Cal State San Bernardino student Brett May and restorative justice practitioner Gunner Johnson will explore accountability, healing and second chances during the Conversations on Race and Policing series from noon to 1 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 14.
The program, “What Does True Justice Look Like? In Conversation with Gunner Johnson and Brett May,” will take place on Zoom. It is free and open to the public.
Both speakers bring experiences of surviving violence and incarceration to the discussion.
Johnson survived a home invasion robbery in which he was shot twice, and a close friend was killed while sleeping in the next room. He later committed a crime for which he takes full responsibility and which he connects to the injuries and trauma he experienced.
He now directs the UC Davis Underground Scholars Program, helping formerly incarcerated students and students affected by the criminal justice system access higher education and achieve academic success. His work emphasizes healing, accountability and opportunities for second chances.
May served 24 years of a sentence of life without parole for a crime that took someone’s life before Gov. Gavin Newsom commuted his sentence. He also lost multiple childhood friends to homicide and later came to recognize his own grief and trauma while confronting remorse for the harm he caused.
Now completing a bachelor’s degree in psychology at CSUSB, May is founder and executive director of the LWOP Foundation. He works in universities, juvenile halls and correctional facilities, providing trauma-informed guidance and expanding opportunities for people affected by the criminal justice system.
The discussion will explore how each speaker found a path toward healing and how those experiences inform their understanding of justice.
Survivor Action for Equity, or SAFE, is a coalition of people who have lost loved ones to homicide and support reconsidering sentences of life without parole imposed on people barely out of their teens. It welcomes new members and inquiries from others interested in supporting its work.
The Conversations on Race and Policing program began following the May 25, 2020, murder of George Floyd and its aftermath. Floyd, a Black man, was killed by a white Minneapolis police officer, triggering widespread protests, demands for systemic policing reforms and profound discussions about race and racism. The events also led to the creation of Cal State San Bernardino’s Conversations on Race and Policing, abbreviated as CoRP.
In subsequent court cases, three other former Minneapolis police officers implicated in Floyd’s death received prison sentences.
The series has featured scholars, journalists, law enforcement officers, lawyers, activists, artists, educators, administrators and others from throughout the nation who have shared their experience and expertise on issues related to race and policing.
Since June 2020, more than 140 forums have taken place, and video recordings of the sessions have been posted in the Conversations on Race and Policing Lecture Series Archive.
Programs take place every Wednesday beginning at noon unless otherwise noted. Upcoming speakers include:
- Oct. 21 — Mia Arredondo and Edwin Cruz, “Healing After Gang Violence.”
- Thursday, Oct. 22, 11 a.m. — Cat Brooks, performer, organizer, activist and radio host of “Law and Disorder” on KPFA.
- Nov. 4 — Pete Simi, “American Swastika: Inside the White Power Movement’s Hidden Spaces of Hate.”
- Nov. 18 – Clay Risen, “Red Scare: Blacklists, McCarthyism, and the Making of Modern America.”
The organizing team for Conversations on Race and Policing includes Michael German, Stan Futch, Amber Broaden, Robie Madrigal, Jeremy Murray, Matt Patino and Mary Texeira, representing CSUSB and collaborating community and educational organizations.
For more information, contact Madrigal at rmadriga@csusb.edu or Murray at jmurray@csusb.edu.
Also visit the Conversations on Race and Policing webpage.