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John, we cannot have Black liberation without prison abolition—period. We’ve been told that prison abolition is science fiction, but it’s a must for our collective future.
Prisons don’t exist for rehabilitation; they are concrete structures built to uphold white supremacy, slavery, and for white people to continue to profit off of Black bodies.
Just look at the state of Alabama. No state has a longer history of prison labor.
Prison labor has generated more than $250 million for the state since 2000 through money garnished from incarcerated folks’ paychecks. The state is allowed to siphon off 40% of already meager wages resulting in workers earning pennies for the hour.
This is beyond f*cked.
People in Alabama prisons are deemed “too dangerous” to rejoin society or even gain parole. But they are the ones allowing our everyday lives to function as they work at companies like Burger King, Best Western, Home Depot, Wayfair, and McDonald’s.
And this isn’t just in Alabama. We can’t forget that incarcerated adults and youth are at the frontlines fighting the devastating fires in California.
This is modern-day slavery. Prisons are creating a workforce that has no rights, no say, and earns no money.
We refuse to be told a better future is out of reach. We know what it looks like. Prisons do not serve people. They serve corporations and greed.
We must invest in our communities. We must create a society where freedom and justice are centered. Providing adequate housing, proper mental health supports, jobs with living wages, educational opportunities, and making sure no one goes hungry is the bare minimum.
This is what we fight for. Only through abolition will we know freedom. That’s what we strive to achieve every single day. Will you join us by pitching in anything you can now?
In solidarity,
Black Lives Matter
Our grassroots movement is pushing for Black liberation every single day. We are striving to create a world where Black people do so much more than just survive. It’s time we thrive.
As an organization one of our biggest hurdles is consistency.
A recurring contribution of anything you can afford goes a long way as we plan for the months, years, and even decades ahead. This is the most effective way for small-dollar donors (like you) to power our Black liberation work.
Will you make a recurring contribution of $5 or more today so that we can keep building momentum for our movement?
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