On April 18, 2026, we gathered for the 8th Citywide Roundtable on Restorative Approaches at the Andrew Freedman Home in the Bronx, in partnership with the Center for Creative Conflict Resolution at OATH, and the Office of Safety and Youth Development (OSYD), NYC Public Schools, with support from Dr. Camille Jacobs and Linda Hearns.
This year’s theme, Restorative Practices Between Generations, invited us to reflect on how harm and care are passed down in families. Many of us were raised with some version of “tough love”—often a form of preemptive harm shaped by elders preparing young people for surviving oppressive conditions and institutions. Together, we explored what it means to interrupt those patterns and practice something different.
More than 80 participants—caregivers, educators, restorative justice practitioners, and young people—joined us for a day rooted in reflection, connection, and practice. We opened the ceremony with Baba Enroue Onigbonna Halfkenny who reminded us that alongside harm, we inherit wisdom and responsibility. A singing invocation by Arin Maya Lawrence grounded us in collective intention.
The morning panel—featuring youth journalist Autumn Wynn, Dream Cancho representative from the New York City Public Schools Chancellor’s Student Advisory Group, Tajh Sutton, former District 14 Community Education Council President, and Georgina Pierre-Louis of Center for Anti-Violence Education—offered a candid conversation on intergenerational relationships, inviting elders and young people to see one another more fully.
Participants then moved into intergenerational circles led by facilitators across our network, including justice-impacted and youth circle keepers. These spaces held storytelling, tension, and reflection—restorative practice in action.
“It truly felt like an honor to answer the call and hold space alongside such committed circlekeepers. The energy in the circles was truly grounded, honest, and connected, the youth circle keepers were ON POINT!!! AND I was able to reconnect with some throwback circle homies.” – Luis Alejandro Tapia
Following a midday sound bath led by Arin Maya, the afternoon featured a powerful conversation between Donna Hylton (A Little Piece of Light) and Krystal McLeod (Center on Violence and Recovery, NYU), grounding the room in lived experience of harm and healing beyond punishment. As Krystal noted, “Abolitionists should not be forced to answer things that the current system has no answers for.”
We closed the day with another circle process, asking: What would it take to move our families from hierarchy to relationship? From dependency to shared responsibility?
The Citywide Roundtable remains more than a one-day gathering—it is part of an ongoing effort to build a connected, restorative New York City. We invite you to stay engaged, explore the program, and view photos from the day below.
All photos by Neha Gautam Photography.
