EVAC Movement

EVAC

EVAC is a movement and a brotherhood of hope. Tired of being classified as “at-risk,” we founded The EVAC. More of a movement rather than organization or program, we are simply a teacher and group of 15 “at-hope” African-American young men from Jacksonville, Florida, dedicated to channeling our painful personal tragedies into positive change and needed hope for our classmates, community, and world.  We focus our efforts particularly in the area of juvenile justice/crime. Meeting regularly with officials, we present youth concerns and solutions based on the unique blend of our personal stories, hard data, and knowledge from direct partnerships with local/national juvenile justice leaders.

 

 

Website linkhttp://www.evacmovement.com/

Twitter:  @evacmovement

Facebookhttps://www.facebook.com/EvacMovement/

Workshop Title:

From at-risk to at-hope. Channeling Painful Tragedy to Positive Change

Workshop Description:

Sacrificing daily, loving relentlessly, and fighting fearlessly – these are the ingredients that have made the EVAC Movement successful.  By examining Plato’s Allegory of the Cave and sharing life stories, 15 young men from Jacksonville, Florida’s Lee High School have moved from at-risk to at-hope creating a brotherhood that is unstoppable.  Growing up in a city facing tremendous challenges with juvenile justice, persistent racism and disproportionality in youth arrests and civil citations, and violence amongst youth, the EVAC Movement has taught city leaders including the State Attorney, the Superintendent of schools, the Mayor, a U.S. Federal Judge, representatives from the Public Defender’s office, officials from the local Sheriff’s Office, and their community how to improve youth relations with police and the current juvenile justice system.  The brothers of the EVAC Movement have met President Obama, conferenced with his advisors around juvenile justice leading to an official proclamation on the issue, met with Civil Rights Movement leader Rep. John Lewis, testified before Congress about their experiences, appeared on the front page of the New York Times, won the Harvard Kind Schools Challenge, and several other awards from their community.  This workshop will present their story and the efforts that have led to their success with the hope of inspiring EVAC Movements nationwide.

Link to Media Appearances: