OUR STORY

The Village Revival Project emerged out of Newark, New Jersey in 2020 after a pivotal moment made it clear that empathy could cure violence.

HOW it ALL STARTED…

During a community meeting, a resident's stark question about who cleans up traumatic scenes after neighborhood shootings laid bare the raw reality of urban violence.

For Alia Berry, a veteran community-based social worker of twenty years, was deeply disturbed by this topic of conversation but this moment also crystallized the disconnect between those who cause harm and those who live with its aftermath.

That evening marked a turning point.

Alia brought this resident’s concern to her therapeutic group - men who had perpetrated acts of violence which also would have left such scenes behind.

Their response proved transformative.

As they confronted the ripple effects of their actions through the eyes of everyday residents, one participant's admission cut to the heart of the issue:

“I never saw anyone or anything outside the violence I was engaged in. It’s like I had tunnel vision.

If I had seen everyone impacted, I may not have done it all. They don’t deserve that.”

Then, something else happened.

As the group discussed accountability and fostering empathy for the impacted community, the dialogue shifted to processing the first times they saw such evidence on the sidewalk when they were young children and it led to decisions and lifestyles they thought would keep them safe.

The dialogue revealed a critical insight: violence in urban communities operates as a closed circuit. Those who cause harm often carry deep childhood trauma from the same streets they later harm.

Without intervention, they perpetuate cycles of violence that create new trauma, spawning the next generation of harm-doers.

Meanwhile, the wider community bears witness but remains separated from any path to mutual understanding.

After two decades as an intermediary between these divided community groups, Alia recognized that traditional intervention methods weren't enough.

The Village Revival Project was founded on a radical premise: that art could bridge this divide where words often fail.

Creating structured spaces for both sides to engage directly, the project aims to break the cycle of community violence through genuine human connection and shared understanding.