Knox College to host presentation of JustUs: Stories from the Frontlines of the Criminal Legal System

Knox College is set to host a presentation of Motus Theater’s JustUs: Stories from the Frontlines of the Criminal Legal System. 

This production tells the stories of formerly incarcerated people through monologues to highlight the collateral effects of the criminal justice system. JustUs monologuists Juaquin Mobley and Colette Payne will present their personal tales of injustice through a performance including personal storytelling as well as live music by the a capella group Spirit of Grace.

JustUs: Stories from the Frontlines of the Criminal Legal System will be hosted at Knox College’s Harbach Theater on Tuesday, September 27, at 12:45 pm. The performance is free to the public.

The performance includes live readings from Knox College President C. Andrew McGadney and State’s Attorney Jeremy Karlin. They will read aloud the personal stories of Daniel Guillory and Dereck Bell, who faced their own instances of racism and injustice within the criminal justice system.

This performance is part of a national tour by Motus Theater’s JustUs project. Kirsten Wilson, Motus Theater artistic director, says the performance “shares poignant personal stories of leaders who were formerly incarcerated to expose the devastating impact of the criminal legal system and inspire action towards a vision of true justice.”

Leanne Trapedo Sims, Knox College Daniel J. Logan Assistant Professor of Peace and Justice, was awarded a $6,000 Illinois Humanities Envisioning Justice grant to help fund the performance. Trapedo Sims, who has long been involved in prison activism, says the purpose of the performance is to share difficult stories and important perspectives. She says that audience members may find more in common with the performers than they realize.

Trapedo Sims hopes this event will be a moment for citizens of Galesburg and members of Knox College to come together and be part of an important dialogue. 

“It’s about dispelling stereotypes,” Trapedo Sims said. 

ABOUT MOTUS THEATER’S JUSTUS PROJECT

To develop the JustUs project, Motus worked over 17 weeks with a group of seven formerly incarcerated leaders to create autobiographical monologues about the impact of the criminal justice system on their lives to encourage conversation about the criminal legal system. The JustUs monologues premiered as a keynote at the National Association of Community and Restorative Justice Conference in front of 1,600 stakeholders in 2019. Since then, the JustUs monologues have been featured in several national and global conferences and have been read and embraced by religious, social justice, civic, and law enforcement leaders across the state.