Since 1982, the Direct Action and Research Training Center (DART) has helped establish over 28 locally affiliated organizations in nine states and trained over 10,000 community leaders and 150 professional Community Organizers. DART is committed to building powerful, diverse, congregation-based and democratically-run organizations capable of winning justice on issues facing the community.
CAJM began in 2011 when a group of local clergy gathered together with the Director of DART to begin the process of establishing a justice organization in the Charleston area. In October of 2012, member congregations came together and voted to address the following issues: Schools/Education and Crime/Violence.
Over the years, we’ve invited officials to our Nehemiah Action assemblies and gained commitments for 280 more preschool slots, keeping kids out of jail for non-violent offenses, better schools, and protection for our workers and police accountability. At one Nehemiah Action, we won a school district wide commitment to implement Positive Behavioral Intervention and Supports and Restorative Practices to lower suspension and arrest rates and also raise academic achievement.
See Community Problems and Issue Campaigns for more details.
Each year, our membership grows, as more community members and congregations recognize the power in coming together to do justice. However you feel called to do justice, whether it is God’s call or your innate sense of fairness and compassion, please JOIN US!