In 2017, when Teen HYPE CEO Ambra Redrick visited an 8th grade Detroit classroom, she asked the students to raise their hands if someone close to them was in prison. All but one student, including the teacher, quietly raised their hands. This reality was replicated by other staff members in other classrooms throughout the city.
#MisTaken 65 Million Americans have a criminal record, limiting employment, housing & voting opportunities. Let’s talk about it! #TeenHYPE #prisonculture #Detroit #FreeMeekMill #artseducation #prisonbreak #lockedup #UnitedStates pic.twitter.com/QBSojvAElR
— Teen H.Y.P.E. Youth Development (@TeenHYPE) February 6, 2018
From this experience, the concept for Mis-Taken? was conceived to explore incarceration and its impact on families.
What does it means to have a loved one in prison? How does it feel to be a parent while incarcerated? What is the impact of long term imprisonment on particular communities, particularly for our youth?
Through a generous partnership with the University of Michigan’s Prison Creative Arts Project, Mis-Taken? features artwork from Detroit area students alongside the artwork of people who have served, or are currently serving time.
Photo: Urban Content Team
Currently on display at the Ford Resource & Engagement Center (FREC) in 7 Mile,
The Mis-Taken? Exhibit Invites Viewers To Consider The Following 5 Questions:
Photo: Urban Content Team
1.Have some people been MIS-TAKEN, either wrongfully accused or jailed without adequate legal representation?
Photo: Urban Content Team
2. Are we making MISTAKES as a society, disrupting families and communities in an effort to become safer?
Photo: Urban Content Team
3. How could we, as a community, fix the MISTAKES that are being made in our current justice system?
4. How can we help our teens authentically process the painful reality of too many fathers and brothers, and increasingly mothers, being taken away?
Photo: Urban Content Team
5.What else can be done to reverse this alarming trend, especially in communities like our own?
Photo: Urban Content Team
The success of the Mis-Taken? project is a testament to the impactful and therapeutic power of art. In addition to the art exhibit, Teen HYPE put on a full stage production at the Millenium Center in Detroit.
Check out the highlights below:
Salute to the FREC service partner, Teen HYPE for making good on it’s mission to celebrate youth, confront barriers that impede their success and build bridges to a brighter future.
Follow us @FRECCITY on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. Subscribe to our YouTube Channel and visit FREC locations at:
FREC (D1): 2826 Bagley Ave, Detroit, MI 48216 | PH: 313.962.4888 Ask for Carmen
FREC (D2): 15491 Maddelein St., Detroit, MI 48205 | PH: 313.733.1240 Ask for Justin
