PURPOSE DRIVEN COFFEE

"Purpose Driven Coffee" offers a safe space for formerly incarcerated men, women, and young people of color to engage in creative expression and hold a space for healing and community. We will gather and connect through music, conversation, poetry, and coffee.

Prison is an inherently racist system that can have long-term consequences on a person's physical and mental health. Although black people make up less than 6% of Minnesota's population, they account for 35% of the state's inmates. The disproportionate incarceration of Blacks is a replication of the enslavement of Black people in America. As a result, Black communities continue to suffer from chronic trauma and unresolved grief caused by incarceration. 

Embracing our ancestors' ceremonies, traditions, and healing practices is a powerful aspect of our healing. Slaveholders prohibited the use of drums for fear of slave revolts, so we relied on spoken word, chants, and dancing for self-expression and healing.

The art of writing and performing allows us to communicate and re-present our innermost selves. In other words, it interprets the meaning of human existence and the experiences we undergo. We can restore relationships and build community through truth-seeking and reconciliation.