Trini is a young woman who participates in Prison Writes writing workshops through Bronxconnect. For the past few weeks young participants and their counselors at Bronxconnect have been writing based on the prompt, 'If you should see me on the street'. In our group we talked about identity, assumptions, and how people pass judgement. Participants shared how they judge and feel judged, and how it feels to carry the invisibility of sometimes tender inner emotions out into a harsh world. If You Should See Me on the Street If you should see me on the street Then you notice my bamboo earings, but not my GPA You see my lip gloss and bubble popping lips But not the intelligence that comes out of
This is the second installation by our incarcerated friend who is participating in Project Solidarity, our Pen Pal project. He sent this to us requesting we publish under the name, 'Black Skin' Attica- 1995-96 Upon arriving at Attica Correctional Facility , during the Million Man March (MMM), I faked being sick so I could watch the MMM on my black and white television. When I went to the sick call (SC) the white nurses and Correction Officers (CO's) made racial comments to me such as, "He's a Black Muslim who's probably gonna watch his Black Muslims march, right, Lamar?" Not too long after the MMM we prisoners staged a protest against the double bunking operation, which was televised on th
And the truth shall set us free..... "Letter from a Birmingham Jail " Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King 16 April 1963 My Dear Fellow Clergymen: While confined here in the Birmingham city jail, I came across your recent statement calling my present activities "unwise and untimely." Seldom do I pause to answer criticism of my work and ideas. If I sought to answer all the criticisms that cross my desk, my secretaries would have little time for anything other than such correspondence in the course of the day, and I would have no time for constructive work. But since I feel that you are men of genuine good will and that your criticisms are sincerely set forth, I want to try to answer your statement
"I learned there was no manual for protecting myself..." This piece is written by one of our incarcerated friends who is participating in Project Solidarity. He has asked us to share this with the public using the name 'Dark Skin'. Following are excerpts from his upcoming memoir. In 1992, upon entering Department of Corrections and Community Supervision or, DOCCS, I had no clue or idea that I would come face to face with unprovoked discrimination by DOCCS employees, physical and psychological abuse by DOCCS staff, and racism by employees of DOCCS. No one could have prepared me for the journey of being discriminated against due to the religion that I practice, or the color of my skin tone,
