How to find hope when all seems impossible | Roland Murphy | TEDxAttica 2019
Faced with guilt, remorse, and a sentence requiring him to spend more time incarcerated than he had been alive, Roland Murphy thought the answer to his problems was suicide. Listen to the story of how he found hope while living in prison. Roland Murphy is a proud father, loving husband, and resilient being. He's on a quest for success and is using what he learned from his past experience to get him there by remembering that the decisions he makes will ultimately decide his fate. Murphy was raised by two amazing parents who are now deceased but will forever live in his heart. They were excellent providers and always stressed the importance of working hard and getting an education in order to obtain sustainable success. By the time he was 12, he became very lazy at life and his decision-making, as he chose the streets over school, friends over family, and drugs over his dreams. By doing so, the only thing he achieved was a 25-to-life sentence. Hopeful that he'll receive a second chance, he is determined not to make the same mistake twice and is now embracing his parents' words of wisdom. While incarcerated he obtained his GED, completed various drug and anger management programs, and mentors youth.
I've been consumed | Damoni Hall | TEDxAttica 2019
Through poetry, Damoni takes us on an emotional journey leading to his incarceration, but ultimately to his faith. Damoni Hall is a man of integrity and a great encourager to all people. He has attended Alfred State College and Erie Community College, where he studied psychology. Among his many accomplishments since being incarcerated, Damoni is now a clerk in Attica’s Industry Department and an active member in the Youth Association Program. He loves sports, reading, and writing poetry.
You matter! | Jessica Barrett | TEDxAttica 2019
In this painful and gripping talk, Jessica Barrett reveals the nightmare her family lived through after her brother committed suicide. She implores that anyone contemplating suicide remember that they matter to someone and they should reach out for help. The oldest of three children, I experienced the true blessing of being raised by devoted and loving parents who instilled in us three critical attributes. The first being absolute reverence for our Polish heritage. Second, the often underappreciated ability to connect with others on an emotional and intra-personal level ,as well as the life lesson that if you are good to people, they will be good to you. During a parochial, public, and now correctional teaching career that has spanned 20 years, I have worked to hone these attributes not only to celebrate my Polish heritage, but also to try to brighten the future of others. The winding road that I have traveled has been filled with incredible highs and soul crushing lows, yet it is these experiences that have helped me realize how critical suicide awareness has become and how a once taboo subject has shaped my life and the person I have become.
Lessons from Gandhi on the violence within all of us | Arun Gandhi + Jonathon Jones | TEDxAttica 2019
In this engaging talk, Arun Gandhi shares the lessons he learned about violence while living with his grandfather Mahatma and why he now teaches nonviolence workshops in Attica and other prisons. Jonathon Jones shares how Arun’s teachings transformed him while he was in prison and now, since his release, the two are teaching nonviolence workshops in prisons together. Arun Gandhi, grandson of Mohandas “Mahatma” Gandhi, was born in Durban, South Africa during the apartheid years. At age12, Arun was taken to India to live with his famous grandfather and learn ways to cope with his anger and violent reactions, having been a victim of color prejudice while growing up. During his time in India, he learned valuable lessons on life next to his grandfather. Arun is now the President of the Gandhi Worldwide Education Institute to take the message of nonviolence all over the world and to rescue and train children living in poverty so that they can break the oppressive cycle crushing them. He has also started the M. K. Gandhi Institute for Nonviolence in 1991, based since 2008 at the University of Rochester, NY, which runs programs for inner city children, inmates of correctional facilities and poor families while teaching nonviolence to students. Jonathon Jones grew up in Rochester and learned deeply about nonviolence in many forms while incarcerated, including becoming a trainer with the Alternatives to Violence project as well as learning and then teaching Nonviolent Communication through the Gandhi Institute. Since his return home, he has continued his study of nonviolence, completing a six-month course with the Metta Center for Nonviolence last rear. Jonathan teaches and speaks on nonviolence in a variety of community settings.
The C.H.O.I.C.E.S connection | Jon-Adrian Velazquez | TEDxSingSing 2020
Every day, we are faced with difficult decisions. We make constant choices about how to respond to problems, confrontation, celebration, and news. How impactful are those mundane, everyday choices? Jon-Adrian thinks they have the power to change our entire lives. Jon-Adrian Velasquez is the co-founder of the C.H.O.I.C.E.S program, which helps the children of incarcerated men at Sing Sing learn to think critically about situations, calm their emotions, and make healthy choices. This program has changed the lives of so many and in this incredible talk, Jon-Adrian wants to help you use it to change yours. Jon-Adrian led a 22-year crusade against his wrongful conviction while helping other innocent men obtain exoneration. Featured on NBC’s Dateline and the Wrongful Conviction Podcast with Jason Flom, Jon-Adrian opened up about his innocence in the case. Jon-Adrian splits his time between his work as a Program Assistant at Hudson Link for Higher Education in Prison and Co-Founder and Chairman of Voices from Within. Jon Adrian’s unique personal experiences fuel his passion for uplifting communities through his collaboration and work with prison administrators, elected officials, and community leaders.
A matter of time | Jermaine Archer | TEDxSingSing 2020
How many times have you sat down to do something, lost track of time, and looked up to find hours have passed you by? Why is it so easy for us to lose track of, forget about, or even waste our own time? In this powerful talk, Jermaine Archer speaks about how being sentenced to prison to serve time, helped him learn to stop wasting the most precious resource we have: time. Jermaine Archer is a writer, author, actor, musician, and paralegal. But most importantly a son, father and husband. Jermaine has been incarcerated for a crime he did not commit. Jermaine redefined what mattered most to him: his time and today's youth. He is passionate about making an impact on youth and sharing his story with community youth through the Sing Sing Youth Assistance Program. As an adviser to the Osborne Association's New York Initiative for Children with Incarcerated Parents, Jermaine brainstorms with family court judges and policy makers to protect the rights of children with incarcerated parents. In 2012 he co-founded Voices From Within, a group of men redefining what it means to repay a debt to society.
Quiet people will change the world | Sara Dahan | TEDxSingSing 2020
Sara Dahan has always been a quiet person so she knows that when looking for authority figures, we tend to overlook quieter, more reserved people. But what if she told you that being quiet doesn’t mean you can’t lead effectively, speak publicly, or impact change? If you are an introvert looking for some motivation and some inspiration, look no further! In this challenging talk, Sara takes a close look at what it means to be a quiet leader, and what perspective they can bring to the table. A community builder of 12 years, Sara Dahan runs Catalyst, a community strategy agency that helps businesses build authentic, thriving communities around their brand. Catalyst leverages the resources of the private sector to transform society into a more empathetic and connected place while also building strong, organic brand loyalty that fuels companies growth. Sara earned her Bachelor's degree in Neuroscience at MIT and her Master's in Epidemiology from NYU, and has always been fascinated by what drives human behavior and the ways we gather. In her talk, "Quiet People Will Change The World", Sara questions what it means to have a voice and discusses strategies we can learn from quiet people to become authentic and empathetic leaders.
This is for the others | Alexander Aguilar | TEDxSingSing 2020
Alexander Aguilar is a young man with a deep commitment to helping and inspiring at-risk youth. When he was a young man himself, Alexander was involved in the gang lifestyle and the juvenile justice system. Now, as an incarcerated man at Sing Sing, he dedicates himself to having tough conversations about what justice looks like for those under 18. In this evocative presentation, he shares his personal story and talks about how we make sure more children grow up and don’t share his path or his circumstances. Alexander Aguilar grew up in gangs and juvenile halls. Determined to overcome the struggles he has faced, Alexander has set a new path that focuses on improving himself and building tighter ties to his family. He is committed to giving back, stating, “If my experience can help keep a child from making the same mistake that I did, then I’m happy with that.”
The power of language to redefine what matters | Javier Miranda | TEDxSingSing 2020
What does it mean to be “rehabilitated”? What if the person in question was never taught how to live and stay on the healthy path in the first place? Javier Miranda wants us to think about what it feels like to be someone in need of rehabilitation, specifically those incarcerated in American prisons. In this powerful talk, Javier discusses the power of language to impact someone’s recovery as well as the ways in which we can rehabilitate ourselves. Javier Miranda believes in the power education has to transform lives, communities, and societies. At the time of his arrest in 1994, he could not speak English; today, he holds a Masters Degree and is the author of Out of the Wilderness: A New Approach to Personal Development and Rehabilitation. For over 26 years as a peer counselor, Javier has been involved with many organizations combating AIDS, substance abuse, and epidemics of violence inside prisons. Currently, he is one of the coordinators for the New York Theological Seminary's Master Degree Program at Sing Sing.
One last cry | Joseph Norman | TEDxSingSing 2020
We don’t often think about a prison as being the birthplace of art, but Joseph Norman is here to say otherwise. As a currently incarcerated poet, Joseph channels his energy into creating and sharing stories, poems, and songs about his life and his lived experiences. In “One Last Cry,” Joseph speaks about friendship, brotherhood, and fatherhood behind prison walls. Growing up in North Carolina, Joseph was made fun of and called names. He channeled his hurt from being picked on through writing poetry. Recently, Joseph completed five phases of the Alternative to Violence Project Workshop. He also completed nine months of Alcohol Substance Abuse Treatment and currently volunteers his free time to the program telling his story and assisting others with their sobriety. Joseph continues to write poetry focusing it on addiction, love, and fatherhood.
Reflections | William Walsh | TEDxSingSing 2020
What does it mean to redefine something? As we grow and progress in life, we often find ourselves having to re-invent or re-create different parts of ourselves. In this poignant talk, William Walsh speaks to the impact that our circumstances have on the way we process ourselves and our surroundings and how he learned to redefine what matters. William is a man of faith. As a leader of the Our Lady of Hope Catholic chapel community, William organizes and facilitates the events and programs that the chapel offers. He is continuously looking for new ways to challenge himself on his path to self- realization.
My secret dog inside Attica prison | Michael Rhynes | TEDxAttica 2019
Listen to this entertaining performance piece as an incarcerated man inside Attica confesses to an audience (including the head of corrections for New York State) about the hidden dog in his cell and various methods he uses to deal with the traumas of incarceration. Michael has been incarcerated since the age of 23. He is now 58. Michael’s endeavor to reconnect to his humanity through the arts finds its roots in the same fertile ground that produced the Harlem Renaissance. Rising from the ashes of his past, he has produced a chapbook of poems entitled, “Guerillas in the Mist.” Michael co-created and co-founded the Phoenix Players Group at Auburn Prison. He also initiated a domestic violence prevention program while at Auburn. At Attica, he created and co-founded the 3rd Prison from the Sun Theater Group. Michael obtained his associates degree in Arts and Humanities from the Cornell Prison Education Program.
Attica prison hosts historic TEDx program
In a new effort to put a more human face on incarcerated individuals, the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (DOCCS) agreed to allow TEDx to record a program inside the prison with prisoners and civilian guest speakers.
Life uncarbonated | Chantal Randall | TEDxNebraskaCorrectionalCenterforWomen 2018
After causing the death of a child in her care, Chantal Randall was faced with the reality of the devastation and irreversible consequences that her actions had brought. Determined to change her dysfunctional patterns, she’s spent many years actively participating in self-help programs, community betterment and self enrichment projects. She now mentors her peers through Trauma Informed Care, one-on-one friendships and by facilitating some of the classes she has taken herself. You choose. Do you explode when shaken or do you remain calm. This mother of seven will help you realize that it’s important to care for yourself so you can care for others.
Overcoming defeat with a single gesture | Samantha Rucker | TEDxPerryvilleCorrectional 2018
From Samantha: "In today’s world, defeat eats at the heart of most of us but by calling to attention a word or gesture. We can begin the healing process. I wrote “One Word – One Gesture,” because I believe it is our responsibility to encourage and motivate one another. In this life, we all have gone through tragedies and what we share in these experiences is that defeating feeling, but words and gestures are the key to overcoming. Every day on the news we see stories of heartbreak and heartache, yet with these stories there are signs of victory, where people from all walks of life, help one another, motivate one another and make a difference. My own grandmother was limited in education and had very little money, but as I grew up, I watched her lend a hand, sit and listen with care, and in showing me those gestures she unknowingly passed it down to me. My passion lies in helping where I am needed. Despite my current situation, it is not hard to give a hug, cry with someone, or offer words of encouragement. I have found healing in learning that my place on this earth is to be that voice that says, “The world we live in, the lives we lead are hard, yet we can prevail." In this life we have to learn it doesn’t matter if we’re rich, homeless, or locked up, our words are power. With that power, we can change lives and outlooks. We have to do this together because at the end of the day, we are all that we have, sharing this world and relishing on the chance to motivate one another. PASSION, means passing it on. (pass-i-on), and as long as I have a voice, I will continue to pass along gestures of love, hope, inspiration because that’s what we all we’re put here to do. Don’t ever think your words are useless, because words are the things that change lives!"
Rise above the pain | Renee B | TEDxPerryvilleCorrectional 2018
Renee tells the story about life on the inside. Through the use of soft folk like melodies, she guides the audience through the fears and doubts that come with a life behind bars. Renee is an avid musician and loves the act of storytelling through song. Although initially nervous to share her folk music melodies with the TEDxPerryvilleCorrectional team, she overcame her fears and performed a beautiful song about the fears and doubts that came with a life behind bars. Renee is currently a resident of the ADOC at Perryville.
We gotta live together | Blessed Crew | TEDxPerryvilleCorrectional 2018
The Blessed Crew is a group of strong, diverse women who are residents of the ADOC - Perryville. Together they showcase the long-practiced dance genre, ‘step.' Much of their music is focused on the idea of striving for change and empowerment for all. In this performance they provide a collection of step routines created specifically for TEDxPerryvilleCorrectional. The Blessed Crew showcases the long-practiced dance genre of ‘step’ and is made up of a group of strong, diverse women striving for change and empowerment for all.
The climb from Perryville Correctional | Sarah R | TEDxPerryvilleCorrectional 2018
Nervous at first, Sarah eventually overcame her fear and auditioned for TEDxPerryvilleCorrectional. She knew this was an opportunity to share her musical talent with the greater Perryville and Phoenix community. She chose to sing a rendition of “The Climb,” originally performed by Miley Cyrus, as a tribute to the journey ahead of the women as they face their future. Sarah has always found solace in music. It’s her escape; a way she expresses her creativity and copes with a range of emotions both negative and positive. Sarah hopes that through singing she can help others deal with many of the emotional issues we struggle with on a daily basis. She is currently a resident of ADOC-Perryville.
My journey from privilege to prison | James Hooker | TEDxPerryvilleCorrectional 2018
As the CEO of Televerde, a sales and marketing demand generation company who runs contact centers out of the Perryville Prison Complex in Arizona and the Rockville Correctional Facility in Indiana, Jim knows too well that while may all be created equal, we’re not born equal. We’re automatically categorized by society based on circumstances, not by decisions we’ve made. For many, these categories last a lifetime and are near impossible to change. Why is this? This is even more true for those being released from prison in the United States. Regardless of their crime, their intellect, or their spirit, they are categorized into a single checkbox: a criminal. Withheld from working in favorable jobs or moving into thriving communities. For many, this categorization lasts a lifetime and is near impossible to change. “I believe we can all rethink how we look at those incarcerated. Discarding people for the rest of their lives, based on a decision they made on the worst day of their life, is such a waste of human potential.” In 1995, James Hooker’s entrepreneurial spirit led him to develop Televerde to help companies fill their sales pipelines and marketing funnels through insights and demand generation teleservices. Jim has set an extreme customer service culture and an always get better attitude to deliver results for clients. Prior to Televerde, Jim served as President and COO of Pacific Corp Capital, Executive Vice President for Pacific Atlantic and President and CEO of Ceres Capital Corp. Jim received is BA from Washington & Lee University and his MBA from American University. He has been a world-class novice bridge player in the American Contract Bridge League, and was voted “The Best Parent Fan” in support of his son Joey’s Big Red Cornell wrestling team.
How to handle precocious women | Marcia Reynolds | TEDxPerryvilleCorrectional 2018
There is a calling for women to speak up and take charge, yet when they speak truth to power, they encounter stigmas and bias that make them feel as if something is wrong with them. Leadership consultant and coach, Dr. Marcia Reynolds, focused her doctoral research on defining the challenges that assertive, purpose-driven women face in work and in life. Some prevail but many burnout, losing their sense of value and sometimes, their sense of self. Dr. Reynolds lived this scenario growing up when she was labeled “smart ass” “bitch” and “precocious child.” After bad choices led her to jail, it was her cellmate that taught her she was a smart, strong woman who shouldn’t be silenced. Reenergized, she earned degrees and fought her way up corporate ladders. Her struggles then helped her define the inner conflicts and restlessness that many women experience when contending with ongoing attempts to make them well-mannered. This talk shares what she found and stories from her book, Wander Woman: How High-Achieving Women Find Contentment and Direction. It’s not only the women, but all society suffers by not appreciating what strong and opinionated women have to offer. The time is right to embrace Precocious Women. Dr. Marcia Reynolds is fascinated by the brain. She draws on her research as she coaches and trains leaders to recognize and bring out the brilliance in others through meaningful conversations. She has worked with leaders in 38 countries, including top universities such as the Harvard Kennedy School, Cornell University, and the Moscow School of Management. Dr. Reynolds is a pioneer in the coaching profession.Interviews and excerpts from Marcia’s books have appeared in many places including Fast Company, Psychology Today, and The Wall Street Journal. Marcia’s doctoral degree is in organizational psychology and she has two master’s degrees in education and communications.