What if art could build a bridge from incarceration to liberation? For Rahsaan “New York” Thomas the road was long, but he turned a 55 to life prison sentence into an opportunity. Through art, he would empower fellow incarcerated artists to transcend the limits of their sentences, and maybe even one day walk free, like Rahsaan did in 2023. 

Today Rahsaan directs Empowerment Avenue, a non-profit he founded while inside San Quentin and now runs on the outside, along with a myriad of creative endeavors including the San Quentin Film Festival, and his work on the Pulitzer-prize winning podcast, Ear Hustle. 

Rahsaan takes us through his life like the skilled storyteller he is, from growing up in Brownsville, Brooklyn, to landing in prison in California, to finding his voice as an artist inside San Quentin, and running the New York Marathon as a free man, with a dream to empower art that fosters inclusivity, which he believes could ultimately heal the root causes of crime. 

Join us for a transformative conversation on art as a lifeline to hope and lifelong community. 

Find episode transcript and links for Rahsaan “New York” Thomas and Empowerment Avenue at HopeIsMyMiddleName.com 

Photo of Rahsaan "New York" Thomas by Nigel Poor

If you liked this episode, listen next to Landing a Life-Changing Job Out of Prison and Addiction with Kyle Wedge, Hope Is My Middle Name season 3, episode 4. 

Hosted and executive produced by Kate Tucker, Hope Is My Middle Name is a podcast by Consensus Digital Media in collaboration with Reasonable Volume.

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