CJAA (Community Justice, Abolition, & Antiracism collective) is an abolitionist, student-led movement agitating against the carceral state, prison-industrial complex, zionism, policing, white supremacy, imperialism, colonialism, and all forms of oppression — in UNC, Amerikkka, and abroad.
We are dedicated to local action and community justice as tools for building a world in which carcerality is obsolete. We hold firmly that our criminal legal system is the result of a white supremacist state that is not broken but is working precisely as intended. As a community of Queer, BIPOC, and marginalized peoples, we work to actively dismantle this white supremacist system, while creating equitable systems of justice and a world based in empathy and compassion.
We hold true that awareness is most powerful when acted upon. We are committed to not only calling on people in positions of power, but on ourselves to do the work necessary to change our immediate community. We aim to cultivate a space that allows for vulnerability and growth while acknowledging the value of impact over intentions. CJAA views itself as a movement within the larger movement for liberation around the world, and we acknowledge that our work is interconnected in the fight against all forms of oppression.
At our general body meetings, CJAA educates and organizes against the prison-industrial complex, as well as facilitates discussions around alternatives to our current systems, racial identity, and privilege. Outside of regular meetings, we advance local abolition efforts and actions, and collaborate with partner organizations like Solidarity Beyond Walls, the Durham Youth Home, Prison Books Collective, Students for Justice in Palestine and Restorative Justice Durham.
