Washington Courts: Press Release Detail

“The courage to create change and instill hope”; Minority and Justice Commission to Present Promise of Justice Award May 23 in Seattle

The Washington State Minority and Justice Commission (MJC) will present a special recognition May 23^rd in Seattle to Dominique Davis for his exceptional contributions to racial justice and equity in the state justice system. The Promise of Justice Award will be presented during a national conference exploring issues affecting racial and ethnic fairness in the courts.

Dominique Davis is the founder of Community Passageways, a non-profit agency in King County working on violence prevention, alternatives to incarceration, restorative justice, services to youth and racial parity issues. Davis also co-founded We Deliver Care, which works with persons who are homeless and Seattle businesses to provide de-escalation interventions and alternatives to policing.

“Dom Davis is an example of someone who has the courage to create change and to instill hope in all of us struggling to do better,” said Washington Supreme Court Justice Mary Yu, co-chair of the MJC.

“Dom’s voice has been invaluable in holding our legal system to the promise of justice for all,” added King County Superior Court Judge Veronica Galván, co-chair of the Commission.   

Davis will be presented the award at an evening, ticketed reception at the WOW Gallery at 6 p.m. in Seattle.  

The National Consortium on Racial and Ethnic Fairness in the Courts was co-founded in 1989 by the Washington State Minority and Justice Commission to explore the root causes of racial and ethnic bias and disparities in state judicial systems, and to highlights solutions. It has grown to include 37 states, and this 35^th annual conference will be the first time it has been hosted in Washington since 2008.

“Leaders from across the state and country are gathering in Seattle to explore how courts and those working in the legal system might better advance justice,” Justice Yu said. “A component of that exploration is inspiration, so the timing was perfect to recognize Mr. Davis’ work.”

                                                                                                                                                                                                                         The Washington State Minority and Justice Commission was established by the state Supreme Court in 1990 to determine whether racial and ethnic bias exists in the courts of Washington and to take creative steps to overcome and prevent them. The Commission grew out of a task force established in 1988 at the urging of state legislators.

CONTACT: Frank Thomas, Senior Court Program Analyst with the Washington State Minority and Justice Commission, (360) 704-5536, Frank.Thomas@courts.wa.gov;

Kelley Amburgey-Richardson, Administrative Manager for the Supreme Court Commissions, Kelley.Amburgey-Richardson@courts.wa.gov .