Writing, Painting and Fighting
25 stories, an organizing campaign, art in Australia
Welcome to Empowerment Ave! Learn more about our history, partnerships, and past published work here. Subscribe to the newsletter here.
We’re international! Through May, you could spot EA artists Corey Devon Arthur, Alvin Smith, Mark Cadiz, Sarah Montoya and Orlando Smith at Australia’s first international prison art exhibit (pictured above), hosted by Paper Chained.
EA writers published an impressive 25 stories last month, from reflections on Mother’s Day to reporting on book censorship in prison education. Awards were won: Congrats to Chris Blackwell, Steve Brooks, C. Dreams, Kevin Sawyer and Tariq MaQbool for wins in the inaugural Stillwater Awards. Congrats to D. Razor Babb for his Los Angeles Press Club nomination for reporting on price gouging at his prison commissary.
Finally, our community came together to fight for Kwaneta Harris’ release from solitary confinement after eight long years. Thank you to all who participated in our multi-month email zap that ultimately succeeded. You probably know by now our work is never just about art, writing or journalism. We’re fighting for freedom and fighting against an inhumane prison system — and we know a better world is possible by building power across prison walls.
NOTE: Empowerment Avenue will take a rest week between September 2nd-8th. If you’re working with us regularly, please mark your calendar.
Our Latest Work
Tony Vick was busy this month, with three new pieces in Filter Mag1. In the first, he investigates the utter and tragic failures of medical care inside Tennessee prisons—including the mystery around which company handles medical care.
His next piece is about finding joy and happiness after decades in prison. “We have this idea that what will bring us joy is way out there somewhere, unattainable, just out of our reach,” a source named Juan told Tony. “We can find it in the simplest of situations.”
And Tony’s latest piece is a recap of watching the Trump trials in prison with con artists cheering him on and admiring his brazenness. The twist? “But that doesn’t mean they don’t resent him at the same time—mostly for the high-priced lawyers.”
For Mother’s Day, Kwaneta Harris, Lanae Tipton, and Melissa Leanne Potts, all writing from Texas solitary confinement, penned emotional and powerful stories about motherhood for The Appeal2. “Momma’s gonna momma, no matter where they at.”
More powerful Mother’s Day writing: E. Paris Whitfield wrote a tribute to their mother, detailing the struggles and joys of their relationship, for the occasion, published in Truthout3. “JPay, the messaging system for incarcerated people, knows more details about my life than some of my closest friends. Most of my 3,966 emails are from my mother: encouraging me in my faith, and in others, chastising my perceived ‘sly’ comments.”
Last year, Kwaneta received a Solitary Watch Ridgeway Reporting Grant to expose "the hell inside hell" — the sexual abuse abuses of women and girls inside prolonged solitary confinement. It was published this month with Scalawag Magazine.
For Filter Mag, Jonathan Kirkpatrick and Kastalia Medrano reported on a solution to stimulant harm reduction being synthetic cannabinoids. “Stimulant overdose doesn’t cause physical harm nearly as often as people think, but it does cause serious harm all the time when law enforcement gets involved.”
Jonathan along with Kastalia (Filter’s deputy editor) also wrote about Washington prisons banning greeting cards and postcards in a crackdown on synthetic drugs—plus the faulty drug tests from a 2023 lawsuit behind the ban.
Antoine Davis and Kevin Light-Roth teamed up on a report about the history of book banning and censorship in prisons for The Guardian4 and how it plays out in prison education. “Book banning has entered the talking points of political campaigns, infusing the dynamics of everything from city council elections to gubernatorial and presidential debates.”
Xandan Gulley writes for LGBTQ Nation5 from Texas solitary confinement about the taboo of feminism: "I was maliciously told that 'feminism is considered an act of attempting to interfere with prison operations' by an employee."
For Prism6, Carla J. Simmons shared about her solidarity with the Palestinian people from prison. "I see the Palestinian longing for independence and freedom, the strength of their resistance, and their refusal to continue being trapped..."
“In Churches I Learned Patriarchy; In Prison I Became A Feminist” is Darrell Jackson’s latest piece published by Sojourners7. “Like any Black man, I’ve had no choice but to learn how to navigate racism. But as a man, I’ve had to intentionally educate myself and correct my own sexist behavior.”
For a Solitary Watch8 editorial, Juan Moreno Haines spoke to EA’s Writing for Liberation Director Emily Nonko about why mainstream media needs incarcerated voices. “Incarcerated people are best positioned and prepared to report about the conditions of U.S. prisons,” she says.
Tony Vick co-reported with outside writer Brandon Arvesen for The Progressive9 on the possibility of justice for Terrence Heard, who has been serving a life sentence plus twenty-five years since 1997. Proposed Tennessee legislation could chance sentencing rules that keep many behind bars for too long.
Our Black Lipstick10 partnership continues, publishing the work of women and queer writers who are incarcerated. The latest essay is by Elizabeth Hawes, about her stint as a costumed character navigating life, love, and tragedy in a fur suit.
We want to highlight two articles by Felix Sitthivong from his On The Fenceline column for International Examiner11. First up, "A message to our youth, our future for AAPI Heritage Month” features a poem. Second, in an article titled "APICAG in prisons is vital for cultural, personal empowerment," he explains how cultural organizing is under threat inside Washington prisons despite their important role.
For the Philly Inquirer12, Ryan Moser wrote about how “fair chance” hiring helps formerly incarcerated people find work. “When you have a criminal background you’re viewed as a liability, not an asset,” one source told him.
Tomiekia Johnson wrote the print editorial for the May issue of San Quentin News13 about incarcerated moms: “When mom’s get to prison, we are promised rehabilitation, but prison misuses our natural resources, turning us into “mammies” posited to raise other people’s children.”
Kwaneta Harris also wrote for San Quentin News’ April issue, about the abuses of incarcerated women in Texas prisons.
Michael Ray, Demetrius Buckley, Elizabeth Hawes, and Tariq MaQbool are all featured in the Spring 2024 issue of Santa Clara Review14. It's a beautiful issue that you can purchase here.
Artist Spotlight: O. Smith
Empowerment Avenue artist Orlando Smith, AKA O. Smith, has been very busy this year. This drawing, Evolution of Slavery, was commissioned by Legal Services for Prisoners with Children for a digital campaign against involuntary servitude in prison and in April was displayed at the Urban Arts Festival in Antioch. Support ACA 8 to end slavery in California prisons.
He’s been featured in three exhibitions, is working with Prison Journalism Project on a guide to illustrated reporting/journalism, and has been commissioned to illustrate a children’s book. He’s also working on two back-to-back curatorial debuts. Painting Ourselves Into Society at the Berkeley Art Center opens July 27th — stay tuned for more about this Empowerment Avenue project — and Finding Freedom From The Inside: Stories Shaped In And Out of Incarceration with U.C. Berkeley, La Pena Cultural Center, September 16th-October 19th.
Inside/Outside Insights
WATCH: A discussion panel entitled "Behind Enemy Lines: Incarcerated Journalist's Fight for Press Freedom” featured C. Dreams, Christopher Blackwell, Juan Moreno Haines and Rahsaan Thomas. Watch it here.
NEWS: Prism covered the lawsuit recently filed by ACLU of Michigan to uncover abusive, retaliatory behavior by the Michigan Department of Corrections against EA writer Demetrius Buckley. Read more about it here.
READ: Thanks to Triple Pundit and journalist Michelle Erdenesanaa for covering the work we do supporting incarcerated writers and reporters. Find the story here.
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Filter’s mission is to advocate through journalism for rational and compassionate approaches to drug use, drug policy, and human rights. They pay $300 per essay.
The Appeal is a nonprofit news organization dedicated to exposing how the U.S. criminal legal system fails to keep people safe and perpetuates harm. They pay $1 per word.
Truthout is a nonprofit news source publishing on a wide range of social justice issues. They pay around $300 for essays.
The Guardian is a British daily newspaper, publishing news, world news, sports, business, opinion, analysis and reviews. They pay 60 cents a word.
LGBTQ Nation is an online news magazine, reporting on issues relevant to the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer community. They pay around $200 for an essay.
Prism launched the Right to Write Project to feature and pay incarcerated writers. They pay .50 per word.
Sojourners is a progressive monthly magazine and daily online publication of the American Christian social justice organization Sojourners, which arose out of the Sojourners Community.
Solitary Watch is a premier source of news and information on solitary confinement in U.S. prisons and jails. They pay $250 for their Voices from Solitary section.
The Progressive covers grassroots progressive politics, civil liberties, human rights, economic justice, a healthy environment, and a reinvigorated democracy. They pay $150 for essays.
Black Lipstick is a Substack publication featuring art and writing on makeup, mental health, mortality, queerness, sex, gender, nostalgia, pop culture, parenthood, weird dreams, dark thoughts, and everything else. They pay $150 per essay.
International Examiner is the oldest and largest nonprofit, pan-Asian Pacific American publication in the Northwest. They pay $100 for an opinion piece.
The Philadelphia Inquirer, often referred to simply as The Inquirer, is a daily newspaper headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
The San Quentin News is a non-profit, monthly prison newspaper written and edited by inmates at San Quentin State Prison in California.
Santa Clara Review is a student-edited literary magazine which publishes poetry, fiction, non-fiction, visual art, and music. They paid $40 per published piece.