Activist Donna Hylton fights for criminal justice reform after 27 years in prison

By Hannah Joy, TheGrio

Hylton, who experienced unimaginable childhood trauma, discusses the path that led her to found the organization, A Little Piece of Light.

Criminal justice and women’s rights advocate Donna Hylton was incarcerated for nearly three decades and now she is turning her pain into purpose. Today, she is on a mission to support women and girls who have been impacted by intersectional trauma that she is all too familiar with.

During her time in prison, Hylton started her pursuit of activism and worked hard to earn multiple degrees, including an associate’s and bachelor’s degree in Behavioral Science and a Master’s in English Literature. She shared how she made friends with a young woman named Helen who was sick at the time. That motivated Hylton to advocate for her and even went on to help open a long-term hospice care unit at the prison.

Hylton and her team have worked tirelessly to support girls and women, including transwomen who are often overlooked, by getting legislation passed, launching a housing initiative, sharing relevant resources and creating career opportunities.

Most recently, Hylton launched a new program in New York called ‘Lighting the Way: Elemental Leadership and Life Enrichment (ELLE) Initiative,’ which was created to “meet the short-term housing, wellness, education, and employment needs of the women it serves, especially those getting back on their feet after prison.” The initiative recently opened two homes in Brooklyn and Queens. 

Read the full story here.

Learn about another female African American activist here, or learn about the Civil Rights movements of the past here.

More Breaking News here.