Jahfare Ford interviewed by Jeremiah Brown
Jeremiah Brown (00:02): Uh, I'm Jeremiah, and I'm interviewing ...
Jahfare Ford (00:06): How you doing? How's it going? Um, Jahfare.
Jeremiah Brown (00:10): We at Groveland in art class interviewing each other. Uh, can I ask you some questions?
Jahfare Ford (00:15): Sure.
Jeremiah Brown (00:17): All right. Why did you get involved in this art program?
Jahfare Ford (00:19): Uh, I got involved for several reasons. One of them being, to be honest, just to uti- utilize my time since I've been incarcerated. I just like to get involved and stay active. Another reason was because I wanted to learn more about art, learn how to do art and just learn how to connect with others since I've been incarcerated.
Jeremiah Brown (00:41): All right. That's what's up. That's what's up. Um, what was something you hoped to learn?
Jahfare Ford (00:49): Um, (laughs) to actually paint portraits. But, um, to be honest, I'm not gonna say I'm the best painter or- or, you know, artist. But, um, I definitely learned the skill of how to actually paint and the different types of paints we use, and it takes- it actually takes patience and time to actually like, really know what you doing, how to paint a portrait. So, um, that was what I wanted to learn.
Jeremiah Brown (01:17): Okay. Did you learn patience?
Jahfare Ford (01:21): (laughs)
Jeremiah Brown (01:21): (laughs)
Jahfare Ford (01:25): Man, as much as I could, man. I learned, like I said, even to this day, I'm still not the best portrait painter or whatnot, but I'm learning how to be more patient as far as learning to get something done, or studying a skill, or an art and actually going forward with it. So-
Jeremiah Brown (01:43): That's good.
Jahfare Ford (01:44): Yeah, yeah, I learned some patience.
Jeremiah Brown (01:45): Yes, sir. Um, my last question for you is, how would you describe yourself as an artist?
Jahfare Ford (01:52): Um, how I would describe myself as an artist? A real en- I would say, I'ma-
Jeremiah Brown (01:59): You could be a- a poet artist, you could be a general artist.
Jahfare Ford (02:02): Yeah. I- I would say I'm an intellectual artist. I'm a- I'm a- I'm a thinker. I'm a conscious thinker, especially now since I've been incarcerated, I think more. So, even the experience in this art class of learning how to paint, you know, um, I- I just always try to have like an idea of what I wanted to paint, how I wanted to paint and- and patience, you know what I'm saying?
Jeremiah Brown (02:25): Yes, sir.
Jahfare Ford (02:26): You know, um, I know you mentioned artists, so- like poet artists. I actually have a poem I wanted to share too, whenever we have time. You know-
Jeremiah Brown (02:39): If you wanna share it now, you can.
Jahfare Ford (02:39): Uh, I mean, yeah. I mean, if you didn't have any more questions, uh ...
Jeremiah Brown (02:41): Nah, those are all my questions. If you wanna ...
Jahfare Ford (02:44): Yeah. Yeah. If you don't mind.
Jeremiah Brown (02:44): Let's hear something. Let's hear something.
Jahfare Ford (02:47): You know, spit some, uh, some words-
Jeremiah Brown (02:49): Some knowledge.
Jahfare Ford (02:50): Yeah, some knowledge. Words of wisdom, you know?
Jeremiah Brown (02:52): (laughs)
Jahfare Ford (02:55): (laughs) So, uh, I actually wrote this poem, uh, last year, actually. Um, it's called "Recite." So, it's titled "Recite."
(03:08):
As I recite this line while doing this time of crime, I realize my soul ties, no longer confined by restraints, leaving my past behind and charging my mind, 'cause freedom is mine.
(03:20):
The world is mine, I'm not Scarface though. Public Enemy in America, making it a hard place to grow.
(03:27):
Not knowing what I know now destroyed my potential, surrounded and hounded by wolves in sheep's clothing lacking the credentials.
(03:34):
Environment exposing, the lifestyle been exposed in. Feels like I've been chosen from Satan himself, tempting me to open up, just to feel closed in.
(03:45):
The wolves were closing in on a young brother like me. Became victim to the body, open wounds started to fight me. Distilled spirits started to entice me.
(03:56):
As I recite this line while doing this time of crime, I realize my soul ties, no longer confined by restraints. Leaving my past behind and charging my mind, 'cause freedom is mine.
(04:06):
I seen close ones becoming X'd out, mark in a prison system. Some never coming home, too late to know what hit 'em.
(04:14):
Adjusted to the cycle. Leave, come back. Leave, come back. Living in recidivism. As I recite this line, this one right here, never would I would imagine I'd be doing prison years.
(04:26):
What could I do to rehabilitate myself? Sure, I can volunteer for programs, but is this the necessary help that can develop my character? On a hunt to find these answers, adapted to be a scavenger.
(04:38):
As I recite this line while doing this time of crime, I realize my soul ties, no longer confined by restraints. Leaving my past behind and charging my mind, 'cause freedom is mine.
(04:48):
Sign on this dotted line, give your rights away. Your freedom is mine, give your life away. But I'm here to stay. The liberty of staying free. Maybe I am like Scarface. My mind playing tricks on me.
(05:01):
Will I reenter society how it once was? I highly doubt it. Reciting this prison routine, still surrounded.
(05:08):
'Bout lost souls who been hounded. Freedom granted, I, for surely, will shout it.
(05:15):
Why? Because freedom is mine, leaving my past behind and charging my mind, no longer confined by restraints, realizing my soul ties by doing this time of crime, as I recite this line.
Jeremiah Brown (05:27): I like that, man. We gotta snap our fingers (laughs)
Jahfare Ford (05:30): (laughs)
Jeremiah Brown (05:30): I like that.
Jahfare Ford (05:31): Yeah. Appreciate you letting me, you know, express my thoughts.
Jeremiah Brown (05:34): I see you as like- I could see you as like, you know, one of them poets that be on the stage?
Jahfare Ford (05:40): Yeah.
Jeremiah Brown (05:41): You know, doing that thing, talking your shit, you know what I'm saying?
Jahfare Ford (05:44): Yeah. Yeah. I actually-
Jeremiah Brown (05:45): That's nice. It's nice.
Jahfare Ford (05:45): Appreciate it. I actually used to, um, I was in Job Corps in D.C.-
Jeremiah Brown (05:49): Yeah.
Jahfare Ford (05:50): ... and- and they actually used to take us to poetry slams, so I would present some of my poems and almost every Monday, we'll have a- a business meeting for the campus. So I would like, present poems, or motivational speeches, or essays just to do it, you know? So, you know, I- I never stopped writing. So, you know, writing is also a form of art that a lot of people don't realize it is. So, you know, I just wanna, um ... That's my message to anybody with a dream or a passion for art, whatever your passion is, just pursue it. Just do it. You know, 'cause tomorrow not promised. So, just- just go live out your dream.
Jeremiah Brown (06:25): Yes, sir. Yes, sir. All right, man, that was a good interview. That was a well- hell of a poem.
Jahfare Ford (06:25): Yeah. Appreciate it.
Jeremiah Brown (06:25): Hell of a poem. Yes, sir. All right, man, you checking out?
Jahfare Ford (06:34): Yeah, thank you.
Jeremiah Brown (06:35): All right.
Jeremiah Brown (00:02): Back here, um.
Jahfare Ford (00:04): Hell yeah.
Jeremiah Brown (00:06): So that poem you wrote, what was that really about and what made you write that poem?
Jahfare Ford (00:10): Um, well, it was actually like a contest that pri- Prisoner Legal Services had with the prose last year. And, the topic of the poetry that you had to submit was about recidivism, right. Former incarcerated individuals coming back to the prison system unfortunately or violating parole, probation. It was all about, all about recidivism. So, that's why I figure I named the title Recite. So, that's kind of why, like, I recited... It- it's kinda like a, like a song, wrap structure. That's kinda why I recited, like, certain couple lines back to back.
Jeremiah Brown (00:56): What was your favorite... What was your favorite line that you wrote in that poem?
Jahfare Ford (01:01): You said my favorite...
Jeremiah Brown (01:02): Line that you wrote in that poem.
Jahfare Ford (01:04): Um...
Jeremiah Brown (01:06): Oh what, what's the most important thing that you... What's the message that you wanna get out to
Jahfare Ford (01:10): The message behind this poem-
Jeremiah Brown (01:12): Yes.
Jahfare Ford (01:13): ... is, it was strictly for incarcerated individuals, those who is currently in a prison system now to realize that, you know, um, it's easy to come back in the system just, just as much as it was easy to get in the system.
Jeremiah Brown (01:30): Right.
Jahfare Ford (01:31): So the message I was trying to get across was don't be another statistic, you know, um. The first three years after incarceration, like, 75% of people come back to prison. They recite coming back to prison. So one of my messages was strictly for incarcerated individuals who's locked up now to, to realize the since- the severity of, you know, the prison system, you know. Just like, um, one of my lines, it said, "I'm seeing close ones become X'd out mark in the prison system. Some never come home, too late to know what hit them, you know.
(02:08):
At lot of us in the system meet and interact with lifers, you know what I'm saying? I know you met a couple lifers who are facing a life of 20, 25 to life and, you know, some of them guys don't know they going home, you know. I know somebody who now who got 41 years in, you know. He don't know if he's going home. So, I wanted to express that to people locked up now that, you know, value... Utilize this time you're doing now incarceration but better yourself, you know. And take life serious, man, cause you could be here today gone tomorrow. A lot of our loved ones is, is dying or passing away or moving on and going through their own tro- troubles on the outside. It's important that we do our time, get out and be there for them like our parents, our kids, grandparents, lo- friends, whatever, so.
Jeremiah Brown (03:01): So do you feel like you could, like, you could feel they things or like you could s- see, like, how hard it is for them to, like, come out of prison, like, or to be free or... Like, how do you, how do you go again- how do you go about that?
Jahfare Ford (03:19): Uh, excuse me. Um, I definitely feel they pain, you know, because I'm in here. Excuse me, you know. I'm- I'm living through this prison experience, you know. Like I said, I- I know people here who got, uh, 15 to life, 20 to life. I actually, since I've been down, um, I've met people who went home and came back. Within a year, they back and they looking at me like, "Yo, what's up, bro?" And I' just like, kinda like disappointed. And like, "Yo, you had the opportunity to go home. Just do what you been doing for years, and still they have opportunity" and I'm still fighting and trying to get out too, you know.
(04:02):
So, um, I definitely can relate to anybody in the prison system, you know, cause time is time but one thing I realize is it's not how much time you do. It's how you do your time, you know. So, with a program like the art program, this definitely help me realize my potential, you know, so...
Jeremiah Brown (04:24): So, do you believe in good or bad, um, good or bad consequences can define somebody?
Jahfare Ford (04:43): Yeah, definitely. I- but even e- even, even through this prison experience, one- one thing it taught me is that you can find good and bad and bad and good. It's like the yin and the yang, what they say. But, um, yeah, good and bad consequences definitely can define you as a person but I look at people who was incarcerated like Malcom X, you know. He, like, seven years, he came out, you know, one of the most phenomenal activists of all time.
Jeremiah Brown (05:08): Yes, sir.
Jahfare Ford (05:10): So many people I look at when I was incarcerated, um, even through your bad situations, bad experiences, it can definitely mold you, it definitely build you, build character, character development. So, um, yeah but it- it's all about, it's all about you, you know, you, you gonna wanna have to change. Nobody can help you change. You gotta change for yourself.
Jeremiah Brown (05:38): Yes, sir.
Jahfare Ford (05:39): So, uh...
Jeremiah Brown (05:40): So what if, what if you wanna change but you can't? What are, what if you wanna change but you don't got that push in yourself to change or you don't got that inspiration or you know what I mean? Like, you, you don't have that, that hand up to give a high five to when you wanna change.
Jahfare Ford (05:57): Well, I say this. The people who, who wanna change... You said, like, people who wanna change but don't know how to change?
Jeremiah Brown (06:07): Yeah.
Jahfare Ford (06:08): I say people who wanna change that don't know how to change, you gotta start somewhere. I say start right now. You're... Write- start writing down your goals, what you wanna do, you know. Um, start surrounding yourself with positive people, people's who's helping themselves, like, especially incarceration, you know, surround yourself with people who works out, who wanna improve they body. Sur- surround yourself with people who go to college. Um, surround yourself with people who, who just want better for themselves.
(06:38):
Uh, no, that's what I try to do is, um, I try to just better my- myself, you know. But you, you gotta want it. So first you gotta surround yourself with people who you sees want it and then that's where the energy plays off and, you know, you start taking action.
Jeremiah Brown (06:57): You seem like a pretty positive person, man.
Jahfare Ford (06:59): Appreciate.
Jeremiah Brown (07:00): That can influence a lot of people within your words, your poems, you know, the way you carry yourself. You could go far, definitely could go far, my man.
Jahfare Ford (07:08): Yeah. Appreciate it, man.
Jeremiah Brown (07:10): Yes, sir. Keep it up.
Jahfare Ford (07:10): Likewise.
Jeremiah Brown (07:10): All right.
Jahfare Ford (07:10): All right.
Jeremiah Brown (07:10): Yeah.