Eighteen Years at NCCJ: Why This Work Matters

December 12, 2025
Category: Perspectives
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In March 2008, I walked away from corporate America to join NCCJ’s team.

I was a new mother, and as I looked at my child, the abstract values of justice and fairness suddenly became urgent necessities. I realized I needed to be an active part of making my community compassionate, not just for some of us— but for all of us.

That realization brought me to NCCJ.

Over the last 18 years, I have seen our country undergo a profound reckoning. I have witnessed an awakening of kindness and a desire to confront our past. But I have also watched our country become bitterly divided once again.

Last spring, I participated in our new Origins: Stories of American Democracy + Civil Rights program. I didn’t go as a staff member; I went as a participant. The experience was life changing.

It forced me to confront the legacy of my ancestors—Mayflower passengers and colonial settlers—and the impact they had on the Indigenous people they displaced. It sparked realizations I thought I had already made peace with. I realized that my family history carried more weight than I assumed, and it pushed me to summon the courage to have better, more genuine, difficult-but-necessary conversations with those affected by that history.

If NCCJ can still challenge and change me after 18 years, imagine what it can do for someone just starting their journey.

NCCJ does more than impact a community; it gives people extraordinary opportunities for self-reflection, personal transformation, and community building:

• 2,300+ students have graduated from our flagship Anytown
• Newer programs like STARR (Students Talking About Race + Racism) are helping youth navigate complex modern issues.
• We are convening respectful, open dialogue in a time when that feels increasingly rare.

As we begin the countdown to our 90th anniversary, I am struck by our legacy. We have evolved from interfaith cooperation to tackling issues of race, gender, and nationality, but we have never wavered from the belief that all people deserve to be seen, heard, and respected.

Our work is made possibly by deep community commitment from funders, donors, volunteers, and so many others. Together, we will continue to build a community that strives for rightness, fairness, and compassion—today, tomorrow, and for another 90 years.