It's a slow-motion miracle

Dana Rachlin is the founder of NYC Together, a nonprofit youth organization that pairs police officers and minority youths in hopes of mending their tense relationship in what Rachlin calls "a slow-motion miracle."  Kids and officers work together on community projects, and do cooking and gardening together. Officers mentor kids, helping with homework and creating an opportunity for each to see the other in a different light.

                                                                                                                         NYC Together
Rachlin started NYC Together two years ago to fill an education gap that youths face in school, and in hopes of reaching kids before they get into the criminal justice system. "All of our young people are students who go to schools that are underserved, really segregated, and lack access to technology," she says. Her program also creates a safe space for painful conversations. "This is not like kumbaya," she says. "When Jordan Edwards was murdered in Texas, we had a program that day, and it was really meaningful for the young people and the officers to be able to engage in a conversation around 'How does this make you feel?  Students feel heard, and that's the most important thing."