“The Boat.” Otherwise known as the Vernon C. Bain Center. A massive ship thats part of Rikers Island just floating in the East River. Cages 600 people. Pretrial. Nearly all Black or Brown. 47,326-tons. 5 stories. As large as 2 football fields. $161 million to build.
https://twitter.com/ava/status/1398318458383728642
To get in you walk across this metal mesh enclosed tunnel bridge over water. So strange looking down and seeing water. Inside they have a wooden model of the ship in a glass case. Last time I went had elaborate Halloween decorations in intake & stringed autumn leaves on the wall. 
Far more foreboding in person. And I’ve heard from folks that you can’t tell you’re on a boat when you’re inside. Not true. You can feel the swaying of this massive prison ship.
“Black people were brought to this country in cages on a boat. Today, hundreds of Black people are caged in the Vernon C. Bain Center, an actual boat floating in the East River in the Bronx. People ask how far we’ve come since slavery. We haven’t moved at all.” -@AFontier.
• • •
Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to
force a refresh
