In Memory of Fred Patrick, my Friend, Mentor, Inspiration and Empath
"Our beloved colleague Fred Patrick, an advocate for justice as well as a friend and mentor to many, passed away suddenly of natural causes at his home in New York City on Monday, July 1. Fred was the director of the Center on Sentencing and Corrections at the Vera Institute of Justice, where he led his team to envision how a commitment to human dignity must be central even in prison, eliminate solitary confinement, reduce the use of jails, and increase access to public housing for people coming home from prison. There are thousands of people throughout the country who are thriving today because of Fred's work." - Legacy.com
When Great Trees Fall
By Maya Angelou
When great trees fall, rocks on distant hills shudder, lions hunker down in tall grasses, and even elephants lumber after safety.
When great trees fall in forests, small things recoil into silence, their senses eroded beyond fear.
When great souls die, the air around us becomes light, rare, sterile. We breathe, briefly. Our eyes, briefly, see with a hurtful clarity. Our memory, suddenly sharpened, examines, gnaws on kind words unsaid, promised walks never taken.
Great souls die and our reality, bound to them, takes leave of us. Our souls, dependent upon their nurture, now shrink, wizened. Our minds, formed and informed by their radiance, fall away. We are not so much maddened as reduced to the unutterable ignorance of dark, cold caves.
To learn about the life and legacy of Fred Patrick, please visit the link below.
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