- Ight so one, I hate this thumbnail lol. I look cray.

2- I am so excited to final be able to present this interview to all of you. My soul mate, Andreya Matthew worked so hard on this project and helped this interview come to life with her talent. For that I am so grateful. I heard Mr. Andre Morris speak about the R.O.O.T.'s initiative in an orientation and it struck home for me for many reasons. He was so passionate about reducing recidivism, a problem within my community and all across America. There are many reasons why this happens but very rarely do we look at the emotional, physical and mental trauma associated with being incarcerated.

3- This interview is so important to me because I have so many family members, mainly men, who are incarcerated. My life has been changed because of the criminal justice system. As a child, I grew up in foster care due to the fact that my parents ... (as I write this, its difficult for me because there are still so many issues I have yet to overcome or come to terms with due to this). Also, I don't know all of the details. However, I do remember visiting my mother while she was in prison with my other siblings and I do remember visiting my father at the local agency. He would always bring strawberries and toys for me and my brother. As young as I was, I didn't understand all that was happening to me and my family but I knew I wanted to be with my mother and father and I missed them so much. Thankfully, my brothers and I were placed in a home together to a woman that agreed to care for 4/5 of us. I'd visit my biological family at times and then there were years where I didn't see any of my biological family. I remember growing up being embarrassed because my then foster mom didn't look like the youthful parents of my peers. Everyone thought that she was my grandmother instead of my mother and it would be so embarrassing and hurtful to go into my story. People were always shocked when they found out I was in foster care or adopted due to the stigma that many foster children are "dirty", emotionally unstable, misbehaved, etc. As a child, I didn't realize all of the trauma that my siblings and I went through. Being ripped from our mother at a young age, being forced to live with people we didn't know and being separated from each other was traumatic. What we endured after that, alone and together is a feat within itself. In so doing this interview, giving my brother a platform, and allowing everyone to read my brothers letter is a way for me to invite healing and truth into this part of my life.

4- This part of my website is my brothers platform. I understand that not everyone will have sympathy for those who are incarcerated and that's fine. This interview and my brothers letters will seek to break down stereotypes that many prisoners face. As the description of the video stated, many times, we don't look at the mental and emotional status of our incarcerated sisters and brothers and their needs are left to the wayside. When they do their time and are returned to the population, many obstacles make it difficult for them to achieve success.

Thank you so much for watching and reading! Stay tuned for part 2. The transcript for this video will be up soon.