Chicago Torture Justice Center – Bearing Witness, Moving Together
On May 18th, 2025, the Moving Rasa team had the profound honor of visiting the Chicago Torture Justice Center (CTJC)—a space built through struggle, sustained by love, and rooted in the ongoing fight for Black liberation and justice for those impacted by state violence.
We were welcomed with deep care by La Tanya and Jamila, CTJC staff members and leaders in the movement. From the moment we entered, we felt embraced: a table full of snacks, wide couches arranged in a circle, handwritten banners of solidarity lining the walls. It felt more like a living room than an office—exactly as it should.
A Sacred Space for Justice-Impacted People
CTJC is more than an organization—it’s the result of decades of organizing by Black communities in Chicago. It’s part of the historic reparations ordinance that recognized and sought justice for survivors of police torture at the hands of the Chicago Police Department.
Inside, we were led past an altar filled with images of Black martyrs. The hallway was lined with 100 black banners—each one carrying the name of a person impacted by torture. This was not a display. It was more than a memorial—it was a sacred passage. Each step toward it was deliberate, reverent, and humbling. We could feel the weight of thousands—those pictured, those named, and the countless unnamed—surrounding and guiding us.
Community, Care, and Courage
After the tour, we gathered in a circle to share and move together. Facilitated and guided by Moving Rasa practices, we asked:
What is the heart work you are doing in the world right now?
What emerged was beautiful. One person spoke of guiding Black women into joy and sensuality through movement. Another shared about curating experiences for justice-impacted women to reconnect with their humanity.
We heard about organizing around ICE, centering spirit in Muslim women’s healing, and practicing movement not as performance—but as care.
No performances. No hierarchies. Just presence, witness, and collective breath.
Movement as Prayer, Movement as Protest
We facilitated a movement session and held space as the energy in the room deepened. There were no sharp transitions—just a soft unfolding. We supported one another with body contact, shared weight, sound, and rhythm.
It became clear that this work is more than trauma-informed. It’s trauma-transformed.
CTJC’s leadership models what it means to be grounded in both political clarity and emotional integrity—to fight for justice without forgetting joy, to build futures without erasing the past.
A Living Ecosystem of Resistance
CTJC doesn’t just memorialize harm—it organizes for transformation.
They provide:
Trauma-informed healing rooted in Black traditions.
Organizing space for justice-impacted people.
Education and training to dismantle carceral systems.
Political formation for the long haul.
Their work is unapologetically Black-led, survivor-centered, and relational at its core.
What We’re Carrying Forward
We left CTJC inspired, grounded, and humbled. We saw what becomes possible when people build with care, lead with culture, and resist with love.
We’re deeply grateful to La Tanya, Jamila, and their movement mentor for opening their hearts to us, and for modeling leadership on their own terms. CTJC isn’t just a center—it’s a vision.
May we all deepen our heart work in their honor. May we follow their lead in building movements that are both fierce and full of life.