Ideas are Bulletproof
Hey, Reader!
Between Juneteenth and the Fourth of July, conversations about American freedom are everywhere.
I remember the concept of freedom first being introduced to me through my Meet Addy American Girl books—the stories my parents bought me about an enslaved Black girl around my age who escaped to freedom with her family.
Around that same time, I watched the events of 9/11 unfold through the eyes of a child and was inundated with adults telling us that the attacks happened because others envied the freedoms Americans enjoy—that violence was simply the price we pay for liberty. Even then, that explanation never sat right with me.
And now, as we once again battle over the hard-fought freedoms my ancestors bled, protested, and died for—brother against brother, neighbor against neighbor—it doesn’t sit right with me now, either.
It is no coincidence that, by and large, those fighting for the freedoms we still have left—and being punished for doing so—are women.
From the women in the Prairieland protests demanding the release of their incarcerated neighbors from ICE detention camps; to the mothers testifying before Congress about the deaths of their babies and their own near-death experiences after four years without constitutionally protected reproductive rights in the wake of the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision; to a congresswoman dispatching an envoy to seek the release of a Texas nun detained on her way to church; to a small Mississippi town taking to the streets after a mother was forced to watch her baby take his final breaths in her arms following a police shooting allegedly sparked by the false belief that she had stolen diapers for him, American freedom feels as elusive today as it has in generations.
We are watching examples being made of women everywhere. Not simply to beat down dissent against the steady assault on our freedoms, but to extinguish hope. Because hope is the flame that keeps ideas alive.
And ideas are bulletproof.
Women have always stood at the forefront of every socially transformative movement in this country. The American Revolution. Emancipation. The civil rights movement. The feminist movement. Progress has never moved without us.
As we reflect on freedom this summer, no matter what unfolds before us, let us remember this: freedom has never been a solo pursuit. Our futures are intertwined. Our liberation is shared.
We must love one another, fight for one another, and endure for one another.
Love y’all.
G.
Fundraising
Woman 2Woman 2026
Thanks to our amazing TPF community around the nation we have raised $14,479.24 from nearly 100 donors for our 2026 fundraiser so far! Our goal is to reach $75,000. We are so grateful for the support you all have given us that keeps us going!
This is our long-running fundraiser and we hope to cross the finish line by New Year’s Eve.
Learn more and donate here: https://tpfwoman2woman2026.funraise.org/
Girl Code
New Month, New Facilities!!
When system-impacted women in need of free organic menstrual products reach out to TPF, we answer! We received requests for expansion of our Girl Code program from the Sheriff Al Cannon Detention Center in Charleston, SC and Metro Transitional Center in Atlanta, GA. ACDC received 2,034 menstrual products to serve 129 women. MTC is the first facility we will serve in the State of Georgia and we are happy to provide them with the supplies they need.
Program Stats To Date:
- 380,323 organic menstrual products provided to justice impacted women and girls
- 12,673 Women & Girls Helped
- 13 (Soon to be 14) Correctional and non-correctional residential facilities served
- 6 States (Soon to be 7) with Girl Code Partner Organizations and Facilities
Mother’s Day 365
Congratulations to Our June and July Winners!
In honor of the amazing women who have made a difference in our lives, The Thurman Perry Foundation will be providing housing payment relief in the form of direct giving to deserving moms year round!
Congratulations to the 7 winners of the June and July 2026 cycles of our MD365 program!
- Nicole M.
- Tiffany M.
- Evelyn H.
- Sofia J.
- Julia H.
- Karen G.
- Lataures E.
These women are the new residents of the A New Way of Life Reentry Organization’s recently opened North Carolina facility!
The Thurman Perry Foundation is proud to support ANWOL in our home state of Louisiana and decided to give the first residents of their new facility in NC a headstart at returning home by naming them our June and July winners for MD365.
Next MD365 Cycle Opens August 2nd!
Please note: We are not a rapid response organization and do not respond to individual emergency requests for rent assistance. Everyone must go through the application process equally and then must be chosen by the organization to receive housing assistance.
All upcoming cycles are only announced on our official social media, newsletter, and website.
To learn more and apply: https://thurmanperryfoundation.org/md365/
Program Stats To Date:
- $43,839 in funding awarded
- 88 Mothers in 22 states around the US
- 76% Parents of a minor child
- 23-72 Average age range
- 92% Charged with a felony
- 73% Identify as Black
- 13% Identify as Hispanic
The Perry ‘Second Chances’ Scholarship
Presenting the 2026 Class of The Perry ‘Second Chances’ Scholarship!
After months of open applications and weeks of careful examination and deliberation by our scholarship committee, we have chosen the 2026 winners of The Perry ‘Second Chances’ Scholarship. Congrats to Leslie B., Aniya P., April G., Ava S., and Dana D.!
Meet our 2026 class! https://theperryscholarship.org/awardees/
Program Stats To Date:
- $200,000 in Scholarships Awarded
- 58 Women and Girls around the US
- 22% Attend HBCUs
- 45% First Generation in College
- 8% Currently Incarcerated
- 15% Identify as LGBTQ+
What’s New at TPF
TPF Inks Grant For Dental Services for Recently Released Women
The Thurman Perry Foundation is proud to announce a new initiative at the FIT Clinic to support dental services for recently incarcerated women in Louisiana. The Formerly Incarcerated Transitions (FIT) Clinic program was founded in 2015 in partnership with Voice of the Experienced (VOTE) and the Prisoner to Patient (P2P) Initiative to eliminate healthcare disparities and achieve health equity among formerly incarcerated persons.
Our Foundation authorized an annual grant of $5,000 to the FIT Clinic to restore the smiles to those who have been impacted by incarceration. More information to come!
To learn more about the FIT Clinic: https://www.fitclinicnola.com/
To learn more about our Girl Code initiative: https://thurmanperryfoundation.org/girl-code/
Check Out Our Updated One Pager!
As we move through our 5th year doing the work of creating an equitable world for women and girls impacted by incarceration, we want to highlight all the amazing work TPF has done nationwide. Our new one pager is a fantastic way to learn more about what our organization does at a glance. Feel free to save and share it!
Foundation Impact
Program Beneficieries Located in 33 States Nationwide
Thank you for continuing to be such a strong part of our community this year. We are endlessly grateful for your support!
Sincerely,
Gabrielle A. Perry, MPH
The Thurman Perry Foundation Executive Director
The Thurman Perry Foundation Needs You
With 95% of those incarcerated destined to come home, The Thurman Perry Foundation is committed to ensuring successful reentry for women and girls through direct financial and educational support.
Help us change the lives of women & girls impacted by incarceration Nationwide by donating today!
Join Us On Our Social Media!
Founded in memory of late U.S. Army Master Sergeant Thurman Perry Jr., The Thurman Perry foundation was created by his daughter, Gabrielle Perry, MPH, to support women and girls impacted by incarceration. We are a 501c(3) nonprofit organization. EIN 86-2519876.
