A graduate of John Jay College of The City University of New York, Miguel Reyes, always wanted to be involved with Criminal Justice. Reyes instead went on to become an entrepreneur, supplying barber shops with products needed for their everyday operations.
One fateful day at a barber shop, in Reyes' hometown of Garfield, New Jersey, the news of the day concerned the young kid who was gunned down and murdered by police officers of Garfield, New Jersey. A barber's razor would not have cut Reyes as deeply as this devastating news. This was personal. Malik Williams lived down the street. He was only 19 years old.
Reyes spoke out that day at the barbershop, but he did not stop there. Reyes spoke to anyone and everyone who would listen about this grave injustice. What can be done about this? When will police brutality end? How can it end? These conversations turned into an organized movement to march in protest, in solidarity, and in defense of this senseless killing of a young black teenager.
The first protest, which was an organized march to the courthouse, was a success and the people of Garfield waited for justice. As they waited, the people of Garfield realized they needed more. There were other pressing issues concerning the people of Garfield such as dangerous levels of cancer causing chronium, cleaning up the hurricane stricken Jersey Shore, political control in the hands of nepotism, and so U.R.G.E.N.T. was formed. United Residents of Garfield Engaged in Neighborhood Transformation. URGENT became a watchdog organization, a place for residents of Garfield to come to with the concerns that face their community.
URGENT gained media attention and through the actions of URGENT The Malik Williams case garnished the attention it merited. The police officers faced a grand jury. The police department came under scrutiny. Most importantly, the memory of Malik Williams is preserved forever in the hearts and minds of the residents of Garfield.
Reyes hopes to address the many concerns affecting the residents of his community within his organization of URGENT. His hopes are to continue to hear the concerns of the community, to motivate the community, and to empower the community politically.
What started as a regular day at the barber shop became a sharp turn in Reyes' life and he has no intentions on turning back.
