Running head: CULTURAL IMMERSION #2

Cultural Immersion #2
Jordan Abernathy-Cornelius
Georgia State University

SW 3000 Communication/Cultural Diversity

Dr. Karen Watkins
November 30, 2014

Running head: CULTURAL IMMERSION #2

Prior to the activity

On October 23, I interviewed Chris Cornelius (he goes by Rocky) who is an AfricanAmerican ex-convict. My current view of ex-convicts that the majority of the people who are in
jail deserve to be in jail, because of the decisions they made. Throughout my whole life, these
views have been with me. However, this viewpoint has come about more so from the portrayal of
convicts in media and stereotypes of ex-prisoners, than anything that I had been exposed to. My
exposure to this group is extremely limited. I knew my cousin was in prison, but that was all the
information available to me. The media often portray ex-convicts as people who are
unemployed, still involved in illegal activities, or people who are on the outskirts of society. The
media currently impacts my viewpoint of this group, because it is largely how my viewpoint of
this group has formed. I am unsympathetic to this group, because much like the saying dont do
the crime if you cant do the time. People make choices, and every choice has a consequence;
whether that choice is good or bad is up to the individual. The majority of these people made
irresponsible decisions that landed them in prison and prison is the punishment that they must
face, because of their crimes. My current view would make working with an ex-convict difficult,
mainly because of my bias.
Why I chose to study this group/Cultural immersion experience
By choosing this group, I will be able to see beyond the medias prejudiced view of this
group as well as getting rid of my bias. This cultural immersion experience was very
enlightening. Rocky is my cousin, but he is 36. He spent over half of his life in prison, so Ive
never seen him, nor have I gotten to know him (every time my family went to visit our relatives
in Ohio Rocky was incarcerated). He was very open about his experience in jail and was able to
learn a lot from these experiences. Choosing this group allowed me to learn so much more than
what the media or internet could have taught me. Due to Rockys felony conviction he struggles
in obtaining stable employment, because not only is he a minority, but he is now a convicted
felon. Ex-offenders are disproportionately poor, less educated and black or Hispanic groups
that often struggle to find work even without criminal records (Casselman, 2014, p.1). Despite
being a changed man, its difficult for him to find legitimate work, because of the discrimination
he faces from employers. He told me its difficult, but I've created new avenues to generate
money. You have to without a career. I produce, consult, and sell legal products or services.
Rocky stated that he learned the most from being in prison a second time. Prison was a humbling
experience for him, because he had to learn how to deal with multiple personalities.
Research and brief summary of an area of interest about this group
Something that interested me after researching this group was that according to the
Bureau of Justice Statistics, one in three black men can expect to go to prison in their lifetime.
Furthermore, while they people of color makeup 30% of the population, they account for 60% of
the prison population. Through racial profiling and laws such as Stop and Frisk, minorities are
being disproportionately overrepresented in the criminal justice system. Furthermore, due to

Running head: CULTURAL IMMERSION #2

voter laws, felons arent allowed to vote. 11 states (including Georgia) deny felons the right to
vote, which leads to the disenfranchisement of 10% of their African American population
(Kerby, 2012).
After the activity
My interview with Rocky was enjoyable, not only because what he was able to share with
me, but also, because this was the first time we had really been able to sit down and talk. His
experience in prison was very interesting and changed my views on this population. My
viewpoint was extreme, however through research and class activities, Im becoming more aware
of the discrimination and prejudiced that African-Americans face, especially in regards to the
criminal justice system. Not only do African-American ex-convicts struggle to find employment,
they also are disenfranchised through laws. This experience did not impact my future career
objectives as a social worker, but I was able to appreciate what Rocky shared them.
Continued Cultural Work
In order to work with someone from this group, engaging in activities such as prison
outreach programs would be an opportunity to get to know more about this group. Activities
such as these would help me to recognize previous misconceptions about this group as well as
hearing about peoples different experiences and perspectives. Furthermore, there are programs
that allow me to have prison pen-pals from ages ranging from eighteen to fifty and up.

Running head: CULTURAL IMMERSION #2

4
References

(C. Cornelius, personal communication, October 23, 2014).

Casselman, B. (2014, November 3). Finding A Job With A Felony Conviction Is Hard.
California May Make It Easier. Retrieved from
http://fivethirtyeight.com/features/finding-a-job-with-a-felony-conviction-is-hardcalifornia-may-make-it-easier/
Kerby, S. (2012, March. 13). The Top 10 Most Startling Facts About People of Color and
Criminal Justice in the United States: A Look at the Racial Disparities Inherent in Our
Nations Criminal-Justice System. Retrieved from
http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/race/news/2012/03/13/11351/the-top-10-moststartling-facts-about-people-of-color-and-criminal-justice-in-the-united-states/