Prison Journalism: My reality

Prison Journalism: My realityJeffrey Shockley is a writer serving a life sentence in the State Correctional Institution-Fayette in Pennsylvania. Read Jeffrey's story My reality

by Jeffrey Shockley

28-06-2023 12:05

in Prison Journalism

Prison

Image: Emiliano Bar

How is today different than the yesterday we seldom remember or choose to be encouraged by?

Why are we not able to walk together, embracing our brothers and sisters in the strength meant to last past the Freedom marches that started long before even I was born?

As a new generation scorns the manners displayed, the unity that stayed while giving no respect back for the ancestor's blood that spilled; their lives lost at the cost of just being Black.

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Do their lives no longer matter from yesterday as we scream Black Lives Matter today; lest we forget the changes made so we may live Free Them Now, today?

Shall we forget the atrocities seen on mass media that mean to demean the very nature of the Black man throughout Black History where their crowds gathered together so their children could see, would see another negro hanging from a tree?

Strange fruit.

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We cannot look away from the actions within our communities as names are changed to numbers under the gavel of a judge yet blame the system for the work we as men have not done. when not building up our sons and daughter's; of our own accord destruction is made.

Sending each other to the grave when our forefathers in their history came from nothing to be something, gathering everything they had for the hope of a tomorrow we have yet to see.

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Why do we shy away from the back history of Black History? Disregarding the tenacity and ability to succeed against far greater odds that remain today. Those who still became doctor's; lawyer's, inventor's, artists and politicians. Navigating through time when it was a crime for any Black man to become educated beyond menial labor tasks but today fear to ask another man to excel beyond the limitations of the prison cell too many of us occupy today.

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So quick to say, they have to take care of me ; they owe me because I deserve more than I hold myself accountable for. Neglecting to ask how can I honor my Black History by living in harmony with the victory of those who have tried for me, the mothers, grandmother's who have cried for me, the many before who have died for me.

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May we rise together past the last number of years and hear the songs that made us as people capable of overcoming what was done yesterday even through the tomorrow we may not see and be the King's and Queen's, Prince's and Princess's we were before time became defined by shackles and chains that remain in our DNA.

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The article was facilitated by Erin Parish from the Human Kindness Foundation (HKF).

The Human Kindness Foundation's mission is to encourage more kindness in the world beginning with people in our prisons and jails.

HKF has published several books including: We're All Doing Time, Lineage and Other Stories, Deep and Simple, and Just Another Spiritual Book and provide these books for free to people currently serving time in prisons or jails.

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