RCENJC Meeting: July 6, 6:30 PM
Monday, July 7 2026
6:30 PM
Freedom Reads: Hope and Dignity in the Prison System
A presentation on Freedom Reads and their campaign to transform cellblocks into Freedom Libraries all across the country. Freedom Reads is an organization that has set out to reaffirm the humanity of incarcerated people through books and the building of curated libraries throughout the prison system.
David Perez & Nana Kwane Adjei-Brenuah
Shaka Shakur Freedom Campaign
Shaka Shakur has been imprisoned since 2002, when he was taken in on trumped-up charges for which he has already served his initial sentence. Due to his radical organizing within the prison system, Shaka remains behind bars and a target of retaliation by the state. Derek Ford reports on Shaka’s experiences as a political prisoner and his ongoing campaign for freedom.
Derek Ford
RCENJC Committee Updates
Updates on current organizing priorities from RCENJC Immigration, Environmental, Education, Mutual Aid, and Legislative Committees.
Meeting Protocol
Rigorous discussions and debates are hallmarks of any civil rights organization. Learning and growing together allows us to develop a more unified perspective that prepares us to fight for our rights. We welcome input from each person present in our meetings. We expect our interactions to be conducted with civility and respect, as individuals committed to the same struggle.
Bias, discrimination and harassment are prohibited. Actions such as verbal or non-verbal abuse, negative stereotyping of any group, sexual and gender-based epithets or slurs, denigrating jokes, and calling out specific individuals constitute misconduct and are not welcomed.
Stack System
To ensure that everyone who chooses to speak is heard, we ask that presenters (those listed in the agenda) not be interrupted during their presentations. Immediately after each presentation, we will "take stack," which means that people interested in speaking about the presentation (asking questions, making comments) can raise their hands to be added to a list and they will be invited to speak. The stack system is a democratic way of ensuring that as many voices as possible are heard, without one person or group dominating a discussion.
Together we can remain positive and hopeful as we work to End The New Jim Crow.