Join us for a multi-panel teach-in on policing in support of the NO COP NATION week of action. Starting with a brief history and review of the expansion of the police state nationally, we are gathering together to learn and talk about how we move into a new year with a clear understanding of what policing is, what it is not, and how we can work together to push back against this system.
Register in advance for this event with this form or by scanning the QR code.
Thankful to the folks at the HUUB in Orange, NJ for providing space for this effort.
Panel information
- Incarceration and the Prison State
- Talib Charriez – NJ-STEP
- Edwin Ortiz – Returning Citizen Support Group of NJ
- Dhoruba bin Wahad – Fmr. Panther 21 and Political Prisoner
- Policing and Palestine
- Aiman Rahman – Rutgers Students Encampment for Palestine
- Marvin Walker – Educators for Palestinian Liberation
- Thuraya Zeidan – Educators for Palestinian Liberation
- Media Complicity and Copaganda
- Dr. Jared A. Ball, Black Liberation Media
- Mtume Gant, Filmmaker
Panelist and Moderator Bios
Policing and the Prison State
Moderator, Erik Jacobson is a member of Montclair Beyond Policing, the Montclair Area Solidarity Network, a volunteer English teacher at Make the Road New Jersey, and the organizer of the Critical Teaching and Learning Forum which has a podcast, including several recent episodes about carceral logics.
Edwin ‘Chino’ Ortiz is a resilient advocate for justice reform and a beacon of hope for individuals impacted by mass incarceration. After serving an arduous 30-year sentence, Edwin faced the harsh reality of reintegration upon his release in September 2016. His journey was marked by numerous challenges, with housing insecurity standing out as a formidable obstacle. For over a year, he navigated the complexities of life by couch surfing, a stark reminder of the struggles returning citizens face. Undeterred by his own tribulations, Edwin emerged as a catalyst for change. Today, he stands as the Executive Director and Co-Founder of the Returning Citizens Support Group, Inc., a grassroots organization based in Newark, NJ. This organization, born out of Edwin’s first-hand experience, focuses on addressing the multifaceted needs of individuals reentering society after incarceration.
Talib Charriez has over 24 years of lived experience with the carceral system. He currently serves as a justice-impacted scholar, Higher Education in Prison (HEP) advocate and community organizer with East Brooklyn Congregations (EBC), and has spent the past decade deeply involved in prison education. As an educator, mentor, and public speaker, he inspired and empowered justice-impacted individuals while advocating for reform in reentry and access to higher education. Through research and outreach, Talib works to promote understanding and drive meaningful change for those affected by the justice system.
Dhoruba bin Wahad is a writer and activist, former leader in the Black Panther Party for which he stood for three trials, as part of the Panther 21 and spent 19 years as a political prisoner of the state. Dhoruba continues to be a voice for liberation and has recently spoken on a political united front, as well as a push to hold police unions accountable for the behavior of law enforcement officers.
US Policing and Palestine
Moderator, TJ Whitaker is a veteran (20+ yrs) English/Language Arts Teacher at Columbia High School in Maplewood, New Jersey. He has also been a Part-Time Lecturer in the Urban Education Department at Rutgers University, Newark, and an English teacher for 12 years at Seton Hall Prep in West Orange. In addition to his teaching duties, TJ was a (2022 and 2023) Prentiss Charney Fellow with the Zinn Education Project. He is also cofounder of MapSO Freedom School, a collective of social justice educators whose mission is to provide racial justice education to students, fellow educators, parents, and the larger community.
Thuraya Zeidan (Educators for Palestinian Liberation) is an experienced educator based in New Jersey with over a decade of teaching at both the high school and college levels. Her pedagogical approach is firmly grounded in principles of social justice and empathy. As a Palestinian woman and advocate, Thuraya specializes in educating on various issues related to Palestine. Additionally, she conducts presentations and workshops on multiculturalism and anti-racist teaching. Thuraya is also actively engaged in her community, dedicated to serving others through her work. You can find her content on decolonize_the_classroom via IG.
Aimen Rahman has been a public school educator for 9 years, and is working to become a social emotional specialist for “at-risk” youth. She has always been a stark advocate for human rights and social justice, and has made sure to continue in advocacy work regardless of the dangers it presents while being a teacher. She currently teaches at a public high school in Newark, New Jersey where she continues to fight for issues that affect both the local and global community.
Marvin Walker (Educators for Palestinian Liberation) is a Ph.D. student of African American History at Morgan State University. He has over 35 years of teaching experience on the secondary and college level, teaching and writing curriculums for African American History, United States History, and Introduction to Philosophy. Marvin is currently working on his dissertation related to African Americans in Golf in New Jersey and has served or serves as an adjunct instructor at Montclair State University, Rutgers University, LaSalle University, South Woods State Prison, and Ramapo College of New Jersey. Follow him on Twitter: @Heruk55 and Instagram @furious4styles.
Luke is a recent History undergrad alumni at Rutgers University. He wrote his senior thesis on Divestment as it relates to Vietnam, South Africa, and Palestine at Rutgers University. Luke also participated in the New Brunswick and Newark encampments.
Media Complicity and Copaganda
Dr. Jared A. Ball also known as I Mix What I Like, has decades of media experience doing independent radio and video essays and is currently a show host on Black Liberation Media as well as his own media network. Dr. Ball is a Professor of Communication and Africana Studies at Morgan State University in Baltimore, MD. and author of The Myth and Propaganda of Black Buying Power.
Mtume Grant is an Artist, Filmmaker, Professor, and cultural commentator from New York City. His films and commentary come from radical traditions such as Third Cinema, the Epic Theatre and the Black Arts Movement. His current work is focused on how to further situate art as a tool for revolutionary movements.