The Second Life of Freddie Nole: Transforming Lived Experience into Community Wisdom
Justice contributor, Dr. Tonisha Taylor, LSW reflects on the leaders inside and outside the system who refuse to allow incarceration to define their existence.
On a warm Tuesday afternoon in October, Freddie and Sue Nole visited the campus of Lehigh Carbon Community College to discuss the award-winning documentary “The Second Life of Freddie Nole.” After showing the trailer to the documentary, Freddie addressed an audience of over fifty students, faculty and staff members to share his life story.
He started with what he called his first life—the events leading up to his arrest and his experiences in prison, where he spent 49 years as a ‘juvenile lifer’. With every word he spoke, Freddie captivated the audience as he reflected on his life and dropped many nuggets of wisdom.
One of the most poignant nuggets Freddie shared was this:
“The lack of education is an enabler of all our deficiencies.”
As he paced the front of the conference room, Freddie further shared that by education, he didn’t just mean the classroom. He meant all that we learn, from how we view ourselves, our immediate surroundings, and our entire worldview.
He implored the audience to move from their comfort zones in order to grow. This shift included thinking differently about incarcerated individuals. Freddie shared that like himself, there are many leaders in prison who are striving to improve themselves and be change agents for good, both in prison and in society as a whole.
As I reflect on Freddie’s visit, I think of a few of the incarcerated or formerly incarcerated change agents I personally know. Though they clearly made mistakes that led to their incarceration, they did not allow prison to define the totality of their existence. My mother, once released from prison for the final time, became a social worker and enjoyed a long career of helping others in Newark and Jersey City.
My best friend’s son Dashawn, who is currently serving time, is taking on leadership roles to develop not only himself, but the other young men in his unit. And of course, Freddie, who’s Meeting at the Door program provides individuals being released from prison with a warm transition to new possibilities. There are countless other change agents out there working towards better. Let us see them. Let us honor them. Let us amplify them.
Meeting at the Door: Freddie Nole is Rewriting the Story of Reentry After 50 Years Inside
Links:
Dana Nachman
Support Freddie's Prison Pickups
Shine a Light NJ
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