1. What’s the between “whiteness” and racism, according to Ruth Gilmore?

Ruth Gilmore explains that capitalism has always needed inequality and has always used race to create that inequality. She says capitalism started as racial even before people were divided into Black and white. “Whiteness” is not just about skin color, but about being placed higher in a social system built on race. Racism continues even if white people are no longer in the picture, because the system still needs someone to be treated as less. So, whiteness is part of how racism works, but the system of racism can continue without it because the structure stays the same.

2. According to Gilmore, how does the prison system create new “criminals”? Do you agree with her view?

Gilmore says that the prison system creates more criminals by needing more people to fill prisons. Local governments build prisons instead of things like schools or housing, so they rely on a steady stream of people being labeled as criminals. The laws get stricter, sentences get longer, and even when people leave prison, they’re still treated as criminals, which keeps the system going. It’s a cycle. 

3. How do you understand what Prof. Gilmore calls “liberation struggle”?

Liberation struggle means people fighting for freedom in the specific places and conditions where they live. Gilmore says it’s not just about one big movement, but many local fights that connect to bigger problems like racism, housing, and prisons. For example, people who built their own homes and faced losing them organized to protect not just their houses, but their community. They also studied history, racism, and politics together. Liberation is about more than just fixing one problem, it’s about building community and knowledge to fight many problems at once, where people are.