Sweet Thing

Hotep,

I love writing.  Now, that’s no secret to anyone affiliated with this blog, but what you don’t know is writing has been my passion since the fourth grade.  It’s hard to imagine life without the expression of my pen.  I’m daunted by the thought of waking up without a word to write.  Real talk.

Writing has been my safe haven throughout the most difficult times in my life.  For me, love and writing go hand and hand.  My writing is inspired by love.  Whether it be my love for Divine Creation, my love of sports or my love for the special person in my life.  My writing has always been a manifestation of love.  Feel me?

Recently, love led me to the mighty book of 1 Corinthians, chapter 13.  It speaks of love being the greatest gift.  So, without love, my words would be meaningless, an empty expression to say the least.  

I learned that true love can’t be lost.  The kind of love I would never give up on, a love that inspires me to shout my literary expression from the long dim halls of death row.  Word is bond!

Love is Sweet and writing is my Thing.  No time zones or oceans can interfere with me and my ‘Sweet Thing.’ Real love leaves no room for interference to be effective.  My love will forever be in my words.  There is no interference when you love what you do.  Let your love be your success. 

I love you Sweet Thing. 

“And though I have the gift of prophecy and understand all mysteries and all knowledge and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.”

1 Corinthians 13:2

Stay Up,

MannofStat

Copyright © 2011 by Leroy Elwood Mann

Deep Waters

Hotep, 

Three years of cruising the Pacific Ocean doesn’t come without its share of glorious memories.  Flying fish skipping across the calm waters just before sunrise, dolphins swimming alongside the ship throughout the day, but nightfall is when the ocean reveals its true identity.

Being in the middle of the Pacific Ocean at night can be a daunting experience for someone that fears the unknown, but I always found comfort in walking the flight deck of the ship at night.  It was truly a gift to witness the reflection of a full moon dancing with the unknown while acting as nature’s night light.

This experience would instill a sense of calm within me at the end of a hectic day.  The turbulent waters beneath my feet possessed unlimited amounts of danger, no doubt, but the deep waters have been a constant in my life.  Na mean?

Life on death row is hectic.  The commonality of ignorance, envy and personal insecurities breeds a daily dosage of chaos.  At times, you have to wonder if your battle is exclusively with the state.  Sometime minding your own business just isn’t enough.  Envy is always in the midst.  The insecurities of others won’t condone your abilities to relate and get along with everybody.  And, the ignorance will always be awaiting you when your name isn’t included in the day’s mail call, when your visit is cancelled or when your appeal has been denied.  Feel me?

Tour groups are permitted inside of the death row facility.  Sometimes I watch the faces of the tourists that view us like aquatic mammals at Sea World.  Some of these tourists point and whisper as the tour guide boasts about the integrity of this $20 million facility.  The disdainful body language can dehumanize the best of us.  Word is bond.

I’m a human being trying to swim to the surface.  The tourist can’t see this because they’re blinded by the ignorance, envy and personal insecurities that surround me, from day to day.  Na mean?  The turbulence of the deep waters makes it hard to stay afloat.  Recently, an officer said to me, “You’re on my time.”  I’ve been behind the wall for nearly 16 years, but I’m on his time?  Wow! Who knew?

It’s all good Mr. Officer.  I’m swimming in the wake of the recently upheld ruling on the Racial Justice Act.  So, your deep waters can’t take me under because my aspirations of freedom keep my head above the surface.  Ya heard?

Keep it 100,

MannofStat

Copyright © 2011 by Leroy Elwood Mann

The Mann I Know Now

Happy Anniversary Word to the Masses!!


One year ago this week, Leroy Elwood Mann, aka ‘Lump’ launched the Word to the Masses blog.  He asked me to write the inaugural post entitled, “The Mann I Knew.” Leroy didn’t know what to expect when the blog was started, but he knew he wanted a platform from which he could share his expression.  Since the launch of the blog, thousands of people from all over the world including countries as far away as New Zealand, China and Russia have visited the blog.

When I wrote ‘The Mann I Knew,’ I pulled from my childhood memories of the boy I knew growing up.  It wasn’t until I witnessed the depth of his expression that I realized the Mann he had become.  You see, Leroy isn’t an angry prisoner raging against the system while proclaiming his innocence.  His priority is to educate the masses about life on death row, the impact of the death penalty and the injustice in the system that administers it.  Over the past year I have learned a tremendous amount about the system, the Masses and myself through his writing.

I came into this journey pretty confident that there were still situations where the death penalty was warranted.  My exact words were, “Don’t get me wrong, I still support it in the right situation…at least for now.” A year later, I no longer support the death penalty for several reasons.  First the system in the United States is undeniably broken. Death sentences are handed down arbitrarily and not in a fair manner with the assistance of corrupt judges, district attorneys, crime labs and misinformed jurors. 

Since 1976 when the death penalty was reinstated, more than 82 people have been released from death row because they were wrongfully convicted.  That’s approximately 1 death row prisoner released for every 7 executed.  The death penalty clearly doesn’t deter crime and it is 4 times more expensive for taxpayers than a life in prison sentence.  But, most importantly, I think killing in any form is wrong and its worse when it’s done systematically by a nation that claims to be built on Christian values.

Leroy’s goal was to take his message to the Masses and to spark a debate.  He has been successful in igniting conversations from those in support of the death penalty, those against it, as well as those who still sit on the fence.  Regardless of the views of the participants, Leroy seeks first to understand, then to educate, but ultimately to respect the opinions of the contributors and to keep the lines of communication open.

Over the past year Leroy has introduced us to the humanity living on death row, while providing opportunities for others within the box to express themselves to the masses.  He has encouraged all of us to live life to the fullest and reminded us of all we have to be grateful for.  The underlying currents throughout his expression have been love and redemption.  The love he has for his family is eternal and, the support they provide sustains and encourages him. 

I’m expecting the next year of Word to the Masses to be even more enlightening than the first, as Leroy matures as a writer and the landscape of the death penalty debate continues to change.  I can’t express how proud I am of what Leroy has accomplished in a year’s time.  Please join me in congratulating him on a job well done.  I look forward to the next year and I hope you will continue to tune into Word to the Masses.

Congratulations Lump

Friends for Life,

Rochelle

No Game

Hotep,

I’m entering my 16^th year inside of the box and my 14^th on death row.  I haven’t been permitted to touch my loved ones since my pretrial motions back in 1996.  A brief hug from my brother D is just as memorable today as if it just happened the day before.  Feel me?

There is no one word that best describes my fam.  This blog has exhibited the passion and high spirited nature of my fam on numerous occasions (Holla if ya hear my Sharon, Nyse and Jazzy).  In our genealogy, the x-chromosome is a natural protector.  To say the least, the x-chromosome in my fam is a mutha, literally! LOL.

I accredit this highly spirited x-chromosome within my family chain to my Nana, Rachel Samuel.  She is a small woman in physical stature, but possesses a heart greater than the symbolism of liberty standing in the New York harbor.  She displayed a will to survive the cruelty of the south at a time when women were acknowledged as nothing more than a man’s personal possession.  In a true Harriet Tubman fashion, she migrated north, eventually establishing my existence by giving birth to my Moms, the legendary “Stingin B,” in the fall of 1937.  That’s what’s up!

My Nana’s will to survive has proven to be contagious.  Her lifespan has been the imprint of my will to survive.  Capitulation is not an option for me.  Thanks to my Nana, I recognize that life won’t end as long as you keep waking up.  As challenging as it may be to continue to wake up on death row, it must be done.  I’ve still got a lot of living to do.  Ya heard?

One thing that I’ve learned throughout my time in the box is to never take family relations for granted.  Love is not a game.  The expression of love, whether it is from family members or a significant other, should be evident in the initial response of a phone call or the first sentence of a letter.  At times, people feel obligated to show gestures of love, genuine on the surface, but the mirror reveals the dry well from which the gesture originated.  Na mean?

My Nana has travelled the necessary 400 plus miles to see me on various occasions.  She’s always accepted my collect calls and she’s always had encouraging words, clarifying the fact that her love is no game.  Real talk.

Have a Happy Birthday Nana!  Your love for me hasn’t gone unnoticed.  It will never be forgotten and it's now documented for the world to know.  I love you madly.

Live Well,

MannofStat

Copyright © 2011 by Leroy Elwood Mann