How a 1970s prisoner-organized literacy program changed Maryland's penitentiaries

Click here to read the transcriptMarshall "Eddie" Conway was framed for the murder of a police officer and incarcerated for 44 years—but even behind bars, he continued to organize. In the early 1970s, Maryland's state prisons were overcrowded and lacked education opportunities for incarcerated people. As a form of intervention, Eddie organized a university-level education program with fellow prisoners known as "To Say Their Own Word." The program not only raised the level of literacy among inmates; it also forged stronger solidarity between prisoners, and catalyzed other organizing and transformation across Maryland's prison system. Former participants of To Say Their Own Word, Saleem El-Amin and Bruce Franklin, join Rattling the Bars for a look back on this project's impact.Studio/Post-Production: Cameron Granadino The Real News is an independent, viewer-supported, radical media network. Help us continue producing Rattling the Bars by following us and becoming a monthly sustainer: Donate: https://therealnews.com/donate-pod-rtbSign up for our newsletter: https://therealnews.com/nl-pod-rtbGet Rattling the Bars updates: https://therealnews.com/up-pod-rtbLike us on Facebook: https://facebook.com/therealnewsFollow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/therealnewsBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/rattling-the-bars--4799829/support.