Fania
Davis

Details

Biography
Topics
African Americans
Civil Rights Movement
Education
Human Rights
Leadership
Prisons/Prison Industrial Complex/Police
Programs for High School Students
Racism/Racial Justice
Resiliency/Healing
Violence-Prevention, Conflict Resolution
Women & Feminism
Youth/Student Activism

Fania Davis, PhD, is a leading national voice on restorative justice. She is a long-time social justice activist, Civil Rights trial attorney, writer, restorative justice practitioner, and educator with a PhD in Indigenous Knowledge. Fania writes and speaks internationally on restorative justice, racial justice, truth processes, and indigeneity.

Fania came of age in Birmingham, Alabama, during the social ferment of the Civil Rights era. The murder of two close childhood friends in the 1963 bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church crystallized within Fania a passionate commitment to social transformation. For the next decades, she was active in the Civil Rights, Black liberation, women's, prisoners', peace, anti-racial violence, economic justice, and anti-apartheid movements. Studying with African Indigenous healers catalyzed Fania’s search for a healing justice, ultimately leading her to serve as Founding Director of Restorative Justice for Oakland Youth (RJOY) and Co-Founding Board Member of the National Association of Community and Restorative Justice (NACRJ).  

Her numerous honors include the Ubuntu Award for Service to Humanity, the Dennis Maloney Award for excellence in Youth Restorative Justice, the Black Feminist Shapeshifters and Waymakers’ Award, the Tikkun (Repair the World) Award, the Ella Jo Baker Human Rights Award, and the Ebony POWER 100 Award.  The Los Angeles Times named her a New Civil Rights Leader of the 21st Century.

Fania is the author of The Little Book of Race and Restorative Justice: Black Lives, Justice, and U.S. Social Transformation (2019) as well as a range of articles on restorative justice.
 

 
Testimonials
Fania was wonderful and the students, faculty and staff were all so happy to have her as part of the Dr MLK Jr convocation and found her very inspiring. Thank you for helping us organize this event!
- Lori N. Jones, Quick Center for the Arts, Fairfield University, Connecticut

“Captivating and activating!! Experienced- based wisdom and visionary!! Informative and inspirational!!'  These are just a few of the words that I use to describe the delivery and impact of Dr. Fania Davis’ public presentations. The magic that is generated whenever she speaks is palpable!!   As an academic administrator for close to 25 years, I have had the great fortune to be among many awe-inspiring speakers... and several wonderful ‘doers’.  Dr. Davis embodies the best of both. In language that is accessible to a wide range of audiences, Dr. Davis weaves together facts and personal stories as a  teacher-activist-spiritual leader.  Her eloquence, genuineness, and passion elicit the desire in all of us to be the very best we can be,  to join her in doing our part to create a more socially- just world. In sum, any time with Dr. Fania Davis is a gift that one treasures always."
- Darlyne Bailey, Ph.D., LISW, Professor and Dean Emeritus, Bryn Mawr College

“Thoughtful, captivating, and engaging. Fania Davis tackles issues that divide us in ways that are accessible and empowering to college communities.”
- Susan Schultz Huxman, President, Eastern Mennonite University

"Fania Davis is clearly a passionate voice for more restorative justice work in our communities, and eliminating the archaic zero-tolerance policies that still exist in most schools.   Her invigorating presentation was both intellectually and emotionally engaging.  She focuses on healing and providing substantive solutions for those experiencing trauma."
- Barbara C. Perez, President/CEO, YWCA Greater Cincinnati

"Dr. Fania Davis' visit to speak in our public colloquium series was a precious opportunity for the many students, faculty, alumni, and community members who attended.  Dr. Davis brings unique insights to our human family's contemporary quest for sustainable peace in light of her impressive accomplishments in the field of restorative justice, her deep acquaintance with traditional spiritual resources for peace practice, and her personal and professional journey to the path of healing and transformation.  We were touched by her warmth and grace and are grateful for her gifting us in her powerful presentation with such a wealth of wisdom and inspiration!" 
- Elizabeth R. Lee-Hood, PhD candidate, Harvard University, Research Associate, Religions and the Practice of Peace (RPP), Harvard Divinity School

"An international leader in the restorative justice and racial justice movements, Fania Davis is a profound thinker and deeply inspiring speaker.  Presenting at Harvard Law School, Ms. Davis challenged and energized her audience--and each individual she personally encountered--with her words and presence.  Ms. Davis has long fought to envision and enact more meaningful conceptions of justice, and she gains co-workers wherever she goes."
- Ross Brockway, Harvard Law School

"Dr. Davis, a world-renowned activist and scholar with her focus on restorative justice, who was actually with us for a week, made a lifelong impression on everyone who interacted with her, which included students, staff, faculty and also community members, with whom she engaged and taught valuable principles. She participated in an ACLU-sponsored panel, gave an outstanding keynote lecture, held office hours in our Diversity Center and conducted a workshop with key K-12 educators in the community. We truly valued the knowledge that she provided us and hope to build on what we learned from her presence just in that short time.

I highly recommend any institution or organization that is looking to learn more peaceful and sustainable ways of interacting and handling conflict to invite Dr. Fania Davis to come and speak and work with you. She is truly an expert on restorative justice, but additionally simply has an incredible life story that all need to hear."

 - Dr. Terri Jett, Associate Professor of Political Science and Special Assistant to the Provost for Diversity and Inclusivity, Butler University, Indianapolis, IN

Speeches
Racial Justice and Restorative Justice in a Time of Awakening, Repair, and Reimagining 

Interrupting the School to Prison Pipeline Through Restorative Justice

 
Restorative Justice's Promise: Helping Us Re-Invent What It Means to Be Human
 
 
 
Media