1.Ruth Gilmore says that capitalism will stop being racial capitalism, when all the white people disappear from the story. What’s the connection between “whiteness” and racism, do you think?

*Gilmore’s use of “whiteness” goes beyond skin color—it refers to the maintenance of historical social hierarchies. In racial capitalism, racism isn’t incidental; it’s built into the system. Economic structures that rely on inequality will continue to reinforce it.

2.Gilmore makes the point that criminals are actually being created by the criminal justice and prison system (she says “the category of ‘criminal person’ can be perpetuated”). According to Gilmore, how does that happen, how does the prison system create new “criminals“? Do you agree with her view?

*The prison system serves as a tool of control rather than justice or rehabilitation. It is a component of a larger system that uses aggressive policing, underfunded schools, and a lack of social support to target marginalized communities. People are drawn into the system by these circumstances, and once they are there, a criminal record makes it very difficult to reenter society and find employment or housing. This creates a self-sustaining cycle by increasing the likelihood of going back to prison. In the end, the system makes money by keeping people confined.

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

*When Gilmore talks about “liberation struggle,” she means a long-term, collective push to build a better world, one where we care for each other instead of relying on punishment, which has repeatedly failed.

Ruth Gilmore says that capitalism will stop being racial capitalism, when all the white people disappear from the story. What’s the connection between “whiteness” and racism, do you think?

In the video, Professor Ruth Wilson Gilmore makes the powerful statement that capitalism will stop being racial capitalism when “all the white people disappear from the story.” This isn’t a call for the removal of white individuals, but rather a critique of whiteness as a social and political construct that upholds systems of racial inequality. Whiteness, in this sense, refers to a position of privilege that has historically been used to divide people and maintain power, especially under capitalism. For example, in early American history, wealthy elites gave poor white people small privileges—such as land or legal rights—to keep them from uniting with enslaved Africans. This created a racial hierarchy that still influences how resources, safety, and opportunity are distributed today. In racial capitalism, racism is not just about individual bias, but a system that justifies the exploitation of people of color while protecting those who benefit from whiteness. Even poor white individuals can still be granted symbolic advantages that keep the system in place. Gilmore’s point is that unless we dismantle the racial hierarchy rooted in whiteness, the structure of racial capitalism will continue to operate. Understanding this connection forces us to ask whether capitalism can truly exist without racism, or if the two are fundamentally intertwined.

Gilmore makes the point that criminals are actually being created by the criminal justice and prison system (she says “the category of ‘criminal person’ can be perpetuated”). According to Gilmore, how does that happen, how does the prison system create new “criminals“? Do you agree with her view?

Professor Ruth Wilson Gilmore argues that the criminal justice system doesn’t just punish crime — it actually produces criminals by reinforcing the idea of a “criminal person.” She explains that once someone is labeled a criminal, it becomes difficult for them to escape that identity, even after serving time. This label sticks with them in housing, employment, education, and even in how society treats them. For example, a person with a felony conviction may be legally barred from certain jobs or public benefits, which makes it much harder to reintegrate into society. As a result, some people end up returning to crime simply because their options are limited. Gilmore is saying that the system doesn’t just respond to crime — it creates the conditions for people to be seen as permanently criminal. I agree with her view because there’s a clear pattern of how the system punishes people far beyond their sentence. The more someone is excluded and marginalized after incarceration, the more likely they are to be pushed back into the system. Instead of helping people rebuild their lives, the system traps them in a cycle of surveillance and punishment, reinforcing the idea that they can never be anything more than a “criminal.” This shows how mass incarceration is not just a consequence of crime, but a system that manufactures and maintains it.

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

In the final part of the video, Professor Gilmore describes liberation struggle as a long-term, collective fight to transform the systems that cause inequality, violence, and oppression. She makes it clear that liberation isn’t just about reforming parts of the system — like changing a few laws or reducing prison sentences — but about completely rethinking the structures that produce suffering in the first place. For Gilmore, liberation means creating a world where people have what they need to live full, secure, and meaningful lives — including access to housing, education, healthcare, and dignity. It’s not just about freedom from cages, but about building systems that support life rather than punish it. I understand her use of “liberation struggle” as a call to take action beyond surface-level fixes and to work toward deeper justice — where safety doesn’t come from more police or prisons, but from strong, caring communities that meet people’s needs. This struggle is ongoing, collective, and rooted in love, hope, and imagination for something better. It’s not easy, but according to Gilmore, it’s necessary if we want true freedom for everyone — not just a few.

1. As I understand, when Gilmore references “whiteness”, she is not only speaking of skin color, but the concept of maintaining social hierarchies historically. In racial capitalism, racism isn’t a side effect; it is a part of the system. An economic system that needs inequality to function will continue to benefit from further inequality.
2. The prison system creates “criminals” because the true goal is to control people, not rehabilitate. If we look at the bigger picture, the prison system is a part of a web of social forces that shape who is likely to get arrested, convicted, and incarcerated. For instance, underfunded schools in marginalized communities can push students towards the criminal justice system rather than support them. Aggressive policing tactics lead to higher arrest rates, even if its minor infractions. Once a person has a criminal record, securing housing or employment becomes significantly more difficult, which increases the likelihood of reoffending. These are examples of feedback loops, not isolated events. The prison system is a system of generating profits and control in the long run, recycling people back in benefits its function.
3. When Gilmore talks about “liberation struggle” she is talking about a long-term collective effort to build a better world for ourselves. It is to be able to criticize our current social institutions and understand that they are not built on the right intentions. We as a people need to take care of each other, and punishment and ostracization have time and time again proven themselves to be ineffective.

1. Ruth Gilmore says that capitalism will stop being racial capitalism, when all the white people disappear from the story. What’s the connection between “whiteness” and racism, do you think?

According to Ruth Gilmore, she believes that capitalism will stop being racial capitalism when all the white people disappear from the story; however, “whiteness” symbolizes power and privilege. Therefore, the connection between “whiteness” and racism is historical and based on racial differences.

2. Gilmore makes the point that criminals are actually being created by the criminal justice and prison system (she says “the category of ‘criminal person’ can be perpetuated”). According to Gilmore, how does that happen, how does the prison system create new “criminals“? Do you agree with her view? 

According to Gilmore, her interpretation states that criminals are actually being created by the criminal justice and prison system. She states that “the category of ‘criminal person’ can be perpetuated.” In my opinion, I agree with Gilmore’s statement that the prison system can perpetuate the category of “criminal person” because the prison system fails to address systemic issues that led to crime such as inequality, poverty and lack of education therefore, it neglects the opportunity for rehabilitation and prevention. 

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

Gilmore’s concept of “liberation struggle” is more historical and social therefore, it requires adaptation and commitment in order for growth, learning and transformation which will lead to pursuit of justice.

1. Throughout the video Gilmore talks about how “whiteness” isn’t just about skin color– it’s more like a position of power that helps to keep certain people protected and others excluded. When she says capitalism won’t stop being racial until all the white people are gone from the story, she doesn’t literally mean while people have to disappear. She means that the system keeps centering and protecting whiteness. Racism gets baked in because who gets to be seen as “safe” or “normal” is usually tied to whiteness, while everyone else gets punshed to the margins, often through violence, exclusion, or criminalization. So whiteness ends up being a tool to decide who deserves protection, and who doesn’t.
2. Gilmore explains that the system doesn’t just fine people who are criminals, it actually helps make them. Like, someone might get caught up in something small, like a low–level offense, and once they’re labeled a criminal, it follows them everywhere. The system keeps bringing them back in, even if they’re trying to stay out. She calls it a loop, where people are basically set up to fail. It’s not about safety or justice, it’s about controlling and punishing the same communities over and over. And honestly, I agree with her. You see it in how people come out of prison with fewer options, no jobs, and still get watched by the system. It’s like it never really lets them leave.
3. Toward the end, Gilmore talks about liberation as something bigger than just ending prisons. It’s not just about breaking people out, its about making a world where prisons aren’t needed in the first place. She says it’s a long fight to make real chance, where people have what they need to live, thrive, and feel safe. Liberation means building systems that care for people instead of punishing them. It’s about changing the whole way society works, not just fixing one part of it.

1. Ruth Gilmore says that capitalism will stop being racial capitalism, when all the white people disappear from the story. What’s the connection between “whiteness” and racism, do you think?

Ruth Gilmore’s idea that racial capitalism will only end when “all the white people disappear from the story” is not about erasing people who are white. It’s about de-centering whiteness as the default lens through which society operates. In her work, “whiteness” is less about skin color and more about power, structure, and identity shaped through history to uphold racial hierarchies. The connection between whiteness and racism lies in how whiteness has historically been defined in contrast to “others” in order to maintain dominance, especially economically and politically.

Whiteness functions as a kind of invisible norm. It sets the standard and marks everyone else as different or deviant. That’s why it’s often left unnamed or unchallenged. This invisibility makes structural racism harder to identify because it’s embedded in systems that look neutral on the surface. Racial capitalism, then, depends on racial hierarchies to extract labor, criminalize certain communities, and distribute resources unequally.

When she talks about removing white people from the story, she’s calling for a reimagining of the world where racial categories don’t serve as mechanisms of control or exploitation. In that sense, ending racial capitalism means ending the narrative that ties whiteness to superiority and normalcy. It’s about dismantling a worldview that sees value and opportunity as the birthright of some and the burden of others.

2. Gilmore makes the point that criminals are actually being created by the criminal justice and prison system (she says “the category of ‘criminal person’ can be perpetuated”). According to Gilmore, how does that happen, how does the prison system create new “criminals“? Do you agree with her view?

Gilmore argues that the prison system doesn’t just contain crime, it manufactures and reinforces the category of “criminal” as a permanent identity. One way this happens is through how society labels people who’ve been incarcerated. After someone serves time, they carry that label (“ex-con,” “felon,” “criminal”) for life, which often limits access to jobs, housing, education, and even voting. These restrictions push people to the margins, making it more likely they’ll return to illegal activity just to survive. In this way, the system traps people in cycles of criminalization.

Another aspect is how policing and incarceration are disproportionately directed at poor and minority communities. Gilmore sees prisons not as responses to crime, but as tools of social control that target specific populations. These systems reinforce the idea that some people are inherently criminal, rather than questioning the policies and conditions that lead to crime in the first place.

I do agree with her. It’s easy to look at the criminal justice system as something that keeps society safe, but if you dig deeper, you see that it often creates more harm than it prevents. If someone is treated like a criminal long enough, and denied the resources to change their life, they’re more likely to internalize that identity. Instead of helping people reintegrate, the system isolates them. Gilmore’s view challenges us to rethink what we mean by justice and whether punishment really brings safety or just more suffering.

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

When Ruth Gilmore talks about “liberation struggle,” she’s not just referring to fighting against one specific system like prisons or policing. She’s talking about a much broader fight for freedom; freedom from all the structures that make life hard for certain groups of people based on race, class, or geography. Liberation struggle, in her view, is about building systems that allow everyone to live full, meaningful lives, not just survive.

What stood out to me is how she frames liberation not only as resistance, but as creation. It’s not enough to tear down oppressive systems; we also have to imagine and build better ones. That could mean investing in education, healthcare, housing, and jobs instead of prisons and punishment. It also means recognizing that the people most affected by these systems should be leading the struggle to change them.

She talks about solidarity as a key part of liberation struggle; how people from different backgrounds can work together when they recognize their shared interests. Gilmore isn’t calling for quick fixes or surface-level reforms. She’s advocating for deep structural change that can take generations, but she believes it’s possible through collective action.

To me, liberation struggle means organizing in ways that don’t reproduce the same inequalities we’re trying to eliminate. It means questioning what we’ve been taught about who deserves freedom, safety, and dignity, and fighting to make those things universal rather than conditional.

1.Ruth Gilmore talks about how capitalism is tied up with race, specifically whiteness. It’s like saying that the system has been set up to favor white people historically, which keeps racial inequalities going. When she mentions that capitalism will stop being racial when all white people disappear from the story, she’s pointing out how deeply rooted these power dynamics are. Personally, I think it’s a call to rethink how society is structured and who benefits from it. It makes me wonder how we can change things, so everyone gets a fair shot, regardless of race.

2.Gilmore argues that the prison system doesn’t just lock people up; it actually creates criminals. This happens because once someone is labeled a criminal, they face tons of challenges trying to get back into society, like finding a job or dealing with stigma. Plus, the system often targets marginalized communities, making it harder for them to escape poverty and crime. I agree with her view because it seems like the system focuses more on punishment than solving the real issues, like lack of education or economic opportunities. It feels like we’re stuck in a cycle where people are set up to fail.

3. When Gilmore talks about liberation struggle, she’s talking about fighting against systems that keep people oppressed, whether that’s racism, economic inequality, or unfair justice practices. It’s about coming together to push for changes that make society more equal for everyone. To me, this sounds like a call to action, encouraging us to be part of movements that aim to create real change. It’s inspiring because it shows that even though the problems are big, collective effort can lead to progress.

1. Ruth Gilmore says that capitalism will stop being racial capitalism, when all the white people disappear from the story. What’s the connection between “whiteness” and racism, do you think?

The connection between whiteness and racism is that whiteness has historically been used as a position of power and privilege within systems of capitalism, and capitalism requires inequality while racism enshrines it.

2.Gilmore makes the point that criminals are actually being created by the criminal justice and prison system (she says “the category of ‘criminal person’ can be perpetuated”). According to Gilmore, how does that happen, how does the prison system create new “criminals“? Do you agree with her view?

Through incarceration and getting caught up in the system, people are marked as criminals, even for minor offenses or simply based on where they live. This label can follow someone for life and often pushes them back into the system. I agree with her view because the police can detain you on the grounds of “looking suspicious”, even if you aren’t, you will still be in the system from being detained, and that will follow you and be on your record for life.

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

The way I understand it, when she talks about abolitionists and liberation struggles, she’s referring to collective efforts to transform society by addressing the root causes of oppression, like racism, poverty, and inequality. It’s not just about reforming the system but reimagining and building something better that promotes justice and equality.

1. Ruth Gilmore says that capitalism will stop being racial capitalism, when all the white people disappear from the story. What’s the connection between “whiteness” and racism, do you think?

Based on my understanding and after watching the video, Ruth Gilmore stated that “whiteness” and racism connections revolves around capitalism. The connection between “whiteness” and racism is that majority of the people that are colored they tend to face struggles and the point is that they face stereotypes against people of color and this also has affected society because of how people tend to divide each other and “whiteness” are shape under the idea of them having more power and it reflects back around racism because they don’t have a saying in anything .

2) Gilmore makes the point that criminals are actually being created by the criminal justice and prison system (she says “the category of ‘criminal person’ can be perpetuated”). According to Gilmore, how does that happen, how does the prison system create new “criminals“? Do you agree with her view?

According to Ruth Gilmore, how this happens is that the prison systems creates new “criminals” through the discriminations systemic which racial inequalities is being mentioned more, the create new “criminals” under less opportunities for them to upon release. She also states that there has to keep coming for them to agree that they’re “criminals”, their list of behaviors and the relation to this with slavery is general she states, I do agree with her view because it also revolves around struggle and the scale and the sizes, it is specific to where people are.

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

My understanding of what Prof. Gilmore in the last part of her video-calls “liberation struggle” is that it reflects back on freedom and what she meant by that is people should create a space where they feel free and create a social change. Creating space where people can come together and fight for liberation struggle and not where they can feel free and not tangled and it’s not just an easy fix it reflects on adoptions and ongoing struggles.