A National Faith-Based Coalition
Abolitionist Sanctuary is a national faith-based coalition united against the moral crisis of mass incarceration and the criminalization of impoverished Black motherhood.
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Who We Are
Mission Statement
Abolitionist Sanctuary is a national coalition united against the moral crisis of mass incarceration and the criminalization of impoverished Black motherhood.
VISION
We envision a national coalition trained in abolitionist principles and transformative justice strategies to repair, restore, and rebuild a more just and equitable society.
Core Values
We advocate for compassion as a response rooted in accountability, rather than punishing individuals who are disadvantaged by systemic injustices and targeted as deviant for transgressing dominant social standards.
We illuminate the radical practice of care for the most vulnerable by advocating for their fundamental rights to equality, dignity, and freedom.
We affirm the power of creativity in individual agency and collective values to imagine new pathways, policies, and programs toward a more just society.
We believe that courage will catalyze churches to challenge punitive teachings and practices that diminish the inherent dignity of impoverished Black mothers and galvanize a faith-based abolition movement to end discriminatory policing, criminalization, and mass incarceration.
These are our stories…
Carol
Kelly Williams-Bolar
Marrissa Alexander
Demetrus Conrad
Akilah Shands
Tanya McDowell
Mother
What Experts Say…
Huge numbers of people lose jobs and prospects for future jobs. Because the economic base of these communities is destroyed, education and other surviving social services are profoundly affected. This process turns the men, women, and children who live in these damaged communities into perfect candidates for prison.
Angela Y. Davis
Political Prisoner and Abolitionist
Put simply, we know that when we incarcerate a woman we often are truly incarcerating a family, in terms of the far reaching effect on her children, her community, and her entire family network.
Loretta Lynch
Former United States Attorney General
Rev. Nikia S. Robert, PhD
Founder and Executive Director,
Abolitionist Sanctuary
Black mothers are oftentimes the nucleus of their families, pillar in their churches and anchor in their communities. Research indicates that 8 out of 10 Black mothers are breadwinners in their homes. In addition, Black women are the most religious demographic in America. While Black women largely depend on their spirituality to overcome challenges, such as solely providing for their children against oppressive conditions and being criminalized for merely trying to survive, data reveals that church teachings and proclamations often exclude issues related to the U.S. criminal system.
Abolitionist Sanctuary empowers Black churches to embody emancipatory theology and abolitionist principles to repair, restore, and rebuild society. #abolitionistsanctuary #sheisworthy
What people are saying
Abolition is the principle in my life that continually inspires, transforms, and galvanizes me to do the work of healing and transformation for myself and my community. Reverend Nikia S. Robert’s brilliant and insightful intervention to create an economy of care that centers transformative justice, that encourages creativity to envision a different world for ourselves, and empowers Black women to courageously herald this into our own lives is sacred work. The Abolitionist Sanctuary is leading the charge in faith-based coalition movement building and leading with integrity and vision.
Patrisse CullorsBlack Lives Matter, Co-Founder
Dr. Nikia Smith Robert’s research on the carceral state in the United States raises questions that are of significance to Black institutions across multiple industries. Her research advances an interdisciplinary approach to scholarship and has the potential to further an understanding of the evolving role of Black institutions in the lives of everyday Black women.”
Dr. Angela D. SimsPresident, Colgate Rochester Crozer Divinity School
Dr. Robert is a leader committed to the study and practice of religion and abolition, which informs her approach to equity, diversity and inclusion in the workplace, both within religious and secular settings.
Lisa WrightPresident and CEO, United Way (Inland Southern California)
“The Rev. Dr. Nikia Robert is speaking with a fresh theological voice to the Black church and the world on one of the most important social justice issues facing the nation today: mass incarceration. Dr. Robert is a meticulous scholar with the heart of a pastor, and a strong and abiding love for the oppressed.
Rev. Dr. Dwayne MeadowsDirector of Shaw University Divinity School’s Black Church Leadership Academy
The Rev. Dr. Nikia Smith Robert is a change-maker. Her theological work on sin and redemption is some of the best I have ever encountered! She brings Christian tradition into conversation with the most important civil rights issue of our time by centering the experiences of those impacted by mass incarceration. Her work is truly inspiring.
Dr. Elizabeth VaskoAssociate Professor of Theology, Duquesne University
What’s Next?
Request An Assessment
Using a proprietary assessment model, Abolitionist Sanctuary will help organizations to evaluate their teachings and practices and help communities to identify public policies and transformative justice strategies that center impoverished Black motherhood and dismantle the carceral state.
Take A Course
Explore course offerings that support the vision of Abolitionist Sanctuary. With strategic partnerships, select courses are available at accredited institutions and will qualify for credit upon completion.
Become A Member
Become a member organization by demonstrating a commitment to abolitionist ideals that benefit Black mothers and dispossessed communities beyond prisons, policing and punishment.
Join Our Team
We need your expertise, resources, networks, resources, and collaboration. If you want to volunteer, please contact us. Our goal is to pilot our first cohort of faith leaders trained in the methods of Abolitionist Sanctuary. We need your help to launch this program.
Request Resources
If you are a system-impacted Black mother and are need of resources to survive and self-actualize, please contact us. We believe in mutual aid and are working to develop a network to support your well-being and thriving.
Call To Action
Join our mailing list and become a partner to receive information about upcoming calls to action to support the advancement of abolition. Call of actions can include organizing responses by writing elected officials, signing petitions, attending community meetings and protesting.
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