We are the ones we have been waiting for.
— June Jordan, Poem for South African Women
The Town Project envisions a community where all members have access to opportunities, educational services, resources, and relationships needed to actualize their full potential.
The Town Project believes that liberation, social justice, and human rights are fully actualized when communities work creatively and collaboratively.
The Town Project is dedicated to creating a just and equitable society through the pursuit of social and restorative justice.
We strive to empower marginalized communities, foster inclusivity, and advocate for systemic change. By promoting education, awareness, and dialogue, we aim to challenge oppressive systems, address inequities, and restore balance in our society.
The Town Project originally formed in 2019 as the result of Dr. Sherry’s increasing concerns around gentrification and the housing crisis in Oakland, CA. Having moved to the Bay Area from San Diego in the 1990s, she had seen these disparities for decades, watching them become progressively worse over time and heightening during the COVID pandemic. To address these concerns, Dr. Sherry founded The Town Project.
However, life happened, and she obtained full-time employment, eventually becoming the School Services Director for SEEDS Conflict Resolution Center in Berkeley, CA. Within this position, she was finally able to utilize her educational research and teaching experience to support public/private schools, school districts, and institutions of higher education in embodying restorative justice practices and transformative conflict mediation.
When SEEDS phased out their School Services division in June of 2023, Dr. Sherry and many of the School Services practitioners felt a strong obligation to continue this incredibly important work. Hence, the Town Project was reborn with a new mission and vision. The Town Project’s immediate goal is to support educational institutions in embodying restorative practices, to address the systemic oppression that disproportionately impacts communities of color, and to promote societal healing and transformative solutions to conflict.