Launch of the Graterford archive

How can a prison diaspora change the world?

The Graterford archive aims to explore the unique conditions under which incarcerated people establish relationships and opportunities necessary for freedom. This event gathered together formerly incarcerated partners, artists, thinkers, family members, policy makers, collaborators, and philanthropists for an evening-long convening to unpack and uplift the significant cultural, creative, and activist contributions of the SCI Graterford community [The Graterford Diaspora].

Operating from 1929 to 2018, SCI Graterford was Pennsylvania’s largest maximum-security men’s prison. In spite of the harsh realities of its carceral structure, Graterford became a hub for cultural production. Bernard Hopkins honed his boxing craft at Graterford. Luminaries and scholars like Michelle Alexander and Dr. Cornel West visited and shared knowledge there. Well-known artists began their innovative practices at Graterford. And community organizing efforts by the Graterford Diaspora–both inside and outside–continue to have resounding impacts on local and national policy.

The first activation of the Graterford archive featured a participatory mural-making activity, panel discussions and presentations, musical and theatrical performances, and a reception hosted at the Barnes Foundation. 

Presenters included:

Campaign for the Fair Sentencing of Youth (CFSY) leadership development and engagement coordinator Donnell Drinks; The Graterford Archive community archivist Wynn Eakins; Mellon Foundation program director for presidential initiatives Julie B. Ehrlich; Mural Arts executive director Jane Golden; Abolitionist Law Center executive director Robert Saleem Holbrook; Youth Sentencing and Reentry Project (YSRP) reentry coordinator Don “Ike” Jones; organizer and Grater Freedom Think Tank member Stephanie Keene; exonerated artist Eduardo Ramirez; The Graterford Archive creative director Akeil Robertson; mother and advocate Margaret Robertson; Pennsylvania State Senator Nikil Saval; filmmaker and MING Media co-founder El Sawyer; FREER Records executive director BL Shirelle; co-founder of Right 2 Redemption Terrell Woolfolk-Carter; and Samara Gaev and the Truthworker Theatre Company.

The event honored featured artist Spel, a legendary visual artist from the Graterford Diaspora who is currently serving life without parole for a crime he did not commit. Spel’s case was one of the first picked up by PA Innocence Project at its inception in 2009 and is still open after 15 years. Spel is currently working through the commutations process in hopes of returning home to his family, where he belongs. Spel’s work is also included in the brand new anthology FUTURE/PRESENT: Arts in a Changing America (Duke University Press, 2024), which is available for purchase via Duke University Press website linked above.

Please enjoy this full video of the event:

We hope to see you at our next activations! Check out more on our Events page.