In this episode of the Crime Survivors Speak podcast, host Aswad Thomas sits down with Juan Pablo Chavez, Organizing Director at Crime Survivors Speak and a longtime community organizer whose work bridges faith, culture, and survivor-led advocacy.
Juan Pablo shares how surviving violence shaped his calling to justice work—and why so many survivors, particularly in Latino and immigrant communities, face layers of trauma, fear, and exclusion when seeking safety or support. Drawing on more than two decades of organizing at the neighborhood, state, and national levels, he reflects on what it means for survivors to become architects of healing, capable of transforming pain into collective power.
The conversation explores the role of faith in justice work, the importance of Trauma Recovery Centers, and why building relationships with lawmakers is essential to creating real public safety rooted in dignity, healing, and accountability. This episode is a powerful reminder that when survivors speak—and organize—change truly happens.
