Ryan Haygood

Ryan Haygood is a civil rights lawyer and President and CEO of the New Jersey Institute for Social Justice. Ryan reflects on growing up in Denver, and the formative interactions he had with police growing up. Since then, Ryan has focused on bringing to light the structural racism that has disadvantaged persons of color. His advocacy work focuses on helping those who have been disenfranchised by systems of racial discrimination.

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Ron Pierce

Growing up, Ron Pierce was taught the importance of voting and voted in every election that he could up until 1986 when was arrested. Ron believes that voting is a way to further democracy and help one’s community. He is a Democracy and Justice Fellow for the New Jersey Institute of Social Justice. He is working on getting voting rights restored for individuals on parole.

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Mark Hopkins

Mark Hopkins experiences with the justice system started when he was a child. He discusses growing up in Camden, as well as the experience of being on parole. He is a dedicated organizer, who is actively involved in the NJ STEP program.

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