Dr. Dorothy Johnson-Speight, EdD, MHS, LPC | BIO

Dr. Dorothy Johnson Speight was born to be the mother of Khaaliq Jabbar Johnson but at the young age of 24 his life was taken from him, not by illness or accident, but by an act of violence over a parking space.  Grief-stricken and enraged by this senseless act, Dorothy channeled that energy into the founding of Mothers In Charge, a grass-roots organization dedicated to violence prevention, education and intervention.  Working with a small group of mothers dealing with similar circumstances, Dorothy envisioned an organization that would provide support to grieving families as well as awareness and education to the public in an effort to prevent others from enduring the pain of losing a loved one to an act of violence.

While addressing issues of violence prevention with many support programs, Mothers In Charge offers programming for men and women returning home from incarceration. This year brought back "Women Working For A Change", (WW4C) an evidenced based program for women recently released from Riverside Correction Facility. (RCF).  Mothers In Charge's mission is to help improve the quality of life for many men, women and families and work for safer communities in the City of Philadelphia.  

Recently, The Philadelphia Bar Association honored Dr. Dorothy Johnson-Speight. with the   Inaugural Honorable Frederica Massiah-Jackson Community Justice Engagement Award. This award honors the work of individuals or organizations that have succeeded in promoting justice in and for our communities and individuals before, during or after entry into the criminal justice system.