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The Community

@the_community_org

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Fostering empowerment and agency among people with criminal records.

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🎀 OCTOBER ENDS. THE JOURNEY DOESN’T.

Every diagnosis has a story.
Every survivor has a journey.
Every family carries a testimony.

🎶 NO MORE BREAST CANCER
Beyond the Shores of October

OnesimusReturns feat. Sam White

📅 DROPPING OCTOBER 26, 2026

Music with a message. Words with purpose. Hope beyond the calendar.

Tag someone whose strength inspires you. 💗

#OnesimusReturns #NoMoreBreastCancer #BreastCancerAwareness #BeyondOctober #SamWhite MusicWithPurpose HopeAndHealing MilwaukeeArtists

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NOVEMBER 5, 6PM Join us for a film screening & panel discussion of BEYOND, a documentary film about healing, community and humanity. The film is set at Sing Sing prison, where a group of incarcerated men organize and prepare for a TED-style event, featuring personal narratives and ideas for changing the prison system. With immersive access to Sing Sing, the film follows the speakers’ emotional journeys from first audition to their final climactic moments on stage.

The panel will include:
- Asia Johnson, Producer and Director
- Michael Kleiman, Producer and Director
- Michael Tineo, Featured in Film
- Shannon Ross, Moderator and CEO of The Community

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Last month, for Public Welfare Foundation’s essay series, The Community’s Shannon Ross wrote vulnerably and candidly about his younger years without self-awareness, his growth in self-awareness, and his ongoing work to sustain it.

Read Shannon’s full essay using the link in bio.

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For Public Welfare Foundation’s ‘Withstanding Through...’ essay series, @the_community_org Founder & CEO Shannon Ross reflected on the importance of self-awareness in transformative justice work.

He shares how self-awareness – and the lack of it at times – shaped the trajectory of his life and continues to shape the work his organization is committed to.

Read the full essay using the link in our bio.

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Shannon Ross, Founder & CEO of @the_community_org, writes about the power of self-awareness for Public Welfare Foundation’s ‘Withstanding Through...’ essay series.

The Community is a Wisconsin-based nonprofit that started in 2014 as a newsletter created by Shannon while he served a 17-year prison sentence. The newsletter grew to be read by over half the prison population and eventually evolved into a platform that connects and empowers people on all sides of the criminal legal system through both its Pre-entry and Correcting the Narrative strategies.

Read Shannon’s full essay using the link on our bio!

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Our friends are having a screening of a documentary of The Great American Punchline Tour on Sept 25th!

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🎨 The Art Against The Odds: Wisconsin Prison Art Exhibition has found a permanent home at St. Norbert College in De Pere, WI! The show is open now through November 4th, 2026. "Following the exhibition, the college will establish the Wisconsin Prison Art Research Collection at St. Norbert College. Generously donated by the Art Against the Odds artists and Portrait Society Gallery in Milwaukee, the collection will provide a permanent resource for teaching, research, and public engagement. It will support ongoing inquiry into the role of art within carceral systems, as well as the broader social, cultural, and historical contexts of incarceration in Wisconsin. This is the first research center in the state dedicated to exploring the intersection of art, carceral punishment, and human resilience." ✊

🙏 PLEASE SHARE THIS POST TO SPREAD THE WORD!

Check my bio and the comments of this post for links & more info on upcoming events for this show! 🖼️

Follow me and @artatsnc for ongoing updates!

#ArtAgainstTheOdds @portraitsocietygallery
@rio_arts2026 @psalsieder @shannon_m_ross
@the_community_org @garygresl @stnorbert @artagainsttheodds
📷 Gresl Photography

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How does love survive when it is divided by concrete walls and the crushing stigma of the carceral system?

While the devastating toll of incarceration is often discussed in terms of statistics and policy, one of its most profound impacts remains largely unspoken: the survival and health of romantic relationships. "System Impacted Relationships" is a groundbreaking documentary that explores the intimate, complex realities of love shaped by the justice system. Through the deeply personal voices of currently and formerly incarcerated individuals and their partners, the film sheds light on a vital, deeply overlooked aspect of human connection and rehabilitation.

This powerful film doesn't just focus on the relentless hardship of carceral separation—it captures the profound beauty, resilience, and hard-won lessons born from navigating love against all odds. It offers a raw, honest look at the societal stigma these couples face, the profound losses they endure, and the extraordinary lengths they go to maintain their bond both behind and beyond the walls.

Don't miss this deeply moving exploration of devotion, survival, and the human heart. Join us for the Inthrive Film Festival's opening weekend in Richmond, Virginia, from October 1–4 to experience System Impacted Relationships and witness the incredible power of love to endure the unimaginable.

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ALOHA, MILWAUKEE!
We’re closing out our Summer Night Market series THIS THURSDAY, and we’re going out tropical!
Join us for ALOHA NIGHTS: Luau Night Market & Patio Party at Sherman Phoenix!
Thursday, August 20
5–9 PM
Wear your colorful, florals, Hawaiian shirts & tropical fits

This is the LAST ONE of the summer, so we’re sending the season off the only way we know how together in JOY.
SHARE & TAG THE CREW YOU’RE BRINGING!

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Attn: I need 6 businesses (small, medium, large) to sponsor aspects of the Pardon Me! Golf Invitational! Thank you to Shannon Ross and @the_community_org for stepping up to sponsor the prize for the Men’s Longest Drive!

Now I need sponsors for:

Women’s Longest Drive
Women’s Closest to the Pin
Men’s Closest to the Pin
Overall Event Winner Team Prize

And a lunch sponsor!

We will have our unique swag bags again so if businesses or orgs want to add to those, reach out to me.

This is a great opportunity to come out and expose your business and your support of second chances!! DM for info!!!

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When we’re feeling the pressure of troubled waters, music meets us there. The swelling chords of our favorite songs remind us that we’re not alone, that we can weather the storm, and that we should keep marching. Our favorite songs become the soundtrack to that long moral arc of history.

We asked movement leaders to share some of the songs that help them break free of mental blocks, that get them back up after a difficult day and that encourage them to withstand the storm.

Whether you hit “play” on the road, at home, or in community, we hope this playlist inspires you, roots you, and helps you weather what’s ahead. Please note that some of the songs included contain explicit language — listener discretion is advised.

Thank you to our partners for their contributions! Find the playlist on Spotify and YouTube using the link in our bio.

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Last month, PWF hosted Growing Grassroots: Building Organizational Capacity for Impact, the second installment of The Collective.

May’s conversation, featuring @ubuntuvillagenola Founder & Executive Director Ernest Johnson and @the_community_org Founder & CEO Shannon Ross, focused on how these two justice reform organizations have successfully grown and strengthened grassroots efforts to drive adult and youth justice reform in their communities.

We’re grateful for Mr. Johnson and Shannon’s insight and the persistent work they’ve done to push the needle in their respective states.

Join us for the next webinar, From Ideation to Implementation: Advancing Transformative Justice Beyond the Abstract, featuring Moki Macías of @padatlanta; Jason Smith of @mi.youthjustice; and Mina Corpuz of @mstodaynews on Wed. June 17 at 2 PM ET.

Learn more using the link in bio.

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