Phillip Atiba Goff

#JusticeNerd ™. President @policingequity. Prince ️. Philly . Professor. Email: president@policingequity.org

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Book Recommendations:

PA

Recommended by Phillip Atiba Goff

Just finished reading this outstanding new book from ⁦@socprofjones⁩. One of the best I’ve read on the social ecology of crime fighting and it’s consequences in Black neighborhoods. Highly recommended—especially for funders and academic activists! https://t.co/wUdHJ6G39K (from X)

In The Chosen Ones, sociologist and feminist scholar Nikki Jones shares the compelling story of a group of Black men living in San Francisco’s historically Black neighborhood, the Fillmore. Against all odds, these men work to atone for past crimes by reaching out to other Black men, young and old, with the hope of guiding them toward a better life. Yet despite their genuine efforts, they struggle to find a new place in their old neighborhood. With a poignant yet hopeful voice, Jones illustrates how neighborhood politics, everyday interactions with the police, and conservative Black gender ideologies shape the men’s ability to make good and forgive themselves—and how the double-edged sword of community shapes the work of redemption.