Program Guest Speaker February 27th, 2023

On February 27th, thirteen members of the BUF BLM Action Ministry team welcomed Jason McGill as our guest speaker.  Jason is the ED of Northwest Youth Services, and hails from West Virginia.  As part of our Widening the Circle effort, Blaine police chief Donnell Tanksley and Restorative Community Coalition president Joy Gilfilen also joined the Zoom call.

Jason shared programming at NWYS, including the acquisition of a house in Ridgemont that will accommodate young adults.  Last year, over 400 homeless young people were first time participants in NWYS programs.  In all, Jason estimates there are over 1200 homeless youth in the area.

The conversation turned to the question of how the current justice system is not serving society.  Jason related the story of Portugal, which has invested considerably in preventative and rehabilitative services that reduce crime and keep individuals out of jail.  In comparison, the challenge of local reactionary policing was discussed, along with the incarceration system and continued argument over building a new jail for Whatcom County rather than investing in prevention.

Jason described his concept of Beloved Community following the teaching of Dr. King.  He also discussed allyship and promotes Dr. Cornell West’s concept of a Love Warrior.