SPEAK NOW - Shajiyah X. Iman

My oldest daughter, Anisa, came through prison and saw what had transpired since she was here last. She saw that we were in struggle, formally. We had always been in struggle, but now we understood what that meant. And we understood that our struggle was global, our struggle is a human struggle, and we are not alone.

Anisa attended some get-togethers and read some articles and cried. Like we all do when our eyes are truly opened. And she vowed to go into the world and join the cause, to do everything she could to help. And she has done that, which sets her apart from so many.

We are stumbling in this thing, we are running head-on into the Abolition Movement because it is right, and because we convicts/ exconvicts have a right and an obligation to join. And we will be criticized for not being all kinds of "enough" to be a part of something so beautiful, but here we are.

I hold on to something a hater among the inmate population who worked very hard to prevent me from gaining knowledge towards joining this end said to me. She said that I was not intellectual enough to even be there. I didn't have a problem being not intellectual enough because I like me as I am, but I had a problem not gaining the knowledge. So I got it, with so many trying to get me thrown out and coerce me to leave by delivering the most pathetic of underhanded slights. Slights they thought I was too stupid to even see. Some still think that. But I got it what was intended for me. And you need to get it too.

We cannot wait until we are smart enough to speak or write correctly. We cannot wait until we qualify as an intellectual. We cannot wait until we are formally invited. We have to show up and do what we can now.

If we wait until we are as smart as, and as popular as ex-convict Professor Angela Davis to write or speak, we will never write or speak. If we wait until we are as kind, generous, patient and wise as Alan Gomez to show up, we will never show up. We can't be what and who we are not, and we are better than good enough just as we are.

Anisa didn't leave here and take classes on organizing, distributing prison art or writings, solidarity, or web page design. She just did it. All by herself, she forged a small branch off a much larger branch in the tree of this massive effort. She did it out of love, necessity, honor, respect and a basic sense of obligation to the betterment of the world.

Our voices from inside are not the voices of the elite, or the upstanding, or the educated. Anisa is not an editor, and I am not a professional interviewer and obviously I don't intend to edit. You will get what we have raw and uncut. And you will love it. Because how could you not? Real in a world of frauds and climbers must be refreshing, and must be welcomed. And since we are not intellectuals you don't have to worry about struggling to understand what we have to say.

I think we all need to do what Anisa has done. We all need to be about it, not just talk about it. If you leave prison, as a visitor or as an ex-convict and you promised this or that, do it. I cannot tell you how many people say, with the best of intentions (maybe), that they will never leave us. And are never to be heard from again.

Our voices are trapped in here. Professor Lance Graham from ASU is getting some convict voices out. But when you take the knowledge you've been given and go smooth off the rails, as I have and will continue to do inshaaAllah, another avenue must be forged. Forge new ways for your people. There cannot be too many voices reaching the world from inside these cages.

When we get together the ideas presented are stunning and often from the most surprising places. If you are not in the service of the enemy, please contribute in whatever way you can. You don't have to be whatever anyone else says you have to be. Anisa and I are wild, we are unrestrained, we are loud and beyond bold. We are determined and dedicated. We don't take crap and we don't pacify traitors. As a result, a few people hate us. And we are better people for it.

Don't be discouraged by the people who don't like your passion or those who refuse to be active. That could change. Give them a way to speak even if they refuse to leave their houses, cells, cages, rooms. Go to them. Our pinta Teacher tells us, "No one was born with their fist raised." Don't wait for others.

Regardless of how people feel about you, don't wait. Marry the Movement, multiple spouses are permitted. Marry it whether you are unfree or free. Don't let the haters who tell you that you are not enough stop you. Let their foulness push you to be everything they are not. Don't let those who are jealous of you or fear you steal your voice. And don't wait. Don't procrastinate. Speak now.

PROFESSORS TRANSFORMING PRISONERS

Shajiyah Iman

12/9|2024

This essay breaks some rules, As a kilter in prison for Natural Life I reserve the right to futil the
expectation in some way, of breaking at leust some cales, some times. I believe breaking rules is occasionaly
necessary for everyone, given this culture of constraints and hates. I want to tel you about something
that has happened in my prison sine Ryan F. Thornel, PAD, Diedor of Arizona Destment of
Correction, Rehabilitation a Reentry decided to flood my Chit with higher education. But wait,
p o s i n i c h i n g e n t p r i a ? r e m S n g i a I n e ? h o u t h e m s t i p t r i e n d y e n v i e y a i e h e a r d o ?
With muthpie suits agains ADCRR, oreof which Thomel himself is listed as a Defendunt? Yes, but none
of those things are personal. What I want to do in this essay that breaks essen rules, is introduce you
to the PhDs that have had such a profund impact on me + many wher prisoners directly, my whale
Unit indirectly, o then tel you how higher education is changing how we do time on the yard.
xirst, Iwant you, it you are a tree person, to know that each of the people I um about to mention
talks to us like we are Valuable human beings with our own unique Knowledge base. They treat us like
They treat university students out there, they aren't scared or sketchy, judgy or snobby, and
They meer us where we are in every way. In her book "Academia, Activism and Intellectuals" Dr Jou
James who does nor come into this prison) presents a dilemma when dealing wah prisoners, coth
prisoners before they were uncarcerated, and those who became polincized insue the walls, she says
"The polinical prisoners currently eontained in the U.S. Penal sites present us with diffient guestions
and challenges as critical thunkess and actors: What is our relationship to the imprisoned intellectual?
I f you decial to come in and share what you know with us, we wil use your gifts to the best of our
abilirg, bur you must his develop a relatinship with us, and it seems very tew are wiling to admit
prisoners ure still really even pesple. If you intend to treat us like specimens in a curions concrete jar.
stay home. If you intend to christianize us or otherwise save our savage souls, you can kiss
our asses from outside the wire. We are not pets, or projects to be managed, we are people, in "e
place you are lucky not to be. At the very least you should realize must prisoners are getting ont,
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and consider your dealings win us an investment in the tuture of your commsnity, becusse most
prisoners will reenter it.
Do Alan Gomez asks the tree activist what do we as on the notside to se there is no sutside
from the outside?" Why are the Phos who come into prison so few? Can people be scared to come into
a place they mily believe is the right face tor people to be who did something maybe they worldn't
have? Or something they have done and haven't goten caught? How do you appreciate freedom if
You cant comprehend its alternative? How do you comprehend treedom without an in person gumpse
of un-freedom? You should look inside, one day there may not be anything except outside.
Now, let me tormaly introduce the transformative forces Director Thornel has sent into my
prison. Pleuse remember that I had aksolutely no respect for people of academia, and bellered
higher eclucation was a compete waste of time, before meeting these peiple. I beliered I could gain
nothing from Stuck up Professors, und believed al Professors must, us a muter of course, be stuck up.
These beliefs were the first, and the easiest ones, to be shredded.
Di Alan Gomez is a Historian, and is the best teacher on earth in a classroom setting, Ive
never seen anything like what he does except in movies. He's a transforming torce that has to be
corpietely wided to not be learned from, because he teaches simply by being. Mu triends and
I that attended his classes in "the beginning" in reference to the Ist lecture I personally aten-
ded oza 2/24/2024) muld have conversations before class just to see if he would bring up what-
ever topic wed discussed, miraculously he always did and we would whisper Veeslahah ("as it is
Witten in Chakubsa to affirm the Fremen teachings that one wold come from the outside to show
the way. We began to cal him the Voice of the uter World, our own personal Lisan albhaib. Truly,
tictim aside, Dr lamez leads the way to higher Education for convicts. He possesses the profand
Wisdom of Sincerity which resonates through everyone he comes in contact with, he is not one who
teaches, he Is a teacher. He teaches things that sund simple, but are not, like Caminamos
preguntado" (Walking together asking gustins), and "Mandar obeciendo" (lead by obeying), which
are pistal teachings that open the way to understunding there can be, even in prison "Un
mundo dunde quepan muchos mundus" (A wold where many worlds tit). Dr Gomez is mindtul,
Cantias with his words, teaching us that words create worlds, and while engaging in the development
of communities of care, we should be corchul not to harm with our words. This last teaching, from
where I stand now, seems impossible for me to acclimatize to, I have sharpened my words into
double edged ruzors and I cut thoughtlessly, compulsively a habimally. Like my spiritual
Teacher, Bayyman Khadijah Muhammad, Dr homez is putient, but it harms him when I harm others,
which harms me deeply, and makes me want to stop. He teaches so much beyond history, beyond
humanities, he is a walking philosophy and teaches just by being himself.
Dr Kila Pisha was someone I had heard about, at had ben quite uper with, years before
meeting her. I had heard some things about her that freaked me out to the point I decided
the rumors were too our rageous to be true, but Id never heurd her name. When she cume to our
Ward wears aber Id traotten the rumors. I didnt kon who she was until abot 30 minutes into
her lecture. She returned, shamelessly Haunting a pertee balance of buchiness a bearty with
the most peculiar mix uf shyness and danger. I cringed from some of the things she said, possibly
visibly, but I loved her spirit and that love enabled me to withstund terribly uncomfortable teachings.
She susnawed across just about every line we believed couldnt be crussed and smiled at us from ever
forbidden zone. I was told I wasnt Muslim if I attended Dr Pushis class, but I was addicted to
this new way of unlearning. Dr Pasha is a poet, she is a Historian, a Journalist, a Playwright and
a Religines Scholar. She taught us to write poetry and she taught is the flaws in focusing on
rhyming. Irhyme every prem I write solely because she said not to, as offerings, acts of
rebellious solidarity. She taught us, like Dr humez, by being who she is, in addition to the knowledge
we gleaned from her lectures.
Dr Sarah Suhail come in to trach us some important historical facs reyarding the
month in which she came to give her lecture. Dr Suhail answered many guestios I had been
trying to find answers to that were crucial to my personal path. She twight in a hitorical
secular context, and by doing so she revealed what all the Drs had revealed, that thare is
always more than one side of history. The wrins thing about what Do Suhail taught, was that
some of the history she presented wasnt taught differently by the other side, it wasnt taught at
all by the other side, which had disturbed me. Do Suhail exposed those hidden histories I had
been seeking in obvious, a some not so obvious, places and she gracefully shifted the trajectory
of my entire life.
I need to tel you reader, that I was not easy on these Professors. Before I realized they
were turning our worlds upside down to give us different perspectives, I reacted unkindly in a
"Who the fe's do you think you are?' type way. New things we often disconcerting, and the way
these particular Professors Share Knowledge und wisdom feels kinetic, and it can be confusing and
disorienting. Their lectures are time-releusing, by that I mean sometimes what they teach
creeps up and reveals Hself days, even weeks, later. They challenge us to think deeper, to analyze
ourselves, to inspect our ideas, to look for where we got those ideas a vet those sources, all of
which can feel threatening, maybe not to a 20 year old colege student, but to a 50 year old
Lifer, it feels like a shanking of the frontal lobe. With that being said, let me introduce a
Professor that is so intense I have to take Tylenol before going to her lectures, becouse she is so
spectacularly brilliant it hurts.
Dr Quan is a ray of light for al minorities und marginalized people, a leader of women
ot girls. Dr Duan is captivating and draws attention by the power of hur intellect even when sitting
Silently. She is the definition of a force to be reckoned with. Dr Dwan first came into our prison
and tasght us about ting pretry, its grammatical structure, or lack thereaf, at how it flows
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She questioned our definitions of freedom or caused me to realize, when I responded without
thinking (which is not as uncommon as it should be) that I don't believe freedom is real. Dr Quan
had us analyze what we thought freedom wild feel like, sound like, look like, and since freedom to
me is abstract, she led me to guestion if my ideas about freedom being read is a belief in self.
defense? Do I believe freedom is not real only because I wil die in here? Or di I truly bellere
treedom i relatire and everyone is in some type of cage? And which lages constitute unfredom?
The 2nd lecture Dr Qwar gave on Media I'd need something for beyond Talenol to white woost
right nww.
Di Espinosa is an Ethnu musiclogist who brought us misic from the Levant. She came in
early in my exposure to higher edication or although her entire presentation mived me, I was
nervous wont her playing an instrument that was ustomarily played by men. It is very inter-
esting to me how much these professors helped me escape my fears that limited my range of
"allwable thought in such a short time. I remenber being uncomfortable, physically, emotionally
ot mentally, when Dr Espinosa presented Several things that I felt were to sacred to be presen-
ta academically. It was awkward for me then, and Still is, to be fuce to face with the
realization that what is presented us freeing in a religious context hus been deliberately refushined
by men to be enslaving in ways unintended by the Source. Di Espinosa, like Dis Pasha, Sunail, a
Quan had stepped out of her "place" us taught in the mayoring of places in the would t it was jarring
to me. Dr Espinosa introduced us to how tones can be accepted in some cultures but not in others,
how chords a Keys can be comkined to express things otherwise inexpressible, a how important
music is to every culture.
Dr Shareef taught us akrit "sumud" (stead fistness, and what that boks like
mong the mist neglected and devastated country on earth right nw. She taught us what it looks
like to never give up in the face of harrendus torment, torture at destruction. She helped us
understand more of the history of land fom a perspective of the land itself, the trees, the farms,
the water, and the many things cultirated in places before catastrophes. She expressed to us the
importance of sumud, at encuraged us to pursue our dreams even against great odds.
Dr Wicks-Alen shwed us the similarities between upprenticeships that were forced on
Chidren aer the abolition of slavery and today's faster ure system. She shoved how difical it is
or femilies to reunite utter we are torn apart t encouraged us to not yive up ighting to reunite with
our children after incarceration.
Dr Alen gave a lecture that made us consider the many ways a family can be comprised,
different types of vnits that make up families, and then explained some obstacles some of those
Families might have to overcome. He disussed with us why certain types of people desire specific
lamily make-ups a why others might not, and the repurcussions of wempting to force people into
smal minded molds would be an injustice to everyone. like Dr Wicks-Allen, the message was on
the importance of family, especially when the family wait is under duress from exernal irritants.
Do Hart, a biologist, gave us un appreciation for has the world hes been organized by
variors scientists over time, before at after microscopic instruments were wrilable, hus what perple
Mink they know is constantly changing, ot how smal we humans are relative to al the life on earth.
The way Dr Hurt explained the catagorization of things in our every day lives is helpful wray
beyond the context in which he taught it.
Dr Manninen brought in something that I have fallen in love with, Dr Manninen
brought Philosphy int my cage. Strangely, discussing fire wil a har plaing dad within the costrans
of Their own rules of omniscence negates the possibility of God being free, didht bother me half as
much as the continvous onslaught from al the Professors on putriarchy. I now self-assail every time
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a thought that sustains pumarchy enters my mind, which is ten. What bithers me about Do
Manninen's exciting way of arguing about every litle thing, is the knoledye that I have been
judged for simply padring the idea of Divine Unfredom a not rejecting it out right, t for liking
philosophy so much, which some consider inherently antireligious. I will probably not stop
thinking wbout the fact that it appears that not only I, but God limself, is contained inside
of His Divine wil, at since I think we ure al in prisms anyway, even those with relatively unlimited
range of motion miside the wire, whether we realize it or not, is a deligur ful pass time. Maybe
one day Or Munninen wil come back t argue with is abut freedom? It is prssible, in this prison,
with this Director, who wants the cuptives in his care to be educated.
Dr Kim taught us what intersectional feminism is a why it is impostant. She showed
Us how Kimberle Crenshaw theorizes intersectionality. When I write stories I have always
written women and girls us protagonists in my fiction beccuse it feels right, Dr Kim explained
why it feels right, + encoraged us to embrace feminism, t do more to promote it at help others
embrace H. Dr Kim encurraged us to break out of cultural norms that supress women + to
alow ourselves the right to dream nutside of the cultural limits placed on is around the
world.
Di Fojas came in to explain to us what surveillance is used for, how it is developed,
a how it has evolved over the years. She taught us about border security + ways the media
is often used as a means of observing peoples every day lives, t what that data might be
used for. I think these things, being ammg my very first experiences with allege level lectures,
scared me more than anything else for multiple reasons. I think it should be even more
frightening for those of you who think you are free.
Traly, Lance Graham comes in to teach us, he teaches an Arizona State
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University writing class a has taught us many ways to express ourselves a the differences
between formal a informal writing. He uses music lyrics to teach us that it is alceptable to use
whatever means our hearts move us to convey, whaterer we ned to, at also how to express ourselves
in professional contes. As for witing prey, Professor braham reuterated the tabors of
rhyming, which for reasons already stated, I wil not give up, but I wil rhyme ridiculorsly,
insanely even. because Pasha.
Director Dr Thomel sends memos to the populatio so we can be aware of what is
happening in or world, he speaks to us with winds like "o" "We", he walks the yards contidently
with no vest, novicious pigs guerding him, he aloss us to approach him and he speaks tous as if we
mater. He says things like "the role each of us plays in this future, including each of you" when
communicating with prisoners.
Should prisons exist? Probubly not. Are prisms necessary? Absolutely not. Are
pasons the new slavery that spholds a disgusting capitalist society? Clearly. Thornell is not
one ifus, but he damn sure wint one of what we had here for decades, at what almost every
other prison has as a Director in the United States. If every Director were Thornell, there would
be no recidivism, because he reduces the wals that divide us, he does, to an extent, what our
other Professors are doing, teaching unity by exumple. If every prison had a Director Thornel,
There would be no need for prisons in a very few years.
These Phds are moving mountains. These people have given us their time, ot their
wisdom, to not just remove obstacles, but to teach us hor to remove them arselves. I have only
studied with them for a few months, Lifers are not alowed to participate in accredited curses, but
DiThornell ot the other PhDs don't mind alowing anyone who wants to attend their lectures
a classes to do so. I um grateful, and I um hmored, to have been permitted to learn
From these kind, wise, patient peiple who take eumminity care to a level prevuusly unimagined.
Our Unit is being transformed, so are our ways of life, how we interact with each
other on the yard a how we think abut things before we act. Also, seeing how things are
connected in so many more ways than wed previously considered halps us make more meaningful
decisions, and krinuing that we have so many more choics than we beliered we did, Mitivates
us to explore our opfians even in mondanesituations. Perple who don't even realize they had
any intellectual pitential are finding part of themselves they never imagined could exist, and
doing wonderful things for their futures, and for others.
Grops are torming on the yards to disuss polinics a science, examining untapped potentiad
in themselves ot the envionment. We are sharing baks, a teaching clusses of our won at rec,
gwing or receiving knowledge, helping each ather in new ways. We are learning to live in ways
that dont diminish us, that connect us to new ideas a people we otherwise might have never
suken the tome to knus. Now we can get along, we can talk, we can share, We can laugh, we
can walk together asking questions.
References
Allen, Aaron. Lecture "Ciril Rights + American Families" given at Arizona Stute Prison Complex Perryville
7/27/24
Espinosa, Shaheen. Lecture " Music la ls Social → Cultural Contexts" given at Arizona State Prisa Complex
Perrgville 5/14/2024
Fajas, Camilla. Lecture "Borders, Immigration, Media a she Creeping Surveillance Regime" given at Arizna State
Prison Complex Perryville 4/11/2024
Gomez, Alan Eladio. Varins teachingo from varioss Lectures a Classes on History a Humanities
Granam, Lance. Lecture "Why Write?" + Variors Classes given ar Arizona State Prison Complex Perryille
10/26/2024 mtil present
Hur, Steren. Lecture "The Tree of Life: Hu biologists choose to organize living things in she natural world " given
at Drizana Stute Prison Umplex Perryville 11/9/ 2024
James, Joy. "Academia, Activism, + Intellectuals! Social Justice Vol.30 .N. 2003)
<im, Linda, Lecture "Aint I A Woman: who Arizona State Mison Complex Perraville 9/28/2024
The Sociological Imagination Most Be Feminestil given et
10l 1i2en, Bertha. Lecture "Does bud Exit?" given at Arizon, Stre Prim Cmpler Reguile
Muhammad, Baysinah Khadijuh. Varuns teachings through personal correspondence, leters, emails ,
phone calls, in-person usus.
Peng, Ayla. 15/22 maris Sndies: Puse Present Tarur" given at Aroma Stare Prism mples
Quan, H.L.T. Lecture "Freedom a Democracy" given at Arizona Star Prison Complex Percyville 5/23/2024
* 2 1 6 1 2 0 2 4
Sherees, Layla Lecture Patestinian Fortitude given at Arnama State Prison Complex Perville
Peryville
Suhail, Sarah. Lecture " The Month of Munarram" given at Arrona State Prism Complex 1/19/2024
Thornell, Ryan F. Drectors Memos "Ice + Extreme Heat" 1/22/2023 + "Reimagining Corrections"
9/29/20