iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

upEND Movement @upendmovement.org · 03/09/2026

A quick vocabulary lesson! Reproductive justice is where everyone can make decisions about their pregnancies and families have all of the support they need. The family policing system works against this vision by surveilling and separating families. Learn more: upendmovement.org/familiestoge...

reproductive justice:
where everyone can make their own decisions about their pregnancies, when and how they build their families, and families have all the resources they need—not just to survive, but to thrive.

the family policing system:
also known as “the child welfare system” or “child protective services,” this system punishes, surveils, and separates families—especially those that are Black, Indigenous, Latine, or struggling to make ends meet.

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upEND Movement @upendmovement.org · 01/09/2026

Abortion bans and the child welfare system are part of the same playbook to control our bodies and our families. And now, an increasing number of families are being targeted by the family policing system after someone has an abortion. Join the fight at upendmovement.org/familiestogether

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upEND Movement @upendmovement.org · 24/08/2026

We'll see you in Chicago at @socialismconference.org! Join us for a pre-conference summit with the Social Work Activist Collective, the Network to Advance Abolition in Social Work, the Abolitionist Social Change Collective, and Social Work for Palestine. buff.ly/SjgRb2E

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upEND Movement @upendmovement.org · 22/08/2026

If you're subscribed to our newsletter, you saw these behind-the-scenes photos first. We're launching a new campaign soon, so stay tuned. 👀 Subscribe to our newsletter ✉️ 🔗 upendmovement.substack.com

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upEND Movement @upendmovement.org · 21/08/2026

Some people were uncomfortable with us using the word “abolition,” and they wrote a letter about it. They said we were misguided and disrespectful to slavery abolitionists for using this term in relation to the family policing system. We wrote a response. upendmovement.org/2026/08/20/w...

We Say “Abolition”–In Solidarity With Those Who Are Harmed by the Child Welfare System

“Calls to prohibit or restrict the use of the term “abolition” are not neutral scholarly appeals. They function as attempts to control the boundaries of legitimate critique and to assert authority over political language and movements that have been developed and advanced by Black scholars, organizers, and communities most directly impacted by these systems.”

“Communities most impacted by the family policing system are not obligated to accept existing arrangements as inevitable, nor to adopt language that renders those arrangements more palatable.”

“The question, then, is not whether abolition is an acceptable term, but whether we are willing to confront what it asks of us.”

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upEND Movement @upendmovement.org · 01/07/2026

When a parent is experiencing #DomesticViolence, the family policing system doesn’t step in to help. They blame survivors and treat them as a threat to their kids. We discuss #IntimatePartnerViolence on the latest episode of The upEND Podcast with guest Ashley Albert. 🔗 buff.ly/U2Gf1Qs

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upEND Movement @upendmovement.org · 24/06/2026

“The children are always ours, every single one of them, all over the globe; and I am beginning to suspect that whoever is incapable of recognizing this may be incapable of morality.” ― James Baldwin

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upEND Movement @upendmovement.org · 21/06/2026

"I'd like to take a moment just to salute all those single parents." #HappyFathersDay from The upEND Podcast. Latest episode with Ashley Albert is streaming now. 🔗 buff.ly/U2Gf1Qs

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upEND Movement @upendmovement.org · 19/06/2026

Abolition is.. an ancestral practice an ongoing political tradition a demand for liberation not yet fulfilled Our work is not about reform, it's abolition continued. #Juneteenth

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upEND Movement @upendmovement.org · 18/06/2026

#StolenChildrensMonth is about HOPE. Listen to the latest episode of The upEND Podcast featuring Ashley Albert, the originator of Stolen Children’s Month. 🔗 upendmovement.org/podcast/epis...

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upEND Movement @upendmovement.org · 13/06/2026

"If I tell you, will you promise that you won't take me away?" On the "Nobody Should Believe Me" podcast, upEND Cofounder Alan Dettlaff reflects on his time as a child welfare caseworker. Listen to the full episode with @AlanDettlaff.com and @strawburriez.bsky.social: buff.ly/u5CaJko

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upEND Movement @upendmovement.org · 13/06/2026

Child separation isn't just a policy. It's an industry. The people running these systems aren't just following orders. They're following the money. This June, #StolenChildrensMonth follows the money and demands abolition. StolenChildrensMonth.com

Slide 1 reads in large bold black text: “CHILD SEPARATION IS A BUSINESS.” Smaller text underneath says: “AND IT IS A VERY PROFITABLE ONE.” Bottom right says: “Swipe to follow the money,” with teal arrows pointing right.

Slide 2 states that the foster care and adoption industry generated $22 billion in annual U.S. revenue in 2022, citing the IBISWorld Adoption & Child Welfare Services Industry Report (2022). The slide compares the system’s financial dependence on children entering care to the business model of private prisons. Bottom right repeats: “Swipe to follow the money.”

Slide 3 cites a Common Dreams article about GEO Group’s 2025 profits from immigrant detention. Large text says “$254 MILLION.” Additional text explains that GEO Group reported a record $254 million profit in 2025, driven by ICE detention contracts, with 43% of company revenue tied to immigration detention.

Slide 4 reads: “THIS IS NOT A SYSTEM IN NEED OF REFORM. IT IS AN INDUSTRY IN NEED OF ABOLITION.” Additional text says corporations profit from family separation and therefore have a financial interest in keeping families apart. The final lines read: “YOU CANNOT REFORM A SYSTEM BUILT ON STOLEN CHILDREN. ABOLISH IT.” Bottom right displays “StolenChildrensMonth.com.”

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upEND Movement @upendmovement.org · 11/06/2026

"I didn't want my kids taken away, so I didn't talk." How do we support survivors of #IntimatePartnerViolence and their children without relying on the harmful family policing system? #DomesticViolence #ChildWelfare buff.ly/hafeTsx

"I didn't want my kids taken away, so I didn't talk." Image of a hospital and a police car.

Mandatory reporting laws require Professionals to report information that survivors share to the police or child protective services (CPS). People seeking help from a domestic violence hotline said that being reported made their situation worse. Graph from the National LGBTQ Domestic Violence Capacity Building Learning Center.

Reclaiming Safety for Domestic Violence Survivors and Their Kids

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upEND Movement @upendmovement.org · 29/05/2026

"Here For The Kids" is a new documentary in production. It follows director Josh Sabey and his family’s harrowing interactions with CPS and explores the history and current state of family policing. Featuring voices from upEND and JMAC for Families. → buff.ly/2LOzLqN

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upEND Movement @upendmovement.org · 18/03/2026

"Reclaiming Safety for Children Whose Parents Use Substances" is a brand-new essay in collaboration with @drugpolicy.org. Authors @kassandrafred.bsky.social, Dinah Ortiz, and Mark Z. challenge us to shift our understanding of drug use and parenting. buff.ly/MjXwSw0

“Reclaiming Safety for Children Whose Parents Use Substances” cover image features a mom being hugged by her teenage son and an illustration of a living room behind them.

By punishing parents who use substances, the family policing system has become a collaborative arm of the war on drugs. Image of an apartment complex with an eye drawn over it.

True support for children and parents begins with a fundamental shift in understanding drug use and parenting. 1. Addressing substance use may not be a family’s primary need. 2. The family policing system is poorly equipped to provide the support families actually need and creates additional harm. 3. Shame and stigma prevent people from getting the support they need.

MOVING FROM SURVEILLANCE TO SUPPORT: 1. Support the needs of parents and advocate for the whole family. 2. Address the material, everyday circumstances of families to create meaningful, sustained support and change. 3. Create community and kin-based care networks

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upEND Movement @upendmovement.org · 07/03/2026

Last week, we joined organizers, birth workers, and advocates for a panel hosted by Avow Texas. The conversation confronted a painful truth: Houston remains the deadliest major U.S. city for Black people to give birth. Grateful to share space with partners doing this work.

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upEND Movement @upendmovement.org · 01/03/2026

Communities need resources. Let's start there. #ReclaimingSafety Listen to the full episode with Angela Burton: buff.ly/Dc1G90f

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upEND Movement @upendmovement.org · 26/02/2026

Angela Burton gives an example of what #LivingAbolitionNow can look like when we promote healing and accountability within our communities, without punishment and policing. #ReclaimingSafety Listen to the full episode on The upEND Podcast: upendmovement.org/podcast/epis...

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upEND Movement @upendmovement.org · 23/02/2026

Angela Burton is the editor of our "Reclaiming Safety" essay series, and she explains what you can expect during this season of The upEND Podcast as we focus on frequently asked questions about #FamilyPolicing #Abolition. Listen to the full episode: buff.ly/Dc1G90f

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upEND Movement @upendmovement.org · 13/02/2026

This episode is a love letter to the grandmothers who raised us. Listen to “Reclaiming Safety” on The upEND Podcast with the brilliant Angela Burton. #BlackHistoryMonth buff.ly/hgykX0Z

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upEND Movement @upendmovement.org · 09/02/2026

The practice of forcibly separating Black and Indigenous children from their families is used by the state to maintain a system of white supremacy that is foundational to this country. The family policing system is not about #ChildWelfare. Read the full zine: upendmovement.org/zine (link in bio) 🔗

A historical illustration of Black children being taken from a Black mother by enslavers: During slavery, family separations were used as a threat and a punishment.

A photo of hundreds of Indigenous children outside of a boarding school: Indigenous children were stolen and violently stripped of their language and culture to destabilize tribal communities.

A photo of President Bill Clinton signing the Adoption and Safe Families Act (ASFA): As the system became more formalized, it began targeting Black families. Today, **more than half** of all Black children in the United States are investigated by child welfare authorities.

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upEND Movement @upendmovement.org · 06/02/2026

“Abolish the steel traps.” Repost from the Immigrant Legal Resource Center. 🎨 🖌️

An illustration of a school surrounded by open steel traps. Speech bubbles above say, “Steel trap setters need to be better trained. We need to reform the steel traps. If only we had oversight of those steel traps."

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upEND Movement @upendmovement.org · 30/01/2026

We love seeing our zine out in the wild! It can be made with one sheet of paper, scissors, and staples. It’s a colorful way to start conversations with friends about what true safety can look like without the #FamilyPolicingSystem. upendmovement.org/zine

A gloved hand holds copies of upEND’s zine in front of a little library on the sidewalk.

The interior of the library box holds zines, books, and a flyer for a fundraiser for Gaza families where people can purchase books, crafts and more.

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upEND Movement @upendmovement.org · 18/01/2026

The same structures that separate families through incarceration and ICE are connected to the #FamilyPolicingSystem. The whole carceral web needs to be dismantled for our communities to be safe and whole. #AbolishICE #Abolition Read the full zine: upendmovement.org/zine 🔗

The family policing system is just one part of the carceral web. From incarceration to borders to family policing, we oppose the surveillance and state-sanctioned separation of children from their families in all forms. Collage image shows a Black mother with an infant, a police officer, and an illustration of a watchful eye.

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upEND Movement @upendmovement.org · 15/01/2026

The child welfare system doesn’t help families. We more accurately call it the family policing system. Read the full zine: upendmovement.org/zine/

The child welfare system doesn’t help families. We more accurately call it the family policing system. This collage features news articles about the child welfare system tearing families apart and shows a picture of a Black mother holding an infant.

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upEND Movement @upendmovement.org · 15/01/2026

Check out our new zine, “Abolish the Family Policing System.” ✂️ A printable version is available on our website for sharing with friends and neighbors. upendmovement.org/zine/

New upEND Zine! You can read it in a few minutes. Download a printable copy. Get an intro to family policing abolition. upendmovement.org/zine

The cover of the zine says Abolish the Family Policing System in a collage style with lime green and black and white elements.

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upEND Movement @upendmovement.org · 22/11/2025

Join Zoe Bambara and Dr. Mali Collins to discuss framing the Reproductive Jusice Movement for 2026. Dr. Collins is the author of Scrap Theory which discusses how the archival erasure of Black motherhood is an urgent concern. December 13, 6:30pm buff.ly/SWWDxZg

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upEND Movement @upendmovement.org · 14/11/2025

Join @haymarketbooks.org for a virtual book launch of "How to End Family Policing: From Outrage to Action” with featured speakers Dorothy Roberts, Andrea Ritchie, and Erin Miles Cloud. 📅 December 1 🕐4-5:30 pm ET 🔗 Register: www.howtoendfamilypolicing.com/events

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upEND Movement @upendmovement.org · 12/11/2025

Despite the struggles the community faces at Montrose Grace Place, it’s a JOYFUL place. ❤️ Love is contagious there. And we hope you’ll get to experience it through the portrait of the youth featured in upEND’s short doc #AVisionOfGrace. buff.ly/EtK0G9t

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upEND Movement @upendmovement.org · 12/11/2025

International experts are now echoing what U.S. communities have been saying for generations: children and families deserve support, not surveillance. Read the full report: buff.ly/DVBMlPi

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upEND Movement @upendmovement.org · 23/10/2025

upEND advocates for the complete #Abolition of what you many know as the 'child welfare system'. But we understand it more accurately as the #FamilyPolicingSystem because that’s how it functions.

Abolish the Family Policing System. Features images of Black and Latine families with a greyscale image of a woman holding a clipboard.

The child welfare system doesn’t help families. It separates, surveils, and punishes them. That’s why we more accurately call it the family policing system. Image features a judges gavel with a lime green X crossing it out.

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upEND Movement @upendmovement.org · 16/10/2025

upEND’s Josie Pickens writes for @newsoneofficial.bsky.social about a Michigan mother charged with “food stamp fraud.” When a mom trying to feed her kids gets criminalized, that’s not justice. That’s surveillance, control, and punishment wrapped in the language of “help.” newsone.com/6490272/mich...

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upEND Movement @upendmovement.org · 15/10/2025

Ten Books to Get To Know Me (upEND edition) 📚 And if you want to learn more about #FamilyPolicing and #Abolition, we have a whole #syllabus on our website. upendmovement.org/syllabus/

1. Confronting the Racist Legacy of the American Child Welfare System: The Case for Abolition by Alan Dettlaff
2. Torn Apart: How the Child Welfare System Destroys Black Families--and How Abolition Can Build a Safer World by Dorothy Roberts
3. The School for Good Mothers: A Novel by Jessamine Chan
4. We Were Once a Family: A Story of Love, Death, and Child Removal in America by Roxanna Asgarian
5. Becoming Abolitionists: Police, Protests, and the Pursuit of Freedom by Derecka Purnell
6. We Do This ‘Til We Free Us: Abolitionist Organizing and Transforming Justice by Mariame Kaba
7. We Grow the World Together: Parenting Toward Abolition by Maya Schenwar and Kim Wilson
8. Shattered Bonds: The Color of Child Welfare by Dorothy Roberts
9. The Black Child-Savers: Racial Democracy and Juvenile Justice by Geoff K. Ward
10. Border and Rule by Harsha Walia

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upEND Movement @upendmovement.org · 25/09/2025

Introducing Kyra Lewis from the Healthy and Free Tennessee Youth Council. 🎤 We are energized by the passion and ideas these young people have for building a future without #FamilyPolicing! #Abolition

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upEND Movement @upendmovement.org · 22/09/2025

Yesterday we joined the Healthy and Free Tennessee Youth Council for a Family Policing Abolition 101 workshop. The brilliance and courage of these young leaders reminds us how important it is to listen to and learn from youth who are system impacted. ❤️ 🔥

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upEND Movement @upendmovement.org · 12/09/2025

"No pasarán!" Check out this collection of resources from @interruptcrim.bsky.social on keeping ICE out of schools. 🚌🍎📚 buff.ly/C36wrwb

No Pasaran, ICE out of our schools and communities

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upEND Movement @upendmovement.org · 04/09/2025

“We are each other’s hope.” Joshua Dorty, an advocate with Youth Voices Empowered and a star of upEND’s short documentary #AVisionOfGrace, talks about revisiting Tony’s Place in Houston after finding housing stability and community. buff.ly/EtK0G9t

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upEND Movement @upendmovement.org · 04/09/2025

⚠️ 30% of youth in the foster system identify as LGBTQ. ⚠️ 40% of homeless youth identify as LGBTQ. In our film #AVisionOfGrace, youth share their lived experiences with houselessness and family separation while celebrating the joy and healing they’ve found in community. upendmovement.org/grace

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upEND Movement @upendmovement.org · 25/08/2025

Host a screening of our new film #AVisionOfGrace in your community! Submit a request form to receive a free toolkit with - instagram templates - flyers - a discussion guide - the film and trailer upendmovement.org/grace/

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upEND Movement @upendmovement.org · 22/08/2025

Courtney Sellers, Executive Director of Montrose Grace Place talks about the impact of #AVisionOfGrace on the youth in the documentary. #YouthHomelessness #QueerYouth #Houston upendmovement.org/grace

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upEND Movement @upendmovement.org · 20/08/2025

Announcing a #BlackAugust screening of #AVisionOfGrace in Baltimore, Friday, August 22 @ 7pm. Hosted by @baltlegal.bsky.social. BALT envisions a Baltimore where Black people use their power to determine justice within their communities. RSVP 🔗 buff.ly/mz4ydx1

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upEND Movement @upendmovement.org · 15/08/2025

"Those of us working toward the abolition of family policing are familiar with these tactics. The very existence of the family policing system rests on moral panics: narratives that poor Black families will harm their children if they are not surveilled or separated.” #DCPolice 🔗 buff.ly/wMM026e

This week in Washington, DC, the current administration announced plans to “takeover” the city. This includes federalizing DC’s police force and deploying 800 National Guard troops, who arrived on Tuesday.

Local media and officials have painted these young people as inherently violent and dangerous, circulating reports of teenagers “overrunning” DC neighborhoods.

And the punitive approach doesn’t stop with youth. For years, the city has treated its homeless residents as problems to be removed, rather than people in need of care and support.

Those of us working toward the abolition of family policing are familiar with these tactics.
The very existence of the family policing system rests on moral panics: narratives that poor Black families will harm their children if they are not surveilled or separated.

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upEND Movement @upendmovement.org · 15/08/2025

When harm occurs, we should consider responses that - provide safety and support - honor family and community relationships with empathy and compassion - value healing, connection, accountability, and care #ReclaimingSafety Download the new essay by @strawburriez.bsky.social 🔗 buff.ly/esqjYKI

Starting Points to Consider More Humane Ways to Respond to Child Sexual Harm: 1) Survivor-focused, 2) Community-oriented, 3) Safety planning, 4) Transformation and Accountability, 5) Healing spaces for each impacted person.

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upEND Movement @upendmovement.org · 18/07/2025

Thank you to everyone who came to our virtual screening! If you would like to show #AVisionOfGrace in your community, let us know more about the event you want to host, and we’ll send you a toolkit with all of the materials you need. 🔗 form.jotform.com/251765258416...

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upEND Movement @upendmovement.org · 10/07/2025

We're going live in one hour! Get tickets to the virtual screening of our new documentary. The recording will only be available for registrants, so don't miss it! 👀🎬🎟️ #AVisionOfGrace www.eventbrite.com/e/a-vision-o...

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upEND Movement @upendmovement.org · 08/07/2025

Waiola is the resident Mother of Montrose Grace Place in Houston and one of the stars of our film #AVisionOfGrace. At our Houston premiere, she talked about what finding and creating chosen family has meant to her. Get tickets for our VIRTUAL SCREENING Thurs, July 10! 🎟️ buff.ly/OBGOD0u

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upEND Movement @upendmovement.org · 04/07/2025

The upEND Team is at @socialismconference.org! Yesterday we kicked off the conference with a session on “Reproductive Justice, Family Policing, and Abolition” and now we get to hear from the incredible activists and organizers presenting this weekend. If you see us around, say hi! #Socialism25

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upEND Movement @upendmovement.org · 02/07/2025

The upEND team is on their way to @socialismconference.org to talk about Family Policing Abolition & Reproductive Justice! Catch our session Thursday July 3, 2025 at 2:30pm. #Socialism2025

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upEND Movement @upendmovement.org · 19/06/2025

Movements evolve. Understanding deepens. New conditions arise. What lessons have you learned from the family policing abolition movement, and how are you growing in your analysis and your organizing? We’d love to hear from you too. upendmovement.org/2025/06/19/r...

A collage of photos from upEND’s work includes behind the scenes images of filming our documentary, a group photo of the upEND team at a conference, and images from upEND’s Convenings.

“We who believe in freedom cannot rest until it comes.” Ella’s Song by Sweet Honey in the Rock

Movements evolve. Understanding deepens.
New conditions arise: Shrinking the System with Abolitionist Steps, Partnering with the Reproductive Justice Movement, Imagining Non-Carceral Responses to Harm, Centering the Voices of Impacted Youth, Clarifying Language Around “Poverty is not neglect”, Building Cross-Movement Solidarity

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upEND Movement @upendmovement.org · 07/05/2025

We also want to mention that (free!) tickets are available now for our ‘red carpet’ premiere and virtual screening. #AVisionOfGrace #Houston #PrideMonth Visit upendmovement.org/grace to learn more.

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