Stono Institute For Freedom Justice And Security

THE STONO INSTITUTE FOR FREEDOM, JUSTICE AND SECURITY (SIFJS) TO COMBAT EXISTENTIAL THREATS--DOMESTIC AND INTERNATIONAL--TO BLACK LIFE AND LIBERTY.

BLACK CITIZENSHIP INITIATIVE: THE BLACK CITIZENSHIP INITIATIVE EMBRACES AND PROMOTES AFRICAN-AMERICAN CONCEPTIONS OF DEMOCRACY AND PATRIOTISM THROUGH EDUCATIONAL AND ADVOCACY PROGRAMS FOCUSED ON RECONCEPTUALIZING AND REINVENTING CONCEPTIONS OF BLACK CITIZENSHIP BASED ON AFRICAN-AMERICAN HISTORY, TRADITIONS, CUSTOMS, CULTURE, BELIEF AND FAMILY VALUES. WE ARE TRAINING A NEW GENERATION OF BLACK PATRIOTS IN CIVICS, SOCIAL ADVOCACY, LEADERSHIP, COMMUNITY ORGANIZATION, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP. THE BLACK CITIZENSHIP INITIATIVE IS COMPRISED OF SEVERAL INITIATIVES INCLUDING A RACIAL JUSTICE RITES OF PASSAGE YOUTH MENTORING PROGRAM, WHICH ALLOWS US TO PARTNER WITH COMMUNITIES RICH IN AFRICAN-AMERICAN CULTURE, CIVIL GROUPS AND ACTIVISTS, CHURCHES, COMMUNITY CENTERS, PUBLIC SCHOOLS, FOSTER HOMES AND BEYOND. OUR CERTIFICATE OF STUDY IN RACIAL JUSTICE STUDIES (CSRJS) IS DESIGNED TO INTRODUCE CORPORATE LEADERS, LAW ENFORCEMENT EXECUTIVES, CIVIL SERVANTS, AND ACADEMIC LEADERS TO THE COMPLEX HISTORY AND CHALLENGES IN ACHIEVING RACIAL EQUALITY, EQUITY AND JUSTICE IN THE UNITED STATES.

HUMAN RIGHTS EDUCATION AND ADVOCACY PROGRAM: SIFJS'S HUMAN RIGHTS ADVOCACY PROGRAM AIMS TO: 1) SAFEGUARD THE FUNDAMENTAL HUMAN RIGHTS OF AFRICAN-AMERICANS; 2) EDUCATE, TRAIN AND EMPOWER THE PUBLIC ABOUT VITAL RACIAL JUSTICE ISSUES; AND 3) PROMOTE THE GREATER IDEALS OF FREEDOM, EQUALITY, EQUITY, JUSTICE AND HUMANITY IN CENTRAL FLORIDA AND BEYOND. THE SIFJS ALSO REGULARLY ORGANIZES MASTER SEMINARS, WEBINARS, FACE-TO-FACE TRAININGS ON A MYRIAD OF TOPICS FROM INSTITUTIONALIZED RACISM AND CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY, TO CHRISTIAN NATIONALISM AND TERRORISM. WE PARTNER WITH THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY, LAW ENFORCEMENT, CIVIL SOCIETY AND OTHERS TO ASSIST VICTIMS OF RACIAL INJUSTICE SEEK JUSTICE, SUPPORT COMMUNITY-BASED RESTORATIVE JUSTICE INITIATIVES, AND POLICE EDUCATION AND TRAINING. SIFJS'S POLICE ADVOCACY AND ACCOUNTABILITY PROJECT IS THE HUMAN RIGHTS EDUCATION AND ADVOCACY PROGRAM'S SIGNATURE INITIATIVE. IT IS A PEOPLE-TO-PEOPLE DRIVEN INITIATIVE THAT PROVIDES A SAFE, SECURE, AND SUPPORTIVE ENVIRONMENT FOR ALLEGED VICTIMS OF POLICE ABUSE AND VIOLENT WHITE EXTREMIST VIGILANTISM TO RECEIVE MORAL AND LEGAL ASSISTANCE. WE ALSO PROVIDE RACE CONSCIOUS, BIAS FREE POLICING, AND RACIAL JUSTICE DE-ESCALATION EDUCATION AND TRAINING TO COMMUNITIES OF COLOR AND LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES. AS A PART OF OUR HUMAN RIGHTS EDUCATION AND ADVOCACY PROGRAM, SIFJS DEVELOPED A COMPREHENSIVE AND INNOVATIVE ONLINE POLICE TRAINING COURSE TITLED: BLACK AMERICANS: RACE CONSCIOUS, RACIAL BIAS, AND DISCRIMINATORY POLICING AND UNLAWFUL TRAFFIC STOPS. THIS INNOVATIVE CURRICULUM WAS CREATED FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT PROFESSIONALS AND HAS BEEN USED TO TRAIN, AMONG OTHERS, FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF LAW ENFORCEMENT (FDLE) COMMANDERS. SPECIFICALLY, THIS GROUNDBREAKING CURRICULUM AND OUR OTHER RACIAL JUSTICE DE-ESCALATION INITIATIVES ARE DESIGNED TO COMBAT ANTI-BLACK BIAS IN POLICING AND REDUCE EXCESSIVE USES OF FORCE BY: 1) BUILDING TRUST, FAMILIARITY, EMPATHY AND COMMUNITY COOPERATION BETWEEN POLICE OFFICERS AND BLACK YOUTH AND ADULTS THROUGH A SERIES OF RACE CONSCIOUS TRAINING'S USING FACE TO FACE CONVERSATIONS, ROLE PLAYING, CASE SCENARIOS AND TEACHINGS IN AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY AND CULTURE AND; 2) TRAINING YOUTH AND ADULTS IN DE-ESCALATION STRATEGIES TO REDUCE CONFLICT AND DEADLY VIOLENCE DURING TRAFFIC STOPS AND OTHER INTERACTIONS WITH POLICE.

ANTI-BLACK HATE PROJECT: NEARLY 50% OF ALL VICTIMS OF HATE CRIMES ARE AFRICAN-AMERICAN AND WHITE SUPREMACIST HATE GROUPS HAVE INCREASED BY 55% IN THE PAST THREE YEARS. SIFJS IS ESTABLISHING AN ANTI-BLACK HATE PROJECT THAT WILL WORK CLOSELY WITH LOCAL, STATE AND FEDERAL LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES AND CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANIZATIONS TO CONDUCT RESEARCH, MONITOR, AND DIMINISH THE CAPACITY OF ANTI-BLACK HATE GROUPS AND EXTREMIST VIGILANTISM TO PROMOTE HATRED AND VIOLENCE.