22 16- and 17-year-old boys sat transfixed as author, advocate, and community activist Tony Lewis, Jr., told them the story of his journey that could have easily landed him in the same situation they were in, charged as adults at the DC Jail. Tony visited the DC Jail Book Club to discuss his memoir, Slugg: A Boy’s Life in the Age of Mass Incarceration.

When Tony was 9 years old, his father, Tony Lewis, Sr., a former cocaine kingpin, was arrested and sentenced to life in prison for his connection to the largest drug operation in D.C. Meanwhile, Tony’s mother struggled with mental illness exacerbated by his father’s incarceration.

Growing up in this atmosphere, Tony Lewis, Jr., was exposed to a criminal enterprise that he could have easily emulated. He credits his mother for motivating him to pursue education. He graduated from Gonzaga High School, and went on to earn his Bachelor’s degree from the University of the District of Columbia.

Instead of living out what was expected of him, Tony wrote about how he overcame those expectations in Slugg: A Boys Life in the Age of Mass Incarceration.  The teenagers in the Book Club chose this book to read because they could see themselves in Tony’s story, and they wanted to hear from the author himself.

After his introduction, Tony stood up, scanned the faces that looked up to him and began to do what he is known for, uplifting and encouraging those who have experienced incarceration, and getting them to see that incarceration isn’t the end of their story. He told them, “Understand that I’m you and you can see your way through, you can make a way and can’t accept that this is it…Plan what you’re going to do when you come home because you ain’t supposed to be here, it’s more to you than this.”

One of the young men asked, “How does your struggle growing up compare to ours?”

Tony answered, “The poverty, the crime, the violence and the expectations of a young black man hasn’t changed much.”  When Tony was growing up, he lost friends to violence. He went on to say, “although that’s the case, there are much more opportunities in this city now than when I was your age, more programs, diversity, and support for folks like you and me.”

Out of curiosity, they asked him why he wrote his book. He said, “I wrote this book out of survivor’s guilt. My life went in one direction, but all the people I love went in the opposite. With so many friends and family locked up, I was trying to figure and chart out how I got here.”

Speaking passionately and walking around the room, Tony made a point to address the young men as if he was speaking to each of them individually. As a show of appreciation, some of the Book Club members stood up to read their poetry. One young man stood read his poem “You Don’t Know Me.”

On the outside you see that I laugh
You see that I’m smart
But you don’t know me
On the inside you would know me
If you knew how hard it is
To wake up incarcerated

When asked what he wanted to communicate to the Book Club members, Tony Lewis said, “I want them to be able to see themselves in me in terms of they can do anything. Coming from communities, families, that may not be perfect, but they can ascend no matter what they’re here for. They can start planning for life after this. And I hope that Slugg can give them some instructions on how to pursue and reach their goals.” In addition to his work as an author and activist, Tony also works for the Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency, DC’s probation agency. “Not only am I somebody who’s an author, but I actually do the work in terms of reentry. So I want to connect with them on the level that if I can help them move forward, I’m here to do that as well. I hope they are inspired and also empowered to know what they can do, what’s possible.”

As the presentation ended, the young men all rushed over to have Tony autograph their books. We asked the Book Club members if they felt inspired, and the teens answered with a resounding, “yes!” As one teenager said, “If he can do it, that means I can too.”

Thank you to An Open Book Foundation for making this event possible.

Tony Lewis and Free Minds staff

From left: Co-founder and Book Club Facilitator Kelli Taylor, Author Tony Lewis, Jr., Co-founder and Executive Director Tara Libert, An Open Book Foundation Education Director Janet Zwick, and Book Club and Reentry Manager Keela Hailes

By Keela Hailes, Book Club and Reentry Manager

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