Yahya, In His Own Words

“I am one who used to pop and breakdance at 9 and 10 years of age.

I used to swim like a fish, ride bikes, skateboard and do gymnastics in the grass of the neighborhood playground.

Back then, nothing or no one could have convinced me that prison would be in my future.

Life is full of unexpected experiences.

Along this journey, I have encountered tears and confusion…hurt, pain, and loss — all of which are within the experience of being a human being in and of itself.

However, being innocent had seemed to make each pain and loss more than a pain and loss.

Each tear drop seemed to taste saltier.

After some time, I discovered the depth of the human spirit and the unexpected strength within it.

Yes, we suffer from traumas. Struggles exist today just as they have existed yesterday.

But we are not defined by our conditions nor conditioning.

We are not the sum of our experiences and do not have to become paralyzed by them.

We are who we envision ourselves to be.

Our experiences are merely the window into the transformative qualities that we all have as human beings. There are number of experiences that helped me to get acquainted with these inner qualities: I’ve studied the law and worked as a legal reference aid and attended and facilitated peer on peer group workshops ranging from Alternatives to Violence, Just Listening (listening justly), Let’s Circle Up (restorative justice), and others.

I also attend courses seeking to get a bachelor’s degree.

Each of these settings required for me to acquaint myself with people — talk to them, listen to them, value them.

Only then was I able to recognize that the qualities within myself had essentially come by identifying them in others.

God willing, when I am finally released, I will join others who are on the front line making a difference in Philadelphia.”

– John ‘Yahya’ Moore, June 2022