The 13th Amendment abolished slavery. Except for me.
The 13th Amendment abolished slavery, right? NO.
To this day, the 13th Amendment includes an exception clause that still allows slavery to be used as punishment for crime. This exception was used as the legal basis for Black Codes and convict leasing during Reconstruction and continues to be cited to defend the exploitative use of prison labor today.
What this means is that, with one wrong turn, YOU could be legally enslaved today. This hard truth is a reality for the millions of people behind bars across the country.
JOIN US from Labor Day to Constitution Day for series of digital and in-person activations uplifting the voices of those who have suffered under the exception as we fight to #EndTheException and abolish slavery for all.
EVENT LINEUP-
September 5 - 17
#ExceptForMe and #EndTheException on social media#ExceptForMe spotlights the labor stories of those who have toiled under the exception in the 13th Amendment. Starting Labor Day and ending on Constitution Day, we will release the video story of one formerly incarcerated advocate every day. Their powerful narratives get at the heart-wrenching truth about the exception and the harm it’s doing. Watch the video stories as they’re released by following @WorthRises or the hashtags #ExceptForMe and #EndtheException on Twitter or Instagram, or by visiting EndTheException.com. Make sure to reshare!
Hosted by Worth Rises with production generously gifted by EP&Co.
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September 5, 12 - 3p
Habana Outpost, Brooklyn, NYOn Labor Day, we celebrate American labor and the labor movement that has fought for the fair and equal treatment of all workers. It is in this spirit that we invite you to enjoy your day off — with good food and drinks — honoring the labor of incarcerated workers, amplifying their struggle for workers’ rights, and demanding their protection from slavery! The event will feature artwork and fun activities like mural painting and T-shirt making.
Hosted by the Anti-Recidivism Coalition.
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September 9, 5 - 6:30p
Independence National Historical Park, Philadelphia, PAThe culmination of a yearlong project, the End The Exception Art Exhibit provides a perspective on the 13th Amendment’s exception through the art of incarcerated artists. Alongside their art is a diagrammatic mural about prison labor. Visitors can listen to audio recordings of incarcerated voices played through phone booths, which stitch together a story of economic punishment that affects not just the incarcerated people, but also their families and communities.
Hosted by Mural Arts Philadelphia, the exhibit is open from September 9 - 18, 11a - 6p.
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September 15
United States Capitol, Washington, DC#EndTheException coalition will deliver over a petition with 215,000 signatures demanding that both the U.S. Senate and House move to vote and pass SJR 21 and HJR 53, collectively the Abolition Amendment, to end the exception and abolish slavery for all. Click here to add your name to the list!
Hosted by MoveOn.
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September 16, 5:30 - 7:30pm
Independence Historic National Park Visitor Center, Philadelphia PAAngola Do You Hear Us? Voices from a Plantation Prison tells the story of playwright Liza Jessie Peterson whose acclaimed play "The Peculiar Patriot" was shut down mid-performance at Louisiana State Penitentiary, commonly known as Angola Prison. The film examines how one woman's play challenged the country's largest plantation prison and impacted incarcerated men long after the record of her visit was erased by the institution's administration. The screening will be followed by a Q&A and an opportunity to view the End The Exception Art Exhibit.
Hosted by Aubin Pictures and Mural Art Philadelphia.
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September 17, 11am - 6pm (Program starts at 12pm sharp)
Independence National Historical Park, Philadelphia PAConstitution Day celebrates the adoption of the US Constitution, the nation’s most powerful grant of rights for its citizens. While we have much to be proud of, the exception is a stain on our Constitution that we must clean. Join us for the culmination of the #ExceptForMe activation series, which will include activities and speakers. Don’t miss the one-day only interactive, multimedia installation showcasing the labor stories of 13 formerly incarcerated advocates.
Hosted by Mural Arts Philadelphia and Worth Rises.
13th AmendmentNeither 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.
Abolition AmendmentNeither slavery nor involuntary servitude may be imposed as punishment for a crime.
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Print and send a postcard to your Congressmember demanding they support the Abolition Amendment (SJR 21 and HJR 53) to #EndTheException and abolish slavery for all.
Use our tool to send an email — in just 30 seconds — to your Congressmember demanding they support the Abolition Amendment (SJR 21 and HJR 53) to #EndTheException and abolish slavery for all.
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REmembering AtticaOn September 9, 1971, men incarcerated at Attica prison in New York started a rebellion to demand dignity and justice. Their manifesto included 27 demands, eight of which addressed the exploitation of their labor. The state responded with unimaginable violence. By September 13, when the uprising came to an end, 43 people had died, including 33 incarcerated men. Today, more than 50 years later, we continue the fight for these demands for those still incarcerated in a racist and unjust system in their legacy.
“The legacy of Attica was that human beings decided that they would rather die than live another day. And when I went to Attica, I was on the actual tier where people were murdered and you could see the chips on the bricks, which they refused to fix so that we could all remember the people that died there.”