After many years in the prison system and seeing Black History Month underappreciated, disrespected and barely acknowledged beyond slave matters, this past Black History Month was a monumental one for me. I experienced a series of actions and reactions that proved the cliche “If you believe you can achieve” to be true. About a month or so prior to February, me and a small group of conscious brothers were encouraged by a fellow conscious brother, Mr. Beals, to find time for ourselves to think about what Black History Month means to us individually, as well as collectively. We were encouraged to provide realistic ideas and opinions on what kind of platform within the prison should rightfully be allowed to us to embrace, celebrate, as well as teach about our culture, legacy, triumphs along with what it means to be Black.
And then a dream came true! Ironically, around the same time we were were having these conversations, the newly appointed Chaplin of our Facility was fishing for ideas on what he could do to insure a special Black History Month. Mr. Beals, as well as a few other masterminds, crossed paths with the Chaplin, which led to the Chaplin giving the brothers a platform to showcase the many faces of Black Excellence.
The activities consisted of a stage play centered around Black Consciousness, a Spoken Word/Rap Concert and Roundtable discussion. I supported every activity but had direct involvement in the play. I was asked to play a major role in it and experienced a lot in the process of execution, it was my first time participating in anything like this. I learned how to pay attention to que’s, channel certain emotions on command and convey messages through body language.
It was a unique feeling to attend rehearsals day after day, creating, examining and trying new ideas, but most of all, collaborating with highly talented intelligent brothers to do our best in representing our people. I also learned to tuck my ego, take guidance, become a leader when necessary as well as thrive in teams. I bore witness to the development of these projects from many aspects; character development, script/play writing, directing, producing, acting, and overall, putting everything in order before a deadline.
Not only did I enjoy building with my brothers, I also discovered talents within myself that I never knew I had. On a deeper level, it was interesting to see a positive thought manifest into something phenomenal right in front of our very own eyes. This performance created an everlasting imprint on my mind as well as many others within the penal system. It’s my hope that this ball of positive energy continues to evolve and transition from the inside to the outside world.
Although it cost all parties involved quality time, the end result was priceless. From the center of my heart, I would like to thank the soul of “Black Excellence” within us all and I hope the showcase will be the first of many more to come.
Sincerely yours,
Darius Franklin
#M48276
Fixvillage@gmail.com
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