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  The Fire Inside
 Issue 30 - Spring/Summer 2005

< Dedication
 
< Compañeras adentro — compartiendo historias
 
< Compañeras inside — sharing stories
 
< Immigrants’ Rights
 
< Post Prison Detention
 
< Inmigrantes: Encerrados Adentro y Afuera
 
< Immigrants: Locked In / Locked Out
 
< Middle Eastern and Muslim immigrants targeted – two 16 year old girls detained for six weeks
 
< 11 year old girl jailed in Fresno!
 
< Aliens?
 
< Introduction
 
< Projecto Compañeras
 
< Compañeras project
 
< Family visiting day
 
< So Address Me As Such
 
< Dictionaries to Women in Prison
 
< Parole Beat
 
< Anti-ribbon cutting ceremonies for Delano II
 
< Health care hard to find
 
< CCWP honors 10 years of work with women prisoners
 
       

CCWP honors 10 years of work with women prisoners

San Francisco, Ca.—CCWP celebrated our 10th year anniversary on June 9, 2005. The event, held at the African American Art and Culture Complex, opened with a dedication to women inside. As a special welcome, Saron Anglon, one of CCWP’s volunteers performed a heart-breaking rendition of Miss Celie’s Blues (see right).

Three dynamic women, Adrienne Bernard, Sherrie Green and Ida McCray served as mistresses of ceremony. Former prisoners in the room took a collective bow to great applause from the audience. CCWP staff—Christina, Patricia and Yvonne—said a few words and CCWP members performed a dance choreographed by Colby (see below). We also heard beautiful acapella ballads sung by Samsara, composed specifically for women prisoners. During the program members of the audience were asked to send messages of solidarity to women who could not be with us, because they are still inside.

The highlight of the evening was the premiere showing of “Charisse Shumate: Fighting for Our Lives”. The video, produced jointly by CCWP and Freedom Archives, documents the life of Charisse “Happy” Shumate, one the the cofounders of CCWP and the lead plaintiff in the historic law suit Shumate v. Wilson, which charged California prison system with medical abuse and neglect. CCWP came into existence as the outside support for the organization women inside already undertook in demanding humane treatment.

As a special treat, we heard from Demund, Charisse Shumate’s son, and his family, who came from Illinois to join the celebration.

Last updated September 27, 2005 04:39 PM


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