Buzz Alexander is more than an English Professor at the University of Michigan, he is a humanitarian leader both in the community and nationwide.  Buzz is the founder and an active member of the Prison Creative Arts Project (PCAP).  This program provides the means and forum for prisoners to discover their creative spirit.  Buzz also works with urban high school students.  His efforts, in this arena, have transformed the lives of many prisoners and students, both in his programs and those taking his classes at the U of M.   

Buzz shared, “Some students come in because they are already on a trajectory in this field, others have heard my work is transformational and some just want to help.  Students are challenged by what they see. They are transformed.  They believe this is very serious.  Some shift their career and become nurses, teachers, and social workers.  They want to engage the youth.  Some even become defense attorneys.”

The PCAP core values communicate that for individual and societal growth, connection and survival, art is necessary.    

Buzz explained this, “Its about survival for my students, the prisoners and the high school youth in Detroit. We work in under-resourced high schools and juvenile facilities; many when born were on a trajectory that could lead to gang activity, the drug trade and prison. A lot of these schools are deprived of funds, overcrowded classrooms, the kids have unemployed relatives, gone to jail etc, for many of them school doesn’t lead anywhere and the environment is sometimes problematic for them (not all of them).  What we bring in is workshops of the arts.  It gives them a chance.  They may discover they have a major talent, which they never even knew about because they dropped out of school or in their school they didn’t have workshops in the arts.  That discovery gives them a possibility.  When we work with the youth and adults we work equally and collaboratively.”

He continued, “All of the workshops are geared towards performance.  You stand up in front of others and read your poetry or perform an original play.  It is about the ability to grow, to have more self-confidence, elements that will enable them to survive.”

Click here to learn more about Buzz Alexander and his extraordinary PCAP work.