I failed the bar exam. I was devastated—doubting myself, my path, everything. But in the midst of that low point, Dempsey—the man I was helping to free—believed in me.
His belief reminded me that even when I feel like I’ve failed, my service still speaks. Sometimes, the people we’re lifting are the ones who hold us up.
At your lowest, who believed in you? Who reminded you of your worth?
Also, if this snippet inspires you, register for the newsletter to watch the full video and receive more stories that remind us we are never alone.
#reginalddwaynebetts #indianauniversity #maurerlaw #graduation #speech #service #community
The conversation in S18: E18 of Truth & Justice drifted into all sorts of interesting topics. @bobrufftruth and @dwaynebetts even took a time out for an S.A. Cosby #bookclub chat.
🎭 BRACING. REVELATORY WORK. 🎭
In this episode, our team got a chance to talk to ⭐ @emilieamrein ⭐. As the Associate Dean, Interdisciplinary School for Engagement & Founding Executive Director of UTSA Arts, we could not have made this showing of 𝗙𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗻: 𝗔𝗻 𝗔𝗺𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗪𝗮𝘀𝗵𝗶 𝗧𝗮𝗹𝗲 could not have been possible without the partnership with @utsaarts , @sa_geminiink , and @sabookfestival Book Festival 🫶
Performed by poet, lawyer & McArthur Fellow @dwaynebetts : Poet & Founder of Freedom Reads, 𝗙𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗻: 𝗔𝗻 𝗔𝗺𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗪𝗮𝘀𝗵𝗶 𝗧𝗮𝗹𝗲 is a powerful solo performance exploring the unexpected significance of paper in the American prison system📚
Weaving together traditional theater, poetry, fine art, and Japanese papermaking aesthetics, the piece is a meditation on Betts’ own experience with incarceration and his legal advocacy work to free others. This reflection on the challenges of living in the shadow of mass incarceration is a story of violence, love, and fatherhood ‼️
🗣️ Catch him live THIS FRIDAY, Apr 10 at 8 PM 🗣️
🎟 Ticketmaster.com or at The Carver Box Office!
#reginalddwaynebetts #felon #play #theater #sanantonio
In this bonus clip @dwaynebetts talks about one of the first poems he read in prison and what it taught him about the possibility of his future as a writer.
Writing and sharing fresh drafted poems cause fuck billboard I’m a bullet on the block. This was written at 3am while I rode away from the redwoods. #Galaxygives #ahimsa #reginalddwaynebetts #randomactofpoetry
In partnership with the San Quentin Film Festival, Freedom Reads presents Felon: An American Washi Tale, written and performed by Reginald Dwayne Betts, performing at San Quentin on March 4.
This powerful one-man performance explores language, identity, and what it means to reclaim your story. Through poetry and personal reflection, Betts invites audiences into an intimate conversation about justice, transformation, and the role of literature in shaping a life.
Presented by Freedom Reads, an organization dedicated to expanding access to books and literary spaces, this event reflects a shared commitment to storytelling as a catalyst for connection and growth.
Learn more at freedomreads.org
