I Am Not A Number

(Paperback)

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The Youth Art & Self-empowerment Project (YASP) is a youth-led, intergenerational organization fighting to end direct file (the practice of automatically prosecuting young people in adult court) and youth incarceration as a whole. YASP believes in a holistic approach towards abolition and recognizes the importance of creative expression in imagining transformative responses to harm and violence.

Reviews

"Being a juvenile going to the YASP program was very helpful to me in many ways and I'm sure it could be for many others also. At first, I came to YASP just to get off the block to be honest, but being there made me enjoy it and realize there is more the program than just time off the block."
-Jetson Cruz, YASP Youth Hub Fellowship Coordinator

"This collection is a testament to the transformative power of self-expression. YASP's work shows how supporting young people to use their voice and speak their truth can lead to important individual and societal change. As a member of City Council, I have been proud to partner with YASP leaders in their fight to re-envision systems and enact policies that will allow young people to truly thrive."
-Helen Gym, Former Philadelphia City Council Councilmember

"YASP's groundbreaking work, as highlighted in I Am Not a Number, is rooted in love and liberation. By centering the leadership of young people who have experienced the devastating impacts of incarceration, YASP helps us vision a brighter, more just world, where no child is locked in a cage. When we finally succeed at ending the practice of charging and sentencing youth in the adult system in Pennsylvania, it will be because YASP led the way through creative advocacy, direct action, and a relentless commitment to the ideals and principles of abolition."
-Joanna Visser Adjoian, Esq. Co-Founder,
Youth Sentencing & Reentry Project (YSRP)

Author Bio

I Am Not A Number catalogs work by 42 artists created through visual art and writing programs facilitated by YASP in Philadelphia's adult jails from 2006-2023. The culmination is 220 pages of honest, powerful, challenging and inspiring works by 42 artists.

The Youth Art & Self-empowerment Project (YASP) is a youth-led, intergenerational organization fighting to end direct file (the practice of automatically prosecuting young people in adult court) and youth incarceration as a whole. YASP believes in a holistic approach towards abolition and recognizes the importance of creative expression in imagining transformative responses to harm and violence.

*Writers and Artists featured in I Am Not A Number, in alphabetical order:

Kendall Anderson
Zachary Banks
William Bentley
Jetson Cruz
Prince Davis
Julian Dent
Tyquail Duffy
Azzim Dukes
Malik Dunmore
Joshua Glenn
Sean Gordine
Karim Grant
Karonn Greenwood
David Harrington
Thomas Harrington
Antonio Inostroza
Quamire Johnson
Vanesha Langley
My Le
Nasir Mcnamee
Jonathan Melendez
Tot Metz
Everett Munroe
Malik Parker
Andrea Powell
Ramir Raison
David Ramirez
Zaphir Reddy
Myleidi Rodriguez
Victor Saez
Kaleem Shelton
Brandon Smith
Ramon Smith
Tarell Spencer
Kinta Stanton
John Tarpeh
Francis Togba
Joshua Watson
Nabria Watson
Lamar Williams
Terrance "TA" Williams
Munir Young