AFJ’s Tea with the ED: Leadership, Justice & the Work Ahead

A year ago, I was honored to be unanimously selected by AFJ’s Board of Directors to serve as the organization’s next Executive Director, a full-circle moment nearly 20 years in the making. My journey began as a grad student researching court-involved youth in New York City. A 30-minute meeting with Co-Founder Angel Rodriguez turned into a two-hour conversation that changed my life. Now, I’m proud to carry the torch forward. Services not cells is not just a slogan. It is what inspires me to show up every day to advocate, uplift, and create pathways for change.  

Leading Avenues for Justice means holding both the fire and the fuel. This work is deeply personal, and so is this space. Welcome to the first segment of Tea with the ED, a monthly, unfiltered reflection on the realities of leading AFJ in criminal justice reform. From the challenges and wins, to the distinctive moments that keep me grounded as I push toward creating a more just future for our youth with an amazingly committed team, board and with all of you—our allies.

What You Might Not Know About Me

• I come from a family of civil servants whose work focused on protecting and safeguarding children’s rights and improving their well-being through international programs.
• I’m a proud mom to Isabella, my 13-year-old daughter, also fondly known as Bella.
• I am a member of The Worldwide Women's Association (WWA), an organization dedicated to connecting, supporting, empowering, and advancing like-minded professional women who are turning the tide. I am also a proud member of Impact 100 NYC, a dynamic village of women working to empower NYC nonprofits whose work changes lives and strengthens communities.
• One of the most monumental concerts I attended was Prince’s December 2010 concert at Madison Square Garden. I literally danced the soles off my shoes!

On my nightstand right now: A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life’s Purpose by Eckhart Tolle. A transformative read recommended to me by my mentor and Executive Coach, Sonya.

“Acknowledging the good that is already in your life is the foundation for all abundance.” ~ Eckhart Tolle, A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life’s Purpose (p. 190)

This Month @ AFJ: Moments I Am Proud Of

• Watching two of our female Participants in our Debate Team Workshop with facilitator Reggie Chatman deliver passionate arguments about whether teens should be paid to attend school. Their confidence, clarity, and assertiveness gave me chills. I couldn’t help but note how they are our future attorneys in the making!
• Shadowing Nelson, our Senior Court Advocate, in Manhattan Family Court and hearing a judge praise his commitment to advocating for his Participants during each court appearance. It affirmed how our team’s progress reports for their Participants are valued and needed in an overloaded court system.

This year to date, attendance for our HIRE Up workshops for job readiness and certification classes has increased by 30%. Led by AFJ’s Job Developer, Shantel Brooks, we just wrapped up our first 2025 cohort of our Paid Internship Program, marking our sixth cohort since the initiative's launch in 2023!

• 8 Participants successfully completed the 8-week internship program, working 15 hours per week.
• AFJ partnered with 9 BIPOC-owned small businesses. 3 of which were new business partners.
• Every site requested their interns return for our second cohort commencing in Q2.

Our model works because we focus on the whole person, not just their legal case. From job readiness training to wraparound support, our programs give young people the tools they need for long-term success. 

Spotlight: In the Press / In the Community

I was recently featured on the podcast Unshackled Leadership: A Lantern for Black Women hosted by Joia Jefferson Nuri. Joia and I dove into what it means to lead as a Black woman in the nonprofit and social impact space, how AFJ is creating real alternatives to incarceration, and how people can make an impact and join us in rewriting the futures of our youth. Follow us on Instagram to listen to the episode. 

What’s Inspiring Me Right Now

• Team building and growth. Whether it’s during our monthly staff meetings, spending time across our two community centers in Harlem and the Lower East Side, or impromptu hallway conversations at our courthouse offices, I’m focused on strengthening our team and supporting staff development. I am investing in the AFJ team by building a space where every staff member feels seen, heard, supported, and valued.
• Our community’s resilience. From the AFJ team to our Participants, I am reminded daily that this work, while hard and demanding, is worth it. And that we’re not doing it alone. 

Hot Takes + Real Talk

NYC’s shifting political landscape and renewed attention on “tough on crime” rhetoric, which will have disastrous effects on our young people and countless other New Yorkers, has made our work even more urgent. But here’s the truth: incarceration doesn't reduce recidivism. Investing resources into our communities is what makes a difference. Investing in our program model, which has a 94% success rate, makes a lasting impact.

That’s why AFJ shows up daily for our young people, providing them with access, exposure, and opportunity for long-term results.

Want to get involved? Donate, volunteer, or forward this newsletter to someone who should know about the work AFJ is doing to make NYC safer for everyone. Email me at efrederick@avenuesforjustice.org to set up a site visit to see our court advocacy component in action or to grab a cup of tea with me. 

The Sweetener (or Splenda) in My Tea

This week, it came in the form of a photo from our bookkeeper, David, who texted me a snapshot of a rainbow stretching across the Hawaiian sky. A reminder on a day when I was on several tough calls about policy changes threatening youth-centered alternatives to incarceration, that beauty still finds a way through. Knowing that our work reinforces true transformation when we invest in the next generation keeps me motivated.

Signing off on our first session of Tea with the ED, until the next brew…

With Appreciation,