United Justice Coalition & Roc Nation Announce First Wave of Speakers for 2026 UJC Summit at The Shed in NYC

Angela Rye, Charlamagne Tha God, Ari Melber, Dr. Michael Eric Dyson, Dr. Jelani Cobb, Jessica Jackson, Janine Yass, Topeka K. Sam, Judge Ginger Lerner-Wren, Tiffany Crutcher, Ph.D., Nicole Paultre Bell and More Confirmed for the Free, Day-Long United Justice Coalition Summit on October 17

Over 40 Exhibiting Charitable Organizations Across the U.S.

NEW YORK, Oct. 5, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The United Justice Coalition (UJC) and Roc Nation announced the first wave of confirmed speakers and panelists for the fourth-ever United Justice Coalition Summit, taking place Saturday, October 17, 2026, at The Shed in New York City. The free, public, day-long gathering will convene more than 1,000 attendees for conversations focused on actionable solutions to challenges within the criminal legal system and concrete ways communities can drive meaningful change.

The 2026 speaker lineup announced to date includes Angela Rye, founder and CEO of IMPACT Strategies; Jessica Jackson, CEO of REFORM Alliance; Charlamagne Tha God, co-host of "The Breakfast Club" and founder of the Mental Wealth Alliance; Ari Melber, host of The Beat with Ari on MS NOW; Founder & CEO of The Ladies of Hope Ministries, Topeka K. Sam, D.D. (Hon.), Janine Yass, Co-Founder of The Yass Prize; Dr. Michael Eric Dyson, distinguished professor of African American Studies at Vanderbilt University and New York Times best-selling author; Dr Jelani Cobb, award-winning writer, political analyst, and Dean of Columbia Journalism School, Judge Ginger Lerner-Wren, County Court Judge for the 17th Judicial Circuit of Florida and founder of Broward County Mental Health Court; Judge Victoria Pratt, former Chief Judge of Newark Municipal Court and founder of Pratt Lucien Consultants; Tiffany Crutcher, Ph.D., Co-Founder & Executive Director of the Terence Crutcher Foundation; Nicole Paultre Bell, social justice leader, author and founder of When It's Real, It's Forever Foundation; Wallace "Wallo" Peeples, Cultural Advisor & Entrepreneur; Dyjuan Tatro, Government Affairs and Development Associate at Bard Prison Initiative, Bard College; Duke Tanner, criminal justice reform advocate and presidential pardon recipient; Marcus Hodges, Interim Director of the Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency (CSOSA) and President of the American Probation and Parole Association; Dr. Jessica Clemons, MD, board-certified psychiatrist, mental health advocate, founder of Ask Dr. Jess and author of Be Well: A Guide to Better Mental Health for All; The Honorable Aramis N. Donell, Executive Director of Fair and Just Prosecution; Rachel Wright, National Policy Director of Right on Crime; Francis "Frankie" V. Guzman, Managing Director of Youth Justice & Equity, National Center for Youth Law; Lauren-Brooke Eisen, Author & Senior Director of the Brennan Center's Justice Program; Crystal Baker-Burr, Esq., Director, Education Project, The Bronx Defenders; Marcy Croft, Founder, MJ Legal, P.A.; Vellesiya Wiley, mother of baby Kohen Wiley, Michelle West, Justice Advocate, among others.

The Summit will feature spotlight conversations and panels bringing together policymakers, legal experts, advocates, educators, mental health professionals and people directly impacted by the justice system. Additional speakers, panelists, and programming for the 2026 UJC Summit will be announced in the coming days.

UJC will also feature an exhibition area where attendees can connect directly with over 40 organizations working across the country on criminal justice reform, education, reentry, policing, legal advocacy and other justice-related issues. Attendees will have the opportunity to learn more about these organizations, engage with their work, and identify concrete ways to take action in their communities.

The organizations confirmed to participate in the 2026 UJC Summit exhibition area to date include:

• Bard Prison Initiative
• Battered Women's Justice Project
• Center for Community Alternatives
• Center for Policing Equity
• Children of Promise
• Hour Children
• Hudson Link for Higher Education in Prison
• Innocence Project
• Just City Memphis
• National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)
• National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers
• The Osborne Association // Women with a Plan
• Quattrone Center for the Fair Administration of Justice at the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School
• REFORM Alliance
• Rehabilitation Through the Arts (RTA)
• Right On Crime
• Southern Coalition for Social Justice
• Terence Crutcher Foundation
• The Campaign for the Fair Sentencing of Youth
• The Center for Justice at Columbia University
• The Fortune Society
• The Gathering for Justice
• The Juror Project
• The Legal Aid Society
• The LOHM
• United Justice Coalition (UJC)
• United Way of NYC x Atlas Hope Initiative
• Until Freedom
• Voices from Within/Frederick Douglass Institute
• Youth Justice Network

Past UJC Summit speakers and participants have included Kristen Clarke, former Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights at the U.S. Department of Justice; Hakeem Jeffries, Minority Leader of the U.S. House of Representatives; Garlin Gilchrist, Lieutenant Governor of Michigan; Keith Ellison, Minnesota Attorney General; Letitia James, New York Attorney General; Dr. Bernice A. King, CEO of The Martin Luther King, Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change; Jessica Jackson, CEO of REFORM Alliance; Gregg Popovich, San Antonio Spurs coach; Michael Rubin, Fanatics CEO; Fat Joe, Grammy-nominated artist, entrepreneur and philanthropist; Yo Gotti, multiplatinum musician, record executive and entrepreneur; Scott Budnick, founder of the Anti-Recidivism Coalition; Michelle Miller, co-host of CBS Saturday Morning; Amna Nawaz, Chief Correspondent and Primary Substitute Anchor of PBS NewsHour; Soledad O'Brien; Dan Slepian; and many more.

The 2026 UJC Summit doors will open at 10 AM ET at The Shed in New York City. The event is free and open to the public. Additional information and registration details will be available at https://www.unitedjusticecoalition.com/.

About the United Justice Coalition
Formed in 2019 by Roc Nation's philanthropic and justice arm, Team Roc, the United Justice Coalition (UJC) is a think tank of experts representing various industries who share resources, information, and ideas to advance justice in the United States. Working across disciplines, UJC raises awareness of urgent justice issues and the need to reform the criminal legal system, supports on-the-ground advocates and justice organizations, and champions fair legislation and policy.
For more information, please visit https://www.unitedjusticecoalition.com/.

SOURCE United Justice Coalition