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...

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

Q

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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Sign up to receive exclusive updates on events, courses, e-books, podcast, and critical reflections on abolition.

    
    

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Give Today!

Donate to help advance a faith-based abolitionist movement. We train community leaders to create Abolitionist Sanctuaries.