Today I Gave Myself Permission to Dream

Begin a dialogue on racial justice, reconciliation, and transformation.

In April of 2017, the Joan and Ralph Lane Center for Catholic Studies and Social Thought at the University of San Francisco sponsored a roundtable discussion on race and incarceration. The event brought together the wisdom of formerly incarcerated activists and leaders with artists, ministers and scholars of various disciplines—law, sociology, theology, critical race theory, and pastoral ministry.  Participants investigated the historical, legal, and political structures behind the mass incarceration of people of color in the United States. It also explored the impact of the criminal justice system on individuals and families while identifying the ethical and theological dimensions of this reality. The intent of the roundtable was to use the Jesuit tradition of consciousness-raising to bridge the resources of the university with those of the community.

The roundtable created a space for all participants to begin a dialogue on racial justice, reconciliation, and transformation. The discussion not only exposed the historical, social, legal, and ethical dimensions of racial injustice in our prisons; it highlighted the resilience and strategies of resistance among incarcerated and formerly incarcerated individuals. In particular, the conversation and resulting essays lifted up the role of spirituality and creative expression as essential to the survival and transformation of incarcerated and formerly incarcerated people. This book is an expression and expansion of that conversation.