Kalief Browder
Nestor M.
Black & White Paper, Paint, Handmade Stamp Print, Charcoal & Regular Pencils
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The system-impacted person I chose was Kalief Browder. Kalief Browder was an innocent young man (16 years old) who took his life due to false accusations, and couldn't afford bail which led to his very long stay in one of New York's toughest prisons: Rikers Island. Kalief spent 3 years inside Rikers Island without ever getting a trial. He was subjected to solitary confinement where he spent over 800 days. His charges were eventually dropped in 2013 and was released. Without any sort of rehabilitation support Kalief tried to come back into society but his trauma had devastated his mental health severely due to his early life experiences. On June 6th, 2015, Kalief Browder sadly lost his life due to suicide at 22 years old. His story shook the city of New York and eventually led to changes surrounding the handling of juveniles incarcerated and how their cases are handled.
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Creativity to me means being able to express yourself and show others what you are able to create with confidence.
