Art Beyond Bars

Project Chance 4 Life / Institutional Community Agenda Rebuilding Empowering (ICARE)

Is a central part of Our Outreach Community Ministry which has been successfully active getting those who are incarcerated to believe in themselves to be better in thinking and doing through faith and fellowship. Our programs supports inmates where they can share their gifts of arts and crafts to the world. We presently host the arts and crafts of inmates on our Moorish Islamic Store platform were the proceeds generated are return to the inmates so they are able to extend support to their families. It gives many inmates the feelings of achievement in being able to contribute to their families and loved ones as well as support programs that will greatly help inmates once released. It is known fact that there are not many employment opportunities available for inmates once released however we do encourage entrepreneurship in frosting the ideas if you cannot get a job make a job. We are needing funding to support our men and women who seek to do better while incarcerated and once released. Your financial support will help us supply the needed materials our inmates use to create beautiful works of arts and crafts. Funds will also go towards assisting our faithful Men and Women once released to get a good start in being productive and successful citizens.

Please read below the bio of our Bro. Wilson Rivera Bey who is presently incarcerated in Michigan State prison. He is responsible for the beautiful works of beaded art that reflects the image of Prophet Drew Ali. Great time and craftsmanship goes into each piece; no one piece is the same each piece has its own unique blend of colors beads. Please support by either purchasing a beaded tapestry of Prophet Drew Ali or extending a humble donation; if your able to do both it will be twice the blessing in you extending the much more in making a difference in the lives of those seeking to do better. "All praises due to our Father God Allah highest of honors to our lord and savior the last prophet of this era, our beloved prophet Drew Ali; High honors to our Supreme Grand Sheiks; High honors to our current Supreme Grand Sheik, our chief of Ministers, Dr. Ra Saadi El; Honors to our National and local leadership; honors to all true and faithful; Islam, Islam, Islam! Our brief biography is as thus: We entered this cycle of life on July 17, 1974. Our younger years were spent being raised by our grandparents in Puerto Rico. In 1984 we returned to Detroit to the embrace of a single parent, misguided, we joined with a local “street organization” and soon trouble ensued. We had our first serious experience with the juvenile system at the age of about 14. Soon thereafter we were committed to the state for various felonious crimes of a more serious nature and spent two years in a Boys Training School. Upon entering the Boys Training School we began attending Islamic services, from an A1 – Islamic perspective. We were released in 1993 but we were returned to the same gang-infested area of southwest Detroit.

As would be expected, months later we were back in the system. While in the Wayne County Jail we came across several members of the MSTA (1934). This was our first our first serious introduction to the teachings of Prophet Drew Ali; however, our appeal was that of a more nationalistic perspective. Unfortunately in 1994 we were convicted and sentenced to two terms of life in prison without the possibility of parole. Tired of the nothing way of life, we began our serious journey into spirituality in 1994 we joined up with the Moorish Science Temple of America (1934) under the leadership of Bro .R. Love El. In 2011 we come in tune with the teachings of Prophet Drew Ali, taught by the Chief Minister Dr. Ra Saadi El. Convinced that these were true intensions of the prophet Drew Ali, we made our transition to the Moorish Science Temple of America – 1928.

We came up under the tutelage of Imam Malik Saadi El and many lessons were unveiled us we are taught in our Moorish Holy Koran that “out of the worst the wise will find means of good” we are also taught that in our sacred text that “heaven and hell are states of mind” frame of thinking that we ourselves create having a grand body that truly seeks to develop the best that is within their membership inspires us to roll-up our sleeves and seek ways to do our part. It was through that particular thought pattern the we decided to pick up a “hobby” that would be of benefit not only to ourselves, but to our Moorish Movement and our Moorish Ummah.

It was then that we sought to learn beading from others under the same physical conditions (“fellow prisoners”) and turning it into beading Moorish works in particular pictures of our Beloved Prophet Drew Ali as found on the covers of the Moorish Literature. Although a time consuming hobby, as it takes an average of 45-50 hours to complete a single project of the Prophets pictures, we are driven by the example of our lofty leadership, one of love for Allah, the Prophet Drew Ali, The Moorish Movement, and humanity as a whole. Peace and Love with all Praises being given to Allah. Major. Wilson Rivera Bey /"

MSTA1928 Campsite #2 Michigan Please support through click on link GoFundMe To purchase or see the Beaded works of Art please go to MoorishIslamicStore.com Learn more about our Community Outreach at www.PC4L.org Thank you for your Support