New Flick Series
Welcome Joshua to the EA Team & 5 New Stories
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This past month was all about finally seeing some of the new ways we support inside artists in getting their voices, stories, and social commentary out into community movements and circulating on social media.
So, it’s official! We’ve launched an in-house Instagram series called “Flick,” where every story is based on real experiences from those inside prison.
We’ll drop a new episode every Friday for 16 weeks, featuring stories told by Empowerment Avenue artists in their own voices. This project flips the script on shows like Love After Lockup by exposing real life inside, showing the love, harm, humor, and humanity that the media often gets wrong. Some artists address the system directly, while others take a more abstract route, but every story is theirs.
The Flick series is the brainchild of Empowerment Avenue artist Corey Devon Arthur, and we couldn’t be prouder to bring this vision to life.
Check out the Halloween episodes on Instagram:
→ Shadow Figures
→ Beware
Today we’re excited to announce and introduce our newest team member, Joshua Strange, who joins us as Writing for Liberation Co-Lead alongside Evette Dionne. His photo and bio are below.
The Writing for Liberation program is at the center of what Empowerment Avenue is all about. We know how much journalism and writing shape not only mainstream media narratives but also the lived realities of those currently incarcerated. We’re honored to welcome Joshua into the Empowerment Avenue family to help us continue the work we all believe is necessary—reimagining media with equitable representation at its core.
Please join us in welcoming Joshua to the Empowerment Avenue family!
Meet Joshua Strange
Joshua Strange is a writer, editor, and justice-oriented strategist dedicated to transforming how society understands incarceration, restorative justice, equity, and freedom. As co-lead of the Writing for Liberation program, he supports system-impacted writers in developing their craft and amplifying their voices in the world. Joshua believes in the power of storytelling as a catalyst for shared understanding and lasting change.
Joshua’s journey with Empowerment Avenue began while incarcerated as a freelance journalist. He published award-winning journalism as a staff writer for San Quentin News and helped elevate the publication during his tenure as senior editor. A certified mediator and restorative-justice practitioner, he trains others to apply restorative approaches in a variety of contexts, promoting accountability and community healing.
Grounded in lived experience and guided by systems thinking, Joshua brings a collaborative, trauma-informed approach to his work. He has a Ph.D. in the biological sciences and an MBA in Leadership, combining scientific insight with systems thinking to unite storytelling, justice reform, and redemptive human transformation.
Looking ahead to December, stay tuned for more original reporting, essays, and collaborations.
Empowerment Ave News amplifies the work of incarcerated writers, filmmakers and artists. Subscribe to receive new posts and support the collective.
Our Latest Work
In Prison Heat1, Xandan Gulley and Ben Reavis put a spotlight on the heat inside Texas prisons for Columns, a quarterly publication produced by the Dallas Chapter of the American Institute of Architects.
Award winning poet Demetrius “Meech” Buckley coined a story about his experience of the Canadian wildfire. “I can’t breathe.” The story is called, Experiencing Canadian Wildfire Smoke in a Michigan Prison for The Media Co-op2.
In Thinking Beyond the Bars for The Journal of Black in Higher Education, Darrell Jackson, from Washington State Prison, writes, “While incarcerated, I became a ‘better late than never’ enthusiast for higher education.”
Juan Haines, editor in chief of Solitary Watch continues his book reviews. This time, he reflected on “No Human Contact: Solitary Confinement, Maximum Security, and Two Inmates Who Changed the System,” by Pete Earley in Solitary Watch3.
From Maryland, writer Kimberly Hricko compares when prison allowed folks to order from JC Pennies and wear street clothes, while in 2025, cardboard is contraband. See her article, State Property in Black Lipstick4.
Artist Spotlight: Markus Xcells
Next up in our lineup of new EA artists, we’d like to introduce Markus Xcells. We serendipitously met Markus in May via one of his outside supporters. The moment we heard his story and saw his portfolio we knew he was a great fit for EA.
Markus doesn’t just create art. He is Art. Much of his work explores the journey from the lower self to one’s higher self, or the reverse—degradation. His pieces are deeply personal, rooted in transformation and consciousness, often centering feminine energy, even when unspoken.
Markus is resourceful when it comes to his paintings, using homemade canvas from prison bedsheets, giving him the ability to paint large. This painting, Warm, is 55”x30”, and reflects on a personal experience.
“I painted this to remember what survival really feels like. I was in solitary confinement with nothing but a t-shirt, boxers, and cold concrete. My body was shaking from the cold, and the only way I could fight it was to move. I dropped down for push-ups, then got up pacing the room. Over and over. Just to stay warm. The numbers scattered across the piece mark every rep, every refusal to break. This is a piece about endurance, discipline, and perseverance.”
Welcome Markus, we can’t wait to see what you bring to EA!
Inside/Outside Insights
CONGRATULATIONS: Chris Blackwell is moving beyond EA to keep building power through his role as Executive Director at Look 2 Justice. His leadership and contributions to the Writing for Liberation program have been invaluable, and we’re excited to keep building with him from across organizing spaces.
LISTEN: Rahsaan “NY” Thomas sat down for an interview with Tamara White on BS with Friends, where he talks about Empowerment Avenue, the San Quentin Film Festival, and his journey.
Team Reflections
As we start to wind down the year and reflect on everything we’ve worked through, one thing is clear: building a network of support and collaboration is what keeps this movement alive. We want to thank everyone we’ve worked alongside, learned from, imagined with, and strategized with as partners in this struggle.
It’s no question that without our ability to connect, value one another, and push forward against mounting pressure and the unimaginable risks faced by those we serve, we wouldn’t be standing here—resilient, persistent, and committed to shaping a world we all deserve to live in.
So thank you to the countless organizations, collectives, and comrades too many to name (though one day we will), who stand with us and believe in what we’re fighting for.
In solidarity, with love and liberation at the center of everything we do,
EA Team
Want to connect with us more?
Follow us on Bluesky and Instagram | Donate to our work here | Learn more on our website here | Build with us at hello@empowermentave.org
Columns is a quarterly publication produced by the Dallas Chapter of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) with the Architecture and Design Foundation. It features content on architecture and design in Dallas and North Texas, including articles, interviews, and project features. The publication is moving to a more timely digital-first format starting in 2024 to reach a wider audience, says its website.
The Media Co-op publishes articles between 600 and 1500 words in length. “We publish both paid and unpaid content, so when you send us your pitch please specify whether you are seeking payment. We pay from $100 to $250, with the higher end of that range reserved for articles that involve more research and more reporting.”
Solitary Watch is the premier source of news and information on solitary confinement in U.S. prisons and jails. They pay $250 for essays.
Black Lipstick has a “glamour-forward with a punk ethos” vibe and publishes a variety of nonfiction works, interviews, and reviews. They pay $100-$150 per piece.