By Jess Lawson | Communications & Outreach Coordinator
Dear Free Minds Friends,
This summer, Free Minds members have continued to keep their minds active by reading our most recent long-distance book club selection, If You Can See It, You Can Be It: 12 Street-Smart Recipes for Success by Chef Jeff Henderson. Henderson is a friend of Free Minds, celebrity chef, and motivational speaker who discovered his passion for cooking while serving a ten-year sentence for dealing drugs. He visited our Book Club at the DC Jail several years ago after publishing his first book, Cooked: My Journey from the Streets to the Stove. Cooked was a big favorite among Free Minds members and in his second book he continues to engage and inspire them. In If You Can See It, You Can Be It, he shares some of his strategies for success in life. He presents this advice as 12 different “recipes,” on topics such as entrepreneurship, making decisions, changing your life, and achieving happiness and success.
Free Minds members are relating to Jeff’s personal journey and have been encouraged by his advice for making change:
“I’m writing to let you know I enjoy reading If You Can See It, You Can Be It. This book really opened up my eyes about certain situations. It allowed me to get better in touch with myself. I’m learning more and more about how Chef Jeff Henderson really survived while being in jail...It also showed me that yeah I lived a rough life but at the end of the day I’m still living.” - LB
“I got If You Can See It, You Can Be It! I like the title. It’s meaningful and has some powerful statements inside of it that is much encouragement. We are on lockdown right now so it gives me more to do with myself.” – RD
“I actually just got a chance to start reading the Chef Jeff book yesterday…It may be the best book by far!! Because as I was skimming through it I noticed it has stuff you can write down and see what’s your best character trait you possess. I actually like that! I was going to wait to read the rest until I go to the store to get a composition book because I wanna write a lot of that stuff down to see what I get!” - DG
Our next BAM book will be the novel Debbie Doesn’t Do It Anymore by Walter Mosley, author of novels including Devil in a Blue Dress and The Long Fall. Debbie Dare is a famous porn star, but one day she comes home to find her husband dead in a bathtub with another woman. Upset, numb, and in major debt, Debbie wants to move on with her life but isn’t sure how. Free Minds members are looking forward to reading about Debbie’s journey towards change and self-discovery.
The Free Minds Connect Newsletter: “Make Your Voices Heard”
The Free Minds Family has also been keeping busy with our Connect Newsletter, which we send to our members in federal prisons across the country. The most recent issue of the Connect focused on Learning as a main theme, and as always featured several members’ writing and artwork. Towards the end of the newsletter, we also included an article about Free Minds that was featured on the front page of the Washington Post back in February. Reading about their fellow FM brothers in such a prestigious publication and positive light really amazed our members who are still incarcerated:
"I received the latest issue of the Connect and was overwhelmed to read that the Free Minds organization made the front page of the Washington Post. Make your voices heard throughout Washington, D.C. I really enjoy reading all the informative articles, poems and words of encouragement. Let all our young members know that they are all courageous individuals and that courage is not a feeling, it is an action." - QS
We can’t wait to hear the feedback from our July issue of the Free Minds Connect, especially since it’s all about Our City, DC! Articles include an interview with Washington Post Music Critic Chris Richards about go-go music, the Top 7 Hidden Treasures of DC, and a touching interview with a Free Minds mom who shares how she supports her son on the inside. So many of our members are in federal prisons far from their loved ones, and for them the Connect is a vital lifeline offering news, information, and advice to help them cope with their situation and prepare themselves for reentry.
“People Out There Really Listen”
This summer we’ve held several Write Lunches (mobile Write Night events where people from the community gather to read poetry by Free Minds members and write feedback for the incarcerated poets) at businesses and organizations in DC. After each Write Lunch, we mail the poetry feedback to our members who often write to tell us how much they value the encouragement and inspiration.
“I received your mail with my “Phenomenon” poem in it and the good people’s comments. First, I would like to say thanks to them all for expressing themselves to me. It gives me motivation that there is people out there that really listen and care about my art because they are straight from the heart. And to Laura with the question “Does heavy rain and thunder have a great meaning?” It does, basically it symbolizes the hurt and pain and my anger and struggles in the past. - DI
“I love the feedback, it lets me feel what the readers feel and get out of what they're reading. When I write I try to take the readers with me if I ever even let people know what is on my mind. So much goes on in this head it's crazy. But yeah Imma make sure I get you all a lot more for the blog and that good old Write Night.” - SJ
These strong connections with our incarcerated members would not have been possible without the dedicated support of people like you. Every time you contribute, you are sending hope and real educational opportunities for incarcerated youths. THANK YOU from all of us for believing in the power of books and writing to transform lives!
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