Jurors for Justice

03-29-2021

By Blake Collins

I’m a teenager in Baltimore. I’m a student in Philadelphia. I’m a volunteer in Peru. I’m a young professional in Louisville. What do all these experiences have in common? There’s a sense of relief when I send in my application to not serve as a juror.

Every time I sent back that envelope from the city government and checked the box “unable to appear” was for a different reason: travel; home for the holidays; work trip; out of country. But if I’m being honest, I just didn’t see it as important. It wasn’t a priority.

McCormick’s Solidarity Building Initiative, which exists to create an ecosystem of beloved community through liberative theological education at Cook County Jail, is offering a webinar teach-in for the community to know our power as jurors. Put this teach-in on your radar! And invite others to attend!

The training, facilitated by the National Council for Incarcerated and Formerly Incarcerated Women and Girls, has two goals: demonstrate that jurors can be agents of transformative justice, and to empower participants to serve conscientiously. I cannot wait for the next time that city envelope shows up in my mailbox summoning me to serve as a juror, which I now recognize is an invitation to be faithful in my Christian witness as a co-laborer in God’s justice in this world- wahoo!

Next week, I’ll share more specifics about the training, but in the meantime, please consider signing-up for this prophetic and transformative teach-in on May 1st at 10am (CST). Peace in the week, and blessings in the work.

Blake Collins is the Certificate Coordinator for SBI’s theological courses at Cook County Jail. Blake is a M-DIV student seeking ordination in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).