ABOUT FLOCC
The Faith Leaders of Color Coalition is an interfaith Black & Indigenous community dedicated to learning and supporting advocacy, legislation, and litigation that dismantles and abolishes the American Death Penalty system statewide and on the federal level.
The Faith Leaders of Color Coalition or (FLOCC) creates space for Black Indigenous People of Color to build community, take action and collaborate with movement leaders working to abolish the death penalty in the United States.


Joia Erin Thornton
Coalition Director, FLOCC
National Policy Strategist, Southern Center for Human Rights

Joia Erin Thornton is an avid civil rights advocate, writer, historian, and policy leader. Ms. Thornton has a unique hometown experience growing up in both Memphis, Tennessee, and New Orleans, Louisiana; two cities on the mighty Mississippi river riddled with class, race, and educational disparities, that have heavily impacted her passion and work toward the continued progression of civil and human rights.
Much of her work is dedicated to grasstops organizing, program implementation, and model design in state and national policy reform. She has recently moved into spaces that confront implicit and explicit bias in technological systems and/or artificial intelligence. In 2021, Joia launched the Faith Leaders of Color Coalition (FLOCC), a group of BIPOC faith leaders concerned about the use of the death penalty on a state and national level.
Ms. Thornton has a Bachelor of Arts from Louisiana State University in English and French and a Master of Public Administration-Policy & Legal Studies from the University of Memphis. Joia is the National Policy Strategist at The Southern Center for Human Rights in Atlanta Georgia.
Join the Movement
What we Do

ORGANIZING AN EVENT
Every faith leader has the ability to motivate others and inspire true change. By Organizing an Event, you become a crucial part of our movement by making sure our mission is heard and has a far-reaching, lasting impact.
There may be a FLOCC group near you, please reach out to us so we can connect you with organizers in your area.
Tool Kit
If you would like to organize in your community, we have tools to support you! Materials include; how to effectively engage with lawmakers, decoding legislative bills, interpreting and tracking litigation and creating your own digital advocacy campaigns.
