Bryan Stevenson and the Equal Justice Initiative - Fighting Against Inequality in the Justice System

During Pacifist Fight Club: Round 3, Deshonna Collier-Goubil spoke on the racial inequality found in the US Prison System. In this TEDtalk, Bryan Stevenson addresses the elephant in the room: "We Need to Talk about Injustice." He urges us to explore our national past to discover the connecting points to where we are today in our imbalanced system of justice.

While some efforts are being made to reduce the over-capacity of prison systems (in California, and other states) Compton's Mayor Brown recently stated in an interview with Vogue, that these plans aren't "very well thought out." While she advocates state-initiated training programs, Stevenson insists change won't be made—that justice won't be served—until we as a nation take a hard look at our past. Bryan Stevenson is a story teller, and weaves memorable moments with his grandmother, and sitting in a living room with Rosa Parks, into his even-handed case for racial equality and system reform.

Stevenson founded and serves as executive director of the Equal Justice Initiative. EJI fights against the Death Penalty and the sentencing of children to adult prisons, as well as fighting for policy and system reform, all the while challenging the blind-eyes of the status quo.

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Fight Club Homework Assignments:
Revisit: Pacifist Fight Club: Round 3 and watch Deshonna weigh in on the issue.
Discuss or Ponder: What are the effects of a voting system where 1/3 of a demographical voice has been systematically silenced?

PART 1: DeShonna Collier-Goubil - The Prison System and Equality

Video streaming by Ustream PART 1

PART2: DeShonna Collier-Goubil: The Prison System and Equality

Video streaming by Ustream PART 2

JOIN US: ROUND 3 - "The Least of These"

Make plans now to join us for Round 3 of Pacifist Fight Club on Saturday, September 15th.

PACIFIST FIGHT CLUB

We will fight for peace, but we will do no violence

Saturday, September 15, 2012, 9:00 am to 2pm, Biola University.

Round 3- "The Least of These"
This is a FREE Event.

NOTE: *BRING YOUR OWN SACK LUNCH *WATER, COFFEE & TEA PROVIDED

Our Fighters will be:

*Crissy Brooks; MIKA CDC (Poverty and Immigration)
*Wendy Tarr; CLUE OC (Poverty and Immigration)
*Leia Smith; ISAIAH HOUSE (Poverty in Orange County)
* Dr. Deshonna Collier-Goubil; Author of "Does Religion Affect Peaceful Behavior?"  (Torture and Prison)

 

LOCATION:
Biola University, Business Building - Room 201.
Address: 13800 Biola Ave. La Mirada, CA 90639

Directions:

Biola is easily accessible off of the 5 freeway (coming from the North take the Rosecrans exit, coming from the South take the Valley View exit).

Details:

The Business building is #50 and is the first building on the right through the main entrance on Biola Avenue.

Parking:

Visitors can park in the visitors parking lot (Lot D) adjacent to the Business Building. Parking permits will be handed out the morning of the event.

 

NEW FIGHTER ADDED TO THE CARD

 

 

Dr. Deshonna Collier-Goubil, author of "Does Religion Affect Peaceful Behavior?" will be speaking at Round 3 of Pacifist Fight Club on the subject of Prisoners and Social Justice.

 

Dr. Collier-Goubil is an associate professor of Sociology at Biola University. She is an expert on Criminology, Jails, Prisons and the Corrections System, as well as Women and Criminal Justice and Terrorism in Contemporary Society.

 

Publications

• Hodge, Daniel White, and Deshonna Collier Goubil. 2012. The Hostile Gospel: Hip Hop's Totemic Post Soul Theology. Editor of series W. Goldstein, Center for Critical Research on Religion and Harvard University. Boston, MA: Brill Academic. (Publication forthcoming early 2013).
• Block, C., Collier-Goubil, D., Moore, and A., Reed, W. (2011). Collaborating with Practitioners in Lenning, Brightman and Caringella's "A Guide To Surviving A Career in Academia, Navigating the Rites of Passage." New York: Routledge.
• Collier, Deshonna. (2010). Per Capita Income In Washington, DC: A Time Series Analysis. A Time Series Analysis. Abdul Bangura (Ed.) Greater Washington Metropolitan Social-Economic Trends, 1970-2005. CA: Iuniverse.
• Collier, Deshonna. (2010) Does Religion Affect Peaceful Behavior?: A Study of the District of Columbia Abdul Bangura (Ed.) Perceptions of Peaceful Behavior in Washington, DC. CA: Iuniverse.
• Reed, Winnie and Collier-Goubil, Deshonna. (2009). Crime Prevention Partnerships, United States. Bonnie S. Fisher and Steven P. Lab (Eds.), Encyclopedia of Victimization and Crime Prevention. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE.