In Deep Gratitude to Our Colleague Kevin Reese
It is with great excitement for his future that we announce the transition of our beloved brother and leader, Kevin Reese, out of his role as the Director of Criminal Justice at Voices for Racial Justice. He will be shifting to focus on ‘Until We Are All Free,’ an organization that he founded and is Executive Director of, led by formerly incarcerated criminal justice experts. You can learn more about them at: www.uwaaf.com.
Kevin first got connected to Voices as an incarcerated leader in 2014 who was organizing on the inside, facilitating healing and building circles with other incarcerated men. We met Kevin in person at a community gathering that he along with other incarcerated men organized at Lino Lakes as part of an initiative they had created called BRIDGE (Building Righteousness Integrity Dignity Goals Evolution). We witnessed freedom fighters that knew how to lead from a deep place of love towards visions of liberation, bring people together through story, art, and demands for justice.
When Kevin joined our team, he continued the work of the BRIDGE, deeply committed to centering the voices of those still behind bars. In this last year of grief and loss he was actively organizing support for health needs amidst COVID for incarcerated people. He also launched the BRIDGE Writing Cohort as a space to center art, culture, and storytelling in the movement to end mass incarceration. Since his time as a colleague and partner in our work, Kevin has built a powerful network of connection between the Twin Cities community and incarcerated people in Minnesota.
Organizing from a point of transformation comes from a place deeply rooted in love for our folks. In the best case scenario you get to build these visions of our thriving futures with people who transform you in the process. Kevin has been such a force in our lives. He has brought fierceness, care and clarity to racial justice organizing and a future that is healing for Black, Indigenous and folks of color.
While housed by Voices the last couple years, the BRIDGE has never been owned by us. It has been a seed from the soil of the movement created directly by the brilliance of incarcerated people. And just as it is time for Kevin to move on, the time has come for the work to continue and allow for that important vision of the BRIDGE to transcend the boundaries of our organization. We know that it is in good hands and that the good work will continue closest to the soil and the wisdom of the people with Until We are All Free.
Join us as we congratulate Kevin! We know that what is next is bright and abundant in his commitment to the fight for justice and look forward to continuing to partner in solidarity as we imagine and organize towards a collective vision of liberation.