Our Juke Joint Prom is 16 days away!!
Are you in need of some outfit inspiration? Come through to our "store hours" for the next two Mondays (May 18th and 25th) from 12-2pm. We have a large collection of juke joint inspired fits for you to take home for free.
Unable to attend but still want to contribute? You can donate at the link in our bio - every dollar counts! Your donation will help offset costs for all of our youth attendees.
If you would like to attend and are under 25 years old, the tickets are free! If you are over 25, you can get a paid ticket ranging from $25-$75. If you would like to bring a plus one, please make sure they also purchase their own ticket! More information on ticket details and more at the link in our bio.
#AHJNetwork #OurTrueProm #JukeJoint #OurTrueColors #YouthJustice #CommunityCare
In response to the growing challenges faced by LGBTQ+ individuals nationwide, Free2Luv® proudly presents its third annual “Queer Joy Amplified” Art Contest—louder, prouder, and bolder than ever. This national contest offers a vibrant platform for participants to transform adversity into powerful artistic expression. The 2026 theme, “Boldly,” invites participants to embrace their identities, celebrate their joy, and express themselves through fearless, boundary-pushing creativity. Amazing prize packages and the opportunity to have your art featured in an online gallery await as we unite to uplift and honor the extraordinary voices, talent, and resilience of LGBTQ+ artists.
The submission deadline is June 30, 2026, at 11:59 PM (ET). All LGBTQ+ individuals of any age who are located in one of the 50 United States or D.C. are eligible to participate. There is no limit on the number of entries an artist may submit.
To review the complete eligibility requirements and submit your artwork, please visit Free2Luv's website and select "Queer Joy Amplified" from the main menu.
We were thrilled to gather with our @ahjnetwork partners at @hauserwirthlosangeles today to celebrate our Peer Narrative Ambassador fellows! This event included a screening of a new film exploring the deep history of youth justice in LA, and a showcase of original art projects created by the youth, turning lived experience into visual masterpieces!
Check back here next week for a link to the film and more photos from this amazing event!
#YouthJustice #LACounty #carefirst
Our very first Juke Joint Prom is coming up in a few weeks!
Don't know where to start looking for with your outfits? Look no further than the AHJN office! We will be hosting "store hours" on May 18th and 25th from 12-2pm. We extend our deepest gratitude to @bridgethriftstores for donating such a fabulous collection of dresses, suits, accessories, and more!
Want to snag a ticket? Go to the link in our bio!
We can't wait to see you!
#AHJNetwork #JukeJoint #OurTrueColors #OurTrueProm
Shoutout to Kevin and Beja for finishing their fellowship with White Hall Arts Academy this past Saturday!
Soundworks is a 10-week workforce development training program designed to prepare young adults ages 18–28 for entry-level careers in the live entertainment and creative production industries.
Soundworks integrates workforce readiness, soft skills development, and career coaching, equipping participants with the communication, professionalism, and confidence needed to navigate job interviews, workplace expectations, and union pathways. Graduates emerge prepared for entry-level positions as audio engineers, lighting technicians, camera operators, or stage crew, with direct connections to employers and apprenticeship opportunities that can launch long-term careers.
#AHJNetwork #youthleaders #workforce #professionaldevelopment
The University of California, Irvine will host Restive Moves: A Multimedia Festival — Dance, Music, Film & Mindfulness from April 30 to May 3, 2026, a four-day event!
The festival was conceived and curated by Dr. S. Ama Wray, Professor of Dance at UC Irvine and Director of MOVE LAB. Developed in collaboration with Nakya Solomon, a UC Irvine senior majoring in Business Economics with a minor in Film & Media Studies, it will be presented in the xMPL at UC Irvine’s Claire Trevor School of the Arts.
The festival gathers artists, educators, scientific researchers, students and community members to engage with dance and music as pathways to creativity, courage, wellness, empathy, resilience and cultural expression.
Restive Moves invites the UCI and wider Orange County communities to experience dance, music, film and mindfulness with social and scientific insight as vital tools for restoration and connection. From educators integrating balance and vitality practices, to community members readying to dance together, the festival offers multiple entry points into a shared, moving conversation.
You can register at the link in our bio!
TOMORROW!! 🚨 Join us for an engaging conversation focused on building and expanding programs and services for youth in the San Fernando Valley community. This in-person gathering will take place on Thursday, April 30th, from 11:00 to 1:00 p.m. at Somos Familia Valle, located at 12411 Sheldon St #3 Sun Valley CA, 91352. The convening will provide an opportunity for peer-to-peer learning, collaborative event planning, and an in-depth exploration of Pod-Mapping as it relates to Youth Justice Reimagined (YJR).
This roundtable is open to organizations and agencies serving youth in the San Fernando Valley as well as the community in general so and we encourage you to share this invitation with colleagues or partners who may be interested in participating. Please save the date :)
You can register at the link in our bio!
#AHJNetwork #SFVRoundtable #YouthJustice
Listen as Dyoni reads a poem she wrote during the 2025 Alabama trip. Before heading over to the 16th Street Baptist Church, the group gathered in a park to write some poetry starting with the phrase, "this is for".
✍🏽
this is for
L U H E A G T R laughterlaughterlaughter
that They try to suck up with Their vacuums
sending it into a tornado of moral debris
that holy sound drowned
by a roar of righteous ridicule & remains
this is for skateboard riding front porch sitting ice cream licking sicklystickysummersights
for the hands that hold/the arms that wrap/the feet that stomp glory on our behalf
They came with their vacuum, held me down
sucking sanctified songs from my throat
They left me g a s p i n g but,
out from the trees came my roots
who crike me with sugar cane
and hum like honey in my ear (ain’t no grave)
this is for LAUGHTER, Reincarnated.
Join us and the DYD in celebrating the art and stories of our 2026 Peer Narrative Ambassador Fellowship cohort! For the last four months, nine young folks from all across Los Angeles County have been immersing themselves in LA’s long history of both youth incarceration and youth justice. They’ve been exploring the power of narrative and why it matters who tells their stories.
Each Peer Narrative Ambassador is culminating this fellowship with a new, original artwork. This event will showcase their work and debut the short documentary made about them, their process, and their interactions with Los Angeles County’s longstanding history with youth incarceration and youth justice movements.
Come join us! RSVP at the link in our bio.
#AHJNetwork #DYD #youthjustice #storytelling
Last week, AHJN's Movement Building staff attended 2026 AERA Annual Conference, the world's largest gathering of education researchers. Our Movement Building team facilitated one out of 2,500 sessions, reflecting on last year's trip to Alabama. Titled the "(re)membering selves project", the talk included the reciting of poems written on the trip, concepts of mapping carcerality in our own bodies (what can't we say, think, do, feel?), and of course, some critical reflection questions for listeners to ponder throughout the rest of their day. We are including the questions below - and invite you to share any reflections in the comments!
What does it mean to be free? What is carcerality?
What is praxis? How is praxis connected to freedom?
How is storying and reclaiming authorship over our own lives and stories connected to our struggles for freedom?
How do stories contribute to the reproduction of injustice or advance freedom?
#AHJNetwork #AERA2026 #youthjustice
Earlier this week, AHJN pulled up to the BOS to demand the freedom of all girls and gender expansive youth from the abusive grip of the US juvenille justice system. Prior to becoming incarcerated, most of these youth were victims of systemic gender-based violence, only compounding the trauma they've endured. Our youth deserve a safer, restorative childhood.
Our demands are as follows:
- GIRLS & GENDER EXPANSIVE YOUTH BE IMMEDIATELY FREED FROM INSTITUTIONS OF TORTURE AND ABUSE
- PROBATION-RUN INSTITUTIONS OF CHILD TORTURE AND ABUSE SHOULD BE IMMEDIATELY CLOSED, AND THEIR FACILITIES SHOULD BE RETURNED TO COMMUNITY AND REIMAGINED FOR USE AS SPACES FOR HEALING, COMMUNITY-BUILDING, AND TRANSFORMATION.
- SYSTEMS OF ACCOUNTABILITY AND REPARATIONS MUST BE CREATED TO HOLD ABUSERS ACCOUNTABLE, GIVE SURVIVORS COMPENSATION FOR HARMS THEY ENDURED, AND CONNECT SURVIVORS WITH APPROPRIATE CARE AND HEALING RESOURCES.
- JUVENILE INSTITUTIONS PROBATION BUDGET SHOULD BE REDIRECTED TO DYD AND YOUTH JUSTICE REIMAGINED
#AHJNetwork #Freethe50 #YJR
Let's take a look back in the AHJN archives ~ This was a closing share circle where TAs shared how they felt leaving our Network-wide training. These trainings serve as a space of learning, exchange and community building for our network’s TAs with reflective moments and activities (like this one) built-in throughout.
Our next training is coming up this summer. Stay tuned for more info!
#AHJNetwork #reflections #youthjustice
