For Advance Release: "Decarceration" Panel at Rowan Student Center, March 6. 6:45 PM

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact Decarcerate the Garden State 908-881-5275

Tour de Decarcerate is a project of Decarcerate the Garden State that is working to bring “panel discussions” to cities and campuses throughout NJ to lay the ground work for a critical mass rising around the demand to DECARCERATE THE GARDEN STATE.

At Rowan University, the Glassboro Students Union, The Rowan University Students for Sensible Drug Policy and others are teaming up with the Decarcerate the Garden State to present such an event this week, Friday, March 6, 6:45 pm at the Rowan Student Center in Room 221.

The date of the event concurs with commemorations in Selma Alabama on March 7 of the 50^th. Anniversary of the Bloody Sunday freedom march across the famous Selma bridge, when protesters were beaten and set upon by police dogs.  While politicians, including President Obama and former President Bush, will be using the event to laud civil rights “progresss”, organizers of the Rowan event believe “We should question how far did we come really as the number of people incarcerated in the United States has increased 11-fold since then.”

The event will feature a key note presentation from the nationally known Rev. Nyle Fort, who was recently dubbed the “Pastor of Fergsuson” by the London based Guardian paper and news service for his role in participating and inspiring resistance to “impunity” for killings by police, specifically in the Michael Brown case that has led to nationwide and international protests against police brutality.  Rev. Fort will give the historic back drop of mass incarceration and the role it plays in undermining the Black community and other “oppressed” groups in the United States.

Also on the panel will be two members of the Rowan University faculty.

The event will feature a key note presentation from the nationally known Rev. Nyle Fort, who was recently dubbed the “Pastor of Fergsuson” by the London based Guardian paper and news service for his role in participating and inspiring resistance to “impunity” for killings by police, specifically in the Michael Brown case that has led to nationwide and international protests against police brutality.  Rev. Fort will give the historic back drop of mass incarceration and the role it plays in undermining the Black community and other “oppressed” groups in the United States.

Also on the panel will be two members of the Rowan University faculty.

Kim Holder, Assistant Professor, Department of Teacher Education and Africana Studies, will speak on Mass Incarceration as war on Black Struggle.

Sandra Joy, Associate Professor in the Sociology Department will speak on the mortality of mass incarceration.

Representing Rowan students, Nia Ali, Senior Music and Theater Student at Rowan University will speak on what the future for today’s youth in these “Carceral States of America.”

Civil rights leader Walter Hudson will speak on the topic of the killing by police of Jerame Reid and the relationship between police brutality and mass incarceration.

Bob Witanek, co-founder of Decarcerate the Garden State will speak on 6 Point Plan of Action of the statewide group.

The keynote presentation will likely be 15 – 20 minutes and each additional panelist will speak for about 10 minutes.  The event will then be opened up for questions and comments from the audience.

Planning for this event began on January 24 when Nia participated in a similar event in the Camden community with several Rowan University community members in attendance. 

According to Nia Ali, “The issue of Hyper Incarceration should be of primary concern to the Rowan University community.  While we educate ourselves to try to carve out a place for ourselves in today’s nation and world – what kind of nation is it when millions are incarcerated, the majority for low level offenses – and as far as NJ goes, 66% of those incarcerated are Black and 10% Latino.  This truly is the new civil rights struggle of our day.”

For more information about the event, visit the Faceboook event page:
https://www.facebook.com/events/1065303156829324

You can also call Decarcerate the Garden State at 908-881-5275.

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