Justice League

Justice League is a youth advocacy and leadership program. The Justice League partners with youth (12-25 years old) from the Lower Price Hill neighborhood and surrounding communities to invest in their strengths, ideas, assets, and needs. We do this by partnering one-on-one with teens and young adults to build positive mentorship relationships, leadership opportunities, and restorative justice interventions.

Background

In 2019, a 15-year-old was murdered in the Lower Price Hill neighborhood. Following this tragedy, the media published many stories about how Lower Price Hill was a poor, dangerous neighborhood and how the young people in the neighborhood were a detriment to the community. When talking with teens in the neighborhood, they expressed both outrage at their peer’s death and anger that they were being painted as the villains of the neighborhood. They wanted change, and so through their energy and ideas, Justice League was born.

Justice League initially started as a one-week social justice camp in which youth learned about different avenues through which community change can happen. At the end of the week, the group decided to continue to meet and develop initiatives to make their community a better place.

In 2021, Justice League adopted the restorative justice approach of the Empowering Community Justice Initiative (ECJI) and launched as a full-scale program. The Justice League program model combines the approach of ECJI and the expertise of youth leaders with the existing, strengths-based work of Community Matters, including the Opportunity Hub family sustainability program, the LPH Community Gardens project and its annual teen Garden Apprenticeships, the Neighborhood Action Team (NAT) coalition of residents, and The Collective resident artist group.

Empowering Community Justice Initiative (ECJI)

ECJI exists to empower system-involved youth and their families by advocating for their dignity and fair treatment to ensure the best outcomes for the youth and our community overall. The ECJI team of staff and volunteers strategize to get families involved in the defense of their children. They do this by attending court hearings, speaking on behalf of the youth, and assisting families in creating social biography packets that reflect the whole young person. The ECJI team also helps facilitate conflict resolution and restorative justice training.

To refer youth to partner with us, volunteer, or learn more, email us.