Music and organizing have more in common than you think. We talked to one of the co-founders of Circles and Ciphers, Emmanuel Andre, a New York-raised public defender and restorative justice practitioner based in Chicago.

Circles & Cipher is a hip-hop-infused restorative justice organization led by and for young people affected by violence. Learn about the inception of the organization and how its work changed and expanded over time. Emmanuel also touches on the importance of "getting out of the way" of young people and how stepping back or sunsetting can create more opportunities for youth to lead as we center them in this work.

More information about Circles and Ciphers:
Website: https://circlesandciphers.org/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/circles_ciphers/

Project NIA Sunset Spotlight - Emmanuel Andre

Launched in 2009, Project NIA is an advocacy, organizing, popular education, research, and capacity-building center with the long-term goal of ending youth incarceration. We believe that several simultaneous approaches are necessary in order to develop and sustain community-based alternatives to the system of policing and incarceration. Our mission is to dramatically reduce the reliance on arrest, detention, and incarceration for addressing youth crime and to instead promote the use of restorative and transformative practices, a concept that relies on community-based alternatives.

Project NIA Sunset Spotlight - Emmanuel Andre

Project NIA Audio