Jose Reyna

Jose Reyna is a formerly incarcerated community organizer, advocate, activist, and entrepreneur who was born and raised in Oakland, California. His passion for working with youth and his community stems from his own experiences as an at-risk youth, where he witnessed firsthand the challenges faced by marginalized communities. These experiences ignited his commitment to creating positive change.

Jose’s journey with CURYJ began when he was introduced to the organization through an ethnic studies class at Dewey Academy. It was there, at 17 years old, where he met the cofounders of CURYJ. However, his path took a difficult turn when he became incarcerated. During his time in the system, CURYJ played a pivotal role in his life, providing support through participatory defense and helping him remain in juvenile court. CURYJ continued to mentor him throughout his incarceration and connected him to their life coaching program, which had a lasting impact on his personal development.

Upon his release, Jose became part of CURYJ’s first Dream Beyond Bars cohort – a paid fellowship program for formerly incarcerated young adults – where he engaged in organizing, advocacy, and activism efforts aimed at empowering youth, holding police accountable, and improving the lives of incarcerated and formerly incarcerated individuals. After stepping away from CURYJ for a period of time to focus on personal growth, Jose returned to the organization as a Violence Interrupter, with a renewed sense of purpose and a stronger passion for his community. Driven by a deep commitment to saving lives and intervening in high-risk situations to prevent violence, Jose hopes to use his lived experience to inspire change and create opportunities for others to thrive. In his free time, Jose enjoys hiking, poetry, exercise, and music.