1. Gilmore says capitalism won’t stop being racial capitalism even “if all the white people disappear from the story.” What’s the connection between “whiteness” and racism, do you think?

According to Ruth Wilson Gilmore, the connection between whiteness and racism isn’t just about skin color or individuals who identify as white—it’s about a system. “Whiteness” here refers to a social position of power that developed historically through the structures of capitalism and colonialism. Over time, those in power created the idea of race to justify exploiting others, and whiteness became a symbol of dominance, entitlement, and protection under the law and economy.

Gilmore is making a powerful point: racism doesn’t need individual white people to function. Even if every white person were removed from the picture, the system itself would still produce inequality and division through racial hierarchies. That’s because capitalism depends on difference—it needs some people to be treated as less valuable, less deserving, or more punishable, in order to maintain power and profit for others.

In short, “whiteness” is not just a skin tone—it’s a position that gets defined and redefined over time to keep inequality in place. And racism is the mechanism that keeps that system running. That’s why Gilmore says we can’t end racism without confronting and dismantling capitalism itself.

2. Gilmore says “the category of ‘criminal person’ can be perpetuated.” How does the prison system create new “criminals”? Do you agree with her view?

Gilmore argues that the prison system doesn’t just punish existing criminals—it actually produces them. Here’s how:

• Expansion of criminal laws: More behaviors are labeled as crimes, especially those linked to poverty, race, or survival—like loitering, trespassing, or drug use.
  
• Longer sentences and harsher punishments: People get stuck in the system for longer, making it harder to reenter society.
  
• Cycle of criminalization: Once someone is labeled a criminal, society treats them differently—jobs are harder to find, housing is restricted, voting rights may be taken. This increases the chance they’ll be arrested again.
  
• Constant supply of “eligible” people: The system relies on having a steady flow of bodies to incarcerate, which means communities—especially Black, Brown, and poor communities—are constantly surveilled and targeted.
  

So in Gilmore’s view, the system needs people to be criminalized in order to justify its own existence. It’s not just reacting to crime—it’s manufacturing it through policy, policing, and economic inequality.

I personally agree with her analysis. When you look at who fills prisons in the U.S., it’s overwhelmingly people from marginalized backgrounds. Many are there for non-violent offenses or simply because they’re poor. That tells us the system isn’t just about justice it’s about control and profit. If we want to stop this cycle, we have to rethink how we define “crime” and who gets labeled as a criminal in the first place.

3. Describe how you understand what Prof. Gilmore – in the last part of her video – calls “liberation struggle.”

At the end of the video, Prof. Gilmore talks about “liberation struggle” as something that is deeply local, place-based, and rooted in real people’s lives. It’s not just about big slogans or national movements—it starts with people organizing in their communities to fight for dignity, safety, and freedom. She gives the example of Cova da Moura in Lisbon, where people built their own homes and resisted being displaced by the city government. Their fight wasn’t just about houses—it was about preserving their community, identity, and autonomy.

Liberation, in Gilmore’s view, means creating the conditions where people can live freely and fully, with access to resources, care, education, and safety. It’s about undoing systems that treat people as disposable—like prisons, racist policing, or economic abandonment—and replacing them with structures that support life, culture, and mutual support.

She also sees solidarity as essential to liberation. That means we can’t just care about our own struggles—we have to connect with others, listen, and learn together. She calls this “radical dependency”—understanding that we need each other, and that liberation is something we build with others, not just for ourselves.

So liberation struggle is both a political fight and a communal, emotional, and spiritual one. It’s about transforming the conditions of life so that people can not only survive, but thrive—together.