Fania Davis

Fania E. Davis is a leading national voice on restorative justice and a prominent figure in addressing the intersections of racial and restorative justice. She is a long-time social justice activist, civil rights trial attorney, author, educator, and scholar with a PhD in Indigenous Knowledge. Born into the crucible of the civil rights era in Birmingham, Alabama, Davis was profoundly influenced by the social upheavals of her youth, including the tragic loss of two close childhood friends in the 1963 Sunday School bombing. This experience cemented her lifelong dedication to social justice.

Davis's activism spans several decades across various movements including Civil Rights, Black liberation, women's, prisoners', peace, anti-racial violence, and anti-apartheid efforts. Her journey included an apprenticeship with African indigenous healers, deepening her commitment to healing justice. This path led her to establish the Restorative Justice for Oakland Youth (RJOY) and co-found the National Association of Community and Restorative Justice. Davis's impactful work continues to earn her numerous accolades such as the Ubuntu award for service to humanity, the Dennis Maloney Award for excellence in Youth Restorative Justice, World Trust's Healing Justice Award, the Black Feminist Shapeshifters and Waymakers’ Award, the Ella Jo Baker Human Rights Award, and the Ebony POWER 100 Award. Her global influence was recognized by the Los Angeles Times, which named her a New Civil Rights Leader of the 21st Century.

Currently residing in Oakland, CA., Davis engages widely on topics including school-based restorative justice, restorative justice to interrupt the racialized school-to-prison pipeline, mass incarceration, and a restorative justice-based truth and reconciliation process aimed at addressing historical injustices against African-Americans. Her approach also covers gender, community peace, and healing through restorative practices. A respected author, her notable works include the "Little Book of Race and Restorative Justice: Black Lives, Justice, and U.S. Social Transformation." Davis continues to inspire as a mother, grandmother, and a practitioner of dance, meditation, yoga, qigong, and African spirituality. Her recent participation as a Woodrow Wilson Visiting Scholar at Butler University marks another chapter in her illustrious career, where she not only shared her knowledge but actively engaged with the community through lectures and workshops.