On the July 20, 2025 episode of Mic Check, host Mike Merli sits down with José Sandoval aka Abu-Reza, Bridgeport resident and member of the Bridgeport Islamic Community Center (BICC) community.
The program features Mike and José discussing the life of Percy Berry, as well as reflections from James Shaham, Hamza Seyal, Fernando Gonzalez, Zain Seyal, and Bisher Hiba, who all knew Percy and are heard here honoring and celebrating his life.
Percy was a beloved member of Bridgeport's Muslim community, as well as a Justice Adviser for the Connecticut Justice Alliance, which works to keep children and youth out of the legal system by disrupting and dismantling the pathways that funnel children and youth into courts and prisons.
Through that work, Percy spoke at the Connecticut state legislature, testified in hearings, and worked to help others in numerous ways. He played an important role behind the scenes that helped lead to SB 1542 being passed and signed into law. SB 1542 called for restricting the use of handcuffs and restraints on Connecticut kids age 14 and under.
More information on the Connecticut Justice Alliance can be found at:
https://ctja.org/
https://www.facebook.com/CTJusticeAlliance/
https://www.instagram.com/ctjusticealliance/
More information on the Bridgeport Islamic Community Center can be found at:
https://www.mybicc.org/
https://www.facebook.com/mybicc/
