Who we are…
The Malcolm X Debate Program at Rikers Island aims to amplify the voices of incarcerated youth, address their exclusion from the civic process, and reduce re-entry into the prison system by supporting the establishment of debate programs in youth incarceration centers. We have received generous grants from Ashoka’s Youth Venture and NYU Law PILF and were named as one of five finalists in the 2008 “Be A Changemaker Challenge.” We run thanks to the support of our 30 volunteer coaches and currently offer debate to 75 students incarcerated and educated at Rikers Island Academy.
Why Malcolm X?
We are named for the transformative experience that Malcolm X had in a debate program at the Norfolk Prison Colony while incarcerated there as a young man.
Why Rikers? Why Island Academy?
Rikers Island, located in Queens, NY, is one of the world’s largest correctional facilities. Over 130,000 people are incarcerated at Rikers each year, with a daily population of around 14,000 people. Island Academy, a public high school located on the island operated by the NYC Department of Education, provides an education to around 300 young men, ages 16-18. 80% of the youth who attend Island Academy will be re-arrested within three years. The Malcolm X Debate Program at Rikers Island is part of an effort to curb that statistic by providing a space that encourages practical oral, written, and problem-solving skills in addition to cultivating self-confidence, political literacy, and igniting democratic participation.
