EP.3
COMING SOON
Rahsaan “New York” Thomas grew up in the notorious Brownsville section of Brooklyn, New York, where he faced gun violence, bullying, redlining, abusive policing policies, generational incarceration, and drug infestation. His choices in the face of such adversity landed him in prison with a 55 to life sentence. From a cell, he turned his life around and became a writer, curator, director, producer, social justice advocate, restorative justice circle keeper, youth counselor, and runner.
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He is most known as “New York” on the Pulitzer Prize finalist and Dupont Award-winning podcast Ear Hustle. He’s a contributing writer for The Marshall Project, San Quentin News, and Current with freelance work in High Country News, Boston Globe, Stranger’s Guide, NBC Universal Academy, Business Insider, and many others. The Sundance Institute and The Marshall Project awarded him a grant to direct and produce a short documentary film with Christine Yoo, Friendly Signs, which is being submitted to film festivals. He was a main character in the award-winning documentary 26.2 to Life: San Quentin Marathon which won the 2023 Santa Barbara International Film Festival audience choice award. Also, W. Kamau featured Rahsaan in a United Shades of America episode.
Additionally, now on parole, he is the Executive Director of Empowerment Avenue, an organization that works to develop the careers of incarcerated writers, artists, and journalists pre-entry.
Website: https://www.rahsaannewyorkthomas.com
EP.2
COMING SOON
Marlee is an award-winning speaker, restorative justice advocate, author, somatic educator and lesbian Jewish feminist. She made history in the justice system when her sexual assault case became the 1st in North America to conclude with restorative justice through the courts. Since then, she has supported thousands of women and non-binary folk in healing shame and transforming trauma. With a degree in Social Work and certifications in Somatic Sex Education and trauma-informed Yoga, Marlee's work has been featured in Forbes, Huff Post, Buzzfeed, the Mel Robbins Show and more.
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As an award-winning speaker, she's delivered talks for: The US Military SAPRO, the National Restorative Justice Symposium, Fordham School of Law, University of Toronto, Mount Allison University, Trauma & Recovery Conference, PEI's Sexual Assault Awareness Week and more. Marlee was 1 of 25 survivors on an elite panel for the National Action Plan to End Gender Based Violence informing federal policy and she sat on the Transformative Accountability & Justice Initiatives Advisory Board. Additionally, she works as Community Outreach Coordinator at Gender-Based Violence prevention organization WomenatthecentrE.
EP.1
COMING SOON
Artie is "the creative who almost never was." Artie was tried as an adult at the age of 16 and spent 21 years of a life sentence in the California prison system. He spent 8 straight years in solitary confinement - in Pelican Bay's notorious supermax solitary confinement unit. It was here that he evolved past the brutality of his surroundings and the highly political stature he held as a gang leader, committing himself to transformation and non-violence.
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Released as a model prisoner in 2015, he has dedicated himself to building a new life. Applying the same acumen and intelligence that helped him survive the inhumane conditions of the prison system, he has become a leader in his community and an advocate for legislative reforms.
He is also the Creator and Executive Producer of the anticipated series, "Lessons From a Lifer", a first of it's kind series that seeks to bridge the gap between justice-impacted people and society-at-large, and co-author of "Lil' Artie and the Adventure of Isolation". This children's book was inspired by Artie's own story and helps kids identify and feel the emotions of being trapped and isolated.
In this episode we talk about personal and collective transformation, restorative justice, radical accountability, abolition, solitary confinement, and the power of living from a consciousness of love.
Website: https://www.artiegonzales.com/