Meet our Donors: Part 1
This giving season we’re giving thanks to supporters like you.
It’s been a big year in the world, and for those of us here at Represent Justice.
We entered the year as a newly founded nonprofit, and navigated an ongoing pandemic while prioritizing the health and wellbeing of system-impacted people. We’ve advanced the conversation around police in schools with the film On These Grounds, called upon legislators to end juvenile life without parole, and partnered with the Indiana Pacers for another Play for Justice. And because of incredible supporters like you, we were able to power the campaign that got Julius Jones off of death row in Oklahoma for a crime he did not commit.
But it wasn’t the work of the Represent Justice team alone that made it happen. In 2021, 4,240 donors contributed to the work of Represent Justice, with an average gift of $33.
We think that’s extraordinary.
A movement is built by the people in it, and as we near the end of the year, we want to take a moment to look back and celebrate the members of our community who’ve joined us on our journey to help change the system. They’re folks from major cities, small towns, and even across the globe. Our supporters are people who’ve been advocating for a fairer justice system for years, and people who have recently been moved to take action.
Each week, we’ll share the stories of some of our supporters as a small token of our appreciation. Here’s a few of the folks we’re lucky to have in our corner.
Ruth Dandurand
Retired, Clawson, Michigan
Storytelling has had a big impact on Ruth’s perception of the justice system. As a retired person on social security, she has a fixed budget. But she also believes our justice system has the capacity to transform into something much fairer, and so she finds ways to do her part.
“It was quite a while ago, I read how the criminal “justice” system is so slanted against people of color—really, anyone who isn’t a white male. I got angry and have been ever since.”
Jessica Stewart
Foster parent, Oxnard, CA
Jessica is passionate about empowering young people in their lives, not only to connect with organizers but also to learn from a younger age how implicit biases can impact our world. For her, this passion started at a young age.
“Seeing commercials as a child of children who didn’t have adequate food or access to clean water. Reading books that included accounts of people being arbitrarily arrested, followed by books and documentaries on cases won after being retried by the Innocence Project. God created me to passionately dislike injustice, racism, and oppression.”
Fionnuala O’Buachalla
Real Estate Director, Dublin, Ireland
Living in Ireland, Fionnuala was a bit limited in the types of advocacy actions she could take. Without a U.S. address, she isn’t able to urge lawmakers to act on necessary legislation or policies. But, she chose to donate to reflect her desire to see innocent people get their justice.
“I started listening to the Jason Flom Podcast series Wrongful Conviction and was shocked at the number of people in US prisons who are innocent. The lack of investigation and evidence shocked me. It was like listening to fiction—truly unbelievable. The Curtis Flowers case shocked me. I am thankful for the families, friends and organisations that continue to fight for innocent people in prison. The Curtis Flowers case reinforces how important it is to keep fighting.”