A lot of people have asked me, “Why do you advocate for Virginia when you’re from Wisconsin?” This is why: I believe that God has a purpose for me there. My mother always told me that God works in mysterious ways, and I never fully understood that until I started to see destiny unfolding right before my eyes.
Last year, my best friend and I took a trip to Virginia because I was considering moving there. However, after visiting Virginia, I quickly decided against the move.
As soon as I stepped foot on Virginia soil, something in my spirit became wary. I could smell the scent of lost lives. Visiting the Emancipation Tree, all I could imagine and ponder was the countless lives lost and the brutal lynchings that occurred on the grounds surrounding me.
I felt a sense of danger as I visualized my ancestors being in a foreign land, running through the woods, fighting for their survival. They were hiding from men and dogs who were hunting them down to kill, beat or enslave them.
I did everything in my power to hold back the tears that forcefully rolled down my cheeks. I was hurt and enraged at the bloodshed that was under my feet. In the midst of my raw emotions, I felt driven and motivated, unaware that everything would come full circle.
Upon returning home, I began crafting the 2 GAIN&GIVE newsletters. I created them because writing is my passion, helping is my desire, freedom is my goal, and love is my driving force. While building my mailing list, I encountered a young man whom my heart went out to. His past and pain mirrored parts of my own childhood and adolescence, while his present situation revealed my purpose.
I could empathize with his experiences of having a mother battling addiction, an absent father, and the challenges of entering prison at a young age. Sadly, this is the story of many young black boys and girls. Although, the adversity stemming from poverty and addiction is a norm in most black communities doesn’t mean that it should be overlooked, nor does it mean that it is any less traumatizing.
While conducting interviews with several young men incarcerated in Virginia, my eyes were opened to the cruel and unjust justice system in the state. Speaking to individuals serving 40 and 50+ years, I realized that this was my calling.
As I pondered my upcoming journey for prison reform it was revealed to me why God directed me to Virginia the previous year. It was to familiarize me with a land that holds the suffering of my ancestors and my people to this day. Prisons represent a modern form of slavery and genocide. Virginia’s justice system is among the most corrupt, racist, and unjust in the United States.
These facilities do not focus on correction or rehabilitation; they serve as warehouses for humans for the sake of profit. Offenders are treated as mere commodities. In 2019, Virginia incarcerated 449 adults per 100,000 people, a rate approximately 15% higher than the national average. The state governor of Virginia allocates over $1 billion annually to corrections, yet the question remains: what or who is truly being corrected? In 2020, Black individuals in Virginia were incarcerated at a rate three times higher than that of white individuals, a disparity that persists to this day.
This is why I fight for those incarcerated in Virginia and why I advocate for second chances. While the movement begins in Virginia, its impact will extend far beyond. I am determined to use my voice to advocate for men and women imprisoned across the entire nation.
Written By: Nairobi X