How free are we?
Pictured above: Yolanda Williams, GirlTREK's National Field Organizer for Incarcerated and Formerly Incarcerated Women, speaking at the FreeHer March and Rally in Washington, DC on April 24.
On Wednesday, at high noon, in the nation's capital, at the 10th Anniversary FreeHer March and Rally, in the middle of Pennsylvania Avenue, in the shadow of the White House, Yolanda Williams, a daughter of Alabama and GirlTREK’s National Field Organizer for Incarcerated and Formerly Incarcerated Women, delivered a speech that would make Fannie Lou Hamer stand to her feet and shout.
TED talk, who? Listen here to Yolanda take the national stage and drop the mic for the movement.
This is what we meant when we said we would be offline and outside.
When you watch and hear Yolanda tell her story of being locked down by a system that currently has a hold of more than 180,000 women—80% of whom enter the legal system having experienced some form of violent victimization, most of whom are being held in conditions that mimic modern day slavery—ask yourself, what did you do with your freedom this week.
Because I asked myself this on the walk home from the rally as I thought about the women whose names we chanted as we marched. Women like Michelle West who has been locked up since 1993 serving a life sentence plus 50 years on a first-offense drug charge, because of the mandatory minimums of the 90s.
That’s more than 30 years where Michelle has not had the freedom to take a walk outside like we did this week.
Think about that.
And if you didn’t walk this week, if you didn’t get at least five days/30 minutes in, if spring was in the air in your city but you somehow let the darkness of inactivity hold you hostage inside, well I want you to think about what got in your way and ask yourself if it was worth it.
Then, I want you to set a reminder on your phone right now for tomorrow at 10AM ET/7AM PT. That’s when we walk as a national crew, and we want that to be your day one.
Save (646) 876-9923 (Code 734464325#) as Sisterhood Saturday into your contact list.
That’s what we call it. Women from all over the world walk with us for 30 minutes as we have the conversations that we need to have as Black women in a safe space.
If you were successful this week, join us so we can celebrate, set intentions, and share self-care secrets for our survival.
It is no small miracle that we are here alive, together, to build, create, and heal together. If you believe this, be a blessing and invite the women in your life to walk with us. Forward this message.
“The function of freedom is to free someone else.”
–Toni Morrison
Thank you to The National Council for Incarcerated and Formerly Incarcerated Women and Girls for organizing in the powerful ways that you do. We walk with you in solidarity.
Vanessa (Morgan & The GirlTREK Team)
P.S. For the next 10 weeks, we’re stepping away from social media and into the streets of our neighborhoods. Sign up for SMS text messages so you can get exclusive updates from the movement that won’t be posted on the gram.
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