Ep. 70: The US is a Prison State, but it Doesn’t Have to Be — Dr. Gilda Sheppard, the Evergreen State College

Professor Gilda Sheppard Sociology and Cultural Studies at Evergreen has been working on a film for admittedly 12 years focusing on the systemic institutionalism of persons of color called Since I Been Down. Dr. Sheppard carries a B.A., Sociology, Mercy College of Detroit, M.S.W., University of Washington, and a Ph.D., Sociology/Cultural and Media Studies, The Union Graduate School, 1995. She and Nate go back to 2002.

The Rundown

3:00 What is it like to be a black woman public intellectual in Trump’s America? (You’ll love this answer)

11:00 How did you begin using film in your teaching?

16:00 How did you become interested in advocating against the carceral state?

21:00 Let’s dig into black criminality & Jim Crow.

It’s more than the New Jim Crow. It’s the Advanced Jim Crow.

30:00 Dr. Sheppard speaks about her film: Since I Been Down.

40:00 Powerful audio Clip from the documentary.

Wind Down

Read: How to Be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi

Watch: Sorry to Bother You trailer

Listen To: This Is America by Childish Gambino