Taken from the Mississippi Humanites Council January 2023 Newsletter:
Reading books allows for the mind to travel where the body cannot. The Great Stories Club provides an opportunity for readers to expand their minds and explore issues that they may have not thought much about. During December 2022 and January 2023, 12 young men who are sentenced as adults in the Youthful Offender Unit at the Central Mississippi Correctional Facility participated in the program and really embraced the opportunity to explore themes of empathy, justice, and poverty. Considering their current reality, these young men were quite enthusiastic, engaged, and mindful of the experience of reading and reflecting on their lives and life as young men in Mississippi.
We read three books, All American Boys by Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely, Flight by Sherman Alexie, and Stuck in Neutral by Terry Trueman. One theme that the young men repeatedly cited was the sense that they are misunderstood or completely ignored by authority figures in their lives. One discussion question for All American Boys resonated with the young men. The question centered on being “seen” or considered by others. Several young men noted the challenges with feeling important to others or feeling like they mattered to most adults in their communities. The plot of the book consists of a young black man being assaulted by a police officer in a store because the store clerk assumed that he was stealing a beer. The sentiment of being stereotyped led to a great discussion. Both Flight and Stuck in Neutral connected with many of the young men because of the sense of suspect family connections. The main character in both had either non-existent or suspect relationships with their fathers. Many of the young men could relate to the uncertainty and self-doubt associated with a missing father in their lives.
The young men also journalled about the books and about their time in the facility. One of the most enjoyable times was when the young men who wrote rap songs would recite them, with others singing along, revealing how close they had grown while incarcerated.
I enjoy helping young people develop literacy skills that translate into a joy of reading and learning. I like to hope that higher literacy would help them make more informed choices about their time, bodies, and relationships.
Participating in the Great Stories Club reinforced in me the power of stories to engage the mind and imagination to help better understand reality and society. I look forward to continuing the program and helping more young people to travel and imagine more widely than they had previously.