Raj Jayadev

Raj Jayadev is the coordinator of Silicon Valley De-Bug, a community collective based in San Jose, CA, that uses community organizing and advocacy to fight for racial justice, economic justice, and ending incarceration and police violence. Through De-Bug’s work in supporting members targeted by the court system,  their “participatory defense” approach was created—a methodology for families whose loved ones are facing the criminal court system to impact the outcome of the case and transform the landscape of power in the courts through policy initiatives. After 11 years of implementing the practice in San Jose, De-Bug has gone on to train community organizations across the country to become participatory defense hubs. There is now a National Participatory Defense Network that De-Bug coordinates, which represents hubs from more than 30 cities. Jayadev’s community organizing and writings have been featured in the New York Times, The Atlantic, BBC, TIME Magazine and other media outlets. He is a MacArthur Fellow.