865-297-3203
WHAT WE DO
At Community Defense of East Tennessee, we seek justice and equality in a system that is set up against marginalized people. We educate, support, and train the community in several aspects of social justice.
ENGAGE
the institutions, community, process, and participatory research.
EDUCATE
members with the equipment to understand and work through the process.
TRAIN
people to educate community members about injustices within the system while teaching
techniques on how to overcome them. Training in grassroots organizing and leadership as well as the Participatory Defense model.
SUPPORT
people to promote solidarity, community support, work with community member/family
through legal process, and other forms of support.
We believe in advocating for rehabilitation instead of incarceration and keeping families together, because we know if you lock one person up you lock the entire family up.
RESTORATIVE APPROACHES
rehabilitation, recovery, reintegration, and
transformation.
Doing this work exposes us to the holes in the system. We then try to rally around all the injustices we see to make a difference. It can be policy reform to police and DA accountability.