CPD’s Justice Transformation team kicked off the new year with a weekend of movement and power building. The group wrapped their second Freedom Lab this past weekend,  in Nashville alongside Law for Black Lives and PolicyLink.

Building off the inaugural convening last year in Milwaukee, it was a powerful event with nearly 70 people in the room - representing organizers and activists from all across Tennessee, as well as North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and some other folks across the country. The group also included a strong delegation from CPD affiliate New Georgia Project. 

The cohort spent two days strategizing on divest/invest decriminalization campaigns, including deep dives into budget analysis, advocacy tactics, participatory budgeting and communications strategies. 

The Freedom Lab took place in the Nashville Public Library, a stunning municipal space with an incredible support staff and a profound historic significance for civil rights movement activism (including Woolworth's sit-ins). 

The group looks forward to hosting another Freedom Lab later this year, as well as creating additional tools and resources that will further support movement partners in the divest/invest space.