Bead by Bead

When James Price first learned how to bead, he was incarcerated at the Stanley Correctional Institution in Wisconsin. He had been told his whole life that he was not patient, but as he is tutored in beadwork by a group of Native American men, he discovers a history he wasn't taught in school. And, “bead by bead,” he also learns new things about himself. 

Once he was released, James attended a college course on Native American history as part of the Educational Preparedness Program (EPP) at Marquette University. This humanities program integrates students on Marquette’s campus in Milwaukee with currently and formerly incarcerated students to create blended classrooms where all kinds of knowledge and experience come together, offering everyone a chance to see themselves as an intellectual. In this episode, we talk with professors and program co-founders Teresa Tobin and Rob Smith. As Prof. Smith tells us, the work of the humanities — understanding the human condition — is critical in today’s conversation around prisons.

Visit the Episode Extras on the Wisconsin Humanities website to learn about EPP, and to hear a bonus interview with Brian Rindfleisch and Wade Fernandez, who co-taught James's EPP class.