Book signing and reception will follow book talk (RSVP required).
Join the Social Justice Initiative for a book talk with former political prisoner Albert Woodfox. Solitary is a memoir that captures the experience of Albert Woodfox, human rights advocate, former Black Panther, and former member of the Angola 3.
Woodfox spent over 40 years in solitary confinement for a crime he did not commit. During that time he managed to teach fellow inmates to read, organize a campaign to stop prison sexual assaults, and participated in hunger strikes to improve prison conditions.
SJI’s theme for 2019-2020 is “Home.” What does it mean when a prison cell is suppose to substitute for home? This is the case for over 2 million Americans and many migrant families in detention. We will filter this theme through our discussion with Albert Woodfox.
Excerpt from Woodfox’s book, Solitary:
“My wrists were handcuffed to my waist by a leather strap. These restraints would become standard for me for decades to come. . . Inside was a cellblock called closed cell restricted, or CCR: another name for solitary confinement. In the stairwell they beat me viciously. . . My body was badly bruised from being beaten but I was still able to move around the cell on my own. I walked to shake off the pain. The cell was 9ft long and 6ft wide. . . We were locked down 23 hours a day. . . Our meals were put on the floor outside our cell doors.”
