Avenues for Justice Thanks You For Celebrating 45 Years of Second Chances With Us At Our 2024 Gala

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On Thursday, October 24th, Avenues for Justice (AFJ) celebrated “45 Years of Second Chances” at our annual gala. Held at the Altman Building in Manhattan, it was an evening of celebration and hope for justice reform. The gala honored Manhattan District Attorney, Alvin J. Bragg Jr., with the Andrew Glover Justice Award, Rothschild & Co as our corporate honoree, and Darleen “Dede” Agar, Vice President of Goldman Sachs, as the Second Chance honoree for her social and criminal justice activism. The highlight of the evening was the celebration of this year’s 2024 Second Chance Award recipient Malik Rainey.

During her first keynote speech as AFJ’s new Executive Director, Liz Frederick, highlighted the importance of alternative to incarceration (ATI) programs like AFJ in providing services not cells, and shared her vision for continuing Co-Founder and President, Angel Rodriguez’s legacy.

“I knew from my first meeting with Angel 18 years ago, that I had to be a part of the AFJ movement, because what we do here is NOT a cause, it IS a movement. At AFJ we understand that our Participants face unique and significant challenges at home, school, with their friends, and in their neighborhoods – all of which they can overcome with the right support. Most significantly, our Participants with a capital P, symbolizes their power, capacity to change, to grow, and rebuild their lives, just as Malik, tonight’s Second Chance Award recipient has done.” ~AFJ’s Executive Director, Liz Frederick

AFJ also hosted an informative panel discussion facilitated by PIX11’s Monica Morales from “Monica Makes It Happen,” that included a discussion with DA Bragg and Dede Agar about the current state of the NYC criminal justice system. DA Bragg and DeDe Agar both agreed that providing resources and wraparound services to young people should be the top priority in reducing recidivism rates.

Next, Liz took to the stage with the entire AFJ team to present Angel Rodriguez with a surprise “Vision & Legacy Award” to honor his over 45 year commitment to the organization. As Angel officially plans to retire in December, Liz spoke to Angel’s undeniable love for the work and her tenacity to continue his legacy. She also shared that the Second Chance Award would bear Angel’s name moving forward as a testament to Angel’s impact on helping AFJ Participants successfully turn their lives around.

AFJ also premiered a 30-min legacy documentary titled “An Avenue Named Justice: 45 Years of Second Chances.” The documentary is a historical tribute to AFJ’s Co-Founders – the late Robert (Bob) Siegel and current AFJ President, Angel Rodriguez.  The film explored what happens when an organization commits, and fights for, the right for everyone to have a second chance, and the idea that justice is a birthright for all. Avenues for Justice will host an official screening of the documentary on Thursday, November 14th, at Stuart Cinemas in Brooklyn.  

To close out the night, AFJ’s 2024 Second Chance Honoree, Malik Rainey, gave a moving speech, with his family and newborn daughter in attendance supporting him. He left guests with the message that, “it is never too late to be the person you want to be. It's never too late to make changes in your life for the better. Thank you to AFJ for saving my life and continuing to change lives for the better.”

We are grateful to our Board of Directors, AFJ Staff, our allies and each one of you who have walked with AFJ through this 45-year movement.

WATCH: Second Chance Award Recipient Malik Rainey’s acceptance speech!

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