About Families United For4 Justice Network
Families United 4 Justice Network is a collection of those families impacted by police murder. Established in 2014 initially, as a network of impacted families of police murder and families impacted by community violence., recently narrowed its focus to those families impacted by police violence. FU4J network is a network of families and family’s organizations from all over the United States dedicated to providing support and services to newly impacted families and family led organization seeking assistance in healing, organizing, demanding justice and working to redress the causes of unjustified police shooting. Currently, FU4J Network registration consists of more than 800 U.S. based impacted families and family led organizations. The majority of FU4J Network members are based in the United States and are mainly focused on criminal justice reform in the United States, but the Network also includes non-U.S. impacted families and family led organizations. The Network maintains a Domestic Board, and strongly encourage the development of sister networks across the world, such as United Families & Friends Campaign(UFFC), recognizing them as critically important partners in this work globally for police accountability and transparency.
Mission Statement:
Families United 4 Justice, (FU4J) is a Non-Profit 501c3 fiscally sponsored grassroots police accountability network. FU4J provides compassionate holistic care, support, and movement base building for police accountability and transparency.
Vision:
FU4J’s vision is to UNITE families impacted by police violence in the United States and beyond. Unity among the families is necessary in building a nationwide movement against police violence to eliminate extrajudicial police killing and change policing culture. Every case of police murder is important, but the amount of evidence exposing the violence, corruption, and negligence of the police, the courts, and our elected officials is undeniable when all of our loved ones’ cases are combined.
Our Motto
"Bonded By Blood"
"United In Love"
"United In Love"
Our Story
Enraged that their was no support for impacted families of police violence, on October 25, 2014, at the Eastside Art Alliance in Oakland California, Uncle Bobby X, uncle of police murder victim, Oscar Grant (killed by Bay Area Rapid Transit Agency police on January 1, 2009 of Oakland California), and his wife Beatrice X, under their organization, Love Not Blood Campaign, held one of many campaigns, titled The Cost of Injustice, to unite families from different parts of the country. The name Families United For4 Justice was established at this conference.
Cynthia Howell, niece of police violence victim Alberta Spruill (killed by NYPD in Harlem, NY, May 16, 2003), attended an October 22nd Coalition event in Greensboro, North Carolina in 2013, where she was not acknowledged as a family member of a police violence victim. When she brought this up to the organizers, they responded with, “police brutality affects everyone, not just family members.” Enraged, like Uncle Bobby X, she decided it was time to create a safe organizing space for families where they can organize collectively while comforting each other. In the Fall of 2014, with the aid of long-time family advocate, Nissa Tzun, Cynthia called for Families United 4 Justice initial meetings at the May Day Space, a convergence space for activists in Brooklyn, New York. The name Families United 4 Justice (FU4J) was decided upon democratically by several family members present at these meetings.
Cephus “Uncle Bobby X” Johnson and Cynthia Howell were featured panelists at a Force Trajectory Project presentation at the Allied Media Conference in 2015, where the collaboration to create a joint national Families United 4 Justice network began.
This collaboration led Uncle Bobby X and Cynthia to organize the first FU4J National Network Gathering Conference that took place at the Allied Media Conference hosted by Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan in June 2017. With hard work and the support of our vast community that stretches farther than the nation’s borders, we successfully raised enough donations that supported 50 family members impacted by police murder to attend; paying for their registration, travel, accommodations, and food.
This collaboration led Uncle Bobby X and Cynthia to organize the first FU4J National Network Gathering Conference that took place at the Allied Media Conference hosted by Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan in June 2017. With hard work and the support of our vast community that stretches farther than the nation’s borders, we successfully raised enough donations that supported 50 family members impacted by police murder to attend; paying for their registration, travel, accommodations, and food.
At our second self-organized conference we were joined by concerned citizens, community organizers, artists, legal services professionals, mental health care professionals and alternative healers, to collectively contribute to the discussion. Our experience was so fruitful that we have decided to expand our growth and network, and continue in the tradition of convening annually.
At our third self-organized conference , again we were joined by concerned citizens, community organizers, artists, legal services professionals, mental health care professionals and alternative healers, to collectively contribute to the discussion. Our experience was so fruitful that we have decided to expand our growth and network, and continue in the tradition of convening annually.
2017 Detroit - 57 IMPACTED FAMILIES IN ATTENDANCE.
2018 Oakland CA - 106 IMPACTED FAMILIES IN ATTENDANCE.
2019 Las Vegas NV - 175 IMPACTED FAMILIES IN ATTENDANCE.
2021 San Diego CA - 325 IMPACTED FAMILIES IN ATTENDANCE.
2022 Myrtle Beach SC - 222 IMPACTED FAMILIES IN ATTENDANCE.
