Singing Through Prison Walls

This mentor text was video covering singer, performer Naima Shalhoub as she sheds light on her experience of singing for female inmates in prison. The video's narration is structured as an interview in which Shalhoub is asked questions with the intention of spreading awareness on how little inmates have and how regardless of what they have done, they are still human beings. The channel who put the video out, AJ+ is a social media publisher with a specific focus on social justice and reform to protect human rights and equality. The objective of the text is to change the narrative that inmates in prison are less than upstanding citizens to them being considered humans as well. When Shalhoub sings for them, we can see how much they enjoy it and how the accessible commodity of music for non-prisoners can be very important to the prisoners. Some of the prisoners thanked Shalhoub for performing, calling her their "freedom" for a moment. The text also sheds light on how there is not enough effort to get these women returned to society, as upon getting out of jail they are unable to support themselves financially and most of the time eventually end up going back to prison. The text is a form of spreading awareness but it is also a call for social reform. I also think the title is important as I interpreted "Singing through prison walls" as a metaphor of trying to touch the heart of other humans through music although prison walls have been set up in their mind by society, keeping them down.