Houston is the fourth largest and most diverse city in the United States, and yet
lacks the institutional infrastructure for restorative justice that is present in
other cities in schools, the criminal legal system, health care, and other arenas.
In many ways, Houston is an RJ desert. In this session, Restorative Houston Executive
Director Anita Wadhwa, RJ alum Zerestra Dirden, and youth RJ practitioners LeKedric
Owens and Lizbeth Velasquez will share how they are changing this landscape through
intergenerational partnerships in school and community based programs. Dr. Wadhwa
will discuss how Restorative Houston is working to organize young people in the city
to train others in keeping Circles for community building and harm repair.
Guest Bios
A native Houstonian, Anita Wadhwa is Executive Director of Restorative Houston, whose mission is to create an intergenerational cohort of restorative justice practitioners
who will strengthen community ties, promote healing, and offer non-punitive models
of harm repair at the individual, community and systemic levels in Houston. She has
been in education since 2001. She is author of Restorative Justice in Urban Schools: Disrupting the School to Prison Pipeline, co-author of The Little Book of Youth Engagement in Restorative Justice, and a contributor to the anthology, Colorizing Restorative Justice. She received her doctorate from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. She hires
former students to train organizations in Houston in restorative practices. She owes
everything to her parents, husband, and two lovely girls.
My name is LeKedric Owens, and I am a senior at Yes Prep, driving for new experiences and opportunities that will push me out of my comfort
zone. I am a very outgoing and talkative person who is willing to meet new people
with different personalities. My mind is open to different perspectives that people bring to the table. I try to present myself as independent African American trying to find
my way through this world. To me, Restorative Circles are a way to connect to people around you – to create bonds with people you don’t know and build stronger connections with people you do know.
Lizbeth Velazquez is a well rounded high school senior who has managed to be one of the top student
in her grade. She has taken on cultural and academic leadership roles in her school and is a part of multiple great communities - including the restorative justice community. According to her, restorative justice
is the red, yellow, and blue that are transmitted to others via practices and experiences,
enabling them to use these hues to create, mix, share, and paint the world in a way
that makes it more diverse, colorful, and understanding for everyone.
My name is Zerersta (pronounced Za-resta) Dirden, but I also go by Zee. I am 18 years old. I attend Houston Community College for
Nursing. I am a participant in the Sisterhood Circle series and also volunteer to
help with monthly Circles with Restorative Houston. Something I enjoy about the Sisterhood
Circle is our relationships and the easy ways that we can communicate with one another.
