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 it’s 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, “My Dark Companion.” The artwork from his album the “The Execution of the X-Raided” 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 present…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 ‘hood 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, “Prison is an extension of our community.” Think about that…as a society, we have people that see prison as a regular destination for themselves or their neighbors. Further, the amount of violence in Shaka’s family, which was common for the neighborhood, is on par with Pete’s combat experiences—how does an inner-city Detroit kid coming up in the crack cocaine era not develop PTSD?
Recognizing the Dark Companion’s impact on the early lives of our subjects is essential for solving the Prison Reform problem. In Episode 3, we’ll continue examining the lives of our subjects prior to prison.
Supplemental episodes:
