Laura Flanders & Friends | Prison Creative Arts Project: Imagination in the Face of Incarceration @LauraFlandersAndFriends | Uploaded November 2023 | Updated October 2024, 1 hour ago.
Stay informed and engaged! Don't miss out on our captivating weekly episodes that dive deep into the heart of our economy, culture, and politics. SUBSCRIBE HERE youtube.com/channel/UCFLRxVeYcB1H7DbuYZQG-lg?sub_confirmation=1
What difference can art make for people in prison? The state of Michigan spends $48,000 per prisoner every year — with little to no money going towards funding for prison education, art and rehabilitation programs. The Prison Creative Arts Project (PCAP) is an independent program of the University of Michigan that supports formerly incarcerated artists, facilitates creative arts workshops and even hosts an annual exhibition to showcase incarcerated artists’ work. PCAP was founded by William “Buzz” Alexander, the late husband of Janie Paul, the curator of PCAP and author of the book based on the project: “Making Art in Prison: Survival and Resistance”, out now via Hat and Beard Press. As you’ll hear in the program, the work of PCAP has built a vibrant community of artists inside and outside prison walls. Joining us for this conversation are Janie Paul and artist Yusef Qualls, known as Q. He was released from prison five months ago after being sentenced to life as a minor and serving 28 years. Danny Valentine is a formerly incarcerated artist also featured in the book, who credits PCAP for saving his life. What can incarcerated artists teach us about why humans make art and the power it holds? All that, plus a commentary from Laura on poets imagining Gaza.
“People in prison are treated as objects . . . [Art] is not just a hobby, it's a way for someone to stop being an object in someone else's world and to be the subject making choices, having pleasure and making something that is very valuable. “ - Janie Paul
“I lost uncles and aunts and cousins, my son's mother, girlfriends, best friends . . . Art was my way of going inside myself and talking about these things . . .” - Q (Yusef Qualls)
“This whole prison system is nothing but a form of slavery. It takes advantage of the socioeconomically challenged . . . If we keep pushing the truth out there through art and other forms, we can bring this lie to the common people . . . ” - Danny Valentine
Guests:
Janie Paul: Author, Making Art in Prison: Survival and Resistance; Emerita Professor of Art, University of Michigan; Curator, Prison Creative Arts Project
Q (Yusef Qualls): Former Juvenile Lifer & Incarcerated Artist
Danny Valentine: Formerly Incarcerated Artist
"Ceasefire Cento" Poem: voxpopulisphere.com/2023/11/13/mosab-abu-toha-et-al-ceasefire-cento
🎧 PODCAST: Prefer to listen? Listen to this week's episode on your favorite podcast platform: lauraflanders.simplecast.com/episodes/prison-creative-arts-project-imagination-in-the-face-of-incarceration
✏️ SHOW NOTES: Visit our Patreon for more information on this week's show: patreon.com/posts/93350981
📺 RELATED EPISODES:
- Ask Angola Prison: What Difference Can a Play Make?: youtu.be/NBLsOJfgg48
- These Films Keep People Out of Prison: youtu.be/wsNMM3buEIc
- Rikers Island: The Bad, The Inhumane, & Why Is It So Hard to Close a Jail?: youtu.be/-IOvz2o2yss
📚 Check out our Book of the Week on BOOKSHOP*: “Making Art in Prison: Survival and Resistance” by Janie Paul: bookshop.org/a/22992/9781955125277
(*Bookshop is an online bookstore with a mission to financially support local, independent bookstores. The LF Show is an affiliate of bookshop.org and will receive a small commission if you click through and make a purchase.)
The Laura Flanders Show is non-commercial independent media that relies on the contributions of viewers and listeners.
DONATE at lauraflanders.org/donate or become a PATREON partner at patreon.com/thelfshow
🔔 Subscribe to get weekly episodes that prompt you to think critically about the world around you. If you enjoyed this episode, don't forget to hit the 'Like' button and share it with your network.
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Credits:
Executive Producer: Laura Flanders
Supervising Producer: Sabrina Artel
Consulting Producer: Rory O’Connor
Development Director: Sarah Miller
Senior Video Editor: David Neumann
Creative Designer & Video Editor: Nat Needham
Audio Director: Jeannie Hopper
Communications Director: Janet Hernandez
00:00 – Intro
2:38 – "Making Art in Prison, Survival and Resistance.", Prison Creative Arts Project
08:25 – Collectivity and Creativity, "The Faces of Incarceration,","Beat Down by Time"
13:22 – "The Mermaid.", Violence Against Women in Prisons
17:18 – Mass Incarceration, Programs in Prisons
24:08 – Laura’s Commentary
Stay informed and engaged! Don't miss out on our captivating weekly episodes that dive deep into the heart of our economy, culture, and politics. SUBSCRIBE HERE youtube.com/channel/UCFLRxVeYcB1H7DbuYZQG-lg?sub_confirmation=1
What difference can art make for people in prison? The state of Michigan spends $48,000 per prisoner every year — with little to no money going towards funding for prison education, art and rehabilitation programs. The Prison Creative Arts Project (PCAP) is an independent program of the University of Michigan that supports formerly incarcerated artists, facilitates creative arts workshops and even hosts an annual exhibition to showcase incarcerated artists’ work. PCAP was founded by William “Buzz” Alexander, the late husband of Janie Paul, the curator of PCAP and author of the book based on the project: “Making Art in Prison: Survival and Resistance”, out now via Hat and Beard Press. As you’ll hear in the program, the work of PCAP has built a vibrant community of artists inside and outside prison walls. Joining us for this conversation are Janie Paul and artist Yusef Qualls, known as Q. He was released from prison five months ago after being sentenced to life as a minor and serving 28 years. Danny Valentine is a formerly incarcerated artist also featured in the book, who credits PCAP for saving his life. What can incarcerated artists teach us about why humans make art and the power it holds? All that, plus a commentary from Laura on poets imagining Gaza.
“People in prison are treated as objects . . . [Art] is not just a hobby, it's a way for someone to stop being an object in someone else's world and to be the subject making choices, having pleasure and making something that is very valuable. “ - Janie Paul
“I lost uncles and aunts and cousins, my son's mother, girlfriends, best friends . . . Art was my way of going inside myself and talking about these things . . .” - Q (Yusef Qualls)
“This whole prison system is nothing but a form of slavery. It takes advantage of the socioeconomically challenged . . . If we keep pushing the truth out there through art and other forms, we can bring this lie to the common people . . . ” - Danny Valentine
Guests:
Janie Paul: Author, Making Art in Prison: Survival and Resistance; Emerita Professor of Art, University of Michigan; Curator, Prison Creative Arts Project
Q (Yusef Qualls): Former Juvenile Lifer & Incarcerated Artist
Danny Valentine: Formerly Incarcerated Artist
"Ceasefire Cento" Poem: voxpopulisphere.com/2023/11/13/mosab-abu-toha-et-al-ceasefire-cento
🎧 PODCAST: Prefer to listen? Listen to this week's episode on your favorite podcast platform: lauraflanders.simplecast.com/episodes/prison-creative-arts-project-imagination-in-the-face-of-incarceration
✏️ SHOW NOTES: Visit our Patreon for more information on this week's show: patreon.com/posts/93350981
📺 RELATED EPISODES:
- Ask Angola Prison: What Difference Can a Play Make?: youtu.be/NBLsOJfgg48
- These Films Keep People Out of Prison: youtu.be/wsNMM3buEIc
- Rikers Island: The Bad, The Inhumane, & Why Is It So Hard to Close a Jail?: youtu.be/-IOvz2o2yss
📚 Check out our Book of the Week on BOOKSHOP*: “Making Art in Prison: Survival and Resistance” by Janie Paul: bookshop.org/a/22992/9781955125277
(*Bookshop is an online bookstore with a mission to financially support local, independent bookstores. The LF Show is an affiliate of bookshop.org and will receive a small commission if you click through and make a purchase.)
The Laura Flanders Show is non-commercial independent media that relies on the contributions of viewers and listeners.
DONATE at lauraflanders.org/donate or become a PATREON partner at patreon.com/thelfshow
🔔 Subscribe to get weekly episodes that prompt you to think critically about the world around you. If you enjoyed this episode, don't forget to hit the 'Like' button and share it with your network.
📩 Newsletter: For more in-depth analysis, including uncut interviews and commentaries, subscribe to our free newsletter at lauraflanders.org.
🎧 SUBSCRIBE to our podcast: lauraflanders.org/listen
🎧 LOOKING FOR UNCUT INTERVIEWS? Patreon subscribers help us make our full, uncut conversations and audio extras free and available to everyone! patreon.com/thelfshow
Credits:
Executive Producer: Laura Flanders
Supervising Producer: Sabrina Artel
Consulting Producer: Rory O’Connor
Development Director: Sarah Miller
Senior Video Editor: David Neumann
Creative Designer & Video Editor: Nat Needham
Audio Director: Jeannie Hopper
Communications Director: Janet Hernandez
00:00 – Intro
2:38 – "Making Art in Prison, Survival and Resistance.", Prison Creative Arts Project
08:25 – Collectivity and Creativity, "The Faces of Incarceration,","Beat Down by Time"
13:22 – "The Mermaid.", Violence Against Women in Prisons
17:18 – Mass Incarceration, Programs in Prisons
24:08 – Laura’s Commentary
![Fear & Hope: What’s It Take to Make Sanctuary Real? [NYC Immigration Stories]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/BPdtx2Ksmpo/hqdefault.jpg "Fear & Hope: What’s It Take to Make Sanctuary Real? [NYC Immigration Stories]
In this special report from The Laura Flanders Show, produced in partnership with the School of Labor and Urban Studies at the City University of New York (CUNY) (@cunyslu), dive into the harrowing journeys and hopes of migrants and unaccompanied minors seeking sanctuary in New York City. Join us as we go behind the headlines of the 2023 migrant crisis and explore the powerful stories of resilience and mutual aid between asylum seekers and New Yorkers.
🔹Learn about the sanctuary city status of NYC since 1989 and the number of migrants, mostly from Latin America, that came in 2023. As you’ll hear, living up to the promise of sanctuary is tougher than just passing a law.
🔹Understand the issues that refugees face in Latin America. Many are fleeing from extortion from gangs, robbery, rape and LGBTQ+ persecution. Soon after they arrive in the U.S., they experience trouble finding work, shelter, foster care placement, and legal battles.
🔹Watch as we follow Eswin, a young Guatemalan migrant who braved the perilous journey to the U.S. alone when he was 17. He is in New York City seeking asylum from violence and LGBTQ persecution back home.
🔹Hear from volunteers, lawyers, and organizations like Artists Athletes Activists and The Safe Passage Project, who are on the frontlines welcoming asylum seekers and connecting them with legal aid and support.
🔹Be moved by the story of Lady Mansilla: An Ecuadorian mothers journey through the Darien Gap with her husband and two children. Her husband was deported and her son was held in a detention center soon after they arrived in the U.S.
🔹Gain insights from Father James Kelly and Angela Fernández on the critical need for legal representation in immigration cases. In some cases, legal representation boosts an asylum seeker’s chance of winning their court case by 90%.
📌 This episode is a must-watch for anyone interested in the intersection of immigration, law, and human rights. Stay until the end for Lauras closing commentary. What our world would look like today if we had offered one another sanctuary?
🎙Today’s Guests
Eswin: Asylum Seeker, Guatemala
Angela Fernández: Executive Director, Safe Passage Project
Terri Gerstein: Harvard Center for Labor & A Just Economy
Father James Kelly: Immigration Attorney, District 3 Immigration Services
Power Malu: Founder, Artists Athletes Activists
Lady Mansilla: Asylum Seeker, Ecuador
Jamie Powlovich: Executive Director, Coalition for Homeless Youth
Marie-Cassandre Wavre: Supervising Attorney, The Door
📌 Subscribe to our channel for more forward-thinking content, and dont forget to hit the bell icon to stay updated on our latest episodes.
🎧 PODCAST: Listen on your favorite podcast platform: https://lauraflanders.simplecast.com/episodes/new-yorkers-welcome-migrants-whats-it-take-to-make-sanctuary-real
✏️ SHOW NOTES: Visit our Patreon for more information on this weeks episode: https://www.patreon.com/posts/episode-notes-it-92663690
📚 Check out our Book of the Week on BOOKSHOP*: “Unforgetting: A Memoir of Family, Migration, Gangs, and Revolution in the Americas” by Roberto Lovato: https://bookshop.org/a/22992/9780062938473
(*Bookshop is an online bookstore with a mission to financially support local, independent bookstores. The LF Show is an affiliate of bookshop.org and will receive a small commission if you click through and make a purchase.)
The Laura Flanders Show is non-commercial independent media that relies on the contributions of viewers and listeners.
DONATE TODAY at https://lauraflanders.org/donate/ or consider becoming a PATREON partner at https://www.patreon.com/thelfshow
🔔 Subscribe to get weekly episodes that prompt you to think critically about the world around you. If you enjoyed this episode, dont forget to hit the Like button and share it with your network.
📩 Newsletter: For more in-depth analysis, including uncut interviews and commentaries, subscribe to our free newsletter at lauraflanders.org.
🎧 SUBSCRIBE to our podcast: lauraflanders.org/listen
🎧 LOOKING FOR UNCUT INTERVIEWS? Patreon subscribers help us make our full, uncut conversations and audio extras free and available to everyone! Join our growing family today! patreon.com/thelfshow
Credits:
Executive Producer: Laura Flanders
Supervising Producer: Sabrina Artel
Consulting Producer: Rory O’Connor
Development Director: Sarah Miller
Senior Video Editor: David Neumann
Creative Designer & Video Editor: Nat Needham
Audio Director: Jeannie Hopper
Communications Director: Janet Hernandez
LF Show Fellow: Maryia Kanavalenka, Laila Riaz
01:45 - Migrants Struggle, Detention Fatigue
05:14 - Migrants Arrival, City Chaos
07:00 - Unaccompanied Minors & Foster Care
12:15 - The Story of a Migrant Mother
15:45 - Legal Aid & Challenges
The segment “Sanctuary City” is produced by The City University of New York (CUNY) School of Labor and Urban Studies in partnership with The Laura Flanders Show.")
![What is Ableism? [Understanding the Roadblocks to Disability Justice] | Anita Cameron & Keith Jones](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/BqrvZNSw91Q/hqdefault.jpg "What is Ableism? [Understanding the Roadblocks to Disability Justice] | Anita Cameron & Keith Jones
Stay informed and engaged! Dont miss out on our captivating weekly episodes that dive deep into the heart of our economy, culture, and politics. SUBSCRIBE HERE https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFLRxVeYcB1H7DbuYZQG-lg?sub_confirmation=1
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was passed in 1990, a significant milestone in the fight for civil rights, with a vision of inclusion and respect for people with disabilities. But ableism, or discrimination in favor of non-disabled people, persists, affecting the one in four Americans with a disability. What does ableism mean and why is it still a prominent problem? Anita Cameron and Keith Jones, leaders in the disability rights and disability justice movements, have answers.
Cameron, who has been arrested nearly 150 times, participated in the Capitol Crawl for the passage of the ADA in 1990 and, later in 2017, she was part of the widely-publicized Rotunda Takeover with the disability advocacy group, ADAPT, to protest proposed Medicaid cuts. Her influential writings shed light on topics like ableism in media and the intersection of ableism and mental health. She currently heads the Minority Outreach at Not Dead Yet, an organization committed to fighting ableism, or discrimination veiled as physician-assisted suicide and euthanasia of persons with disabilities.
As an African-American activist, entrepreneur, and father living with cerebral palsy, Keith Jones advocates for quality independent living for persons with disabilities. He also strives for equal access to housing, education, and voting rights - for all. In addition to his human rights work, Jones is the founder of SoulTouchin’ Experiences and has earned an Emmy award for his song Rising Phoenix, a documentary about the Paralympic Games. This far-ranging feature, timed to coincide with Disability Pride Month and the signing of the ADA on July 25, 1990, concludes with a commentary by Flanders.
“The lives of people with disabilities are so regulated, we dont have true autonomy. I can guarantee you that the access to healthcare, reproductive rights and all of that, we disabled women have to fight for that access anyway.” - Anita Cameron
“They like to either say, youre disabled or you’re a woman, youre disabled or youre queer, youre disabled or youre Black. Thats not the case. We are an intricate mosaic of identities.” - Keith Jones
00:00 The Problem
00:07 Ableism & ADA
00:26 Meet Anita & Keith
01:04 ADA Impact
02:21 Anitas Activism
04:02 Keiths Activism
05:48 Identity Intersection
09:05 Representation Importance
12:23 Allyship Role
15:50 Advocacy & Change
Guests:
Anita Cameron: Disability Justice Activist; Director of Minority Outreach, Not Dead Yet
Keith Jones: Human Rights & Disability Justice Activist; President, SoulTouchin’ Experiences
🎧 PODCAST: Prefer to listen? Listen to this weeks episode on your favorite podcast platform (Available 7/24): https://lauraflanders.simplecast.com/episodes/the-ada-a-civil-rights-milestone-with-miles-to-go
✏️ SHOW NOTES: Visit our Patreon for more information on this weeks episode: https://www.patreon.com/theLFShow
📺 RELATED EPISODES:
“The Future is Disabled”: Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha: https://youtu.be/Mc1dIqyTz84
Did a Summer Camp Help Spark a Disability Revolution?: https://youtu.be/xqChJ0ruDPc
Ableism Out, Independent Living Now!: https://youtu.be/Dcb7wF_Noq8
📚 Check out our Book of the Week on BOOKSHOP*: “Voices of a Peoples History of the United States in the 21st Century: Documents of Hope and Resistance: https://bookshop.org/a/22992/9781644212974
(*Bookshop is an online bookstore with a mission to financially support local, independent bookstores. The LF Show is an affiliate of bookshop.org and will receive a small commission if you click through and make a purchase.)
The Laura Flanders Show is non-commercial independent media that relies on the contributions of viewers and listeners.
DONATE TODAY at https://lauraflanders.org/donate/ or consider becoming a PATREON partner at https://www.patreon.com/thelfshow
📩 SUBSCRIBE to our newsletter: lauraflanders.org
🎧 SUBSCRIBE to our podcast: lauraflanders.org/listen
🎧 LOOKING FOR UNCUT INTERVIEWS? Patreon subscribers get early access to our full, uncut conversations and audio extras! Join our growing family today! patreon.com/thelfshow
FOLLOW The Laura Flanders Show
Twitter: twitter.com/thelfshow
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This episode is closed captioned.")
![Big Pharma Explained: Why Are Meds So Expensive? [& The Solution]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/CQA1xvrCjqs/hqdefault.jpg "Big Pharma Explained: Why Are Meds So Expensive? [& The Solution]
Stay informed and engaged! Dont miss out on our captivating weekly episodes that dive deep into the heart of our economy, culture, and politics. SUBSCRIBE HERE https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFLRxVeYcB1H7DbuYZQG-lg?sub_confirmation=1
In this episode, we dissect the harmful reality of Americas ballooning drug prices—especially the life-and-death issue of insulin affordability—and share new legislation out of California. This is Big Pharma, explained.
Todays three integral guests (listed below) join the Laura Flanders Show to discuss the pharmaceutical industry and how to end Big Pharma companies monopoly.
The current model of the pharmaceutical industry, in which profit-driven Big Pharma companies decide who manufactures treatments, where, & at what cost, is a threat to public health.
Public pharmaceutical manufacturing could limit the enormous power of these Big Pharma companies and potentially spark a public health revolution.
New legislation in California is a shift in the usual dealings of Big Pharma business. This states groundbreaking move to produce insulin will eradicate the astronomical profit margins that private companies currently enjoy. This change has the potential to bring about significant economic and social benefits, enabling a larger demographic to engage in the workforce and community. And as youll hear in the conversation, this discussion is not limited to the Democratic Party nor Republican Party — its bipartisan.
Access and equity in healthcare starts with systemic changes in pharmaceutical production and distribution. Heres whats happening in the US & globally.
00:00 Intro
00:45 The issue of insulin accessibility
02:04 Meet todays guests
05:33 The battle with Pfizer
07:53 Why do drug patents last so long?
09:50 The potential solutions, explained
15:45 Opposition to the solution
16:57 Heres why the solution is bipartisan
18:50 Are we close to a diabetes cure?
20:25 We need to decolonize our approach to medicine
21:32 Final thoughts
“This has economic & social benefits for all of us...Having the public sector take a bigger role in the production of distribution of medicine historically starts to shift the balance of power.” -Dana Brown
“Our current model for vaccine research development & distribution globally is colonial in many ways, because big pharmaceutical companies have the ability to decide who gets vaccines, treatments, insulin & other pharmaceutical products, & when & at which prices.” -Luis Gil Abinader
“10% of the population has a chronic illness, & [pharmaceutical companies] are exploiting & extorting our need for this drug. Its coming to an end because people like me & rising up & talking about it & sharing our stories.” -Kevin Wren
GUESTS:
Dana Brown: Director, Health & Economy, The Democracy Collaborative
Luis Gil Abinader: Legal Scholar; Fellow, Georgetown University Law ONeill Institute; Board Member, Universities Allied for Essential Medicines (UAEM)
Kevin Wren: Queer Activist & Patient Advocate Chapter Leader, California #insulin4all; T1International; Queer Activist & Patient Advocate, MA Evans School of Public Policy & Governance, University of Washington
🎧 PODCAST:
Prefer to listen? Hear this weeks episode: https://lauraflanders.simplecast.com/episodes/americas-drug-price-nightmare-public-production-can-save-lives
✏️ SHOW NOTES:
Visit our Patreon for more information on this weeks episode: https://www.patreon.com/posts/episode-notes-s4-84209322
📺 RELATED EPISODES:
Big Pharma vs The People: The Fight To Save America’s Largest Generic Drug Manufacturer: https://youtu.be/IP9F7QZEgEw
US Healthcare After Covid: What’s Next & How Could It Be Better?: https://youtu.be/m6RuEV5iByI
Pharma Patent Protection or the Peoples Vaccine: https://youtu.be/W3u_j3_p9so
📚 Check out our Book of the Week on BOOKSHOP*: Prescription for the People: An Activists Guide to Making Medicine Affordable for All” by Fran Quigley: https://bookshop.org/a/22992/9781501713750
(*Bookshop is an online bookstore with a mission to financially support local, independent bookstores. The LF Show is an affiliate of bookshop.org and will receive a small commission if you click through and make a purchase.)
The Laura Flanders Show is non-commercial independent media that relies on the contributions of viewers and listeners.
DONATE TODAY at https://lauraflanders.org/donate/ or consider becoming a PATREON partner at https://www.patreon.com/thelfshow
📩 SUBSCRIBE to our newsletter: lauraflanders.org
🎧 SUBSCRIBE to our podcast: lauraflanders.org/listen
🎧 LOOKING FOR UNCUT INTERVIEWS? Patreon subscribers get early access to our full, uncut conversations and audio extras! Join our growing family today! patreon.com/thelfshow
FOLLOW The Laura Flanders Show
Twitter: twitter.com/thelfshow
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Instagram: instagram.com/thelfshow/
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#democracy #newsupdates #publichealth #worldnews")
