I attended a book reading and discussion hosted by Freedom Reads on October 10th with acclaimed poet and Freedom Reads founder and CEO, Dwayne Betts, and award-winning author and Harvard professor, Imani Perry, at MCI-Framingham. When I arrived at the women’s prison I learned that it is the oldest operating women's prison in the country, opening in 1877.
The courtyards appeared more modern than the corridors of the prison. Dwayne pointed out that there were trees on the prison grounds; “they got trees inside this joint.” I never saw a tree on the inside of prison gates. I pondered their historical significance. I felt anticipation from staff as we walked through the building; they were happy that Freedom Reads had made its way to their facility. One officer said, “About time!” I was lost in the history of the place as we were escorted through halls that led to the oldest and coldest gym that I have ever been in.
The women began entering the gym. The looks on their faces said, “I hope this is good.” Each woman was given the opportunity to get the two books the authors would be reading from – Doggerel and South to America. There were about 40 women and exactly 3 dogs in attendance. As the audience settled into their seats, I asked just about all of them and discovered that the 40 or so women in attendance did not know who Dwayne Betts or Dr. Imani Perry was. There were several who knew about Freedom Reads. Once they realized that the evening’s event was a Freedom Reads event, they immediately began to ask questions about the libraries. They wanted to know when and if this event meant that they would be getting some. When asked what brought them to the event, they said the books and poetry. The women were unanimous in their love of poetry, books, and writing.
As Dwayne was introduced, the audience was quiet, still hoping they were being refrigerated for a good reason. Dwayne pointed out that something very important was missing from the introduction. He let the audience know that he went to prison at the age of 16 and stayed for 8 years. Once the room heard that, the climate changed a little. It went from rattling teeth cold to goose bumps cold. Dwayne read 5 poems from Doggerel, Losing Weight, Bike Ride, This Morning, Guns Drugs and Heroin, and Memorial Hoops. Between each poem, he provided the story behind or within the poem.
Dwayne finished his last poem and introduced Dr. Imani Perry. Before Dr. Perry began to read excerpts from her book, South to America, a 2022 National Book Award winner and the inaugural recipient of the Inside Literary Prize award, she explained to the audience what was going on in the scene and its historical significance. She emphasized that America did not always belong to the people it belongs to today. And this, she explained to the audience, is a way to start different conversations about belonging. The women in the audience hung on her every word. They were her students at that moment. At the end of Dr. Perry’s reading, a Q&A discussion followed.
The question flowed in. They were thoughtful: “How did you get started putting libraries in prisons? “Who do you partner with to be able to bring libraries into prisons?”
“Will this be a recurring thing? Will you be back? They wanted to know how Freedom Reads became a reality. They wanted to know if it was really possible. They looked at Dwayne, as proof that their post-prison ideas, dreams, and goals can be realized. They were inspired. When the questions started being directed to Dr. Perry, the audience wanted to know if she’d be willing to come teach at MCI-Framingham. Someone even shouted out the name of the person she should contact at the facility.
A woman asked: “How many other prisons have you spoken at?” To which Dr. Perry replied, “None, this is my first time speaking to an audience in a prison.”
As the women exited the gym after the event, the expressions on their faces were markedly different than when they entered. They were clutching their signed books, beaming with joy and excitement, filled with warmth.