On September 15th, 2024, a tragic, horrifying event took place at Virginia’s Red Onion State Prison—an event that highlights the unbearable conditions incarcerated individuals face every day. In a recent radio essay, Kevin Rashid Johnson reports that Econ, and his cellmate Trayvon Brown set themselves on fire, hoping to escape the intolerable racism, abuse, and inhumane conditions they were subjected to. Econ suffered third-degree burns; his cellmate’s injuries were even worse.
These are not isolated acts. In a span of just two weeks, a dozen Black men at Red Onion took the same desperate measures, setting themselves ablaze. These are not acts of protest. These are human beings driven to extreme lengths, simply hoping for relief from their torment.
Kevin Rashid Johnson, a revolutionary activist incarcerated at Red Onion, has reported on these horrific incidents, exposing the extreme cruelty and hopelessness that defines life inside the prison. Rashid is no stranger to the injustices of the system. Born on October 3, 1971, in Richmond, Virginia, Kevin “Rashid” Johnson is a founding member of the New Afrikan Black Panther Party, and later the Revolutionary Intercommunal Black Panther Party. He has spent decades fighting for the rights of incarcerated individuals, all while enduring life behind bars himself, after being convicted of murder in 1990—a crime he maintains he did not commit.
Prison Radio is the platform that makes it possible for Rashid’s voice—and the voices of countless others trapped in America’s prison system—to be heard. Without your support, stories like Rashid’s and Econ’s would remain buried behind the prison’s iron curtain. At Prison Radio, we record and distribute testimonies from incarcerated individuals to expose the inhumane conditions and demand accountability. Your active listening, your taking action to protest these conditions, and your support of our work makes it possible for us to keep these lines of communication open. {read}
In Solidarity,
Tommy Phan