Prisoners Are People Too, Inc. will present the film “Prison Song”

by Baba Omowale

Baba Omowale

Prisoners Are People Too, Inc. will present “Prison Song,” a film starring Mary J. Blige and Q-Tip, at the Pratt-Willert Community Center, located at 422 Pratt Street, on October 26, from 6:30-8:00. “HE WAS HER ONLY SON AND SHE WAS HIS ONLY HOPE” is the theme. We will take this opportunity to hear our community voice their opinions after the film, to grasp how they see our challenge to save our youth from the injustices of the Criminal Justice System, which is systemically racist at its foundation—the interest in destabilizing our community and profiting from the suffering our young single mothers who are valiantly trying to raise our Sons on their own.

Now, we have the opportunity and honorable responsibility to save our youth from the clutches of an unjust system that was created to continue our oppression and exploitation, through profiting off the destruction of our families and communities, by locking up our youth and intentionally keeping separating our families— like was done during our enslavement, where parents and family members were intentionally sold to other enslavers, on faraway plantations. This separation was viewed as permanent in the oppressors’ eyes, despite what we now know to have been the courageous efforts of our ancestors to find each other and reembrace family, no matter how long it took or how far away they sent us from each other!

Well, family, on this night, October 26th, we will watch the film and begin the talk about the realities that separate us as family; much like they did to our Beloved Sister Cariol Horne, in railroading her son into a life sentence and send him all the way Upstate New York, to keep him away from his mother and beloved community. This alienation could help him to grow and heal from the traumas that he had to grow up with and is now being persecuted for.

Yes, family, on the 26th of this month we will see the film and talk about the realities of criminal injustice as it relates to our families and, particularly, to our youth, who are subjected to these injustices on a daily basis—from youth facilities to adult prisons and beyond. We want to hear your voice family; so, please come and join us as we begin the talk and look for solutions to the problems that we face.

On the 26th of October, from 6:30 to 8:00 we have the time to start the conversations that will lead us to healing and prevention, so that we rescue Our young folk from the clutches of the streets and actions that make them vulnerable to entrapment in the systemic systems that are set up to take and destroy their lives and our future!

Please arrive early so we will have the time we need to watch the film and talk about it. Thank you, family.

Your beloved servant, BaBa Omowale