Poetry in Chicago

Tag: incarceration

  • Poetry, Prison and CommUNITY

    Poetry, Prison and CommUNITY

    Poetry fills the gap in our souls that is left by our need for connection and beauty as human beings. Prison widens that rift, and enhances the importance and impact of true friends. Anthony Spaulding, whose poetic performance To Cut a Barber’s Hands has sparked a flurry of performances across the city, has a loyal friend in Anthony Jones who, at the age of 20, was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Jones had his sentence commuted by J.B. Pritzger in 2021 after serving 29 years in prison, met Anthony Spaulding, (incarcerated at the age of 16) at Stateville Correctional Center. “We are good friends.” said Jones of Spaulding in an April 13, 2024 interview, “We met when we both were incarcerated at Statesville. We talk every day.”   

    While Spaulding has a free performance of his one-man show planned at Walls Turned Sideways at 2717 W. Madison on Saturday, April 20th from 6-8 pm. Jones is now a community navigator for the Illinois Prison Project who is teaching both inmates and the formerly incarcerated to navigate their lives in a positive and productive way.

    Part of being good friends is supporting each other through the highs and lows of life, and Jones’ friendship with Spaulding is no different. The lows of being incarcerated together have provided ballast to navigating society in their newfound freedom. Both men are now fully self-supporting individuals with adult responsibilities. While Spaulding’s focus has been on artistry both as a barber and as a multi-faceted performer, Jones’ focus has been on giving back to the community through his work with the Illinois Prison Project, a not for profit run by Jennifer Soble which is celebrating its third year in existence. 

    Jones’ work there is focused on helping incarcerated individuals navigate a complex prison structure that has systemic racism at its core. According to Jones, this is due, in large part to a clause in the 13th Amendment which states, “Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.” (Italics added for emphasis.) According to the 2020 United States Census, African Americans are minorities who comprise only 13.6 percent of the population, but account for 33% of the prison population according to a 2020 Pew Research Center report. 

    Both men worked hard on redemption while in prison. Spaulding began his barber’s license in prison, and Jones earned his paralegal certificate and two college degrees. Jones, the father of a 30 year old son, is now engaged and the proud owner of his own home. These two community advocates work to contribute to their communities, each in their own way.

    “You know, I just cut the hair of a family that couldn’t afford to get haircuts this morning.” said Spaulding during a March 28, 2024 interview.

    Meanwhile, Jones is helping people return home to their families after years of incarceration. “We call them freedom rides. I picked up this elderly gentleman from prison recently…he is a dynamic speaker. When I saw him, I asked him to do Dr. Martin Luther King’s I have a Dream speech, and he did!” Enthralled by his friend’s oratory gift despite physical infirmity, Jones glowed with pride and excitement as he explained how he had taken this gentleman home to his family, who were friends with Emmett Till during the 14 years that Till was alive.

    Find out more about Anthony Jones work with the Illinois Prison Project at their website. Anthony Spaulding can be found at Walls Turned Sideways next Saturday, April 20, from 6-8 pm, here is where to find him on social media.

    • Anthony Jones during his interview at WZRD on Saturday, April 13, 2024. (Photo by C. Schandelmeier)
    • Anthony Spaulding and Anthony Jones talk every day. (Photo by C. Schandelmeier)
    • Anthony Jones sports the attire of the Illinois Prison Project during his WZRD interview. (Photo by C. Schandelmeier)
    • Talking with someone who understands is an important part of friendship. (Photo by C. Schandelmeier)
    • Both Spaulding and Jones continue to navigate legal issues despite their new found freedom. (Photo by C. Schandelmeier)
    • The Illinois Prison Project is a new organization dedicated to representing and supporting incarcerated individuals in Illinois. Here, a bumper sticker makes their presence known. (Photo by C. Schandelmeier)
    • Anthony Spaulding and Anthony Jones read extensively and worked with Dr. Margaret Burroughs (Founder of the DuSable Museum of African American History) while they were in prison. Jones had a particular focus on the law, hence his paralegal certificate. To find out more about Dr. Margaret Burroughs, visit https://www.thehistorymakers.org/biography/margaret-burroughs-40 (Photo by C. Schandelmeier)
  • An Artist with the Clippers and the Word: Anthony Spaulding

    An Artist with the Clippers and the Word: Anthony Spaulding

    Anthony Spaulding is a multi-talented artist currently working as a barber at State Street Barbers in Chicago’s Old Town neighborhood. (Photographed by C. Schandelmeier)

    Imagine a child with a bowl on their head whose father cuts around the bowl to create a hair style. This may sound like a cosmetologist’s nightmare, but that is just what Anthony Spaulding’s father did to make sure Spaulding and his brother were clean cut and cost-effective.  The embarrassment of the haircut that followed, encouraged Spaulding to pick up the clippers himself. Spaulding wrote, directed and performed his one man show To Cut A Barber’s Hands which toured locally in Chicago from church to church for months. While he is now hard at work on another show, he also needs to survive. He can be found waxing poetic at State Street Barbers at 1545 N. Wells in Chicago’s Old Town where he cuts hair six days a week. 

    Spaulding is also making sure to contribute to the community by cutting hair for people who, like his family, cannot afford it. The day he interviewed at his place of employment, he had just been to visit a family who was in dire need. He arrived early at their family home and cut hair for everyone there, out of the goodness of his heart. 

    Spaulding is known for  performing with panache, on the spur of the moment. He cuts a striking figure as he showed up to a recent poetry reading at the Highland Park Art Center wearing a stylish black suit and black button down shirt, the only ornamentation being a large gold crucifix around his neck. “You are the best dressed person here!” Exclaimed poetry host Lynn West after Spaulding humbly admitted he was not prepared to perform, and yet came through with a perfectly memorized poetic performance. 

    He has a firm foundation in faith and family while exhibiting a growth mindset.  “When you’re a barber, you have to be willing to change to keep up with the times.” He said during an interview with Poetry in Chicago.  These qualities are paramount in his daily interactions with customers where he has a keen sensitivity for each customer’s  unique style. To find out more about his work, follow him through social media accounts listed on his link tree account at Aplus Innovations LLC. and read Poetry in Chicago’s January article about him. 

    State Street Barbers is located at 1545 N. Wells Street in Chicago. Anthony Spaulding works there 6 days a week.
    Anthony Spaulding provides excellent service at State Street Barbers in Chicago. (Photo by C. Schandelmeier).