America ReFramed

ADAMU: We're all inside of this place ADAMU: We're all inside of this place trying to find our way out of here, but also trying to find a way to be together.

NATASHA DEL TORO: Adamu Chan first picked up a camera while he was incarcerated at San Quentin.

ADAMU: Finally, I found, through filmmaking, a way to access the thing that I needed most to heal the parts of myself that felt broken.

We are building community by using the power of telling our stories to change the system that incarcerated us.. DEL TORO: What These Walls Won't Hold on America ReFramed.

(ocean waves) ADAMU CHAN: Somewhere there is an ocean that I desepertely need to see.

To stand on its foamy shores and contemplate the vastness of existence.

To yell my name into the oblivion And feel the kiss of salty mist on my face.

Somewhere beyond deserts of concrete and steel out past morality and right and wrong I see your footprints in the san and anticipate our union.

(ocean waves) ADAMU: Good Morning, - Good morning.

Morning ADAMU: How ' s everybody?

- All right.

– Good ADAMU: Congratulations.

Good morning.

- Thank you.

ADAMU: Nice to meet yall.

so happy for you and the whole family.

Yeah.

- Wow - Oh my god.

- Its real - Its happening - Oh its coming, its coming.

- Here we go.

- Its over.

- Oh my God.

(car door shuts) (applause, crowd yells in celebration) ADAMU: What does it mean to be held?

Not by walls, not by chains and iron bars, but by love.

ADAMU: Whats up bro?

BONARU: Whats up man, Im good.

ADAMU: This place is hauntingly familiar to me.

Its where I started my journey of freedom months before.

As my friend Bonaru begins his own journey, I cant help but think of all those who are still behind the walls of San Quentin.

ISA BORGESON: This.

is a Valentines Day card from you, very cute.

You always gave me Valentines Day cards.

Your presense in my life makes me a better, more hopeful That ' s right, you see?

We can ' t always control the circumstances that the universe places us in or the times and spaces where we find love. That ' s so beautiful.

Why dont you write me no more, huh?

(laughs) Now, I got your little text messages.

ADAMU: That's crazy, I have all these letters like right here, I havent gone through any of them since Ive been home.

ISA: I used to go through them more.

I used to hide different ones where you were really nice to me and really sweet and I would put them in different sections of the house and Id stumble upon it and I would read it.

This one is from 2010.

You said Sup, Stinky (laughter) It was nice talking to you on the phone on Sunday, even if it was only for a minute.

Then the next day, I got your letter.

Thanks. Im also trying to transfer to a prison to to prison in Northern California so I can be closer.

I ' ll keep you posted, sending lots of hugs. Where were you in 2010?

Soledad?

ADAMU: Lancaster.

Oh you were in Lancaster?

Oh yeah.

I keep telling myself that when things are uncomfortable, that ' s when growth happen, Im trying to learn from all of this, but I can't help feeling like like I made a mistake leaving the last place. This is when you first came to San Quentin?

ADAMU: Yeah.

Yeah.

The first Christmas after San Quentin?

Because you came in October, right?

ADAMU: Yeah, that was a hard time.

I was feeling really alone.

ISA: Mmm-hmm.

ADAMU: Just trying to transition into like, a new community.

ISA: Right.

Mmm, I ' m also realizing that being patient waiting for the justice system to correct itself may not be the answer.

Even with a dynamite lawyer, the system is not known for admitting its mistakes and correcting them.

My point is there and has to be other ways to engage this and if that includes talking to people about whats going on, On, I ' m all for it.

to Anyways, thank you so much for being involved and taking initiative.

It does mean a lot to me. It really does reminding me of like how much you influenced like my political upbringing and stuff and just like writing letters back and forth to you and talking to you about stuff and it wasn ' t just like prison stuff.

It was like a lot of things.

Such a beautiful picture.

When we were pretending to be sleeping.

Because we were running out of ideas of poses.

ADAMU: No, thats a good idea.

what are you talking about?

ISA: It was a great idea.

ADAMU: In my mind, the way I thought about it was like, I wanted to imagine us just sleeping through all of this bad (muted) that was happening.

ISA: Hmmmm, I love it.

ADAMU: February 2020 Dear Isa, I hope you are well today, and finding ease wherever you are.

I know your birthday is coming up and I'm excited for you.

Even though I won't be there in person. (distance sounds of the yard) February is a special month, because it is the month we both came into this world in our purest form of the divine, before the distortions of the world became imprinted on us. (distance sounds of the yard) I miss you so much today. But to be honest.

I cant count the days that Ive had this feeling. It ' s part of the experience of this place.

Not only the architecture designed to separate us physically from each other with cold concrete and steel. But also the psychological and emotional distance that that cuts through the core of what feels like one of our most human needs. To be deeply connected to others, and ultimately in that, connected to a purpose. Were all inside of this place trying to find our way out of here.

But also trying to find a way to be together in spite of the seperations that are inherent in the prison structure.

What has helped me stay connected is my work here inside of the media center, with the Firstwatch Team creating videos about the lives and perspectives of incarcerated people.

It feels like some of the most important work that I've ever been a part of, And alongside, some of the the most talented people that Ive ever been around.

ADAMU: Welcome to the Firstwatch creative space.

It is an election year and we thought that we would get some of the voices of the people that reside here at San Quentin.

- We have a voice and one way our voice is heard is by doing this type of work.

ADAMU: Apart from my crew - Edmond, Thanh, Reese, Jesse Rahsaan who is the host of Ear Hustle is someone I love collaborating with.

RAHSAAN: I have a question for the billionaire democratic hopefuls, Why are you guys spending 500 million dollars on commercials?

ADAMU: He is a visionary thinker and sees the bigger picture of our work here in ways that feels very aligned with my own values.

RAHSAAN: No matter what, my voice remains free and I'm a keep screaming about better solutions that dont involve violence or incarceration.

Until all our problems are solved and our streets are safe.

My name is Lonnie Morris and safety is to me ADAMU: Lonnie, who has been here at San Quentin for over 40 years and has been doing media work for much of that time is a mentor for all of us.

And I respect greatly for his wisdom.

Wisdom again through lived experience not through theory or formal education.

LONNIE: You know, we talk on the phone and all that.

One of the things that really is difficult for me and my family is they really believe, you know, Im getting out of prison.

It ' s gonna be real difficult for me to get out of prison.

So I ' m stuck in this kind of no mans land of trying to be honest and truthful with them, but not creating illusions.

ADAMU: More than anything else, What feels important is how we are building community.

Creating shared values and meaning through this work and living out our commitments to our great community incarcerated people to all across the state, By using the power of telling our stories to change the system that incarcerated us.

I can remeber for so many years in this prison feeling feeling like a ship lost at sea.

Alone and far away from community and the healing power of connectedness.

And finally, I found through filmmaking a way to access the thing that I needed most to heal the parts of myself that that felt broken.

For the first time in almost 12 years in prison, I feel connected to a purpose, Isa.

RAHSAAN: But first, watch them!

(Laughter) ADAMU: March 17th, 2020 Dear Isa, What is going on in the world?

Out in the world you all have been given a shelter in place order.

Last night about a hundred of us were moved to the dorms, and the institution was put on full lockdown.

I wonder how you're doing, and if you're safe.

If my mom is safe.

And whether or not by the time you get this letter this will all be over? REPORTER: California is now under a Statewide stay-at-home stay-at-home order.

ANCHOR: The decision comes as California plans for a worst case scenario.

REPORTER: Alabama and Missouri just joined 40 other states that are urging people to stay home.

ANCHOR: America is now preparing for the pandemic.

ISA: We were really scared because we knew that it was inevitable.

I think we all kind of had talked about how if COVID-19 gets to San Quentin, it ' s going to be a huge outbreak.

Outside, non-incarcerated populations started going into the beginnings of a shelter in place that same week, the prison system went on modified program, Even thoguht, there hadt been any confirmed cases within the prison.

Yet, in anticipation, the prison went on lockdown.

People went from having full access to everything the prison had to offered everyday, to nothing.

AMY GOODMAN: Covid-19 is rapidly spreading through the state's overcrowded prisons.

Conditions make it nearly impossible to stop the virus once it Condit enters a prison.

- Hey Adamu, were so glad you could join us.

ADAMU: Whats up everybody?

You got twelve of us listening to you.

Whats going on in there?

ADAMU: Its kind of like a chaotic situation.

Last Monday, this is what we heard: There were some incarcerated people that were brought up from Chino, where they had Covid-19 outbreak.

Now, all of the sudden, we have an outbreak here.

The last word that we got is that there were 20 cases.

- Keep bringing us the information of what you want us to be demanding on your alls behalf.

We dont want to be making up demands for you.

We want to hear what you need.

And support you.

ADAMU: Yeah.

Know that we're thinking and we are trying to get organized.

JAMES: We were getting real time information Because of relationships that were pre-existing.

And anytime we could connect people to people inside so that people were able to speak for themselves.

On the line with me, I have a friend of mine, Adamu, who ' s currently living in San Quentin.

He wanted to share some things about the conditions inside and his concerns about the way the epidemic is being handled at San Quentin.

ADAMU: Okay, I think everybody has a very high level of anxiety right now.

I would just say please speak up and speak out I about whats going on.

JESSE BLUE: Were packed like caged animals.

ADAMU: Im not sure of the status of a person thats sleeping, you know, feet away from me.

JUAN MORENO HAINES: So many people in San Quentin are dying Because we cant phyiscally distance ourselves from each other.

MICHAEL ADAMS: Its so dark.

Its so dank.

Theres no electricity.

REPORTER: The number of inmates at San Quentin who are now who are now positive for Covid-19 exploded over the weekend.

ANCHOR: 1,011 inmates tested positive at San Quentin.

state prison.

GOODMAN: Twenty two hundred prisoners have been infected by the virus, twenty five have died.

RACHEL MADDOW: San Quentin has now become the largest coronavirus outbreak in California.

RAHSAAN: Peace Su, I used to love watching dominoes fall.

As they hit the next in line and the next in line, they created a sense of excitement and wonder as I eyed how far they would go.

Now, however, Im seeing COVID-19 knock all of us down in a line just like dominoes So they don't seem so cool anymore.

It is Independence Day, and another Black man has It's In died in prison.

He made the third at San Quentin on death row to die from COVID - 19.

I have a headache and a sneeze, been sick for 5 days straight.

Feels like something is trying to push my right eye out of its socket.

Things are crazy here, but don't you be crying, I will survive.

Salute, keep on fighting, as I will.

One love, Rahsaan.

LONNIE: Hey Jen, Id take a moment to write you a few words.

Just tell you what's going on with me.

I didnt think Id ever be faced with a situation where my life was on the line and I havent even did nothing to get my life in jeopardy.

In my life I have done a lot of things to cause people to want to hurt me.

But here I am sitting in prison, havent done anything to anybody, and this disease wants to hurt me.

Its strange.

And I'm sitting here just waiting for them to call second tier for showers and phone calls, so I can get on the phone and hear your voice.

Brighten my day.

Take care.

God bless.

I love you.

ADAMU: I was so excited to receive your letter today.

As the envvelope came through the bars of my cell and hit the floor, I felt my heart race anticipating where your words would take me.

Hoping to meet you in that place above these walls, beyond the mountains, where the ocean begins.

It made me reflect on the supremacy of love, and that is the only form of supremacy that we will tolerate.

It seems at times that words are all we have, as a world has so cruelly separated us in so many ways, and in the absence of fingertips, glances,and hugs.

And so as you say, we reach across the boundaries of time, space, and ideology to touch, if only just for a moment.

Your words are meditation, And as I sit here reading them again I feel a bit less scattered.

Let ' s turn to James King from the Ella Baker Center Thank you to the chair members of the committee for allowing me to speak with you today.

My name is James King.

San Quentin 6 months ago after living there for six and half years.

The only safe, responsible solution is large-scale releases.

In despite reports to the contrary releases have actually slowed down.

ISA: what we need right now, and what we need always, is mass releases.

No more excuses.

No more transfers that kill more people.

No more people getting sick on our watch.

MOTHER: Free my baby, bring him home, I can take care of him.

I can take care of him.

I birthed him.

God blessed me with him.

He blessed me with him!

(crowd chatter) ISA: Dear Adamu, What's given me comfort lately is knowing that so many people inside and outside have been organizing coming together to care for each other in this moment.

ISA: We will fight together until we are all free!

ISA: I just want you to know how grateful I am for you.

I know how much you are putting at risk to speak out right now.

I'm learning so much from you big head.

Each time you tell us what's happening inside and what new demands you've gathered from your community.

Organizing like this makes me feel so close to you, almost like you are here, even though we haven't seen each other in months.

Every morning me and your mom look at the COVID tracker and see the cases skyrocketing at San Quentin and all over.

We're so anxious all the time.

Wondering if the next e-mail we get will tell us there are now cases in your housing unit.

I just hope all we are doing can somehow bring you and everyone home soon.

There's so many people out here fighting with y'all.

I love you big head.

Please do everything you can to be safe, Isa.

ADAMU: I never believed in God my whole life.

But around the end of the summer of 2020, I started feeling something, a movement, an energy that was pushing me towards freedom.

and suddenly, like divine intervention, I was set free.

It appears to me that we have enough credit for time served for immediate release.

Yes, that has been verified with the Department of Corrections.

ADAMU: How can I explain the complexity of that moment?

the pure joy of getting your life back immediately followed by an overwealming saddness and anxiety of leaving all of your best friends and a community that supported you through the winter of your life.

I cant help but to think of Rahsaan, Edmond, Lonnie and so many more who were so much a part of my freedom journey, but wont be with me at the end, and who continue to walk their own path.

(crowd cheers) (crowd chants) Welcome Home!

ISA: I love yall so much.

ISA: I remember I was just being there and I just like I can't believe that youre home I can't believe this is forever, you know?

And it doesnt end.

Like we dont have to have somebody saying like, oh the visit ' s over it ' s time to go home now. It ' s time to leave him now, you know.

We went to the ocean that day And I remember that ' s something that we had talked about for like such a long time.

We went to like your favorite Beach and Ocean Beach and it was just like a moment I feel like I had dreamed of since I was like a little kid.

(laughs) Or in the court room, like, you know, and thinking that it wouldnt happen and, feeling like it would never happen and then it happened.

ADAMU: Ive always had a strong connection to the ocean.

For as long as I can remember, it was a place I went to to calm myself and cleanse my energy.

Years ago when I was moved to San Quentin, The water which was so close I could smell it and at times see it through barbed wire or bars represented my proximity to freedom and peace.

I remember the day I got out, and standing on that beach next to the prison.

Here I was on some of the most beautiful and expensive land land in the world.

On a beach where people in this neighborhood come to play with their children and dogs, in the shadow of this terrible place.

And how just an hour before I, and the people inside, had no concept of this beach and what was happening here.

There ' s like this joke inside of San Quentin about Marin specifically, and about how dogs in Marin have more rights than incarcerated people.

Its a joke, but it is also there is a lot of it that rings true.

Hi!

ADAMU: What ' s up, Sana?

Hi!

Do you want to say hi to Em?

- Whats up?

Happy Birthday!

ADAMU: Thank you!

Hello.

Oh Hello?

- Hello you have a dog.

Oh, hello, dog.

ADAMU: Let me interview, let me interview Sana.

Hey Sana, are you ready- Oh don ' t lick the camera, please.

(chatter) RECORDING: This call and your telephone number will be monitored and recorded.

EDMOND: I wish I was there.

ADAMU: I wish you were here too.

ISA: We wish you were here, too.

Oh, I got him a transformer balloon.

I got him a transformer balloon.

EDMOND: Ahh!

EDMOND: So right now, its the end of my phone time.

ADAMU: What?

ISA: Okay.

ADAMU: What?

EDMOND: Love you guys!

B e safe and have fun.

ADAMU: Okay, hey, I love you too Edmond.

ISA: Love you EDMOND: Love you too!

(laughter) ADAMU: Hit it!

Hit it!

- Yeah!

ADAMU: Woah, Woah!

ISA: Can you do the now thing?

- Now.

Now.

Now.

- Now, jump!

(cheering) What is going on?

ADAMU: For years I celebrated my birthday in prison, Each passing year also a hard reminder of how much time had passed in that place, And how many more I had left.

but on this day my joy wouldnt feel contained by concrete walls or iron bars.

RAHSAAN: All right yall, were about to start filming.

LONNIE: We got it?

We got the sound?

RAHSAAN: So one time when I was like six years old.

I came outside with my basketball, with my headband on, with my brand new pro-keds, and I went by the basketball court.

And the brothers were out there ,man said let me borrow the ball I said all right, here ya go and I shot him the ball.

He said check it out youngster, you got next, And Ive been wating forty years now to play ball with those guys (laughter) EDMOND: You got next, huh?

I still got next.

LONNIE: Well, let's get right into it man.

So tell me whats your vision for community as a idea of resistance to a system that says people who committed crimes need to be separated and confined.

Yeah, that is a great question Relationships are an act resiliency, and a push back against the isolation.

Isolation is actually a root cause of crime.

cause If I feel isolated.

If I feel like Im not part of the community then I dont respect or value communitys rules or social norms.

When I feel like I'm part of the community, then my responsibility is to my community, right?

It is central to our humanity, you know what I mean?

Without feeling loved it's hard to love and if you don't feel loved and you don't love, then you dont care.

If you don't care, you're a dangerous person.

LONNIE: This is true, This is true.

Its one of the most powerful acts of resistance because it says to the system that we're not gonna allow you to do that.

Were not going to allow you to take this persons humanity Were going to help them maintain their value by showing them love and concern.

RAHSAAN: Brother.

LONNIE: Thats all I wanted to say.

Thank you for this.

Youre gonna be home in a little bit.

Thats, right.

How are you feeling about that?

I'm feeling good about that man.

I think that you know, it's coming and it's agonizing, you know?

the wait is a little agonizing, I aint going to pretend.

so thankful to Allah subhanahu Wa Ta'ala, that Im on Ramadan.

That's calmed my spirit down, you know what I'm saying?

energy to be all ah, ah, Because, you know?

(laughs) Whats the third thing youre going to do when you get out?

- I dont know bro.

RAHSAAN: The third thing, bro.

LONNIE: I dont know RAHSAAN: I need to know.

LONNIE: The weirdest question, everyone wants to know the first thing.

(laughter) Yeah, the third thing you gonna do, I dont know.

(laughter) RAHSAAN: That's what's up.

Thank you OG.

Ramadan Mubarak.

ADAMU: Lonnie had always, so many of us inside, represented the resilience of the human spirit.

In him, we could see how someone could transform all of that, 45 years of it, into a meaningful and purposeful existence.

That in spite of our wretchednes we were still living, even behind these walls.

Yeah see you soon, brother.

I love you.

LONNIE: I love you, too.

ADAMU: Take care of yourself.

LONNIE: Thats right.

Ill talk to you soon.

ADAMU: To see him coming home, meant that all things were possible.

ADAMU: Cori, happy birthday.

CORI: Thank you.

ADAMU: Did you fly out here?

CORI: I did.

I just knew it was gonna happen at some point and I just wanted to be here.

This is a marvelous day.

ADAMU: Yeah.

Yeah.

Truly is.

Truly is.

- There he is bro!

(crowd cheers) LONNIE: Im sorry V9.

- What was that number?

(crowd cheers) The lawyer!

LONNIE: We did it!

We did it.

We did it.

LONNIE: We did it.

CORI: You did it.

LONNIE: No, we did it.

Everybody here did.

When you got on the job, everything became possible.

I want you to know that.

I love you and appreciate you.

(Crowd claps and cheers) You said look man, were gonna get you out of there, man.

we gonna keep working.

We aint gonna cut loose until we get you out.

- You got you out.

LONNIE: No, we got me out.

LONNIE: Everybody here, yeah, we got me out.

(crowd laughs and cheers) This is crazy man, so many people.

- Whats up, young Adamu!

- Get in there!

Im so glad to see you!

- Oh my lord.

LONNIE: Love you more!

-Love you too.

You know, cat gotta be like yall.

Cat gotta come out.

I wear same thing.

(crowd laughs) The same thing, boy.

(laughter) This been a crazy, crazy, ride, man.

Its, its all over and done, man.

I want to thank everybody for coming out.

And I want to ask Allah subhanahu Wa Taala not only to bless this day, but to bless the rest of our lives.

For me this journey has been one where theres been lot of ups and downs twists and turn a lot of people come in my life, left my life, back in my life It is allowed me to recognize that you got to value who you are and in the moment that you have in life and the people that's in your life in that moment.

A lot of times we get caught up in all this worldly stuff, And Im asking God to let us step back from some of that stuff.

Recognize that there's a bigger purpose in life than just living and doing and ripping and running and And not valuing the people that we say we love and and care about.

so I ask God to bring us closer together, in spirit and mind, and heart and soul to guide us in our affairs, And always let us turn our attention to the Creator, and not the man.

May God bless and protect us.

Thank you.

- All right, lets get away from San Quentin LONNIE: Yeah lets go, Im ready to roll.

ADAMU: Hello?

RAHSAAN: Yeah, what up?

ADAMU: Can you hear me?

RAHSAAN: Yeah, yeah, yeah.

ADAMU: Im sorry to hear that.

RAHSAAN: I dont know bro.

The situation...

They been bringing in about 80 people a week for the last 6 weeks.

Like keep bringing people in, bringing people in and then same thing happens.

On one of those buses, somebody came in sick.

So its crazy.

Its like theyre not learning I dont know if theyre trying to kill us, or if the County jail is just so over crowded that they aint got no choice but to send all over these people.

Or they just dont learn, I dont know what it is.

ADAMU: Yeah, Im really sorry to hear that, thats terrible.

LONNIE: Hows it brother, man?

ADAMU: Im doing all right.

When they see you this spot, bro you have to watch yourself.

Whats up man, how you doing?

ADAMU: So tell me about how everything's been going?

LONNIE: Oh man, it has been a whirlwind, man.

You know?

(laughter) But life is still life.

So, you still gotta to do your laundry, You still- yesterday I had to vacuum my floor and scrub it, all that stuff you know.

ADAMU: I know you havent spent a lot of time in Oakland, but for me, like just you know, I was gone for over a decade and it's a lot of stuff that's still familiar.

It's a lot of stuff that's like drastically changed right?

LONNIE: Right.

Im seeing a lot that is different.

I went to the Fillmore But it aint the Fillmore I knew you know what Im saying?

That was almost like a hundred percent Black.

And now there are very few Black folks over there, you know?

So those kinds of things have changed.

I guess gentrification has played a major role in that.

ADAMU: Things getting cleaner and safer.

LONNIE: Right LONNIE: Right.

ADAMU: And then also me thinking about like how we were living in the Bay area because we were in San Quentin, and how that space is so predominantly Black.

How that illustrates just everything, right?

how these spaces become like sanitized and cleaned like how that process happens.

You know what I mean?

LONNIE: Yeah, yeah.

we have to really just continue to work on changing, you know?

One year ago, CCDR moved 121 incarcerated people here to San Quentin.

So today, one year later we've returned to pray for those who have died.

If you would like to step forward and share a story.

That we could collectively hold with you.

Hey everyone.

My partner is currently right here behind us, his name is Tom Tran.

and this is my daughter.

(CROWD) Okay!

(applause) Tom if you see this we love you and you are not forgotten.

Want to say anything to a unicorn?

DAUGHTER: We miss you, a lot.

(applause) Thank you.

You know, as a formerly incarcerated inmate, seeing family,s friends and supporters are here man, its a blessing.

We thank you for standing in solidarity with everybody We thank you for everybody coming here today.

- We do this chant, this prayer.

And we offer it up, you know for comfort, for our brothers comfort, you know.

(men sing a prayer) ADAMU: Dear Rahsaan I was struck today by the thought that just like its impossible to isolate a virus behind walls, You cant fully separate people from the communities that they belong to.

I can't help but think of you and all my dear loved ones that I want to be free and a out of harm's way.

I think about all that our community has lost through all this time and all this time living in the belly of this Beast.

And remain in hope that what we seek can be regained and remade anew through struggle and community.

It is what guides me towards staying connected and in this fight through all of the organizing meetings and direct action, (Poet speaking) All the fighting for folks to be released, All the difficult complexities of showing up for a community.

Surivors of this virus have been social inequality, right?

What I witnessed was the vast overcrowding in San Quentin and at all the prisons ADAMU: And as much as I would like to leave this place and this history behind me, I cannot deny it as part of myself.

And I will continue to use the tools that I have at my disposal My voice, my camera, and my newfound privilege as a free person, to make sure that all that has been, is undone, and that we find the way back home together.

RAHSAAN: What you up to?

ADAMU: What's going on bruh?

How are you doing?

RAHSAAN: I'm doing fair for a square, man.

ADAMU: Yeah?

Hows your spirit?

Oh Man, its up and its down ADAMU: Yeah?

RAHSAAN: Its up and its down.

I just try and remind myself that, you know everything happens in its own time.

I dont want to be here, but God had a purpose for me.

So I look for that purpose and not to complain.

People going home, right?

And everyone who went home, didnt forget me.

They reconnected me to people I wouldnt have access to if it wasnt for them.

And everyone out there is trying to get someone else out.

I feel like its my job.

My job to advocate to get to them out too.

Each of us getting out, means someone else is getting out, and so it's kind of a beautiful thing.

(crowd cheering and applauding) LONNIE: Whats up man?

They let you out that joint.

Finally.

Hey mom, hey Ma its really real.

Im free.

No more handcuffs.

No more metal detector visits.

Sometimes I feel like I ' m unplugged, settled in a matrix, watching like I understand to create fear and develop hatred.

We all at different stages, different mental spaces that make us the same is we are human.

Embrace it.

See I was laced up as they say, this one taught me the goal is to leave this world the way we came in and be just like a baby because all the baby know is love until they start to hate and it don't matter about your class, gender, or your race The energy you emanate will be the difference between you getting lemons eliminated the way when you get a taste of the way the universe, mistakenly brought to light to light the fire to recognize all the ways that you can learn.

Sometimes the process hurts, but we got to process pain because hurt people hurt people.

Time to grow from change.

We need to heal from trauma.

We need really problems to all our problems.

But for good and restorations, if we ain't on different pages, gotta be like a breath of fresh air, like respiration.

No lie.

Yeah, yeah.

Please feel me.

Because I just want to change the world forever.

No lie.

I want to bring the world together.