Critical Resistance (CR)

CR has argued that “jails must be abolished,” ⁶ has called policing a “health hazard,” ⁷ and has claimed that policing has its roots in capturing runaway slaves. ⁸ CR works to reduce contact with law enforcement and has promoted a flyer which urges individuals to “Wait! Don’t call 911” when encountering a crisis moment. ⁹

Radical-left activist Angela Davis is one of the founding members of Critical Resistance. ¹⁰

History and Leadership

Critical Resistance was co-founded by radical-left activist Angela Davis in 1997 to organize a conference held in September 1998 challenging the United States prison system. ^{11 10} CR has supported the abolition of the “prison industrial complex” since its first meeting in 1998. ¹²

In 1999, Critical Resistance East was founded in Philadelphia. ¹ Organizers from California, Ohio, New Jersey, New York, Massachusetts, North Carolina, and Georgia helped form CR’s national organization in 2001. ¹³ In 2003, Critical Resistance South launched. ¹³

Jess Heaney is Critical Resistance’s director of development. ¹⁴ She has led the Stop the Injunctions Coalition campaign, which found policing “alternatives” in Oakland, California, which includes an anti-policing health workers cohort. She also organizes Stop Urban Shield, which opposes SWAT team training. She has been development director of CR since 2014. ^{15 16}

Activities and Funding

Critical Resistance is a radical agitation group which seeks to build an international movement to end criminal justice policies it calls the “prison industrial complex.” ¹⁴ CR has claimed policing has its roots in the capture of runaway slaves, ¹⁷ supports the defunding and abolition of police, ² and has called for mass releases of prisoners. ⁴

Critical Resistance is a part of the DefundPolice.org web resource, which is coordinated, housed, and staffed by the left-of-center Community Resource Hub. ¹⁸ CR has  called policing a “health hazard,” ⁷ opposes the deportation of illegal immigrants, and supports the elimination of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency. ^{19 20 3}

CR is involved with the anti-policing health workers cohort, which aims to reduce contact with law enforcement and to increase resistance to “every-day violence of police.” The group has promoted a flyer which urges individuals to “Wait! Don’t call 911” when encountering a crisis moment. ⁹

CR operates a Community Advisory Board with representatives from universities and nonprofit organizations who share its vision for addressing the prison system. ²¹ The group also organizes Stop Urban Shield, which opposes SWAT team training; pushes initiatives that oppose the expansion of prisons; organizes a prisoner mail program to write letters to incarcerated prisoners; ^{15 16 22} and produces toolkits, reports, and guides to support its policy ends. ²³

CR also publishes The Abolitionist newspaper  ²⁴ and hosts film screenings regarding the U.S. prison system. ²⁵ CR has chapters in Los Angeles, California; ²⁶ Oakland, California; ²⁷ Portland, Oregon; ²⁸ and New York, New York. ^{29 30 13}

The organization has also called former President Donald Trump a “racist, sexist, and Islamophobe.” ³¹

Anti-Israel Activities

In 2024, Critical Resistance, being granted $298,000, was one of several organizations that received grants from the Bafrayung Fund, a private foundation owned by Rachel Gelman, whose family runs the Levi Strauss company and is also a cousin to Rep. Dan Goldman (D-NY). The Bafrayung Fund receives its own funding from Gelman and the Morningstar Philanthropic Foundation charity started by Gelman’s parents that have previously donated to the Democratic Party while promoting American-Israel relations. ³²

Since the October 7, 2023 attacks against Israel by Hamas and the resulting war in Gaza, Critical Resistance has made several social media posts supporting and promoting anti-Israeli demonstrations and marches across the United States including several pro-Palestinian encampments on university campuses. In addition, members of the group have organized disruptive activities intended to shut down infrastructure including airports, bridges, and ports to advocate for a ceasefire in Gaza while accusing Israel of genocide. ³²

Funding

Critical Resistance receives funding from grants, individual contributions, and event program fees. In 2019, Critical Resistance reported revenue of $1,328,867 and expenses of $570,994. This is an increase from 2018, when CR reported $620,086 of revenue and $417,460 of expenses. ¹⁴

Individual donations to CR are routed through the left-of-center Network for Good ^{33 34} and encouraged as a ‘great way to help build the movement to abolish the prison industrial complex.” ³³ CR also sells a specialized Critical Resistance Edition of the left-of-center Education for Liberation Network’s Lessons in Liberation Textbook. ³⁵

CR has received financial support from events on feminism that featured CR co-founder and radical-left ideologist Angela Davis in 2022 ³⁶ and 2016. ³⁷

In 2020, CR received $11,250 from the McKenzie River Gathering Foundation. ³⁸ In 2019, CR received $50,000 from the California Community Foundation, ³⁹ $20,000 from the left-of-center New Venture Fund, ⁴⁰ and 45,000 from the San Francisco Foundation. ⁴¹ CR also received grants of $3,500 from Borealis Philanthropy  ⁴² and $5,000 from the Community Foundation of the Chattahoochee Valley in 2018. ⁴³ In 2017, CR received $25,000 from Proteus Fund, ⁴⁴ and $3,000 from the Ben & Jerry’s Foundation. ⁴⁵ The group also received a $25,000 grant from Craigslist Charitable Fund in 2015. ⁴⁶