105 Abolition in Action

In 105 Abolition in Action, you will learn how to apply abolitionist principles, analysis, coalition-building, and transformative justice strategies to identify community-organizing actions to create abolitionist sanctuaries for social change. You will learn the difference between reform and revolution, restorative justice and transformative justice, and anti-violence and anti-prison movements. You will draw from real-life contexts and case studies to design a civic campaign or improve organizational value to end punitive practices and create solutions that help to repair, restore, and rebuild a more just and equitable system.

Certifying Organization

Abolitionist Sanctuary is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that trains faith communities, educational institutions, and civic organizations to unite against the moral crisis of mass incarceration and the criminalization of impoverished Black motherhood. Our research-based expertise and community organizing experience in connection to a national coalition grounds the learning material in this certification program.

Learning Objectives

In this course, you will apply what you have learned by moving to action! The following questions will inform your experience:

  • What transformative justice solutions, public policy campaigns, or organizing strategies can participants formulate to influence political decision-making, dismantle oppressive systems, and create alternatives to communal flourishing?
  • How does abolition in action look in the world?
  • How do we build a sustaining movement that draws from a history of abolition to create freedom futures?

You will explore the tensions of reform, non-reformist reforms, and revolution to actualize abolitionist approaches to social change. By successfully completing this course, you will:

  1. Learn how to apply abolitionist principles, analysis, coalition-building, and transformative justice strategies to real-life contexts;
  2. Explore community organizing approaches to create policy outcomes;
  3. Design an advocacy campaign to address a public issue.

Contributors

Rev. Nikia Smith Robert, Ph.D.

Founder & Executive Director

Abolitionist Sanctuary


Adriana Rivera

STAAR Curriculum Intern, Abolitionist Sanctuary

Minister of Youth and Households, Edgewater Congregations Together (ELCA)


Jazzmin Duncan

Student Abolition Ambassador

Intern


Vaughn Brown

Policy Intern, Student

Pomona College


Bithiah Negusu

Student Abolition Ambassador

Abolitionist Sanctuary


Not Enrolled

Standards

Civic Education for the Common Good.

We apply the U.S. Department of Education’s Consensus Statements about Constitutional Approaches for Teaching about Religion:

▸ Our approach to religion is academic, not devotional;
▸ We strive for student awareness of religions, but do not press for student acceptance of any religion;
▸ We sponsor the study about religion, not the practice of religion;
▸ We expose students to a diversity of religious views, but do not impose any particular view;
▸ We educate about all religions, we do not promote or denigrate any religion;
▸ We inform students about religious beliefs and practices, it does not seek to conform students to any particular belief or practice.

We apply the American Academy of Religion’s “Religious Literacy Guidelines”

Special Thanks

A special thanks to the founding members of Abolitionist Sanctuary’s Board of Directors and STAAR Intern, Adriana Rivera, M.DIV. The leadership of Rev. Dr. Nathan C. Walker and the onboarding and technical support provided by his team at 1791 Delegates. The continuation of this work depends on contributions from generous supporters like you. Please consider making a tax-deductible donation to the Abolitionist Sanctuary, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization (EIN 86-2003530). With you support, we can create additional courses and certification programs to train the next generation of abolitionists.