Matthew Perry | Class of 2011

High School: Maggie L. Walker Governor’s School for Government and International Studies

College: Studied Social and Cultural Analysis at New York University

Current Location: Richmond, VA

 

Tell us about what you’re doing professionally these days.

I am a co-Director of the Richmond Community Bail Fund (RCBF), a nonprofit organization I helped found in 2017. RCBF aims to eliminate pretrial detention—the practice of incarcerating people before they’ve received a trial—through two methods: posting bail for people who cannot afford to do so themselves and assisting the ongoing movement to replace Richmond’s pretrial detention system with a system oriented around transformative justice.

 

What has that journey been like?

My journey started back in 2015, when I read an article in the New York Times explaining what cash bail was and how it disproportionately harmed low-income African-American communities. Outraged at the information that our country locks people in cages before they’ve even been found guilty, I started volunteering with a community bail fund in the Bronx, interned with them the summer after my freshman year of college, and then began seeking out people in Richmond who wanted to build a similar organization in Richmond. In the spring of 2017, myself and four other Richmonders launched RCBF. Since then, we have raised $80,000 from individual donations, and posted bail for over 50 people.

 

What skills or knowledge did you learn at Seven Hills that has helped you along the way?

Seven Hills taught me to think critically about the world around me, and helped me realize the moral importance of public service. Thanks in large part to Seven Hills, I know that knowledge isn’t just something you study—it’s also what empowers you to take action.

 

What is your favorite memory from Seven Hills?

Every Little Caesar’s hot lunch I ate at River Day.

 

What advice would you give to today’s Seven Hills boys?

If you want to make a positive difference in the world, identify something you’re passionate about changing, research the work currently being done in that area, then get involved! If you come across an organization whose work you’re interested in supporting, send them an email introducing yourself and make an offer to volunteer—it’s the best way to get your foot in the door.

At the same time, you shouldn’t give yourself the pressure of figuring out a career in middle school! It’s great to get involved with the world around you, but no one expects you to know your career at this point, and even if you think you do, it’ll probably change by the time you have to choose. So just stay loose, engage with the things that interest and excite you, and do your best to live in—and enjoy—the moment.

 

To learn more about the Richmond Community Bail Fund and support their work, please visit their website at www.rvabailfund.org.