Running from foreign lands attempting to cross the scorching sands that has been blazed before us,the terror and defeat that has solidified the footprints that we retrace (generational curses) to open the doors that feel as if they have been closed to us. Patiently moving at pace that keeps. us from weary. Never did I…
“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…
I tried to stop and think what it is like to be a black man in America. But suddenly I stopped and didn’t want to waste too much time on it ’cause I can’t afford to be late. See if I was a black man I probably have to get up earlier, to start working…
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…
Dear Satan, You were scoping me out since the day I was born. You killed my twin at 5 months. I was premature, and my mother was torn. ~~~ Dear Satan, You attacked me 1st thing at the beginning of my life. 5 pounds with a hernia and tongue tied. ~~~ Dear Satan, You took…
Right now to the world I’m intangible, so that means to most I’m unimportant, and that’s a selfishness on ones part. I’ve always heard that out of sight is out of mind, and now due to my situation I can clearly see that this is a true statement. Forget me, forget me not. Maybe, maybe…
Originally posted March 2019 I can’t hate you, for if I do I’d have to hate me I’m color blind for only through God’s love can I see I am a man of color they say; yet my family is of mixed race I have grandchildren that have blue eyes like you They share your…
Originally posted November 2018 Daddy dance with me, hold my hands and twirl me ’round Daddy dance with me, let me stand on your shoes so my feet don’t touch the ground Daddy dance with me, please just one more song Daddy dance with me, I don’t want to dance this dance alone Daddy can…
Originally posted April 2018 While I was an infant with an innocent smile, crying kept you up at night I was still mama’s child When I started school you said you were proud, when I played football you stood in the crowd Time past and many things changed; from school to the block is where…
I apologize for interrupting your life. There are important subjects I must, as a man, bring to your attention. This nation has been in a downward spiral for years. Understanding that we may have completely different views concerning the past, the present and the future of where we as a nation are headed, I am…
Originally posted April 2019 Red and white checkered table cloth covers the kitchen table. In front of me sits a bowl of oatmeal with sugar, butter and a dash of cold milk to cool off the hot meal. My grandmother set this table for me…. For all the women I’m close to–my nieces, sisters, aunties…
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…
Take me back to the place that I’ve never been Where she truly loved me and I was never without friends That place where reality always ends in smiles In the blink of an eye I was able to travel in miles Take me back to that place that has no pains or fears Yeah…
Originally posted March 2019 I find these truths to be self-evident. A child cannot continuously make the decisions a man would without creating chaotic consequences. This does not excuse the actions or the ignorance, yet confirms my explanations of the reasons for those actions. I seek not atonement from any sin I was guilty of.…
Originally posted July 2018 No one speaks loudly anymore of the continuous death tolls, the poor educational systems, the conditions of our ghettos. The number of males who have been bred to grace the walls of penitentiaries around this country has been ignored. We step in the monstrous feces that plague our culture, ignore the…
Originally posted September 2018 Hardship was the inheritance of my people. I come from a clan of warriors, where struggle and tribe is all that I know. With primitive weapons I fight to protect and provide for my people. . .Flash. .. In shackles, chained to my brothers, I cross the big waters, leaving the…
Originally posted January 2019 The essence of ignorance is dense It worsens when with stupidity we compliment Our failure to achieve starts with blaming society It stops when with our own actions we claim responsibility This is not that hard to swallow Motivation and a leader I sought to follow I searched high and low…
Exhausted from walking the same path, miles upon miles of the same road taking repeated steps Yearning for a break in Hell’s routine whether it is self-induced, or forced on by the demons that lord over us Impatiently awaiting a call from anyone that we love…anyone that we know, sending missive after missive, our regrets…
My tragedies are worth pained remembrance Chaotic situations that hold resemblance To miniature versions of old battle fields Persistent oppositions that refuse to yield Emotions expressed in the deadliest of ways Loneliness is absolute with the brighter days Casualties are countless being victims of the wrath Time is constantly accounted for, how long will it…
Originally posted May 2018 My daddy is da coolest dude I know. Him give me anything I want cause he sell rocks and snow. He buy me Tendo and K-box cause I a good boy But he leave wit him guns, he tell me they not toys When he eyes red, I scared but he…
Originally posted in September 2018 “Black male” as described here are the lower class Americans with “Minority Mind States”. This definition is adjusted to all men of lower class America that are unwittingly suffering from this complex. I, personally, do not blame others for our current circumstances in life. Yet, I would be a fool…
Originally posted in November of 2018 I had a dream that one day I took a Road Trip, for Good Times, to South Central. Me, Martin, Bernie Mac, Malcom and Eddie. We didn’t know Which way is Up? It was for sure to be a Thriller. We left on Friday, but stopped at Big Mammas’ House. You…
Lord I’m tired of crawling, teach me to Soar like an eagle Now I’m looking down at Sodom and Gomorrah Seeing white people bleeding black people. Why are these white people bleeding black people It’s genocide, and if the body’s a temple, why Smoke coming from their steeples They’re burning up from the inside, conditioned…
It hurts literally to look into the faces of the future and to know that for most, it’s the beginning of the end. Trapped, confined, imprisoned by ones own culture; we have no chance of release if we have nothing realistic to grasp on to. Hope isn’t enough to feed ones family, action-less faith has…
Originally posted in July of 2018 I told you I was weak, you insisted I was strong I knew I didn’t do it right, you said I couldn’t do it wrong I said I would die right here, you said shut up and breathe again I told you I was lonely, you said meet your…
Originally posted in January 2019 This is my eternal breathin Truth finds good root every season Time turns over we call that reapin From the Darkness there is light, this is pleasin You ain’t gotta have faith but you must believe in With a logical mind we call it reason That black man on top…
Originally posted in February of 2019 Vague ambitions exaggerated by claims of greatness. Exalting minute visions of fantasy to disguise the fears of reality, ruined identities. Grasping characteristics of studio role models. Generations defining success by the brand of shoes on their feet. Mothers’ burned souls kissing the glass idols of their religion; inhaling death,…
Originally posted in January of 2019 They found him swaying in the wind with his toes barely touching the ground. His face bloated from the hemp cutting into his neck. The smell of urine is strong where it stains the ground beneath him. With the thirteen loops, the noose was =(equal to) justice for one…
Originally posted in December of 2018 We are > (greater than) our circumstances. We are > (greater than) the disparities that have us at each other’s throats. This isn’t mathematical or maybe it should be to make more sense to you. If you do not recognize that having a negative perspective on life will lessen…
Originally posted in December of 2018 Do you think any less of what I say because I speak from behind bars? I’ve learned to wade through the river of the past atrocities done to my people. I now reek of the residual effects of slavery, lynching, Jim Crowism, and Affirmative Action. There have been nothing but casualties…
We couldn’t fix it when it was broken, where does this leave me When we yelled for liberation, they said we’d be set free Lies embedded into our culture making us easier to mold Generations of males behind bars, making it difficult for us to hold… On to our pride, our dignity, at vapor we…
Originally posted July 2018 Yeah, I’m tripping because this shit is too real Living through depression, poverty, with chaotic emotions how’d you feel If you great grandma was raped and stripped of pride Unknowingly leaving her future generations lost and blind Black faces misplaced, lost behind brick, steel and barbed fences Their foot on our…
Originally published in March of 2019 Before I was African, I was Black. Before I was black I was man. I lived to give my family, my people what was needed to survive. I fought for family and died for family. I woke early to hunt, to feed my people. I loved and made love…
Originally posted January 2019 I am a perpetrator of, a victim in cultural genocide. This is where many of my people linger attempting to savor the dying embers of a dream that slowly erodes into a nightmare. I am the living dead. Defeatism has breathed its rancid breath into this hollowed organ, extinguishing all hope…
I was given my fifteen minutes of fame Now compare it with these twenty-eight years of shame Living ghetto fabulous was hazardous; it’s called a crime Looking for freedom and liberation from this paused time Fossilized personalities, mentalities that want to grow Where fat lockers and pressed whites make the highest of the low Conforming…
Originally posted June 5, 2018 I’m wondering about these anonymous slaves With their anonymous faces and anonymous pains An anonymous struggle that some still fight today The same anonymous tortures with their calloused ways Anonymous scars that will never fade away Blood shed from anonymous victims, some would say We’re playing an anonymous game of give or take We’re…
Conditioned to be weapons of genocide Behind each trigger mechanism a genus hides Unconscious time bombs that are self-destructive Unstable volcanos that are very eruptive Elastic pulled too tight, but when will the tension break Our hostility for the enemy is towards our own for God’s sake Envy and greed directed towards our brothers’ success…
Originally posted June 2020 TuPac changed his message, then coincidently ended up dead When you awake a nation’s conscience they place a price on your head Dred Scott sued for his freedom and was heckled out the courtroom Yelling, “Nigger you remain a slave! Go back to picking cotton, coon!” Collin Kapernick was blackballed, for…
What do you see while looking at the above photo? After I read the article that was attached to this photo, I learned that Kevin Carter won a Pulitzer for this riveting picture and then committed suicide a year later. No one knows the fate of the little girl in the photo, just another victim…
Dispatcher: Attention all units, there has been a robbery committed on 55th and Grace Lane, be advised: suspect is a black male, dark sweater, and blue jeans. Hgt. 5-10 to 6 feet, estimated weight at 175-200 lbs. Between the ages of 18- and 25. Proceed with caution, suspect may be armed and dangerous. I repeat suspect may be…
As the fires rage across this nation revealing blatant evidence of the charred husk of ideologies that have marked inequality, social injustice, and racial disparities – exposing generations of genocide wrought on African Americans – I hear and see three words of desperation repeated by this nation: I Can’t Breathe. In three words George Floyd…
You know everyone remembers Malcolm X, Dr. King, Nelson Mandela, even Rosa Parks But who remembers the young brothers that lived in your hoods, walked your streets, and died alone in the dark If no one will remember them, then I guess it’s up to me So understand when I say R.I.P. This is for…
It’s been nearly two months now since the U.S. was stricken by the coronavirus pandemic and Americans have been forced to adjust to this new normal of isolation. Millions of children are sitting at home confused, worried, and terrified; parents are home, some wondering if they will have a job to return to if and…
Guest Post by DH Williams It all started out in 1981 I came out of the womb My father’s oldest son Born to the curse Lost to the world But now I’m reborn And been blessed by the Word Washed in the blood Healed by his spirit The truth speaks clear I thank God that…
Guest Post: DH Williams I turned 16 yrs. old in the county jail while facing the death penalty for murder, attempted murder, and aggravated robbery. My 3rd grade school principal wrote a statement saying that I was a “gang leader and violent treat to society.” And he hoped I was prosecuted to the full extent…
1.You have nothing to prove: You have nothing to prove to anyone, you’ve accepted the person that you are meant to be. Whoever you are, be that to the best of your ability. IF you are honest with yourself, secure in yourself, and have an understanding of self, then what do you have to prove?…
Isolation, solitude, the difference is one is forced and the other self-induced. Blinded by cultural norms, performing abnormal acts, substituting desires for needs, wants for necessity. Here violence is the answer to all problems. Lash out first or you become the victim of another person’s perpetual pains. Enveloped by chaos, finding order in the madness.…
Officials at Texas prisons and jails have been taking preventive measures in recent weeks in the hopes of avoiding an outbreak of the new coronavirus behind bars. Now, with the virus officially reported in lockups, their efforts also include containing its spread. On Tuesday, the first Texas prisoner tested positive for the virus. The next day,…
Prison Policy Initiative Discusses Safety in Prison Read the original article here. With jails considering major policy changes as part of the response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we’re seeing a troubling question from allies with a little less experience on criminal justice issues: Given that jails provide valuable social services, wouldn’t it be bad to…
The Prison Policy Initiative is tracking responses to the COVID-19 Pandemic. Prisons and jails are amplifiers of infectious diseases such as COVID-19, because the conditions that can keep diseases from spreading – such as social distancing – are nearly impossible to achieve in correctional facilities. So what should criminal justice agencies be doing to protect public health?…
Can you appreciate the arguments, the great conversations that we’ve shared? This is where I learned to respect your respectability, to better understand the misunderstandings and conceive the misconceptions that matured you into you. The peace like the chaos rose and set as the sun, lasting the appropriate hours for each day. Now do you…
I do not understand the rich and famous. I do not understand wealth and prestige. I do understand the determined and the suffering of those constantly on their knees. I cannot clearly see the sunshine nor do I remember the twinkle of the stars. I have visions that are incomplete. I have destinations that seem…
80 years old, a story that she has not yet told, With sharp wit she finds reasons to still smile Daring the world to test her faith, her patience In her shoes you wouldn’t last a city mile. Grey river waves crown her lovely head as she Sways listening to her son sing his song…
The first thing I noticed, she rocked some luscious locks, I’m a respectful man so glare I would not. But if she’d ask, I’ll tell you everything. Flawless caramel skin to compliment an even sweeter disposition, a God fearing woman learning to stand in her spiritual position. Say it and I’ll tell you everything. She…
Well, I am Brandon Walker and I am locked up for killing someone. And this is my life story. I grew up in Dallas in the ’80s, so I seen a lot of things I shouldn’t have. But anyway my momma took us and moved to California to get away from our family. But, in…
“You can do anything you put your mind to.” From the beginning of my life, this mantra was spoken to me by my mother. My mother was my greatest cheerleader, friend, and helper until…fourth grade. While attending L.O. Kimberly in Atlanta, Georgia, I met Stacy Gilbert. From that point forward, being in a relationship with…
The Trump administration awarded billions of dollars in contracts for private companies to operate immigration detention centers in California — just before a new state law takes effect to prohibit them. Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill in October to ban contracts for for-profit prisons starting Jan. 1. Supporters hoped the law would force U.S.…
They climbed the walls, threw food, joined gangs and beat each other up. Some said they were sexually victimized, and others refused to leave their cells out of fear. At one lockup, teens challenged visiting officials to a fight. At another, a suicidal boy tried to hang himself twice in roughly an hour before the…
GATESVILLE, Texas — Every month, Lila Edwards wakes up early for a two-hour road trip with a group of girls that ends with them walking single file through a metal detector. Inside an empty classroom, Lila eagerly and anxiously awaits Inmate 01740964. When the inmate, a woman serving a 40-year sentence for murder, walked in…
Kentucky and New Jersey both expanded voting rights for convicted felons this past month. Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear (D) issued an executive order on December 12 which allows individuals convicted of certain felonies to regain the right to vote upon completion of sentence, including prison time, probation, and parole. Rights are restored at that time…
For as long as I can remember, I’ve pestered God with questions of why? “Why this Lord? Why that God?” It’s as if the more answers I received I was left with even more questions to ask. I went so far as to coin the term “infinite why.” It just seemed to me that the…
When you think of the word choice, what comes to mind? Change, pain, sacrifice, jail, family are just a couple of things that come to my mind. Life’s all about choices. Good or bad you gotta make them. If you had a homeboy/childhood friend out in the streets thuggin all his life and getting money…
“You ain’t going to school today?” asked my granny early one morning. She had showed up with the intentions of taking me to find a job. I responded saying that I was taking the day off. Knowing I hadn’t been to barber college in over a month. “Do you still want me to take you…
What should a man do when he’s trying to be someone better, cause I am dying to know… See I always thought being a man meant getting money, so when that was the case I was dying for more… But now I see something different. Vividly… Now I am seeing the same thing I was…
Staring at my reflection Seeking a revelation Contemplating redemption Lacking recognition The truth without hope is still true Inextinguishable spirit A hardened heart fights through it Triumph and love Knife’s edge abyss Ashes and dust In defiance of existence Profound emptiness The terror and beauty of life We give thanks for these Even the pain…
Locked up at an early age locked up at thirteen on a robbery case Been a lost cause since a juvenile Lost momma at seventeen so it’s hard to smile In pursuit of happiness it’s been awhile I lost a lot of friends cause they lost at trial No dad to raise a daughter, her…
This is suppose to be the Land of Liberty All I witness is poverty, got a hoodie on so police follow me They put blacks in the hood, then dump crack in the hood Force us to live on welfare and can goods In need of cash now so kiss a legal career good bye…
This is a love poem for my mother who is at home Where she eagerly waits until I finish reaping what I’ve sown And yes we have established that her eyes are hazel and green But there’s something if you look closely that I know you will not see It hurts me to say but…
I didn’t mention that I have been a peer-educator for the Cognitive Intervention Program the past four years. People do not realize the wealth of understanding and wisdom found in the institutions around this country. Well I’ve tapped into this rich source to assist me in finding different avenues to changing a person’s Circumstance. I…
We struggled through life just to get rags and hustled hard just for riches. Damn! The things we’ll do just to put a dollar in our britches Quick to call women bitches just cause we receiving disses. Listen When the check clears, get your money, well here’s a reality check But I am gangsta it…
There was this one that bloomed she noticed amongst the others. It stood firm on its stem, attractive to the sunlight, likewise, an appealing sight to see. Captivating even. Mother Nature blew softly over for a closer observation of this oh-so rare creation. Its perfect corolla resembled no other, bright, and even fragrant. Each blade…
Finally got the patience to pave the way for future generations Instead of promoting hatred in the form of “racism” Let me give you the game and the rules that come with it Survival of the fittest made by those with cruel intentions Not asking permission to partake on a God-given mission Dreams and visions…
“A friend loves at all times….”-Prov. 17-17 We mostly come from a place where fathers are usually quiet, if not completely absent. Our first true friendships are cultivated with that one woman in our lives who constantly demonstrates love. For some, they are mamma, granny, or aunty. For others, it’s Moochie, Brenda or Magic. These…
Walk from here to Japan Move mountains with my hands Blow the clouds away from the sun Take a breath, I’m not done To please you Empty the ocean using a spoon Show you clear nights with a full moon Bring you a star that you could reach Keeping you safe and warm as you…
Strength is more than a word confined to abstract ideologies. Strength is the manifestation of ones’ will to traverse adversity with responsibility and concise decorum. Strength is lending stability to those who lack the fortitude to act when action is demanded. Strength is having discipline over emotions and not allowing self to become blinded by…
“Yo! D’Money!” “What’s up Uncle James?” “I need your help, I’m trying to write something for you and your peers.” “Uncle James, don’t waste your time. They don’t listen to nobody unless you have something they want.” “What so you mean, D?” “Uncle James, look, they don’t care. They don’t value anything at all. We…
This is who we are fighting for: the divine rights of happiness and hope for the next generation. A friend, Brett, asked me basically, “What is the ‘end’ Enoch? What is the purpose of your message?” Well this is it: I write for our children’s happiness, to preserve their innocence, and to give them a better quality of life. We…
Selfish me, I want my own personal world, so that I can hold her close I want to be responsible as a man so this world can really know Selfish me, I want to be proud of my works and accomplish epic goals I don’t want to argue my points of view; I care less…
So many of us are determined to be less than who we are How do thugs become role models and aspirations seem afar Why do our visions appear incomplete Our voices low and attitudes meek We neglect understanding and underestimate neglect Squabbling amongst ourselves, over stupidity we demand respect Too much pride to grasp the…
Bonnie had five children, now two of them are dead. They passed away while Bonnie serves four concurrent life sentences. She has been incarcerated Since 1996. There is evidence in her case that would prove she is innocent of the crimes she’s being punished for, yet, besides her loved ones, who knows Bonnie’s story or…
One heart beat, two hearts; did you know that this could exist? I’m sitting here wondering why I breathe when you breathe. Why we are constantly on each others’ mind? It gives me hope and inspiration to know that we stay in each other’s heart. One heart beat, two hearts; it’s a known fact that…
It walks, talks, and acts kind of absurd…have you heard Passion, passion ain’t just a word It’s a thin line between love and hate Passion is that word that makes love abate I took some time to realize this Without passion, love couldn’t exist Cause passion, passion ain’t just a word With multiple personalities passion…
Have you ever loved someone, yet didn’t Understand what “love” really meant In all honesty it was the depth of her gaze And that shy smile that had my heart rent In the 8th grade I thought we were opposite in every way As a mature man, I now realize that was the first of…
I witnessed you wobbling on unsteady feet I remember your first utterances, the first words you’d speak My Swan Diving I remember when you said, “Daddy I can swim too” I remember thinking; she’s half mermaid, when you touched the swimming pool My Swan Diving Do you remember the first swim meet that you won…
She lived her life as if it was a curse Birthing slaves from east to west or from under her skirt This was after La Amistad, so shipping slaves was illegal Her mind was conditioned, she’d enslave her own people They built her sleek and strong for she can travel with speed Prostituting her dignity,…
Are You Listening I loved nothing more than to tumble, stretch and do flips Are you listening, the doctor said that he needed to examine my hips Where he touched me made me scared and uncomfortable with undeserved shame Are you listening, I didn’t know, so I trusted him, remaining quiet in my pain Me…
With an empty stare she gracefully glides to center stage. With the rhythm of the music fueling her motions, she attaches herself to the pole. Drenched in self-loathing, she removes her bikini top, exposing more than just flesh. Her values and dignity have been placed on display. This is how she earns the income to…
Imagine not seeing your mother in the flesh since you were seven yrs. old I was lost being the oldest, a young Mexican in a world that seemed so cold I found my manhood while running the streets with real thugs I thought I knew loyalty, the only love were Abuela Maria’s hugs Even those…
When I look at you with yearning, it’s more than me being a fan I love what I see and not being superficial, I’m really just a man Imagining you gliding towards me with the swaying of your hips I am mesmerized by the gentle rocking, my reality has just slipped From the slimness of…
Reassuring, comfortable is the weight lying on my chest Without disrupting our tranquility I touch the soft cheek where it rest The smell of an infant’s meal comes with each breath you take I feel your warm saliva spill where it’ll form its own lake Large hands for one so small, what unwarranted burdens will…
Are you Christian? Does it matter, these children are hungry help me feed them. Are you Muslim? I said, it doesn’t matter, these children are malnourished, they are starving, help me feed them correctly. Are you a democrat? Does it really matter? These children are lost help me lead them. Are you a republican? It…
It is strange that as a culture we no longer find it disdainful for this ghetto mentality to be representative of us. While surviving oppression we adapted to the circumstances forced onto us. In this adaptation we became too familiar with the streets, too familiar with drugs and crime. Our perspectives grew distorted and perverse,…
To all of my daughters, nieces, little sisters and young home girls, this is your collective love letter. My niece, JaLynn, asked me to explain the importance of girls loving themselves. So, here I am attempting to give you the truth of who you are and who you one day will become. First, I need…
A “good man” never beat his wife. He didn’t bring his dirt from the streets to his own front door. A good man didn’t talk about God or salvation with his children. He worked his salvation as an example. A good man didn‘t get high around his children nor allow them to see him too…
To me her position in life has always been uncertain, even though she was always in the perfect position to learn from others mistakes. She made her own mistakes. Her environment helped to mature her in ways that only women from the ghettos of America can relate to. Seeing her sisters’ pregnancies, abusive relationships, misrepresentations…
For the past sixteen (16) years, prison has been one of brick and steel. I was incarcerated in 2001 for aggravated robbery. At thirty-six (36) years old I have been imprisoned for most of my life. Yet, these past two years I’ve learned to live life while confined. I have learned that my incarceration began…
The most important step in a person’s life is the next step, so come walk with me. I’m talking to you with that pistol in your hand and that hurt in your heart, put it down and walk with me. We’ll do this together, we’ll deal with the pain. You with that dope in your…
Come one, come all, you and you, walk with me. Come, it’s time to remove your shackles, blinders and bondages. It’s time to walk into a better America and do better by each other and for each other. It’s time to grow beyond our ignorance, biases, hatred and superstitions. Walk with me beyond preconceived notions…
If you rent dope fiend rentals, you‘re ghetto If you hit licks in dope fiend rentals, you‘re ghetto If you‘ve ever had illegal cable, you‘re ghetto If you get electricity from your neighbors by extension cord, you‘re ghetto If your name is the name of a car, day of the week, or liquor, you‘re ghetto…
If God gave me the power to turn back the hands of time We’d venture to a place, where your brothers, fathers, and lovers weren’t confined Place positive role models at the head of your home Can I take away the tears you shed while you’re alone I’d restore your confidence and strengthen your pride…
Have you ever realized that there was more to every woman in life? Whether it is your grandmother, mother, aunt, sister, daughter, niece or significant other; there seems to be more to her than we truly understand. Fundamentally we believe that we know or understand this woman, but how can we, when there is another…
I want to fall on this side of Grace When I fall again because I know I will Being life is composed of chaos and confusion, so peace be still I’d rather fall on this side of grace Than to wallow in the refuse of my past Where it was dark, it didn’t seem as…
THE OTHER SIDE OF GRACE The other side of Grace This is where the living-dead reside Where I claimed I couldn’t see, behind closed eyes The other side of Grace This is where I glorified, my sinful ways I remember blaming God for the struggles of my days The other side of Grace When I…
If I could have anything in this world it would definitely be the ability to properly use knowledge, wisdom and understanding. With the proper use or one characteristic the application of the other two qualities should come easier, if that’s what I truly tend to pursue. These gifts from God, not only will I become…
We as a people are in a very bad place, when our culture is founded on lies. We will readily accept lies, seek out lies, and even live within lies. We feed lies to our spouses, our children, and friends. We share lies with our music and art. We internalize “His-Story”, as history and live…
