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NEW YORK STATE LITERARY CENTER'S Incarcerated Education Program
2017 - 2018
I now understood what had been to me a most perplexing difficulty-to wit, the white man's power to enslave the black man. It was a grand achievement, and I prized it highly. From that moment, I understood the pathway from slavery to freedom. It was just what I wanted, and I got it at a time when I least expected it. Whilst I was saddened by the thought of losing the aid of my kind mistress, I was gladdened by the invaluable instruction which, by the merest accident, I had gained from my master. Though conscious of the difficulty of learning without a teacher I set out with high hope, and a fixed purpose, at whatever cost of trouble, to learn how to read. The very decided manner with which he spoke, and strove to impress his wife with the evil consequences of giving me instruction, served to convince me that he was deeply sensible of the truths he was uttering. It gave me the best assurance that I might rely with utmost confidence on the results, which he said, would flow from teaching me to read. What he most dreaded, that I most desired.
Chapter 6. Narrative of The Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave Written by Himself. New York: The Library of America, 1994
Frederick Douglass' writing has been a cornerstone of NYSLC's Incarceration Education Program since its inception. NYSLC has been fortunate that many supporters have donated copies of "Narrative of The Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave Written by Himself" to those participating in The Community Engagement Seminar. This has made a big difference! NYSLC's twelfth year was the 200th Anniversary of Frederick Douglass' birth. The Community Engagement Seminar celebrated the 200th anniversary reading Frederick Douglass and thinking about the narrative of their own lives and the times we live in today.
Dale Davis compiled a Reading and Watching List.
Narrative of The Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave Written by Himself. New York: The Library of America, 1994.
David Blight. "The Dim Light of Hope." The New York Times, March 1, 2011.
https://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/03/01/the-dim-light-of-hope/
David Blight. "Frederick Douglass. Refuge." The Atlantic, February 2017.
https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2017/02/frederick-douglass-refugee/515853/
David Blight. My Bondage My Freedom. Yale University Press, 2014.
Chadwick Boseman reading "Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8bj5ajqZDOI
The Community Engagement Seminar read and discussed Frederick Douglass on the 200th Anniversary of his birth in the city he came to around 1843, lived in until 1872, and in 1847 where he published the North Star newspaper in a second-story office in the Talman Building in downtown Rochester.
"Sincerely and earnestly hoping that this little book may do something toward throwing light on the American slave system, and hastening the glad day of deliverance to the millions of my brethren in bonds-faithfully relying upon the power of truth, love, and justice, for success in my humble efforts-and solemnly pledging myself anew to the sacred cause,--I subscribe myself,
Frederick Douglass
Lynn, Mass., April 28, 1845"
The writing of those in the Seminar.
Sincerely and earnestly hoping that out narratives may do something toward throwing light on Rochester, New York in 2018.
Frederick Douglass 1848
Letter to Frederick Douglass
One of my forefathers,
as well you are my brother.
It is truly uncanny the energy you
carry.
At times I dream
I am part of your team,
fighting for us with passion and steam.
The Underground Railroad
was a marvelous thing,
Ms. Tubman,
a hope in the North for
for those fleeing the South,
the good in so many.
Did you stir and roast
The power of the words that
came from your mouth?
that still echo through time
engaging the mind,
the truth of today.
Your fight is mine.
I wish to say thank you
for setting the mark,
for feeding the brain to make it
through the night.
R.P.
Every night I think about the shots firing off. It will never leave my mind. It's so loud that all I think about is the click click boom boom. It replays over and over.
Three people in my life told me that right from wrong died when my big cousin was killed fighting for his little brother over a lie. This hurt me. He died the day after my birthday, July 29 on Remington and Boston. I didn't know what to do with myself. I went to my dog Chance. I love animals. Chance was my best friend. He died. I was hurt once again.
I'm hurt. My other cousin went missing. Later he was found dead in a building two blocks away from my house. My other cousin got shot a little while back. He was shot in the head, back, legs, chest. Anywhere you can think of he was hit. Thank God, he was lucky.
2011 my little cousin wrote me saying kids are dying over nothing. Even if you go to school, being a young black male living in this city is hard. You are safe from no one. You are not even safe from the law or what hood you are from. You have to watch your back that's why I stayed to myself growing up. Everything I knew and loved just kept getting taken away from me.
The things I don't like or love want to be my friends. I just hate it, and I'm not going to let it bring me down. I'm strong. I went from living here or there off and on on the streets. Do you know how it feels to see your mom struggle? Well it hurts deep down inside. I want to talk to my mom about my pain, but I don't because it might bring back bad memories. I want to talk to someone, but I can't find anyone to share my thoughts and pain with.
I did good things, went to school, played on the football team, but who cares about the good things I do. It seems like no one will stand up and try to talk and stop things like shooting, the drugs, the dying. I am standing up. I want to be heard and seen.
I am sick of watching the news every day and hearing about who is doing bad and who is dying. I want to know who is doing well in school and who is starting on the football team, any team. It hurts to see bad all over TV, and it's kids under eighteen dying.
I can't think, can't eat, can't sleep. I love seeing people leave jail, but hate seeing them come in because so often it is someone I know. It hurts. It pains all over inside me. A lot of us don't know how to get out of the lives we are living. People, please don't judge me by my looks or where I live or the color of my skin. Please get to know me. Teach me, don't punish me. When you punish me anger just builds inside of me. Know me, see what I am good at. Know me, please.
J.W.
Where am I? I'm trapped, stuck behind bars, in a cell in jail. Why?
What does a Black man or Black women really know about their past or their future or their history? The real only way to know is through the knowledge you can get yourself. I know you can't let anyone take that away because without it who are you? Reading and writing are not a joke. Who am I to talk when I was younger I used to think that I wasn't the best reader or writer. Now I take it more seriously. It's never too late. I tell you this, take reading and write seriously. Do some research your life depends on it. We depend on it knowing what we can do with the knowledge. That's the key to success to life, knowing who you are and no one can tell you wrong. Know your ancestors.
History, what is it, something that doesn't exist anymore? Is it something in the past that people don't care about or something people don't want to remember or want to know about? Why when we go to school they don't they teach us about real history, about what happened in America, about our Black brothers and sisters that went through slavery, civil rights, segregation.
Has anything ever really changed from then until now?
Are we Black men still being treated like slaves in a way?
There is still segregation going on,
will this world ever change?
Will we ever really have equal rights?
We all know we really don't.
How do we know what went on from then to now. Phillis Wheatly showed the world. Frederick Douglass learned to read and write to tell his people his life and what he went through to survive. He wrote for all of us. Emmett Till, you were only fifteen years old. Why, were you beaten to death and hung? Marvin Gaye, you were the first at Motown to decide what went on your album and you told the world what was going on. Grandmaster Flash, you rapped to tell the world how we were living.
We need some place where we can keep our minds, bodies, and our souls focused on the positive and not the negative. We need some place where we can learn outside of school, and really learn what we need to know to survive through a lifetime. We need people who will really sit down with us and ask us what we want to do in life, and help us succeed and get us the right information. We need somewhere where people really do care about one another.
T.W
Maureen McGuire of Channel 8 filmed The Community Engagement Seminar at Monroe Correctional Facility for a story on Rebuilding Families, NYSLC's partnership with the Rochester Broadway Theater League. The filming, also, included filming recently released inmates and their families attending Rochester Broadway Theater League's A Christmas Story.
https://www.rochesterfirst.com/news/local-news/how-rbtl-is-helping-families-of-the-incarcerated-rebuild/
Nathaniel Wagoner who participated in NYSLC's Community Engagement Seminar and Rebuilding Families spoke about NYSLC's programs to Rochester City Council.
After being incarcerated in 2015, I felt embarrassed for leaving my family to fend for themselves. Not only did I let myself down, I forced my family to suffer the consequences of my choices and not their own. After it was all over I was grateful they choose to stick by my side the whole six months I spent in jail. Shortly into my time, I met Dale Davis, who taught New York State Literary Center's Community Engagement Seminar in the jail. Me, being a writer, I was happy for this opportunity, little did I understand at the time the impact the program would have on my life.
From the beginning we were given assignments and the materials to complete them. Along with books and articles to read and research, we were given writing by famous authors and historical literature to read. The New York State Literary Center program came through. The Community Engagement Seminar created an environment where we could feel proud despite our temporary circumstances by laying the foundation and building the tools necessary to create better opportunities for ourselves that would serve as a positive in our communities and not a negative.
During the program we learned about Rebuilding Families, the New York State Literary Center's partnership with the Rochester Broadway Theater League. We were instructed that those who worked hard and completed every assignment would be eligible to have an opportunity to attend a musical with our families when we got out. Meaning we could attend family-oriented Broadway shows at no cost. This successful partnership with the Rochester Broadway Theater League also led the New York State Literary Center's to offer a one-year membership to the Strong Museum of Play. This truly was the light at the end of the tunnel.
I told myself not only do I need to work hard for this, it's the least I could do to repay my family.
Upon my release from Monroe Correctional Facility I was able to accompany my family to see Matilda at The Auditorium. John Parkhurst, Chief Operating Officer of the Rochester Broadway Theater League, and Dale Davis greeted us at the Box Office. It was a once in a lifetime experience! The look in my families' eyes was priceless. I had explained to them that I worked hard for this, but to physically be there and the share feelings we all had was indescribable. We all received a snack bag, warm smiles, and genuine hugs from them all.
Since that day we have seen two other Broadway musicals with the same treatment each time. My family was also able to for the first time ever visit the Strong Museum of Play and enjoyed all it offered for a whole year. These programs were important to me because it allowed me and my family to reconnect after a hard time and created a stress-free environment for us to enjoy each other and our community at no cost. The wonderful things our city has to offer has truly blessed my family. I am a testimony that proves a little goes a long way. If it wasn't for the dedication, opportunity, and above all trust they all put in someone like myself I don't know where I would be today.
Rebuilding Families not only changed my life it still to this day serves as a moral compass, keeping me focused on my goals in life. I am now a fully insured business owner, dedicated father, and involved in more community events, and I know the only people I have to thank.
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