Being There: How Mass Incarceration Imprisons Communities
Thursday, May 16, 2013
6pm- Burchfiled Penney Art Center
Bruce Jackson, Dominoes on Death Row, Texas, 1979. printed13x19 According to the New York Times, among African-Americans who have grown up during the era of mass incarceration, one in four has had a parent locked up at some point during childhood. For black men in their 20s and early 30s without a high school diploma, the incarceration rate is so high – nearly 40 percent nationwide – that they’re more likely to be behind bars than to have a job.No one denies that some people belong in prison but mass incarceration increases poverty, disrupts families and children left behind are more likely to suffer academically and socially.How do we create a penal system more effective for society as a whole? Give a second chance to thousands of young ex-offenders transitioning back into their communities?
Join McMillan Empowerment Enterprise and the Burchfield Penney for a discussion on crime, custody and community at the Center,1300 Elmwood Avenue, Thursday, May 16, 6 PM. The evening kicks with an exclusive guided tour of the Being There: Bruce Jackson, Photographs 1962-2012 exhibition. Bruce Jackson will share of his award-winning work and experiences documenting prison systems on view at the Center.
A panel discussion moderated by Buffalo News columnist Rod Watson follows:
Karima Amin, founder/director, Prisoners Are People Too
Ron Stewart, Ph.D., SUNY Buffalo State Sociology Department
Umar Adeyola – founder, HEART (Helping Empower At-Risk Teens)
Alfonso Carter – ex-offender and successful entrepreneur
Please RSVP to tamara@empowermee.com no later than Tuesday, May 14. Donations to the Burchfield Penney Art Center are welcome.