Busboys and Poets Books Presents BENDING THE ARC with Keeda Haynes
Date and Time
Nov 16, 2021 7:00 pm
Location
450K
450 K St NW, Washington, District of Columbia, 20001
Nov 16, 2021 7:00 pm
450K
BENDING THE ARC: MY JOURNEY FROM PRISON TO POLITICS is the description of Keeda Haynes incredible journey, from wrongful prosecution to law school upon release. With a unique background and understanding in incarceration and law in this country, Keeda decided to become a public defender and defend those who the system abuses and criminalizes with prejudice. As a lawyer, public defender, and later Congressional candidate, Keeda drew from her own personal experiences with how our unequal justice system treats the most vulnerable. Through her unique perspective and passionate activism, she now tells her story to help us reshape our communities into what they could be- our future does not have to be defined by our past. And Keeda knows that we're all ready for the long fight towards justice. This event is free and open to all, accessible through our Facebook and Youtube pages (@busboysandpoets).
Please RSVP if you are joining us in person or are interested in purchasing a signed book with shipping (limited to those tuning in via livestream)
Doors open to the Davis room at Busboys and Poets 450K at 5:45 PM on November 16th. The program itself will begin at 6 PM with an introduction from Busboys and Poets Books Director of Operations, Lori Barrientos Sanchez, before we get right into it with Keeda and her conversation partner. There will be time for Q&A with the audience before the end of the program, as well as the opportunity to purchase a copy of BENDING THE ARC for Keeda to sign the night of!
BENDING THE ARC: MY JOURNEY FROM PRISON TO POLITICS - Just weeks after graduating from the Dean's List from Tennessee State University, Keeda Haynes became an inmate at Alderson Federal Prison Camp, all for a crime she didn't commit. This was never meant to be her story. Her childhood was spent in church, band practice, and Girl Scouts meetings, and when she enrolled at TSU, the path ahead had seemed bright. Then one day her boyfriend had asked for a simple favor, to sign to receive some FedEx packages- packages she did not know were filled with marijuana. Suddenly she found herself in court and sentenced to seven years in prison- the same sentence she'd would have been handed if she had dealt the drugs herself. The experience of this injustice led her to question the foundations of her faith, and to confront a criminal justice system filled with race and class inequities- but instead of succumbing to despair and becoming yet another victim of our failed national "War on Drugs," she decided to dedicate her life toward making our justice system truly just. Even after she was released, she knew there was still so much freedom left to fight for. Haynes attended law school at night and became a public defender. She went on to become a criminal justice reform advocate supporting formerly incarcerated women, and in 2020 she became a candidate hoping to become the first Black woman to represent Tennessee in Congress. When she fights against mandatory minimum sentencing laws, advocates for successful transitions for those who have served their time, and seeks alternative sentencing for parents to help keep families together, she draws from her own personal experiences with how our unequal justice system treats the most vulnerable. Through her unique perspective and passionate activism, she now tells her story to help us reshape our communities into a true second chance culture. What she's learned firsthand-slowly, painfully-is that our future does not have to be defined by our past. And she knows that we're all ready for the long fight towards justice.
Keeda J. Haynes is a criminal justice reform advocate and a former Nashville public defender who works to bring to light the inequities in the criminal justice system. She currently serves as the Voting Rights Campaign Strategist with The Sentencing Project, and formerly served as the Legal Advisor to the non-profit organization Free Hearts. In 2020, she campaigned with hopes to become the first Black congresswoman to represent Tennessee. She lectures nationwide on her compelling story and cutting-edge issues in the criminal justice system. She lives in Nashville, Tennessee.
