Ohio People’s Justice Project, also known as People’ Justice Project or PJP, is a left-of-center racial activist organization in Ohio that advocates for a “revolutionary trajectory” within Ohio to advance lenient criminal justice policies and the left-wing principle of equity. PJP advocates against alleged instances of police brutality and is associated with the radical-left Community Movement Builders organization. ^{1 2 2}

History and Activities

Ohio People’s Justice Project was founded in either 2014 or 2015 by left-wing activists Aramis Sundiata and Tammy Fournier-Alsaada in central Ohio. The organization was founded in response to incidents in Ohio in which police officers responded by shooting African American men. PJP also claims that high-profile police-related deaths of African Americans like Eric Garner, Michael Brown, John Crawford, and Tamir Rice were examples of “countless assassination” that led “African (black) people” to “spontaneously revolt.” PJP argues that “black and brown people are disproportionately affected by state violence, mass criminalization, and incarceration” and that action is needed to “dismantle the deeply embedded systemic inequities in our state.” The goal of PJP at its founding was to build “an organization to house the energy of the African masses in Ohio in a revolutionary trajectory” in line with the “black revolution of the 60s.” ^{3 2 4}

PJP has three mission horizons: short-term, mid-term, and long term. In the short term, PJP desires to train activists and community organizers to continue civic engagement. In the mid-term, PJP desires to create “Alternatives to Police Emergency Response” and “Ending Cash Bail.” In the long term, PJP desires “transformational change” in Ohio based on the left-wing principle of “equity.” ²

Following the 2016 police shootings of Henry Green and Ty’re King, PJP called for the Columbus police chief to resign, the cessation of a police initiative that focused policing resources on high-crime neighborhoods, and the creation of a fund to help communities facing trauma from violence. In both the Henry Green and Ty’re Green cases, federal juries decided in favor of the police officers. ^{3 5 6}

In 2021, PJP created a membership graining class to mentor and coach social justice activists. The program is called the Relate, Organize, Act, and Reflect (ROAR) organizers training model. In 2023, PJP claimed to have trained 253 people through the ROAR program through workshops entitled “Organizing 101” and “Direct Action Training.” Also as of 2023, PJP intended to expand the RAOR training into a paid organizing fellowship. ^{3 1}

In PJP’s 2023 annual report, executive director Aramis Sundiata referred to readers as “comrades” and celebrated victory on Ohio Issue 1, which enshrined abortion access in the Ohio state constitution. ¹

Related Organizations

Juvenile Justice Coalition is a sister organization of Ohio People’s Justice Project. The executive director of Juvenile Justice Coalition, Aramis Sundiata, is the same as the executive director for PJP. The Juvenile Justice Coalition advocates to “dismantle the youth prison system” and create “alternative to youth incarceration in Ohio.” ^{3 4}

Other “movement partners” with PJP include ACLU Ohio, Black Freedom Collective, Black With No Chaser, Central Ohio Bail Fund, Columbus Police Accountability Project, Columbus Safety Collective, Community Movement Builders, Emancipate NC, Emergent Justice, Freedom BLOC, Ohio Families United Against Police Brutality (OFUPAC), Ohio Women’s Alliance, Pure Justice, Showing Up for Racial Justice, and the Ohio State University. ¹

People

The executive director of Ohio People’s Justice Project is Aramis Sundiata. Sundiata received a bachelor’s degree in African studies from Ohio State University where he researched global justice initiatives. In 2020, Sundiata became the executive director of the Juvenile Justice Coalition, a sister organization of PJP. ^{7 3}

Tammy Fournier-Alsaada is a co-founder of Ohio People’s Justice Project. Fournier-Alsaada also sat on the Columbus police chief’s advisory panel and the mayor’s Community Safety Advisory Commission. As of August 2024, Fournier-Alsaada was not listed on PJP’s website as a member of the staff or on the board of directors. ^{3 8}

The strategic director of Ohio People’s Justice Project is Emily Szerafy-Cox. Szerafy-Cox was previously a foundation officer for the Peace Development Fund and sat on the board of director for the Partnership for the Advancement of New Americans (PANA). ^{8 9}

The board of director for Ohio People’s Justice Project includes Rhiannon Carnes, Dawn Balgrove, and Brittany Gray. Carnes is also the co-founder and executive director of the Ohio Women’s Alliance and a self-described “Pro-Abortion” mom. Balgrove is the executive director of Emancipate NC, a left-of-center criminal justice policy organization. Gray is the founder of ComunniTEA and Black Girl Solutions. ^{8 10}

1. “2023 Annual Report.” Ohio PJP. Accessed August 9, 2024. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1mHOuvi8zvshQ5ZgSZgH0h4sJ3lfWZaoQ/view.
2. “About-PJP.” Ohio People’s Justice Project. Accessed August 9, 2024. https://www.ohiopjp.org/about-pjp.
3. Marbury, Donna. “People’s Justice Founders Gain a Seat at the Table.” Columbus Monthly. March 31, 2021. Accessed August 9, 2024. https://www.columbusmonthly.com/story/lifestyle/features/2021/03/31/peoples-justice-project-founders-gain-a-seat-table/4821867001/.
4. “Juvenile Justice System Ohio.” JJC Ohio. Accessed August 9, 2024. https://www.jjcohio.org/.
5. Walsh, Maeve. “Columbus officers found not liable in 2016 shooting death of Henry Green.” NBC 4i. April 26, 2022. Accessed August 9, 2024.
6. “Federal jury sides with Columbus police officer who shot Tyre King.”  10WBNS. January 26, 2023. Accessed August 9, 2024. https://www.10tv.com/article/news/local/jury-sides-with-columbus-police-officer-in-tyre-king-shooting/530-c1f1050b-f13d-4f68-bb6a-cf5098108d86.
7. People’s Justice Project. Facebook Post on December 18, 2020. Facebook. Accessed August 9, 2024. https://www.facebook.com/OhioPJP/posts/aramis-sundiata-is-a-social-justice-organizer-and-executive-director-of-the-colu/2795550947359122/.
8. “Ohio People’s Justice Project.” Ohio PJP. Accessed August 9, 2024. https://www.ohiopjp.org/
9. “Emily Szerafy-Cox (She/They).” LinkedIn. Accessed August 9, 2024. https://www.linkedin.com/in/emilyserafycox/.
10. “Rhiannon Carnes (She/Her).” LinkedIn. Accessed August 9, 2024. https://www.linkedin.com/in/rhiannon-carnes-476181312/.