The artwork displayed here was created and submitted by participants of the Incarcerated Scholars Conference. We are honored to share these creative works publicly to celebrate the talent, voice, and vision of the artists.
All works remain the intellectual property of their respective creators. The images, names, and likenesses of the artists are shared solely for the purpose of viewing and appreciating their work.
Reproduction, distribution, sale, or any other use of this artwork, including use of any artist’s name, image, or likeness, without explicit written permission from the creator, is strictly prohibited.
By viewing this gallery, you agree to respect the integrity and ownership of each artist’s work. Our goal is to make these creative expressions visible and valued—while protecting the rights and dignity of those who made them.
Read more about the ISC Art Gallery policies

The standards by which you measure
the life sciences comes from a calcified pineal gland
The other man shifted our thinking to
Control our speaking of the motherland
He hammered standards in our psyche
Politely stripping us from nature’s basic necessities like
Love, making love, raising a family
Limiting our human ability with technology
Deficiencies whereas
The dead inspires you and motivates you more than the living
The sick inspires you and motivates you more than the healthy
Oppression inspires you and motivates you more than liberation
We are a nation within a nation but suffer
From pineal gland calcification
Dual personalities is corrupting our mentality
Our reality Is Kemet, meaning
The study of mind, we see images from two eyes
While our third eye is blind
Before we come across a word
Our standards have been defined
Confined in the rapture that this
Eagle has captured
Trapped in the prison from pelani vision
That's in the Aegean sea
Where he grafted the present white race you see
Your anatomy coexists with the spiritual
So the heat from the sun burns of artificial calcium
Balancing our minds by turning knowledge into wine
Leaving us signs to continue our melanin shine
Moisture and sun rays produce a rainbow
Our ancestors are speaking
Life is in fruits and vegetables
Using my intelligence to cultivate humanity
Freeing myself from the standards by which others measure me
Independent but dependent
On the African Family
Operating simultaneously when consciously thinking
Visioned that which no one could comprehend
Like the creator in the beginning
Who you are is clear
But what you are must become
And then your life will shine
And will totally liberate the African mind
My name is Emmitt X. Wright Author of American Made and The Preservation of life by total Liberation of the African mind. What inspired my poems & writing is expression, sharing my own ideas of how I see the world & all the experiences our world has been through. What drew me to writing was the power of words from a Judge that took my life with a life sentence when I was 18 years young & now that I’m near 50 I am still fighting an entire system with words and from this prison sentence it is what drew me to writing.
If you are the artist of an artwork featured in this gallery and want it removed, please reach out to alliance@higheredinprison.org