Giving back to communities!
Our alumni have gone on to lead important roles in their communities. Here are some of their stories.
John Whitfield
This gentleman is not Rising Hope Alumni John “Divine G” Whitfield, but Colman Domingo who plays John in the Sing Sing film! Sing Sing was inspired by and co-written by John who is a co-founder of the Rehabilitation Through the Arts program at Sing Sing. The film was nominated for three Academy Awards including Best Actor and Best Screenplay. Our Board Member Dario Pena is also featured in the film! Bravo!
If you have not seen the film then you must!!
Kenyatta Hughes
Just a few hours after being released, Kenyatta walked onto the stage at Carnegie Hall’s Weill Music Room to perform in his first concert as a free man.
Kenyatta is a practicing musician in New York City who also is a Galaxy Gives Fellow and works with The Fortune Society.
Read the story: Raise All Voices | Carnegie Hall
Jermaine Archer
In this powerful talk, Jermaine Archer speaks about how being sentenced to prison to serve time, helped him learn to stop wasting the most precious resource we have—time.
Jermaine is the Executive Director of Rehabilitation Through the Arts.
Hear the impact…
Nascimento Blair '10 interviews his fellow alumni on the lasting impact of their year studying with Rising Hope. Alumni include:
Colin Absolam '04
Jermaine Archer '06
Mark Boatswain '09
Sean Kyler '09
Robert Rose '02
Sadly, Nascimento (known to all as Blair) was a member of the Rising Hope Board and involved in many areas of social justice work when he was deported in 2025. We remember his kindness and great spirit.
What our graduates say about us…
Profound values
"This program is more than an educational service — it is a spiritual phenomenon that inspires hope as it gives new life and purpose through the awakening of the potential that was dormant inside myself and others like me. This program has taught me the value of human commitment to one another as we look beyond our differences and see our similarities."
Jerry Pitts
Character & commitment
"The greatest thing I've learned while being in prison and in this course is self-forgiveness — and how to look into myself before I can critique others or lend my hand to someone in need."
James J.
Across faiths
"Should Jew love only Jew, Christian only Christian, Muslim only Muslim?… Do we not breathe the same air, feel the same sunshine on our faces, and when it rains does it not fall on all? Rising Hope teaches this: that those who appreciate God and his purposes are one body."
Tim M.
Turning inward
"As far as my faith and beliefs are concerned, they were tried, tested, revamped, and reinforced — taken to a deeper level. Despite the various clashes of ideas, religions, and outlooks, a higher purpose was served when I was forced to open my mind to see outside of my particular box… The result was a greater propensity to see the common ground with others, rather than merely allowing our differences to prevent cooperation."
Anthony Knight
A community formed
"We became different people in room 221, where the facades of the yard weren't present. This course created a community out of 16 people who would have normally never bonded with each other… I believe it was the exploration of a spiritual relationship that bound us together. The experience opened my eyes to the positive presence in all of us. There is good in us."
Justin Hightower
Rippling outward
"We become a beacon of Hope that extends itself into the storms in other people's lives. We become practitioners of the Word, and therefore examples of strength. Here, we surrender to a greater cause. We expand ourselves beyond our individual needs into the pool of humanity. This is the message of compassion, the wisdom to love one another. By doing so we nurture a greatness present within us."
Jah Prince