Webinar: Restorative Justice for Black Girls: A Humanizing and Healing Informed Praxis
When: Wednesday, November 20
Guest: Naika Belizaire, Layla Juniel, G'yanna Perry, Anaya Amara Wilson, Dr. Tonya Walls
Host: Mikayla W-C McCray
Who understands the needs of young people better than young people themselves? Code Switch: Restorative Justice for Girls of Color shifts power and decision-making to the people who know best - Impacted Youth. Traditional leadership hierarchies are eliminated, and young people take the lead in offering innovative solutions to address community challenges. Focused on building a shared understanding of what youth power and leadership can look like in K-12 spaces, this webinar explores the power of youth leadership to confront school pushout and the other systemic barriers that Black and other girls of color face inside of Clark County's classrooms and schools. We'll also discuss how Code Switch leverages the diverse lived experiences and identities of the girls they serve to explore how schools and communities can create empowered learning spaces where young people thrive, achieve, and lead.
Guest Bios
Mx. Naika Belizaire is a second-year undergraduate at Howard University, a graduate of Advanced Technologies Academy in Las Vegas, and the Co-Director of Code Switch Restorative Justice for Girls of Color. They are an aspiring attorney with a focus on equity for the African American community and other marginalized people. Their current activism is focused on creating safe spaces for Black Girls, Women, and Gender Expansive Young People, school and work, as well as implementing Black history education in schools throughout Nevada.
Layla Juniel - I am attending the University of Nevada, Reno studying Veterinary Science and Biochemistry. I graduated from Nevada State High School and I hold a role as a Youth Justice Fellow and member of the Youth Advisory Board. I am proud to be graduating with my second collegiate degree at the young age of 19 years young. I stand for Black youth and gender expansive individuals because I would love to provide opportunities for them since I wish I had this kind of experience earlier growing up and because I want to pour back into my community as I wouldn’t be here without them. I would love to spread more of Code Switch’s work and mission across many communities and bring restorative justice to many other Black girls and gender expansive youth.
G’Yanna Perry is a senior at Advanced Technologies Academy High School, double majoring in Biomedical Engineering and Engineering. She plans to pursue Biomedical Engineering in college! G'Yanna also has a great passion for advocacy primarily for girls of color and various gender-expansive youth! During her time with Code Switch she has been able to expand her advocacy for Black girls and youth by incorporating lessons of Restorative Justice in her work to help young girls affected by the school to prison nexus! G'Yanna is also active in her community, and also enjoys all forms of literature, art and music. Her favorite book is Not Without Laughter by Langston Hughes!
Anaya-Amara Wilson is currently a sophomore attending Howard University studying Elementary Education. She graduated from Monterey Trail High School in Elk Grove, California. In Code Switch, she is a Youth Justice Fellow and a part of the Youth Advisory Board. Her proudest accomplishment is moving across the country to pursue higher education. She stans for Black girls and gender expansive youth because they deserve to be valued like any of their peers. In her work with Code Switch, she hopes to make everyone she comes into contact with feel like they are valued.
Dr. Tonya Walls is an independent scholar and K-16+ educator who is equally passionate about teaching, service, and scholarship. Her work focuses on amplifying the voices and experiences of Black students, families, and communities, and dismantling systems of oppression rooted in race and racism. Her research interests include culturally relevant pedagogy, the school-to-prison pipeline, Black teacher counter spaces, racial justice for Black girls and women, and social justice leadership.