This is a scene from my award-winning feature-length documentary film, Sing Sing Thanksgiving with BB King, Joan Baez and others. It was finished in 1972 after the riot at Attica prison in New York State which killed more than two dozen inmates and guards. I lived nearby Sing Sing prison and decided to go into the prison and teach a class in theater. I asked permission from the warden and he gave permission to teach a class and to present a concert on Thanksgiving day which we would film. The concert was attended by 1200 inmates. One of the performances involved in this scene created by the inmates themselves showing what at least some of them, experience. It was written by Miguel Pinero who later became a well-known award-winning playwright. The play was written in part because my partner and I taught this class in theater and writing which over 70 people attended, including Miguel Pinero and other members of The Young Lords, a well-known and controversial New York City Street gang. They were controversial in part because they attempted to do good things to help their community.
Sing Sing prison was and is a maximum-security prison located in Ossining, New York, about 30 miles north of New York City. The prison was constructed in 1826 and has been in operation ever since. I could just about see its walls from my house.
At that time Sing Sing was known for its harsh conditions and overcrowding. The prison housed around 2,400 inmates but it was designed to hold only 1,800. Inmates were often confined to their cells for 23 hours a day and were subjected to physical and psychological abuse by guards. There were reports of brutality and mistreatment, including incidents of guards beating and torturing inmates. Sing Sing was also known for its history of executions using their famous electrocution chair. Between 1891 and 1963, a total of 614 prisoners were executed at the prison. .
One of the reasons the warden gave us permission to make our movie and present a concert and inmate performances to about 1200 inmates came as a result of Attica and efforts to reform the prison system and improve conditions for inmates. The Attica riot was a watershed moment that brought national attention to the conditions in prisons and the treatment of inmates including Sing Sing. When I was there filming, I saw that some of the guards/officers were really decent and some were not. It is certainly not true that across-the-board, officers abused inmates.
The Young Lords were a Puerto Rican nationalist group that was active in New York City during the 1960s and 1970s. They were involved in a wide range of social and political activities in New York. They were known for their activism on issues such as healthcare, education, housing, and police brutality. Some of their notable actions include:
The Young Lords established a number of community-based health clinics in New York City to provide healthcare services to low-income communities.
Fighting gentrification and housing inequality: The Young Lords organized rent strikes and protested against landlords who were neglecting their buildings or trying to force tenants out of their homes. They also advocated for the development of affordable housing and the preservation of existing housing.
Demanding police accountability: The Young Lords were vocal in their opposition to police brutality and discrimination against communities of color. They protested against police violence and worked to hold police accountable for their actions.
The Young Lords saw their activism as part of a broader struggle for Puerto Rican independence. They raised awareness about the political and economic oppression faced by Puerto Ricans in both the United States and on the island itself.
One of those inmates from The Young Lords who attended our class was Miguel Pinero. You can see him in this scene. Piñero was a Puerto Rican playwright, actor and poet. He is best known for his plays which often explored the lives of drug addicts, prostitutes, and ex-convicts. He grew up in New York City's Lower East Side. He dropped out of school at a young age and became involved in gangs, drugs and crime. While serving time in Sing Sing and during our class he began writing plays and poetry.
Pineros' most famous play, "Short Eyes,” was based on his experiences in prison and was first performed in 1974. It won an Obie Award and was later made into a film directed by Robert Young. Piñero's other plays include "Eulogy for a Small Time Thief," "The Sun Always Shines for the Cool," and "A Midnight Moon at the Greasy Spoon." Piñero was also a founding member of the Nuyorican Poets Cafe, a cultural center in New York City that showcased the work of Latino writers and artists. He died in 1988 of cirrhosis of the liver.
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Thank you
David Hoffman filmmaker
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