Ericka Huggins, the renowned former Black Panther, political prisoner, human rights activist — and educator, poet, and professor of Sociology and African American Studies at Merritt College in Oakland — has, for 35 years, advocated for "restorative justice" and the role of spiritual practice in sustaining activism and promoting social change. Grounded in her belief in the greatness of the human heart, Ericka says each one of us has the ability to look there for the answers to questions about the future of our world. Personal transformation is necessary to achieve social transformation.

Image: Ericka Huggins | Maarten de Boer/Getty Images Portraits