The thing about academic writing — those of you who’ve been in the trenches can surely attest — is that it’s a straight-up slog. (No offense, all you journal editors out there.) Important information, new research, and well-cited content can take months or years to see the light of day. In this case, I was invited to co-author a peer-reviewed piece in cooperation with Duke University for the journal Health Equity. My earlier professional background in the field of restorative justice was my ticket to join this whip-smart team. Shout outs to my co-authors who put in the sweat equity to make it happen. They walk the talk.