Is anybody there, is anybody listening? Can anybody hear me, is anybody there?

Is my voice put on silence, my life put on mute?

Is anybody listening, does anybody care?

Is anybody there?

A song from Unmuting, lyrics and melody by Leslie Bird and Rowana Grady

Unmuting: to bring forth sound; to be heard again; to speak up; to speak out.

As we begin 2024, the idea of ‘unmuting’ becomes particularly relevant as we face perhaps the highest-stakes election in our country’s, history testing the very foundations of our democracy.

Unmuting: to bring forth sound; to be heard again; to speak up; to speak out.

Each of us can make a difference in this challenging year. Each of us can press the unmute button in ourselves and peacefully and constructively, with strength and conviction, move our country closer to its foundations and realize the democratic values of freedom and justice for all.

Unmuting: to bring forth sound; to be heard again; to speak up; to speak out.

On February 27, 2024, members of the JDPP community who have been touched by the carceral system in some way will be performing a piece titled Unmuting at Christ Church Cathedral auditorium in downtown Hartford, presented by CT State Capital College. This performance of Unmuting also gives voice to those who both reside in prison and those who have been released. It brings issues of incarceration forward through lived experience and asks us to consider those issues through the arts and performance from the perspective of our common humanity.

It takes courage to unmute and speak one’s truth, to break silence and by doing so give testimony that each of us can make a difference.

Please join us on February 27th (snow date March 5th) at 12:30pm or 5:30pm and experience Unmuting. Freedom, choice, and justice rely on our voices being heard and counted. Let’s unmute ourselves and move our country forward with hope, possibility, and vision for freedom and justice for all.

Link to register https://give.jdpp.org/Unmuting

** NOTE: “What does UNMUTING mean to you? Please share your thoughts with me at info@jdpp.org I’d love to know what you think”.