Who We Are

The New Justice Project MN is a Black-led organization dedicated to creating equitable job opportunities, advocating for housing justice, reimagining community safety, and building power amongst Black Minnesotans.


Our mission is to empower those directly affected by systemic racism and drive collective liberation. We build multi-racial, multi-generational, and multi-faith coalitions, collaborating with Brown, Indigenous, and immigrant organizations to achieve meaningful and transformative change.

NJP believes that the liberation of all people is tied to the liberation of Black people but understand to get there we must build multi-racial, multi-generational, multi-faith-based coalitions. We believe this to be the way to win. Marginalized communities are oppressed collectively so to combat that we must build and organize collectively, as we know the same systems that harm brown communities may look different but also harms the black and indigenous community. Our liberation, our past, our present, and our future are intrinsically tied together. We are in coalition with brown, indigenous, and immigrant organizations on most of our campaign work.

' The Squad '

ROD ADAMS: rod@newjusticeprojectmn.org
Executive Director/ Founder

MEL KOE: mel@newjusticeprojectmn.org
Organizing Director

NELLE RIVERS: nelle@newjusticeprojectmn.org

Community Organizer

RICH GORDON: rich@newjusticeprojectmn.org

Economic Justice Organizing Fellow

DAWN PERKINS: dawn@newjusticeprojectmn.org

Administrative Coordinator

SHAKIRA EDWARDS: shakirah@newjusticeprojectmn.org
Culture & Communications Manager