Sanford celebrated “Historic Goldsboro Day” with the unveiling of a commemorative quilt at City Hall, honoring the legacy of the historic Black community founded 135
Thank you to Betsy Gardner and her wonderful team at the Winter Park Chamber for this recognition. This honor belongs to our incredible Board of
It’s time again to give thanks for all the things we love about the community we all call home. Readers offered hundreds of suggestions for
Descendants of the survivors of the 1920 Ocoee Election Day Massacre gathered Saturday in downtown Ocoee’s Unity Park to commemorate the event’s 105th anniversary. In
In this episode of The Peopling Podcast, Kristi sits down with Rachel Allen, Founding Executive Director of the Peace and Justice Institute, to explore what
The day features activities and storytelling for all ages, civic organizations tabling, and live performances from Will Patrick, the Orlando Gay Chorus and African drumming.
Under a blazing Florida sun in April 2012, Andrew Thomas went for a drive. He headed 40 miles northeast from Sanford, near Orlando, toward Daytona
The Race, Equality, Equity and Inclusion Committee for the city of Sanford plans to commemorate Goldsboro’s history through a storytelling quilt as part of its
Read the full article here.
PJI is honored to receive the 2025 The Central Florida Pledge Civic Leader of the Year Award! The Central Florida Pledge Award honors organizations that
This past Tuesday the Peace and Justice Institute held a community event at Hopper Academy. The purpose of this event was for an evening of
The skill of conscious response will be useful as we face an election where nearly half the population faces deep disappointment and outrage over the
PJI Executive Director Rachel C. Allen speaks with State Attorney Andrew Bain about why positive and adverse childhood experiences can impact everything from behavior, learning,
Sanford leads the way in advancing police-community dialogue by being identified as one of three case studies in the United States, recognized by the White
Sanford leads the way in advancing police-community dialogue by being identified as one of three case studies in the United States, recognized by the White
Monday marked 12 years since Trayvon Martin was shot and killed in the city of Sanford. His story sparked global headlines, national outcry, and in
More than 80 city officials, police officers and residents of Sanford are continuing a conversation around equity in policing. Participants in Sanford Speaks held a
The Peace and Justice Institute is hosting the 5th annual Resilience Conference in Winter Park this week. The conference focuses on trauma and covers different
“Understanding the Ulysses Syndrome, Effective Engagement, and Ways to Heal” Learn more here.
Dr. Jeffrey Goltz, Dean of the School of Public Safety (SPS) at Valencia College and Public Safety sector chair for the Creating a Resilient Community
Sofiya Asedrem and Rachel C. Allen from The Peace & Justice Institute at Valencia College wrote a Guest Commentary titled Hurricane Ian can teach us
In the Central Florida community, the Peace & Justice Institute also offers continuing professional education in diversity, equity and inclusion, and leadership to ensure an
Following the Buffalo shooting, The Peace & Justice Institute at Valencia College hosted an in-person community dialogue in Sanford, Florida. “This is the pathway to
Interview with Rachel Allen about PJI’s transition to a nonprofit organization and its mission. Listen to the interview here.
The Peace and Justice Institute at Valencia College hosted their annual Conversation on Justice (COJ) Conference from January 24 to January 27. The four-day virtual
A group of students in Fall’s Intro to Sexuality, Women, and Gender studies (SWAG) class organized a forum on the threats and dangers of abusive
SANFORD — Commissioners in the city where Black teenager Trayvon Martin was killed by a neighborhood watch volunteer nine years ago today have agreed to
The Orlando Sentinel wrote an article about Sanford commissioners agreeing to form an advisory committee “charged with taking a look at racial tension within the
Through her work with PJI, she aims to develop and nurture an inclusive, equitable, and respectful environment on campus and within the Central Florida community
The Peace and Justice Institute’s partnership in training on bias, diversity, and inclusion is mentioned in this recent column, “Racial bias in foster care must
Peace and Justice Institute Director, Rachel Allen was quoted in the recent Smithsonian Magazine article, “The Little-Known Story of America’s Deadliest Election Day Massacre.” Speaking
The PJI Principles for How We Treat Each Other were cited in a recent blog post “How Will We Treat Each Other Now?” all the
Peace and Justice Institute Director, Rachel Allen, is quoted in the article Official narrative of the terror for decades was obscured or excused by a
The Peace and Justice Institute and the College Park Neighborhood Association received a shout-out for delivering powerful community workshops in the Community Paper’s October Publisher’s
Systemic racism and institutional racism are the buzzwords thrown out a lot lately as the country examines racial disparities in America and efforts to ensure
The Peace and Justice Institute’s Rachel Allen, was interviewed by Cox Media Group’s Public Affairs Producer, Beth Perrell about PJI’s vision and the work currently
The Peace and Justice Institute’s Rachel Allen was published as a guest columnist in the Orlando Sentinel. We are living in unprecedented times, which invite
The Peace and Justice Institute’s Rachel Allen, Hank Van Putten, and Rudy Darden are all guests on the “Moving Justice Forward” episode of Vanessa Echols’
Creating a safe space for LGBTQ+ people and minorities is at the core of what Rachel Allen is promoting. A long-time professor of humanities and
Dr. Heather Bryson is a guest on episode 14, “S.I.S: Sister In Solidarity (Being a Racial Ally)” of Jennifer Tomlinson’s Black Woman Be Well Podcast.
Valencia Professor and PJI Facilitator Rudy Darden is a guest on episode 13, “Sis, you need a gender ally!” of Jennifer Tomlinson’s Black Woman Be
Guest Columnists Rachel Allen and Dr. Judi Addelston co-wrote an article that was published in the Orlando Sentinel in January, 2020 titled “Ending Cycle of
PJI and Oasis Church of Winter Garden have partnered to provide a workshop dialogue series titled “RISE: Conversations on Race and Unity” to give the
On June 21, 2019, PJI partnered with the Equal Justice Initiative to unveil a historical marker memorializing July Perry during a ceremony at the Orange
On April 3, 2019 PJI co-hosted a very successful conference on Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) called “Creating a Resilient Community: From Trauma to Healing.” From
PJI is featured in David J. Smith’s Book Peacebuilding as a Means to Global Citizenry as an example to illustrate approaches that can be used
PJI is featured in this Community College Daily article about the rise of peace education in community colleges. Many community college students arrive on campus
Orlando Police Chief Orlando Rolon included a mention of Orlando Speaks, a series of workshops facilitated by the Peace and Justice Institute to bring together
PJI Director, Rachel Allen was asked to write a chapter in Sally Z Hare and Karen Luke Jackson’s book The Story Mandala: Finding Wholeness in
PJI Director, Rachel Allen was listed as one of the “10 people who make Orlando a better place to live.” Read the full article here.
Jacqueline Spencer joins discussion at Orlando Speaks event — Mother of man shot, killed by Orlando police speaks: ‘Profiling is real’ Read the full article
Valencia State College’s Peace and Justice Institute is holding forums to discuss the massacre and its economic and cultural legacy. 90.7’s Catherine Welch talked with
PJI celebrated its tenth anniversary in January and has grown to include a Peace and Justice Studies curriculum; regular planning of co-curricular events exploring issues
Valencia College students offer support to Stoneman Douglas survivors with the Peace and Justice Institute. Watch news article here.
PJI Director, Rachel Allen was suggested for Scott Maxwell of the Orlando Sentinel’s 2017 list of 10 people who make Orlando a better place to
Scott Maxwell includes Orlando Speaks in his list of 101 Things to Love about Central Florida for 2016. Read the full article here.
PJI facilitated the fourth Orlando Speaks in partnership with the City of Orlando and the Orlando Police Department. Read the full article here.
Hillary Clinton holds a roundtable discussion in Orlando following the Pulse Nightclub tragedy. During this discussion, Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer recommends Orlando Speaks as a
“These groups that are pressuring for citizen review groups and body cams – that’s all necessary, too,” says Allen. “There’s dialogue, there’s protests, there’s activism.
Orlando Speaks is a community workshop designed to encourage dialogue between citizens of the City of Orlando and Police Officers with the goal of enhancing
Members of the Peace and Justice Institute, including Valencia students, faculty, and staff, and local community partners hosting a Bring Back Our Girls rally at
The Orlando Sentinel covers the Institute’s Conflict Analysis Workshop on the Trayvon Martin Case. Read the full article here.
PJI hosts its first Valencia Night at the Islamic Society of Central Florida with 200 participants. Valencia’s Peace and Justice Initiative helped organize an educational
In partnership with the Orlando Global Peace Film Festival, Valencia College will present three movies spread across two days, Thursday, Sept. 20 and Friday, Sept.
