Rattling the Cages: Becoming Politicized In Pr*son

Hector “Bori” Rodriguez and Farhan Ahmed spent decades imprisoned in New York where they became politicized.
About this Event

All too often we separate political prisoners from the other people incarcerated alongside them. While it is necessary that we support those incarcerated for fighting back against the system, abolition means supporting all those locked up as we fight for a better world. Rattling the Cages creators Eric King and Josh Davidson talk with Hector “Bori” Rodriguez and Farhan Ahmed, both of whom spent decades imprisoned in New York where they became politicized as they fought for their freedom.

Published by AK Press, is a project of abolitionists Josh Davidson and Eric King. The book is filled with the experience and wisdom of over thirty current and former North American political prisoners. It provides first-hand details of Pr*son life and the political commitments that continue to lead prisoners into direct confrontation with state authorities and institutions.

If you missed the previous panel discussions you can watch the recordings here.

Hector “Bori” Rodriguez is a resilient artist and advocate who spent 27 years incarcerated in New York for felony M**der and drug possession, finding freedom when released in February 2023. While in Pr*son, he transformed his trauma into purpose through the Bard Pr*son Initiative and Rehabilitation through the Arts, where he embraced critical thinking, writing, performance, and visual art. His work vividly reflects his journey, blending memories of childhood with the harsh realities of incarceration. Now a Yale Pr*son Education Initiative Fellow, he continues to develop his art while advocating for educational and creative programs in Pr*son, believing in their transformative power. Follow him on Instagram and buy some of Bori's art!

Farhan Ahmed is a writer and advocate who spent 20 years incarcerated in New York state, including 18 months in an immigration detention center. During his time in Pr*son, he transformed his emotional trauma into a sense of purpose. After earning his GED, he completed a Bachelor’s degree in Social Studies through the Bard Pr*son Initiative, focusing on the impact of industrial agriculture on climate change. This program helped him develop skills such as critical thinking, academic and fiction writing, and art.

Since his release in August 2024, Farhan has been planning to pursue a Master’s in Public Health at Columbia University, a scholarship opportunity offered to him while he was still in Pr*son. Currently, he is working on creating a community-based program that provides both physical and mental health support to populations displaced by climate change. Farhan is also passionate about involving younger generations in decision-making processes to address the ongoing social and ecological crises, believing that they are the leaders of tomorrow. Read some of Farhan's writings.

Eric King is a father, poet, author, and activist. In December 2023 he was released from the supermax ADX Pr*son after spending nearly ten years as a political prisoner for an act of protest over the police M**der of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri. He was held in solitary confinement for years and was met with violence by guards throughout his incarceration. Eric has published three zines: Battle Tested (2015), Antifa in Pr*son (2019), and Pacing in My Cell (2019). His sentencing statement is included in the book (2019). Eric now works as a paralegal for the Bread and Roses Legal Center.

Josh Davidson is an abolitionist, a member of the Certain Days: Freedom for Political Prisoners calendar collective, and also part of the Children’s Art Project with political prisoner Oso Blanco. Josh edited Rattling the Cages: Oral Histories of North American Political Prisoners. He works in communications with the Zinn Education Project, which promotes the teaching of radical people’s history in classrooms and provides free lessons and resources for educators.