Michigan Liberation’s Respect the Roots Podcast

Michigan Liberation’s Respect the Roots Podcast

The Michigan Liberation podcast is a new podcast and/or TV show where staff members of Michigan Liberation, sponsors, partners and their guests have open-minded, real, and transparent discussions on various topics centered around ending the criminalization of Black families and communities of color in Michigan.

Episodes

November 21, 2024 28 mins

Ms. Marjon talks with Marjani Abdur-Rahman, a college student and formerly incarcerated individual, about her life (before and during incarceration)

Topics Discussed:

  • Early Life & Upbringing
  • Circumstances Leading to Incarceration
  • Chain of Events Leading up to her Arrest
  • Life In Jail (Flint, Michigan) leading to prison (Huron Valley - WHV)
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Ms. Marjon continues her talk with Marjani Abdur-Rahman, a college student and formerly incarcerated individual, about her life (during and after incarceration).

Topics Discussed:

  • Life in Huron Valley Women's Prison (WHV)
  • Impact of COVID-19 in Prison
  • Church Hurt in Prison
  • Prison Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
  • Life After Release: Transitioning Back to Society
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Ms. Marjon talks with CEO/President of H.O.P.E. Ministries, Rev. Spruill, Josh Puckett President of The Adolescent Redemptive & Restorative Program and Tiffany Gelia, a mother of a currently incarcerated individual and a criminal justice advocate

Topics Discussed:

  • Rev. Spruill's Ministry
  • Josh's Story
  • Tiffany's Story
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Ms. Marjon continues her discussion with CEO/President of H.O.P.E. Ministries, Rev. Spruill, Josh Puckett President of The Adolescent Redemptive & Restorative Program, and Tiffany Gelia, a mother of a currently incarcerated individual and a criminal justice advocate

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Ms. Marjon talks with community organizer Kat Layton about leveraging personal experience and professional expertise for systemic change.

Topics Discussed:

  • Reframing Oppressive Systems
  • Intersectionality and Professional Expertise
  • Community Leadership and Advocacy
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Ms. Marjon talks with Tiffany Gist a life advocate and Milib Base Member about her life, expungement journey and life after a clean slate

Topics Discussed:

  • The Challenges Faced by Justice-Impacted Families
  • Life After Expungement: Rebuilding and Reintegration
  • Walking in Purpose: Serving Vulnerable Communities
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Ms. Marjon talks with Amani Sawari an criminal justice advocate and journalist about the impact of the felony disenfranchisement on civic engagement

Topics Discussed:

  • Jail Voting in Michigan and nationally
  • Potential sentencing law changes in Michigan
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Ms. Marjon talks with Amani Sawari an criminal justice advocate and journalist about the impact of the felony disenfranchisement on civic engagement

Topics Discussed:

  • Felony Disenfranchisement
  • Prisonality Magazine
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Ms Marjon talks with Daniel Eichinger a former Appeals and Trial Attorney in Pittsburgh, PA about the injustices in the criminal justice system in indigent (poor) communities

Topics Discussed:

  • Injustices of the criminal system
  • How the System Disproportionately Impacts People of Color?
  • Advocating Criminal Legal Reforms
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Ms Marjon talks with Lance Hicks and Beth Bailey from Detroit Peer Respite about mental health in metro Detroit

Topics Discussed:

  • Decarcerating Mental Healthcare
  • Abolishing Nonconsensual "Treatment"
  • Taking Cops Out of Crisis Work
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Ms. Marjon talks with author and therapist, Demarra West about mental health as it pertains to Trauma

Topics Discussed:

  • Herstory: Demarra's Story
  • Demarra's New Book (Me Too: A Therapist’s Journey to Heal, Find Liberation, & Joy)
  • Trauma: The Impact on Individuals and the Community
  • Support System and Healing Modalities
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Ms. Marjon talks with the Program Coordinator, Tore Price from MI-CEMI. Tore shares his personal mental health story.

Topics Discussed:

  • Mental Health as a Formerly Incarcerated Individual
  • Dealing with Substance Use Disorder (SUD)
  • Moving Forward with Mental Illness
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Ms. Marjon talks with the CEO/President of H.O.P.E. Ministries Rev. Spruill, and Executive Director of Wayne County Jail Outreach Ministry, Elder Orlando Gregory, about the Prison Ministry (Shadow Step) at Macomb Prison

Topics Discussed:

- Overview and History of the Prison Mentorship program

- In-Depth look into the program

- Ways To Get Involved in prison ministry work

For more information, contact H.O.P.E. Ministries at https://...

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Ms. Marjon continues her talk with the CEO/President of H.O.P.E. Ministries, Rev. Spruill, and Executive Director of Wayne County Jail Outreach Ministry, Elder Orlando Gregory, about H.O.P.E. Ministries

Topics Discussed:

- Elder Orlando's testimony

- In-depth look into H.O.P.E. Ministries

- The Impact of mass incarceration on the family

For more information, contact H.O.P.E. Ministries at https://hopeindetroit.org/ or 313.897.5503

...
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February 15, 2024 35 mins

Ms. Marjon talks with the Director of Policy & Advocacy, Chicago Appleseed Briana Payton, about how cash bail ended in the state of Illinois.

Topics Discussed:

- Cash Bail & Bail Reform

- Process and Strategy of Ending Cash Bail in Illinois

- Lessons Learned: Ending Cash Bail

 

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Ms. Marjon talks with Detroit Justice Center Attorney Rubina Mustafa and Bailout Client Kendra Harrell about the cash bail system in Michigan (Kendra shares her personal bailout story

Topics Discussed:

- Cash Bail Discussion

- Kendra's Bailout Story

- Negative Impact of Cash Bail

- Life After Bailout

- Lessons Learned: Cash Bail

 

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Ms. Marjon talks with Michigan Liberation Organizers Booker T & Meech about their life before and after serving time in prison.

Topics Discussed:

Life After Lock Up Series

- Booker & Meech's Stories

- Life in Prison

- Life after Prison (Ending Cash Bail in Michigan)

- Call to Action

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Ms. Marjon talks with Entrepreneur Aref Nagi and Criminal Justice Consultant Anthony Boyd about their life before and after serving time in prison.

Topics Discussed:

Life After Lock Up Series

- Aref & Anthony's Stories

- Life in Prison

- Life after Prison

-  The impact on their families

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Ms. Marjon talks with the CEO of Four Forty-Eight Eight, Leon Benson, about his life before and after serving in prison. (Part 1)

Topics Discussed:

Life After Lock Up Series

- Leon's Story

- Life in Prison

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Ms. Marjon talks with the CEO of Four Forty-Eight Eight, Leon Benson, about his life before and after serving in prison. (Part 2)

Topics Discussed:

Life After Lock Up Series

- Solitary Confinement for nine years

- Life after Prison

- Final Words of Encouragement

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