The Aswad Interview

Crime Survivors Speak

Aswad Thomas is a familiar voice in advocating for survivors–and a familiar voice on this podcast. But not everyone knows the profound journey that brought Aswad to be the National Director for Crime Survivors for Safety and Justice. In this episode, guest interviewer Jonathon Lewis flips the script to ask Aswad about his survivor story and path to leadership. From growing up in communities marked by crime and poverty, Aswad defied the odds as a straight-A student and the first in his family to graduate college. But shortly before he was to begin a professional international basketball career, Aswad’s life changed overnight when he became a victim of gun violence. While on the operating table, he learned the surgeon removing his bullets had previously operated on one of his teenage assailants, who had once been a victim as well. This realization catalyzed Aswad’s drive to disrupt the cycle of harm that left too many victims like himself without compensation or support of any kind after life-altering trauma. Aswad's story is one of resilience and reimagining justice, revealing how healing can become the impetus for sweeping change.