Mass Incarceration

Halim Flowers shares his transformational journey while incarcerated for 22 years, helping audiences overcome their obstacles and find their purpose.  

In 1997, Halim Flowers was arrested at the age of 16 and given two life sentences. His experiences were filmed in the Emmy award-winning documentary Thug Life In DC. During his incarceration, Halim discovered a love for literature and the arts, and began writing, painting, and freestyle-rapping. In 2005, he started his own publishing company, through which he published 11 books.

<p>Mike Africa, Jr. is a member of The MOVE Organization. He is a conscious hip hop artist and a motivational resilience speaker. He pushes his revolutionary message with his dynamic stage performances mixing music with speeches.</p><p>Mike is the son of 2 political prisoners who were sentenced to 100 years in prison. Mike was secretly born in a Philadelphia prison following a police raid on his family’s home. As an infant, he was taken from his mother and placed in an orphanage where he was physically and mentally abused.

<p>Richie Reseda is a music, film and content producer, who was freed from prison in 2018.</p><p>He co-created and co-hosts the Spotify Original podcast “Abolition X.” While in prison he started Question Culture, the independent media collective that houses his projects, and cofounded Success Stories, the feminist program for incarcerated men chronicled in the CNN documentary, "The Feminist on Cell Block Y."</p>

<p>The Black and Latina daughter of a working-class family, Victoria Pratt learned to treat everyone with dignity, no matter their background. When she became Newark Municipal Court’s chief judge, she knew well the inequities that poor, mentally ill, Black, and brown people faced in the criminal justice system.</p><p>Judge Victoria has gained national and international acclaim for her commitment to reform the criminal justice system.

<p>Carmen Perez is an award-winning, internationally-known civil and human rights leader and Chicana feminist. </p><p>She is the President & CEO of The Gathering for Justice, co-founder of Justice League NYC and Justice League CA, two state-based task forces for advancing a juvenile and criminal justice reform agenda, where she spearheaded campaigns to Free Meek Mill and Take a Knee with Colin Kaepernick, among many others. She was one of the National Co-Chairs of the 2017 Women’s March on Washington, which drew over 5 million people across the globe.

<p>One of the most highly accomplished public figures in America today, Former Attorney General Loretta Lynch has been a leading progressive voice during her 30+ year highly distinguished career.</p><p>She is the first female African American Attorney General of the United States, appointed by President Barack Obama in 2015. She also served as the head of the U.S.

<p>A leader in criminal justice reform, Susan Burton shares her courageous odyssey in overcoming tragedy, addiction, and incarceration to help others like her find a new way of life.</p>

<p>For two decades, Susan has been a leading figure in the criminal justice reform movement. Her award-winning civil and human rights work has been instrumental in raising the visibility of the struggles and barriers faced by formerly incarcerated people, and in changing the narrative of mass incarcerated women.</p>

<p>Tamika Mallory offers bold, inspiring ideas and strategies for creating social and political change, while rallying audiences to fight for human rights, civil rights, and equal rights for all.</p><p>Tamika is an esteemed social justice leader, political activist, and a next generation advocate for human rights, equal rights for women, health care, gun restrictions, and ethical police conduct. In 2017, as co-chair of the Women’s March, she helped organize the largest single-day protest in U.S.

<p>Named one of the 150 most powerful African Americans by <i>Ebony</i> magazine, Dr. Michael Eric Dyson, an American Book Award recipient and two-time NAACP Image Award winner, “is reshaping what it means to be a public intellectual by becoming the most visible black academic of his time.” </p><p>Dr.

<p>Through the transformative power of storytelling, Soledad O’Brien brings a fresh perspective on diverse and contemporary issues to foster change in your own community or organization.</p><p>Soledad O’Brien is an award-winning documentarian, journalist, speaker, author, and philanthropist, and founder of Soledad O’Brien Productions, a media production company dedicated to telling empowering and authentic stories on a range of social issues.