(ELMWOOD PARK, NJ) -- The Paterson Performing Arts Development Council (PPADC) presents a free, virtual performance of We Are Still Human on Saturday, January 22, 2022 at 7:00pm. It was written and performed by award-winning actress, poet, playwright and Rutgers University Doctor of Social Work (DSW) Dr. Helena D. Lewis.

Over the past three decades, the number of women incarcerated has increased by eight hundred percent. This increase can be attributed to untreated mental illness, substance abuse, social issues, racial and economic disparities, and tougher sentencing laws for women's drug offenses. But the current correctional system does not take into consideration the gendered needs of incarcerated women and how their reentry into society can be hindered by unresolved grief and loss.

We Are Still Human explores through narrative storytelling, poems, and monologues the marginalized voices of incarcerated women. Please join us for this virtual performance which will be followed by a panel discussion with the playwright and esteemed subject experts who will explore the themes of the play and address what we can and should do to balance justice and equality for these women at risk.

This is a FREE virtual performance, which will feature captioning. Click here to register for the event.

This event is offered in connection with The National Day of Racial Healing, part of the W.K. Kellogg Foundation’s Truth, Racial, Healing & Transformation efforts, and is supported by the Creating Change Network in partnership with the Truth, Racial Healing, and Transformation Center at Rutgers University - Newark. The Creating Change Network is a program hosted by New Jersey Theatre Alliance and ArtPride New Jersey that aims to build a more equitable, just, and anti-racist arts community. The activities of the Creating Change Network are made possible by the generous support of the Grunin Foundation.

The Paterson Performing Arts Development Council (PPADC) is a nonprofit that was founded with the goal of developing and managing a Paterson Performing Arts Center (PPAC) in the heart of the "Silk City" of Paterson, NJ. Our mission is to bring together diverse communities via live performing arts and cultural events; to establish pathways for new and established artists; and, to promote Paterson as a regional hub for the creative arts. Our vision is to draw on the performance arts a driver of community economic development and to redefine Paterson as a "Destination City" for patrons of the arts.