Raphah Institute

06/22/2026

...and we love having Da'maryious on our team. He us both a complete crack up and one of the most loving humans you'd ever meet. He has a deep passion for the people he serves and he serves them well. Thank you for your work Tennessee Higher Education Initiative.

Meet Da’maryious Dorsey, a proud Tennessee Higher Education Initiative (THEI) alumnus and graduate of Dyersburg State Community College who is turning his lived experience into purpose. Da’maryious has been open about his past and the challenges he has faced throughout his reentry journey, never shying away from the realities of the road he has walked.

While the journey has not been easy, he has continued to push forward, building a life that he is proud of. Today, he is using his voice and his experiences in a meaningful way through his work at the Raphah Institute in Nashville, where he supports and mentors young people facing many of the same challenges he once did.

Driven, focused, and deeply passionate about creating change, Da’maryious is committed to giving back and showing others what is possible. His story reflects resilience, honesty, and the power of using your past not as a limitation, but as a foundation for impact.

Want to help make this work possible? Consider a donation here: thei.org/donate

05/07/2026

This is beautiful community. Powerful voice. Healing!

We are honored to share our founders words as he takes another step toward justice.

“Standing Between Harm and Healing

This wasn’t just a speech.

This was me standing in the truth of my life.

On that screen behind me is my sister Jackie.
In front of me was a room full of people.
And in that moment, I was holding both sides of harm at the same time.

I’ve caused harm.
I’ve experienced harm.
And I’ve committed my life to healing it.

That’s not theory. That’s lived experience.

What I shared at the Raphah breakfast wasn’t just about loss…
It was about what happens after harm.

Because harm doesn’t end with a sentence.
It lives in families.
It lives in memory.
It lives in silence… unless we face it.

And I’ve learned this:

Healing doesn’t happen by avoiding truth.
It happens by stepping into it.

That’s why I believe in Transformative Justice.

Not because it sounds good.
But because I’ve lived what happens when healing is absent…
and I’ve experienced what becomes possible when it’s present.

This moment was about honoring Jackie.
Honoring the families.
And honoring the possibility that we can choose something different.

Something deeper.
Something honest.
Something that actually heals.

If we’re serious about justice…
we have to be serious about healing.”

04/09/2026

There is a difference between punishment and accountability.

Punishment isolates.
Accountability invites responsibility.
Healing invites change.

The research now affirms what many survivors have been saying for years: when they are given voice and real options, outcomes improve — for them and for public safety.

If we want safer communities, we must build systems that allow people to face what they’ve done, repair harm where possible, and be supported in transformation.

04/08/2026

At Raphah Institute, we walk alongside survivors — not to enroll them in a program, but to offer support for life. One possible pathway is Accountability & Repair Conferencing. But the core commitment is always the same:

Choice. Dignity. Healing. Community.

03/12/2026

Zoë is 🔥🔥🔥 Advocating for all

03/12/2026

📣 Power Summit Trainer Announcement! 📣

On March 14, Zoë⁩ Jamail will share tips for effective statewide advocacy, and Kynnedy Tuggle will bring it home to talk about how those strategies can help us win local issues in Memphis and Shelby County!

Don't miss out - save your spot today! bit.ly/MemPower2026

03/12/2026

📣 Power Summit Trainer Announcement! 📣

We hear the phrase "restorative justice" all the time, but what does it look like in practice? How can we use it to transform harm into lasting safety? You'll find out from Travis Claybrooks at the Power Summit on March 14!

Learn more about the Raphah Institute's work: https://www.raphah.org/

And RSVP for the Summit today! bit.ly/MemPower2026

03/08/2026

Join us!!!

📣 Power Summit Trainer Announcement! 📣

On March 14, Zoë⁩ Jamail will share tips for effective statewide advocacy, and Kynnedy Tuggle will bring it home to talk about how those strategies can help us win local issues in Memphis and Shelby County!

Don't miss out - save your spot today! bit.ly/MemPower2026

02/20/2026

Raphah Institute is honored to show up as a partner at the Mountaintop Co-Governance and Democracy Building Summit with Movement Committee (SMC) and the Lewis Center for Social Justice.

Travis will lead two Restorative Justice sessions focused on building durable safety through accountability, repair, and community stability—centering the needs and choices of harmed people and supporting real, meaningful repair.

Park Johnson Hall at Fisk University (Nashville)
Feb 27 (5–8 PM) + Feb 28 (10 AM–5 PM)

Register: https://ow.ly/qH3v50YiBYA