Events

This event was a full-attendance abolition symposium held in San Francisco on April 10, 2026. The symposium was organized by a formerly incarcerated law student, a formerly incarcerated scholar, and the Journal of Race and Economic Justice at UC Law San Francisco.

The gathering created a shared space that bridged academic scholarship with on-the-ground experience. Participants included scholars, students, educators, organizers, practitioners, advocates, and people systemically targeted by the criminal legal system.

The goal of the symposium was to exchange ideas, share strategies, and advance abolitionist thought and practice. Together, participants explored how abolition can be taught, practiced, and sustained across communities and institutions, centering voices and experiences that have historically been excluded from traditional academic and policy conversations.

This private event took place during the Women With a Plan Women’s Empowerment Lunch. Ayana Thomas was invited to speak about her lived experience and perspectives on the justice system, as well as the process of finding strength, confidence, and self-trust after justice involvement or when supporting a loved one who is incarcerated.

The conversation centered on overcoming obstacles associated with justice system involvement and reclaiming personal power in the face of adversity. Attendees were invited to reflect on resilience, healing, and the ways women can support one another through shared understanding and community.

This was a private speaking engagement focused on empowerment, storytelling, and creating space for honest dialogue among women navigating complex life experiences.

This grant was awarded by the Center for Justice at Columbia University to The Ayana Thomas Initiative in support of The Grief Behind the Gavel™ project. The funding recognizes and invests in community-based, grief-informed work grounded in justice, healing, and public engagement.

The grant is intended to support the continuation and expansion of community-centered efforts, including campaigns, social or community events, town halls, panel discussions, and creative or artistic group activities. This work places a strong emphasis on serving women, girls, and gender-expansive people, particularly those impacted by trauma, incarceration, and systemic harm.

This funding strengthens the capacity to deepen local impact, expand access to grief-informed spaces, and sustain work that centers dignity, storytelling, and collective healing within the community.