Activism

“I am I and my circumstance; and, if I do not save it, I do not save myself.”
—José Ortega y Gasset, Meditations on Quixote

I’ve been practicing harm reduction—a radical ethic of love and compassion—for over 15 years. As part of that practice I work to liberate drug users and formerly incarcerated people from systems of oppression. I’m affiliated with several organizations that work to unmake those systems:

National Coalition to Liberate Methadone (NCLM)

The National Coalition to Liberate Methadone (NCLM), is a nation wide organization of patients, providers, advocates, and researchers working to transform methadone treatment. We push for policies rooted in dignity, harm reduction, and health justice that center the lived experience of people who use drugs.

We Are All Students (WAAS)

We Are All Students (WAAS) is a digital public scholarship project that combines lived experience with academic research to transform how we think and talk about incarceration and education. Founded by my friend and colleague Zach Psick, WAAS amplifies the voices of formerly incarcerated scholars, challenges harmful and dehumanizing narratives, and advocates for reforming unjust education and incarceration policies.

We Are All Leaders (WAAL)

We Are All Leaders (WAAL), is a non-hierarchical leadership development group that supports people working toward social justice and personal transformation through shared learning, reflection, and practice.

Underground Scholars Initiative (USI)

I co-founded the UC Davis chapter of the Underground Scholars Initiative (USI), part of a statewide effort to build a prison-to-school pipeline. USI supports formerly incarcerated students through recruitment, retention, wellness, and advocacy initiatives aimed at transforming higher education for those impacted by carceral systems.

If you’re interested in learning more or getting involved with any of these organizations, feel free to reach out to me directly.