“People are often surprised to learn that I am an optimist. They know how often I have been jailed, how frequently the days and nights have been filled with frustration and sorrow, how bitter and dangerous my adversaries. They expect these experiences to harden me into a grim and desperate man. They fail, however, to perceive the sense of affirmation generated by the challenge of embracing struggle and surmounting obstacles.”
~Dr. Martin Luther King (1968)
On Wednesday, March 19, 2025, the Archdiocese of San Francisco’s Restorative Justice Ministry hosted the Restorative Justice Leadership Summit. The event was held between the hours of 9 am to 3 pm at the Cathedral of St. Mary’s of the Assumption on Gough Street in the beautiful City of San Francisco.
The theme of the event was Unity in Justice: A Path to Peace, A Day of Dialogue. My colleague and partner, Gale Washington, flew in from the State of Colorado to attend the event. Gale joined approximately 225 of the most innovative leaders in the field of restorative justice practices from across the San Francisco Bay Area. Gale arrived one day before the event and volunteered in the St. Mary’s Cathedral kitchen preparing the food for the next day’s event. Gale worked alongside Raul who happens to be a chef from Houston, Texas and who also is the cousin of Julio Escobar, the leadership summit organizer and Director of the Restorative Justice Ministry.
Gale actually specializes in promoting restorative justice practices inside prisons within the State of Colorado. She helps facilitate and bring programs to a diverse population of men inside the facilities operated by the Colorado Department of Corrections. I am especially proud of a specific project Gale did with a group of lifers at a facility in Colorado. The Lifers Support Group raised over $5,000 which was used to purchase school and hygiene supplies for children in three different schools. I don’t always take the time to mention or celebrate the amazing work of my wife. She motivates me to be a better person and to advocate for my community here in San Francisco and beyond.
As an attendee to the leadership summit in San Francisco, I requested that Gale operate as an “on-the-spot reporter.” I requested that she take notes during the day’s events and coupled with information provided by Julio Escobar, I was able with her help to create this informative article.
The Restorative Justice Leadership Summit of 2025 opened with a moment of silence for the many lives lost to homicide in the California counties of Marin, San Mateo, San Francisco, Napa, Solano, Sonoma, Santa Clara, and Alameda. (Alameda County that includes the City of Oakland which clearly had the most deaths in 2024.)
Julio Escobar was born in San Francisco but was raised in El Salvador until the age of 16 when he returned to San Francisco. He is a survivor of the Salvadoran Civil War. Julio is dedicated to serving victims and survivors of violent crimes, people in jail and prisons, and their families through Restorative Justice Practices in the Archdiocese of San Francisco.
Julio Escobar provided us with a fact sheet. The fact sheet noted: “In 2024, California experienced a significant number of homicides. According to the available data, the state recorded approximately 2,500 homicides. This represents a notable increase compared to previous years.” The fact sheet continues: “…on average about 44 people died each day due to homicides in the United States in 2024.”
As I studied the individual homicides/deaths from the specific counties referenced, I could not help but acknowledge and feel the hurt, pain and trauma that our community has experienced. Recently, former U.S. Representative Barbara Lee was elected Mayor of Oakland. I believe that Mayor Lee will be ushering in a new era of peace, prosperity, and hope for the City of Oakland.
Newly elected Mayor of Oakland, California
From studying Julio’s fact sheet, I also learned that in 2024, over 16.7 million firearms were sold in the United States. During that time, there were 314 school shooting incidents in Grades K through 12 resulting in 69 deaths which included both students and staff. In light of the recent tragedy at Florida State University in Tallahassee, Florida, I thought that this is the perfect time to have a discussion about prevention of gun violence. I began to reflect on what change and healing actually would look like. How do we stop the violence? The leadership summit provided some realistic suggestions and possible answers to the crisis.
What we know about the victims of the FSU mass shooting
https://www.cbsnews.com/miami/news/who-are-the-victims-of-the-fsu-mass-shooting
It appears that the strategy embraced by most if not all the leadership summit participants is grounded in a prevention model as opposed to the response or reactionary model we often see by law enforcement officials. That’s not to say that there are not law enforcement officials in the Bay Area who are not motivated to serve, protect and love their community. In fact, there are many, however, it would be nice to see and hear from them more often. This leads me into the first of three impactful panel discussions held at the leadership conference. The theme of Panel #1 was Supporting Individuals Impacted by Street Violence. The theme for Panel #2 was Leadership in Rehabilitation for Justice Involved People.
However, the panel discussion at the Leadership Summit which Gale and I thought to be the most powerful, thought-provoking, and relevant was entitled: “Gun Violence Reduction Efforts in Northern California.” The moderator of this discussion was Barbara “Bobby” Lopez who is the Deputy Director of the Mayor’s Office for Victims’ Rights in San Francisco.
Panelist #1: Lili Gamero is the Community Initiatives and Policy Manager, San Francisco Police Department.
https://violenceprevention.sfgov.org/about.html
Lili discussed effective gun violence reduction strategies and the key factors behind their success. Lili also shared how she collaborates with local city agencies, community organizations, and other stakeholders to address gun violence in neighborhoods and support those impacted.
Panelist #2: Rev. Damita Davis-Howard, Director of Ministries, Assistant Pastor at First Mt. Sinai Church, Director of Oakland Ceasefire.
Rev. Davis-Howard also discussed effective gun violence reduction strategies and the key factors behind their success. She also discussed and taught Summit attendees how to engage and gain the trust of the communities most effected by gun violence in order to ensure that their voices shape policy and strategy. Rev. Davis-Howard discussed the challenges she has faced in sustaining gun reduction initiatives and how she has worked to overcome them. Gale and I were especially impressed by Rev. Davis-Howard’s emphasis on earning the trust of your community by becoming a “Credible Messenger.”
I recently discussed this issue (“Credible Messengers”) via email with Anthony Partee. He is one of the Co-Founders of Bloc X Bloc. The mission of the Bloc X Bloc Foundation is to establish self-determined, intercommunal liberated zones in Black neighborhoods, fostering community empowerment and autonomy.
Anthony and his colleagues will be going into underserved communities and reaching out to teens in order to move them in the right direction. I think we should support more initiatives such as this in the Bay Area and beyond.
Anthony Partee is a renowned orator and the author of two influential books, “Reflections of My Sins” and “The Power that You Wield.” He serves as the President of Barca-EL Inc., a company that exemplifies his commitment to societal betterment.
https://www.bxbf.org/ and https://barca-elinc.in/
Panelist #3: Joe McCoy, Street Outreach Field Coordinator, Office of Neighborhood Safety in Richmond, California.
Joel Contreras, left, an Operation Peacemaker Fellow, and Joseph McCoy, a Neighborhood Change Agent with the Office of Neighborhood Safety, in Richmond, Cali. Fellows (participants) receive counseling, social services, a job and cash if they agree to stay in contact everyday and stay out of trouble.
Richard Gonzales/NPR
Photo Credit: https://www.npr.org/2016/03/28/472138377/to-reduce-gun-violence-potential-offenders-offered-support-and-cash
Mr. McCoy provided valuable insights into strategies for reducing gun violence, and emphasizing the key elements that have led to their effectiveness. Mr. McCoy delved deep into the significance of balancing enforcement-based approaches for community-led interventions to support ongoing gun violence prevention efforts.
Panelist #4: Reygan Cunningham, Co-Director, California Partnership for Safe Communities.
Ms. Cunningham discussed and shared her own insights into effective gun violence reduction strategies. Ms. Cunningham also contributed her perspective as it relates to the importance of balancing enforcement-based approaches with community-led interventions to support ongoing efforts in preventing gun violence.
My partner, Gale, and I discuss gun violence and the deaths that result from it often. We have discussed the pros and cons of gun ownership, as well as the vast availability of weapons in urban communities. In order to find viable solutions to a problem, we as a community must have some uncomfortable conversations.
Victor Perez
https://apnews.com/article/idaho-shooting-teen-police-autism-c782c70c8738fca0a3cc032941a6f2ce
We frequently hear about conversations and initiatives that focus on reducing guns and violence in the community. However, we don’t always talk about how prevalent the culture of guns and violence is within law enforcement. We wanted to take this time to remember and protest the recent death of Victor Perez (17 years old) in Pocatello, Idaho. Victor was an autistic teenager who may have been drunk, was wielding a knife, and was shot nine times by police. We watched the video numerous times, and we continue to ask why the Pocatello police did not use less-than-lethal means to subdue Victor? The use of deadly force did not seem necessary, especially when you consider that the armed officers were on the opposite side of the fence that Victor was on. This opens up an opportunity for a conversation that we must have about law enforcement’s use of deadly force and guns against our community members.
Body-worn camera footage shows Idaho police shooting autistic teen 16 seconds after arriving
Another thought-provoking issue is the fact that April is Autism Awareness Month. Both Gale and I have loved ones with Autism in our immediate families. We would like to see more training and education among law enforcement regarding how to deal and interact with Autistic human beings without harming them.
Gale and I also want to take time to honor and remember the four law enforcement officers which included a Deputy U.S. Marshal who were killed late last April 2024 in Charlotte, North Carolina. Our hearts continue to go out to their families. I want to remind everyone that the pain and trauma of gun violence affects all of us. Whether you are a free citizen in an urban community or a rural area or possibly a family member of law enforcement, WE ALL HURT WHEN OUR LOVED ONES ARE KILLED. Our commonality is in our humanity.
A Deeper Look into the Tragedy in Charlotte, North Carolina
We thank Julio Escobar and the Archdiocese of San Francisco for sponsoring this Leadership Summit. We also want to take this time to recognize the other panel participants and moderators that attended this wonderful event. We look forward to next year and predict that it will be bigger and better!
Pope Francis
born Jorge Mario Bergoglio – December 17, 1936 to April 21, 2025
Photo credit: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/apr/21/pope-francis-obituary
What was remarkable to me is that one of the final official acts Pope Francis performed in his life involved visiting prisoners for Easter. This is one of the many reasons why I am very supportive of the Archdiocese of San Francisco’s Restorative Justice Ministry.
As usual, we urge our readers to watch the video and listen to this song by:
Patoranking – Abobi (Live)
Malik Washington is a freelance journalist and Director at Destination: Freedom and Destination Freedom Media Group.
