After years of championing equality in education—including an end to the US’s alarming school-to-prison pipeline—our founder John Legend wanted to focus even more energy on addressing the country’s flawed criminal legal system.

He founded freeamerica in 2014, launching with a national listening & learning tour where he met and learned from currently and formerly incarcerated individuals, their families, law enforcement, district attorneys, and advocates who are working every day towards reform.

Today freeamerica has expanded its work to proactively invest in communities disproportionately impacted by systemic racism. We are amplifying the conversation about mass incarceration and systemic injustices by building thriving communities to make lasting change.