Being able to attend Witness to Mass Incarceration’s 2nd Annual Suitcase Sunday was an absolutely incredible experience. While every part of the day was enriching and informative, my favorite part had to be getting to meet and speak with the many wonderful people who run the businesses and organizations. Without this internship, I never would have been able to meet such a dedicated and passionate group of people; hearing their stories and seeing how far they have come since their time in prison was nothing short of inspiring.

A particularly special moment for me was having the opportunity to write a card that would be delivered to a woman upon her release from prison, accompanied by a homemade bag from the lovely Marion Rodriguez. Even though I do not know and will most likely never meet the woman who will receive my card, being able to tell her that I am proud of her and that she is supported and loved by so many was a very special moment. Upon handing Marion my letter, she embraced me, and thanked me genuinely for being there to support her and others at the event. This is the experience that I had with every person that day; a deep sense of community and love was everywhere.

One thing that I have taken away from this experience is how misunderstood and misrepresented incarcerated and formerly incarcerated people are. The sentiment I heard echoed over and over throughout the day was that if you are not either personally or indirectly affected by the havoc that our unjust criminal justice system wreaks, you are likely not going to witness or hear about the things that go on in prison or in the outside world – for those who survive it. This is what Evie and all those who work with Witness do: they raise awareness and do everything in their power to not only help those affected by the system, but to educate others who have the potential to organize and make change.

Suitcase Sunday truly showed the purpose of Witness to Mass Incarceration and those connected to it; seeing the dedication put into the event and feeling the community Witness brought together highlighted the necessity of people like Evie. All the businesses, nonprofits, and speakers were incredibly nice and I could see how much passion they have poured into their aspirations. I’m glad that I got to experience Witness’ vision for justice and the formerly incarcerated. Interacting with and associating real people with those whom the system marginalizes felt like an important reminder of what kind of world I want to contribute to.

I particularly liked hearing the stories and dreams of everyone involved, seeing how their world views shifted as a result of the (in)justice system (as it was referred to) and the ways in which they seek to uplift others. None of them were broken by the system and that’s powerful; they all came out ready to help others. Moreover, everyone expressed a level of gratitude towards Evie that put Witness’ message and objective into perspective.

BL Shirelle’s work with Die Jim Crow Records was particularly interesting in the way that it doesn’t differentiate who is worthy of being heard, only that people deserve to be humanized. All the businesses or organizations seemed to have similar goals, but they each took a different route to achieve them. Marion Rodriguez wants to give women their potentially first possession after losing everything—including their humanity in many cases. H.O.L.L.A. is about healing as the ultimate solution. The common goal is humanization and it brings hope. That is what Suitcase Sunday showcased.

Working at Suitcase Sunday was an enjoyable, educational experience for me. As I introduced myself to the different participants and learned about their businesses and backstories, I was inspired by their resilience and hard work. Despite the many challenges that formerly incarcerated people face, they did not give up on building great lives for themselves and their families. Many of the attendees even give back to their community, like Marion from MUVSU, who gives one-of-a-kind bags to women leaving prison. Marion also gave us the opportunity to write letters to these women to let them know that we were rooting for them. Marion and the other formerly incarcerated business owners at Suitcase Sunday showed me the power of perseverance and how we should never forget where we came from.