Dancing for Justice Philadelphia (DFJ Philly) was first centralized and organized by Lela Aisha Jones and a committee of dance community colleagues as a space to convene around the Black Lives Matter movement and to honor Black lives lost to police violence and brutality. The first action was a national solidarity march on December 13, 2014 facilitated by Co-Organizers Brittany Williams and Tamara Williams of the national Dancing for Justice organization in New York City. The 2014 inaugural action included marches in New York City, NY; Philadelphia, PA; Detroit, MI; Chicago, IL; and Tallahassee; FL. DFJ Philly exists to continue the conversation on the U.S. racial divide and its potential for continued, contemporary, and grave injustice. DFJ Philly is grounded in a collective understanding that Black life is tied to all life.
Organizing Committee: Lela Aisha Jones | Julie Johnson | Esther Baker-Tarpaga | Jumatatu Poe | Nicole Bindler | Amy Smith | Rachel Carrico Thinking/Working Committee: Eva Agbada | Esther Baker-Tarpaga | Kamau Blakney | Rachel Carrico | Ellen Chenoweth | Nicole Bindler | Megan Bridge | Meg Foley | Christina Gesualdi | Greg Holt | Colleen Hooper | Julie B Johnson | Lela Aisha Jones | Peaches Jones | Gregory King | Oiya Lowe | Shannon Murphy | Satya Nelms | Jeannine Osayande | Jumatatu Poe | Les Rivera | Amy Smith | Joy Mariama Smith | Alex Shaw | Katherine Kiefer Stark | Kat Richter | Aidan Un