Episode 2 of The Prison Chronicles My Dark Companion
This episode reveals the background of three of our main characters: Anerae VeShaughn, Shaka Senghor and Kenyatta Leal. As we gain insight into their lives, we begin understanding the impact of the external influences on the infrastructure of their minds.
Whether itâs parallels to combat zones, abandonment, or PTSD from the constant danger, the decisions that led to their crimes and subsequent life sentences are influenced profoundly by the challenges they reveal in this episode.
Anerae VeShaughn, also known as the rapper X-Raided, gives us the title for the episode, âMy Dark Companion.â The artwork from his album the âThe Execution of the X-Raidedâ depicts Anerae killing off the last of his dark influencer, represented as his rapping gang-affiliated alter ego.
The Dark Companion, as Anerae describes it, is a life devaluing influence that infects its host. The host, in this case Anerae, does not realize the companion is presentâ¦yet it is always there, removing any trace of empathy or humanity from the host. The parallels between his youth and that of Iraq are shocking. Further, the compulsory violent retribution expected in his âhood places Anerae and his peers on an inexorable path. Understanding this reality is critical to evolve our collective perspective about inmates and what precipitates their incarceration.
Shaka continues this examination into the violence and hopelessness of their youth. Among many things, Shaka reveals, âPrison is an extension of our community.â Think about thatâ¦as a society, we have people that see prison as a regular destination for themselves or their neighbors. Further, the amount of violence in Shakaâs family, which was common for the neighborhood, is on par with Peteâs combat experiencesâhow does an inner-city Detroit kid coming up in the crack cocaine era not develop PTSD?
Recognizing the Dark Companionâs impact on the early lives of our subjects is essential for solving the Prison Reform problem. In Episode 3, weâll continue examining the lives of our subjects prior to prison.
Supplemental episodes:
Anerae VeShaughn - Penitent, Liberated, and X-Raided
Shaka Senghor - BIDS Episode 151
Kenyatta Leal - Popping the Last Mile
Whether itâs parallels to combat zones, abandonment, or PTSD from the constant danger, the decisions that led to their crimes and subsequent life sentences are influenced profoundly by the challenges they reveal in this episode.
Anerae VeShaughn, also known as the rapper X-Raided, gives us the title for the episode, âMy Dark Companion.â The artwork from his album the âThe Execution of the X-Raidedâ depicts Anerae killing off the last of his dark influencer, represented as his rapping gang-affiliated alter ego.
The Dark Companion, as Anerae describes it, is a life devaluing influence that infects its host. The host, in this case Anerae, does not realize the companion is presentâ¦yet it is always there, removing any trace of empathy or humanity from the host. The parallels between his youth and that of Iraq are shocking. Further, the compulsory violent retribution expected in his âhood places Anerae and his peers on an inexorable path. Understanding this reality is critical to evolve our collective perspective about inmates and what precipitates their incarceration.
Shaka continues this examination into the violence and hopelessness of their youth. Among many things, Shaka reveals, âPrison is an extension of our community.â Think about thatâ¦as a society, we have people that see prison as a regular destination for themselves or their neighbors. Further, the amount of violence in Shakaâs family, which was common for the neighborhood, is on par with Peteâs combat experiencesâhow does an inner-city Detroit kid coming up in the crack cocaine era not develop PTSD?
Recognizing the Dark Companionâs impact on the early lives of our subjects is essential for solving the Prison Reform problem. In Episode 3, weâll continue examining the lives of our subjects prior to prison.
Supplemental episodes:
Anerae VeShaughn - Penitent, Liberated, and X-Raided
Shaka Senghor - BIDS Episode 151
Kenyatta Leal - Popping the Last Mile
Listen To Episode
Add show notes here