see her son. She wanted the world to see what happened to her daughter — not for spectacle, but for truth, accountability, and change.
Days after AJ’s death, and prior to the film being made, we established Standing in the Gap Fund. Through this independent initiative, we continue the urgent work of supporting families and communities affected by racial violence, advancing Stand your Ground and gun-safety reform, and nurturing healing rooted in Black culture, faith, and love.
We Buried Ajike. But We Are Still Standing.
By: Pamela Dias
I remember my daughter’s voice—her laugh, her strength, her love for her four children. On June 2, 2023, that voice was silenced forever. My daughter, Ajike “AJ” Owens, was shot and killed by her neighbor after knocking on the door to defend her children from harassment.
Since that day, I’ve been doing what no mother should ever have to do: raising my daughter’s children while grieving her loss. I’ve stood in courtrooms. I’ve spoken at rallies. I’ve had to relive the worst day of my life over and over – in front of cameras, strangers, and news cycles that eventually moved on.
But we’re still here. Living the aftermath.
More than A Moment: What Happens After the Headlines Fade
By: Takema Robinson
As a Black woman and someone who has spent over 20 years in philanthropy and the arts, I’ve seen the cycle: A Black like is taken, briefly covered, and quickly forgotten.
In this country, Black death is no longer breaking news—it’s a pattern. A few days of outrage. A fleeting trend. And then the story disappears, as if our lives are only meaningful when they generate clicks or controversy.
But the families left behind do not forget.