Justice & Healing

Overview

In Season 2, Episode 6, Co-hosts Lisa Greenwood and Casper ter Kuile talk with Emmanuel Andre, 2021 Locke Innovative Leader Award Winner. Emmanuel prefers to be known as a “Community Defender” instead of a “Defense Attorney” which says a lot about his approach to his work both inside and outside the courtroom. Restorative justice is more than a program, it is a way of being to Emmanuel, who believes transformation is possible if love is offered unconditionally while walking alongside another. Emmanuel’s non-profit organization Circles and Ciphers walks alongside young people impacted by violence through hip-hop and art-based peace circles that provide space for conversations and community support to promote healing from trauma. Emmanuel’s story of how the church has walked alongside him from his childhood until now is a testimony to the church’s power to make a positive difference in the lives of individuals and communities. This conversation is simply inspirational from beginning to end and invites us all to consider our responsibility to create spaces where hope and healing can flourish and those who feel unseen can find friends.