Aswad Thomas, Chapter Development and Membership Director for Crime Survivors for Safety and Justice, was just 26 and about to head to Europe to play professional basketball. But days earlier, he suffered near-fatal gunshots as a bystander during a robbery, ending his basketball career. Aswad went on to to found Hartford Action, working to empower communities to change policy and improve relationships between the community and the justice system. Aswad is developing Crime Survivors for Safety and Justice Chapters in Alliance for Safety and Justice’s partner states. He is helping to expand our national network of crime survivors to include those most commonly affected by violence, including young men of color, and help elevate those voices in state and federal policymaking debates. Aswad received a Master’s of Social Work, with a concentration in Community Organizing and focused area of study in Urban Issues, from the University of Connecticut, and a B.A. in Business Management from Elms College.