Any woman in a relationship with a man in prison can attest to the fact that there will, unfortunately, be many in their families and inner-circle of friends who don't approve of their relationships. Many who are critical of these relationships, however, are not...
"I is adopted!!!" Not proper grammar, to be sure, but this was the response I sent Melissa when I got the news. The feeling I had was one of pure elation. It was as close to having a religious experience as I have had in a decade - so much so, that my total outlook...
It deeply saddens me that what has become institutionalized hypocrisy is rapidly leading to the erosion of civility and free speech in this country. Opposing views are rarely debated with substance and intellectual force. They are attacked with ritual humiliation and...
With over 2 million citizens of this country locked in cages, one can't help but feel as though our lives are dispensable. One can't help but feel as though our society deems us not worthy of correction that would send us back to our communities as assets rather than...
For too many years of my life I assumed my actions affected me and only me. So what if I chose to drink away my pain? So what if I messed up, got arrested, and got sentenced to many years in prison: I'm the one doing the time, or so I thought. I couldn't see beyond...
The following speech was delivered at the Weusi Umoja Social at OSCI — August 22, 2018 Good evening. I hope everyone is enjoying their time tonight with their friends and family. As it was just mentioned, this year we chose to honor Rosa Parks. She is obviously a...
I cannot tell you how many times I have witnessed or have heard about men in this situation either meeting a woman via a pen pal website — or otherwise — and developing a strong relationship or even getting married, only to have it go awry. The euphoria of knowing...
Many have exclaimed, "Addiction is NOT a disease — it's a choice!" A disease, they'll say, is something that you have no control over; it suddenly afflicts you when you least expect it and wreaks havoc on your life. People don't do anything to bring about disease in...
I was on the yard today simply enjoying the 75-degree weather. I'd taken a seat on one of the metal benches located on the inner edge of the track when a guy walked up to me, took it upon himself to sit down and start chatting. Now, I'm one of those people who...
Human brokenness is a universal aspect of the human experience, right. I mean, we are all messed up a little. It's the common denominator that links us all and levels the playing field to a certain extent. There are countless variations, but we all feel it with great...