The Right to Heal: Newark Gun Violence Survivors Speak Out for a Safer Community

Local survivors of gun violence will join national public safety leader and fellow survivor Aswad Thomas for a powerful community event on Thursday, June 20. As part of a collaboration between Crime Survivors for Safety and Justice, the Newark Community Street Team, and the Community-Based Public Safety Collective, survivors will highlight the urgent need for crime victim support and discuss solutions to prevent gun violence in Newark.

The event is part of Crime Survivors for Safety and Justice’s “Right to Heal” Tour. This multi-city community event series offers survivors, advocates, and stakeholders a unique venue to share their experiences, insights, and public safety vision. Together, participants will discuss the “Right to Heal” policy agenda and the first-ever Crime Survivors Speak March on Washington in September.

WHAT: Newark gun violence survivors join national leader for “Right to Heal” event

WHEN: Thursday, June 20, 12:00 – 2:00 PM EDT

WHERE: 915 S 16th St, Newark, NJ 07108

WHO: Victim advocates, crime survivors, and activists: 

• Aswad Thomas, a survivor of gun violence and national director of Crime Survivors for Safety and Justice
• Rey Chavis, a survivor of gun violence and executive director of Newark Community Street Team
• Sylvan Pitt, a survivor of gun violence and high-risk interventionist at Newark Community Street Team

WHY: As crime victims, we want two things the most. We want what happened to us never to happen again, and we want what happened to us to never happen to someone else. We also wish for victims’ rights but with a different approach.

For too long, the widespread use of the phrase “victim rights” has been synonymous with punishment and subsumed by systems that most victims not only do not use but that too often contribute to more harm and trauma.

What would it look like if “victim rights” were synonymous with HEALING? How many victims could we better serve with an informational card titled “Right to Heal” detailing the right to heal through access, protection, and safety? Crime survivors deserve the RIGHT TO HEAL through access, protection, and safety.

About Crime Survivors for Safety and Justice  

Crime Survivors for Safety and Justice (CSSJ) is a national network of more than 200,000 crime victims advocating for a justice system that prioritizes healing, prevention, and recovery. The organization represents a new victims’ rights movement that centers the voices and needs of crime survivors in decisions about public safety. The movement’s grassroots, member-led initiatives have successfully driven significant policy changes and opened groundbreaking trauma recovery centers across the country. CSSJ is a flagship project of the Alliance for Safety and Justice. For more information, visit https://cssj.org/.