Restorative justice activist to hold public keynote on Oct. 8

Fania Davis, an internationally renowned activist and civil rights leader, will present a free public address, “Interrupting the School-to-Prison Pipeline Through Restorative Justice,”  from 10 a.m. to noon Tuesday, Oct. 8.

Ms. Davis will discuss and answer about the concepts and development of institutional shifts toward restorative approaches that actively engage families, communities and systems to repair harm and prevent re-offending. Davis’ presentation is part of the programming associated with the Woodrow Wilson Visiting Fellows Program (WWVF) at Mount Mary University. 

The event on Tuesday, Oct. 8 will be held from 10 a.m. to noon in the Alumnae Dining Room in Bergstrom Hall. It is free and open to the public; register at www.mtmary.edu/faniadaviscommunity by Friday, Oct. 4.

As a social activist and civil rights attorney, Davis co-founded the Restorative Justice for Oakland Youth (RJOY) and received many humanitarian awards. The Los Angeles Times named Davis a new civil rights leader of the 21st century. 

Davis will be on campus Oct. 7-10 to conduct classes, seminars, workshops and lectures and to meet with students and faculty members informally throughout the week to share her practical knowledge in the area of restorative justice.

“Dr. Fania Davis’ work in the areas of civil rights, social justice and restorative justice will provide our students with a deeper understanding and appreciation for the ways in which they can help those in need,” said Assistant Professor and Social Work Field Work Coordinator Tuwana T. Wingfield, Ph.D., LCSW. “Our social work students in particular will hear firsthand what restorative justice looks like and how it feels to be a part of a transformative process toward healing and recovery.”

The Woodrow Wilson Visiting Fellows program, administered by the Council of Independent Colleges (CIC) in Washington, D.C., brings prominent artists, diplomats, journalists, business leaders and other professionals to campuses across the United States for a weeklong residential program of classes, seminars, workshops, lectures and informal discussions. For more than 45 years, Visiting Fellows have been introducing students and faculty members at liberal arts colleges to a wide range of perspectives on life, society, community, and achievement. The Visiting Fellows program is available to all four-year colleges and universities. For more information, visit CIC’s website at www.cic.edu/VisitingFellows.