This morning Kansas City photo journalist Rachel Jane publishes a POWERFUL documentary video and photo montage regarding a local victim of The Prison Industrial Complex.
Imprisoned on the Inside and Out; The Story of Wilbur Williams
Check the description:
"Wilbur Williams age 43, has spent his youth growing up in Kansas City Missouri's East Side. It's a place to grow up quickly and learn the street life. Williams lived in government subsidized housing projects and was educated in the Kansas City Public School system. The Kansas City Missouri School District is no longer an accredited institution. Because of Williams' impoverished situation, he had his first job at twelve years. He graduated high school and not long after, spent nearly two decades in and out of prison. He is now disabled from a medical drug he received while incarcerated. His story is one of millions of urban black men in America."
Certainly, this is a moving local mini-doc and maybe one of the most important stories I've seen as of late.
Being a student in the KCPS and "leaning the street life" are not exactly steps up the ladder of success.
ReplyDeleteBut there are hundreds of young people from the same circumstances who work hard and have to fight against their peers become personal successes and contirbutors to the greater community.
And they move out of the east side for their own safety and that of their families. Let's have some postings about them.
I find Wilbur Williams a sympathetic figure, but he's no "victim of the Prison-Industrial Complex".
ReplyDeleteFirst, from the time he was "very young", he ran with a gang.
Second, I don't know why he went to prison, but he didn't go for nothing.
Third, he asked for something to help with his depression. It is quite unfortunate that his body had an adverse reaction, and not to be dismissive of the profound consequences on his life, but those things do happen.
Fourth, he tals about having a job and living a good life in Minnesota. But he doesn't talk about why that ended.
Yep, Wilbur Williams is a sympathetic character. But, as with all of us, he's a victim of his own choices.
Yeah, he would be humpin his ass on the Hadron Collider if not for some bad breaks.
ReplyDeleteGet the fuck outta here...
LOL @ 6:36. Thanks for not using the N-word and mention the Hadron Collider.
ReplyDeleteGreat work.
And I'm sad to write that I agree with you.
"His story is one of millions of urban black men in America."
ReplyDeleteThats no shit.
Millions of shitheel fucks who kill, rape, assault and then whine about how the violence is some one elses problem.
Maybe if he just kicks some more white ass, he will be more sympathetic.
"victim of the Prison-Industrial Complex" Not much can be said for this,"documentary", other than just DRECK!
ReplyDeleteIf the video is half as bad as the description, then I'll pass.
ReplyDeleteRachel Jane must be another product of the KCMOSD....
Hopefully his fellow gang members will feel sorry for him and fund his free ride. His problems were all created by his choices.
ReplyDeleteI think gang-bangers should begin funding their own independent reitrement plans.
ReplyDeleteThey could put say, 6% of their "earnings" into a mutual fund that would pay a pension and health benefits for the older gang bangers who loyally served.
Since the attrition rate is so high for the thug lifestyle, you could set the "retirement" age at 35. That's about the time the liver goes from all the malt liquor; the heart goes from the smoking, fatty foods and sedentary lifestyle (the occaisional footchase or 9mm dance excepted); and the brain dissolves from all the drugs and STD's.
Couple that with the public benefits (e.g. disability, food stamps, housing assistance); legal claims (e.g. Discrimination, profiling, police brutality,etc.); privately derived benefits (clothing from church, food from soup kitchen, allowance from baby's momma); and royalties (book options, movie rights, hip/hop record deals, trademarks on the names of dead kin, etc.) you could live out a pretty comfortable life until at least the age of 45- and maybe even longer.
At least it would give them something to shoot for, so to speak.
"If I had a son, he'd be just like Wilbur Williams."
ReplyDeleteI'm gonna commission her to do a new documentary come next year: "Garnished For Life: The Slanderella Saga."
ReplyDelete