Dr. Talib Hudson

Talib Hudson, PhD is the Founder and Project Director of The New Hood.

As a community-based scholar and advocate, Talib is driven to promote public policy for the advancement of metropolitan Black communities. His grassroots community work began with Street Corner Resources, a community-based organization in Harlem. Under the leadership and mentorship of Founder and CEO Iesha Sekou, Talib organized public anti-violence demonstrations and coordinated community outreach efforts while pushing the issue of violence prevention into the local policy discourse.

Subsequently, Hudson took a position in the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, focusing on violence prevention and reentry for people who are formerly incarcerated. He rose to become the Deputy Director of the Community Partnerships Unit, where he led a team that worked with community members to prevent crime and enhance public safety. From there, he then joined the staff of the National Network for Safe Communities at John Jay College (NNSC). Starting as a Field Advisor for the Group Violence Intervention (GVI) at NNSC, Talib was later promoted to Associate Director, GVI, and now serves as Director of Research and Innovation. 

His passion for policy led him to the Community Justice Action Fund (CJAF), a nonprofit advocacy organization that builds power with and for communities of color to end gun violence. Talib was CJAF’s first Policy Director, writing the organization’s first model legislation to be introduced in a legislative body, and was part of a coalition that successfully fought to secure federal funding for community-based violence prevention. He then returned to NNSC to serve as Director of Special Projects, focusing on key organizational priorities.

Talib’s career in policy started in 2004 at the International Economic Development Council (IEDC) in Washington, D.C., where he served in a few roles, most notably as Legislative Affairs Associate. That experience introduced him to the halls of Congress and federal officials and showed him the impact that policy can have on neighborhoods across the country. 

A key component of Talib's story is his battle with clinical depression, which started during his undergraduate years at The George Washington University. Despite setbacks, he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in American Studies in 2004 with a minor in Africana Studies. He earned a master of science degree in Urban Policy Analysis and Management, a master of philosophy degree in Public and Urban Policy, and a doctorate in Public and Urban Policy, at The New School.

You can reach Talib at talib@thenewhood.org