JusticeAid, a group of civil rights advocates and music lovers whose mission is to promote justice through the arts, is pleased to announce JusticeAid Presents Mavis Staples with Special Guest Amy Helm: A Concert for Neighborhood Defender Service which will take place on Oct. 19 at Washington D.C.’s famed Lincoln Theatre. Tickets are, as of today, available for purchase by clicking here.
One of America’s national musical treasures, Mavis Staples’s soulful growl has entranced listeners and affected social change and awareness for more than half a century—from her time in the Staples Singers to her modern-day collaborations with Hozier, Norah Jones, Run The Jewels, and many more. Joining Staples on the bill is nearly-lifelong musician, singer and songwriter, Amy Helm. A scholar of American roots music, Helm has contributed her signature, grainy alto to record after record over the last 30 years, including a number of solo albums and as a co-founding member of alt-country collective, Ollabelle.
Also announced today, in conjunction with ticket on-sale, is the event’s charitable cause—JusticeAid’s 2021 Grantee Partner—Neighborhood Defender Service’s Police Accountability/Community Empowerment (PACE) Program. "Each year JusticeAid selects an issue of vital importance. America criminalizes the poor, people of color, children, immigrants, even the innocent—and now threatens democracy by disenfranchising voters. This year, following the murder of George Floyd, JusticeAid spotlights police accountability and community empowerment by reimagining public safety,” says Stephen Milliken, JusticeAid's Co-Founder and CEO. 100% of funds raised from the Oct. 19 show at Lincoln Theatre, ticket sales and sponsorships, will aid Neighborhood Defender Service’s PACE program which exists to provide freedom by creating long-term, structural change. PACE reckons with police impunity, reduces over-policing, and builds community power and wealth. It helps individuals and communities alike secure their futures by addressing the police misconduct that marginalizes them, providing them with resources, and working alongside them to reshape policy in ways that reverberate across generations. JusticeAid President and Board Chair Kim Duckett Coaxum says of the partnership, “Racist policing is an insidious and destructive practice that destroys lives and communities.” And continues with, “Every day, we see reports of Black and brown citizens wrongfully arrested, beaten or killed by police officers who then face no consequences. It is not enough to sit by and hope for change. We must actively engage which is why JusticeAid is supporting NDS's PACE Program.”
Rick Jones, Executive Director, Neighborhood Defender Service expands, “For decades, NDS has worked in the courtrooms and communities to secure justice for our neighbors. As public defenders serving the Black and brown neighborhoods enduring the most police misconduct, we are determined to build power with, and for, our clients to reckon with the injustices they face—and are thrilled by the opportunity to partner with JusticeAid to do so. The PACE Program, made possible by the support of JusticeAid, will change the way public safety happens in this country. It is the next generation of groundbreaking work from NDS, designed to bring about long-term structural change.” To learn more about the work of NDS, please visit neighborhooddefender.org.
