the following is from a Durham man recently moved to state prison.

Hey –

What’s up brotha. I’m glad to hear you guys have been making some serious moves out there. I’m beyond proud, but there is still a lot of fighting to be done. I have some access to information here, but hopefully I can extend that a little. I was so sure that I was gonna stay at Central Prison but that didn’t quite turn out. I have 15 years left on my sentence. But there is this system that means you do 65% of your time. There is hardly anyone from Durham here. But anyway it’s great to get letters from you. I’m always interested in what you have to say and the way you do it—with Action! I watch the world and local news. But the amount of info coming from the TV is extra limited. Yes police are still killing. Still beating women, and children. But I guess the DA (in Cleveland, in the killing of Tamir Rice) says it’s OK to shoot and kill a twelve year old that was trying to show the officer it was a BB Gun. It’s so sad.

Tamir Rice

I guess the message is pretty clear. Doesn’t matter if I have a gun or a cell phone or nothing at all, turn and run, I’m a dead man. Well it’s obvious that social media and cell phone cams have revolutionized media sharing. They don’t watch debates or things of that nature but I still catch bits and pieces. I’m very concerned about where our country is headed. And what’s going to happen in the next 4 years. Thing is I’m trying to see a tomorrow and it’s so hard, there’s like nothing to anchor to at times. Politicians spend their time telling lies, global warming is kicking the door in, prisons and jails are flooded with people who are products of a system that is broken. They sell dreams to people with astronomical chances, then provide a system that jails, convicts and enslaves. If there was a way to tell all young black men that the system is against them, I would. –, this prison is terrible. It’s full of black men like me. All those young guys in the Durham County Jail are in line for a taste of this. Or death. Things are much easier here for me, though. But it doesn’t matter how you dress the cyanide up, it’s still poison. I guess because I don’t gang bang that cuts back on things that could get me killed. Well, it’s not over, you’re right, —, change is on the horizon. The economy shows it, the weather shows it, this presidential election. I think that when have numbers that are supposed to represent us, we are no longer people. It’s a lot easier to treat a number on the page like shit. Numb.

I care about people, —, it doesn’t matter the color. We mourn together. When I see the things done I have to hide my tears. I know I shouldn’t be ashamed. But people are not aware of how they matter.

Striving together,

1. K. A.