Read about our clients and staff successes
A Strong Start to Our Summer
Over the past few weeks, we've celebrated Juneteenth, honored fathers and father figures, premiered an important documentary on fatherhood, and welcomed inspiring entrepreneurs to share their journeys with our young people.
AFJ Voices | When Curiosity Is Mistaken for Trouble
AFJ Participant Max has always had a strong interest in New York City’s trains and the transit system. He lights up when he talks about the old trains, subway lines, and the way he navigates the city – saying that if he can get on a train or a bus, he can find his way home.
When Community Gives Back By Speaking Potential Into Our Young People
AFJ’s Juneteenth Father's Day Panel brought together an extraordinary group of leaders, including Reverend A.R. Bernard, Congressman Dan Goldman, Assembly Member Keith Powers, Commissioner Wade Hardy, AFJ Facilitator Dr. Dennis Ibude, legal analyst Brian G. Buckmire, and AFJ
AFJ Voices | The Experiences We Don’t See
Today, Aaron is preparing to graduate, pursuing additional certifications, building his confidence as a public speaker, and thinking intentionally about his future.
AFJ’s Tea with the ED: The Gap Between Promised and Delivered
As we approach Juneteenth, I've been sitting with its significance: it marks the day in 1865 when enslaved people in Galveston, TX finally learned they were free. Two and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation had already been signed.
Confronting the History of Mass Incarceration
Many Black and Brown young people are navigating systems shaped by generations of economic disinvestment, housing instability, under-resourced schools, over-policing, barriers to employment, and ongoing racial inequities.
AFJ On the Move
AFJ Participants have been out and about in a big way recently. This week, we're sharing two experiences that show exactly what it looks like when we create pathways of opportunity for our young people.
How Mass Incarceration Impacts the Mental Health of Families and Communities
What happens to a community’s mental health when generations of families live with incarceration, chronic stress, economic instability, and constant exposure to trauma?
Beyond the Mandate: How Wraparound Support Can Change One Life At A Time
AFJ Participants, Joel and Carlos, came through our doors with vastly different circumstances, but they both shared tenacity, determination, and the drive to successfully complete their mandates.
AFJ Voices | Being Seen as a Threat is a Mental Health Issue
We do not talk about this dynamic with complete transparency, because it makes people uncomfortable. But it is the daily reality for many of the young people we work with at Avenues for Justice (AFJ), and it causes a form of chronic stress.
How AFJ’s HIRE Up Program Provides Access
For many teenagers in New York City and cities across America, the challenge is not a lack of drive. It is a lack of consistent access to opportunities. When that access exists, the impact tends to extend well beyond a single job or experience.
AFJ Voices | Generational Trauma in NYC Is a Mental Health Issue
When we talk about mental health most people focus on what happened to someone or how they cope. But for many Black and Brown communities, mental health cannot be understood without also looking at generational trauma.
A Letter to the Matriarchs of AFJ
For this upcoming Mother's Day, we want to honor the matriarchs of Avenues for Justice (AFJ). Not only the mothers among us, but every woman whose presence, persistence, and love have become the heartbeat of this movement as they pour back into the community.
AFJ Voices | Mental Health Awareness Month Must Address the Systems Driving a Public Health Crisis
Every May, Mental Health Awareness Month invites us to focus on access to care, stigma, and individual well-being. At Avenues for Justice (AFJ), we believe raising awareness around mental health is critical.
An Internship of Opportunity, A Summer of Impact
Next week, Avenues for Justice (AFJ) will launch our summer HIRE Up cohort and we could not be more ready! Eight weeks. Real work. Real pay. Real change. But none of it happens without the community rallying behind our AFJ Interns.
Our Power, Our Planet, Earth Day and Second Chance Month
This April, we recognize both Earth Day and Second Chance Month. For Avenues for Justice (AFJ), this overlap makes sense.
2026 HIRE Up Summer Employment Campaign
Real work. Real pay. Real experience. Eight weeks | $17 an hour | 15 hours per week. This is how a summer changes everything.
AFJ’s Tea with the ED: Twenty Years In and Our Mission Remains Steadfast
This year, I am celebrating twenty years at AFJ. I have been sitting with that number. Twenty years is a long time in this sector.
