Feel Good Friday - Innocence Project

Tomorrow marks the anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassination, a day that invites reflection on the ongoing fight for racial justice in America. The Innocence Project  is doing that work every single day.

Founded in 1992 and headquartered in New York, the mission of the Innocence Project  is "to free the innocent, prevent wrongful convictions, and create fair, compassionate, and equitable systems of justice for everyone."

Attorneys Barry Scheck and Peter Neufeld started the organization as a law clinic at the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law after recognizing that if DNA technology could prove guilt, it could also prove innocence. It became an independent nonprofit in 2003 and has been at the forefront of criminal justice reform ever since.

The racial disparities in wrongful conviction cases are staggering. Nearly 70% of Innocence Project clients are people of color. Black innocent defendants spend 45% more time wrongfully imprisoned before exoneration than white defendants. Cases involving Black exonerees are 50% more likely to involve police misconduct, and intentionally suggestive witness identifications occur twice as frequently in cases involving Black and Latinx exonerees. These are not anomalies — they are patterns rooted in systemic bias.

The Innocence Project fights this injustice on multiple fronts. Their legal team takes on cases where DNA or other scientific evidence can establish innocence. Their policy work has led to the passage of more than 250 state and federal laws addressing issues like eyewitness identification reform, preservation of biological evidence, and compensation for exonerees. They also push to strengthen forensic science standards and limit the use of unreliable technologies like facial recognition in law enforcement. Since their founding, they have helped free or exonerate more than 250 people who collectively spent over 4,000 years behind bars for crimes they did not commit.

If you’d like to support the Innocence Project, there are many ways to do so. Volunteer your time, make a donation, and amplify their message on social media. Follow the Innocence Project on Bluesky, Facebook, Instagram or LinkedIn and share their stories of justice and freedom with your network.

Feel Good Friday - Brava! for Women in the Arts

Today is World Theatre Day and the final Friday of Women's History Month, making it the perfect moment to celebrate Brava! for Women in the Arts, a San Francisco institution that has spent nearly four decades proving that theater is one of the most powerful tools we have for socil change.

Founded in 1986 and headquartered in San Francisco's Mission District, the mission of Brava! for Women in the Arts is "to produce, present, and cultivate the artistic expression of women, BIPOC, youth, LGBTQIA+, and other underrepresented voices." 

Brava owns and operates the Brava Theater Center, a historic venue celebrating 100 years of being a theater on 24th Street. It began life as the Roosevelt Theatre in 1926, later became the York Theatre serving San Francisco's growing Latino community, and was ultimately transformed by Brava into a vibrant home for boundary-pushing performance and community gathering.

Their flagship program, Brava Presents, delivers an eclectic mix of theater, music, dance, film, and comedy, annually producing 30+ performances by women, LGBTQIA+, and BIPOC artists from the Bay Area and beyond. The Artists-in-Residence program supports professional artists who are traditionally locked out of the arts, providing space for creation, grant writing support, and fiscal sponsorship. Past residents include celebrated artists like Marga Gomez, Cherríe Moraga, and Rhodessa Jones.

Brava is also deeply committed to the next generation. Through the Mission Academy of Performing Arts, they train 120 youth ages 13 - 18 each year through four programs: San Francisco Running Crew, which pairs teens with professional mentors for hands-on technical theater training; Cuicacalli Escuela de Danza, celebrating Mexican Baile Folklórico, hip hop, and modern dance; Young Actors Lab, integrating drama, movement, and music; and Loco Bloco, a youth performance organization using music and drumming to drive social change.

If you're in SF, catching a show at Brava Theater Center is one way to support their work. You can also make a donation, or amplify their message on social media. Follow Brava on Facebook, Instagram or LinkedIn, subscribe to their YouTube channel and share their stories of art, resistance, and community with your network.

Happy World Theatre Day and Happy Women's History Month! 

Feel Good Friday - Stand Up! Girls

Today is the International Day of Happiness, a United Nations observance celebrating the power of joy and laughter in our lives. And since it falls in the middle of Women's History Month, it makes it a great time to spotlight Stand Up! Girls, a nonprofit using the power of comedy to change the trajectory of young women's lives.

Founded in 2018 and headquartered in New York City, the mission of Stand Up! Girls  is "to educate, inspire and equip girls from underserved communities with the communication skills necessary to succeed in and lead male-dominated workplaces." Through developing and performing stand-up comedy, their girls learn to own the room, whether it’s a courtroom, operating room, or boardroom.

Research shows that laughter isn't just fun, it's a proven driver of happiness and wellbeing. For girls growing up in underserved communities, having a safe space to find their voice, be heard, and make people laugh can be genuinely transformative. Stand Up! Girls offers free after-school and weekend comedy workshops for girls ages 12–17 across four New York City boroughs: Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx. 

Each semester, participants meet weekly for one-hour sessions where they learn basic comedy techniques, write and share jokes with peers, and craft and refine their own routines, with support and feedback from instructors and seasoned comedians. The program culminates in two live performance showcases; one at a NYC comedy club and one for fellow Stand Up! Girls  where friends and family cheer them on as they take the stage for the first time.

The results speak for themselves. As one participant put it: "When I first started telling my stories in the group, I didn't realize they were funny, and when everybody was laughing, I was like, 'Okay… I can do this.'" You can watch their sizzle reel to see the girls in action.

If you'd like to support Stand Up! Girls, there are many ways to do so. You can make a donation and amplify their message on social media. Follow Stand Up! Girls on Facebook, Instagram or LinkedIn and share their stories of laughter and empowerment with your network.

Happy International Day of Happiness! 😄