“As long as the mind is enslaved, the body can never be free. Psychological freedom, a firm sense of self-esteem, is the most powerful weapon against the long night of physical slavery.” – Dr. Martin L. King J.R I want to thank GOD for all of the blessings, the lessons, the Mercy and Grace that…
For the past three decades a tragic confluence of factors, including the policies inspired by the now debunked “super-predator” theory, have wreaked havoc on children involved in the criminal justice system. Back in May 2017 a bipartisan group of advocates, including 5 Republican and 3 Democratic state legislators from across the country, joined together to…
In 2020, a decades-long American policy failure — mass incarceration — collided with a brand new American policy failure: the mismanagement of the COVID-19 pandemic. After decades of needlessly locking up ever more people in jails and prisons, state and federal lawmakers now faced a public health disaster if they were unable to decarcerate quickly.…
Despite a record number of new COVID-19 cases in prisons this month, some state departments of correction are already starting to roll back necessary suspensions of medical co-pays. Prior to the pandemic, most prison systems charged incarcerated people between $2 and $5 for each medical appointment — a fee that can make attaining medical care burdensome…
I am not asking for your best wine Nor a three course meal I’m accepting the Lord’s mercy, grace, and a love that seals… Fate, Unity, Life All in a cold cup of water I refuse hate, deceit, and unnecessary pain Humbly basking in joy, devotion, and a peace I claim… Reconciliation, Redemption, Freedom Through…
LORD GIVE ME Lord Give Me Joy so that I can share it Give me strength so troubled I can bear it Give me Light, Lord, so I can shine it A little knowledge so I might find it Then just a taste of comfort so knotted I untwine it LORD GIVE ME Lord give…
There is strength in being Black There is beauty in being Black There is responsibility in being Black There is joy in being Black There is knowledge in being Black There is hope in being Black There is truth in being Black There is history in being Black There is harmony in being Black There…
If I was a black woman I’d snap my neck and roll my eyes with a hand planted on my wide hips. With a pointed finger tipped with an acrylic nail I’d give you the attitude that has festered through years of degradation. If I was a black woman I’d tap my foot while I…
Any amount of time spent in solitary confinement increases the risk of death after release from prison, including deaths by suicide, homicide, and opioid overdose. by Andrea Fenster, October 13, 2020 A recently published study of people released from North Carolina prisons confirms what many have long suspected: solitary confinement increases the risk of premature death, even…
Bypassing the absent minded, Godless lost souls That falsely try to hold onto non-existing hope Empty vessels seeking to be filled with drama Power to create, produce, and extinguish life Oh, so precious, priceless, vulnerable and fragile Sensitive to verbs that define us as men, Black men Scorn, belittlement, degradation is what we serve our…