Illinois Humanities will present the 2023 Envisioning Justice Activation Series: six free events that will take place across Illinois to examine the far-reaching impacts of mass incarceration. Each public event is hosted in partnership with local nonprofit organizations and community groups that are dedicated to the social, cultural, and economic well-being of their communities. The first event in the series, Art, Poetry & Conversation with Toni Picasso, took place at Artspace 304 in Carbondale on July 26, presented in partnership with A Gift of Love Charity. Local Carbondale artist Antonio L. Burton, also known as “Toni Picasso,” helped to host the community gathering where participants of all ages created poetry, shared personal experiences, and together discussed how to better support children and families whose loved ones are currently incarcerated.  Next in the series, Illinois Humanities will host “Empowering Justice Impacted Communities with Joshua Jackson & Coco Davis” in East St. Louis on August 11, hosted in partnership with I Am East St. Louis Magazine Foundation. Filmmaker Joshua Jackson will present a screening from his From Prisoner to Professional documentary series and host a conversation with Nicole “Coco” Davis, a justice-impacted community worker on Chicago’s South Side who was the subject of the piece. Local musician Rosalind-Denise Rogers will close the show with a performance. The Envisioning Justice Activation series will continue through November with free public events in Champaign, Galesburg, Bloomington, and Decatur. Learn more and find an event near you at ILHumanities.org/ActivationSeries.