Rahsaan Thomas

Thomas was raised in the Brownsville neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York. He has two brothers. His mother, Jacqueline, completed her bachelor's degree in sociology and was a bureau chief at Rikers Island. His father was incarcerated before committing suicide while Thomas was a teenager. Thomas attended high school in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, and Detroit.{{Cite web |date=2023-11-13 |title=Twenty Years Ago He Was Incarcerated for Life. He Just Ran the New York City Marathon as a Free Man. |url=https://www.runnersworld.com/runners-stories/a45724882/rahsaan-thomas-san-quentin-new-york-city-marathon/ |access-date=2025-04-17 |website=Runner's World |language=en-US}}

While incarcerated at the San Quentin Rehabilitation Center, Thomas gained recognition through his work as co-host of Ear Hustle podcast. He also developed a career as a writer and journalist. California Governor Gavin Newsom commuted Thomas' sentence on January 13, 2022. Thomas was released on Feb. 8, 2023.{{Cite web |title=College Behind Bars: A Panel on Education in American Prisons and Jails |url=https://www.laphamsquarterly.org/content/college-behind-bars-panel-education-american-prisons-and-jails |access-date=2025-04-19 |website=Lapham's Quarterly |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Smith |first=Hayley |date=2022-01-14 |title=Newsom grants clemency to San Quentin inmate, podcast host Rahsaan Thomas |url=https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2022-01-14/newsom-grants-clemency-to-san-quentin-inmate-and-podcast-host |access-date=April 16, 2025 |website=Los Angeles Times |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Member |first=Lora Korpar Fellow Newsweek Is A. Trust Project |date=2022-01-14 |title='Ear Hustle' Podcast Host Rahsaan Thomas' Sentence Commuted By Gov. Newsom |url=https://www.newsweek.com/ear-hustle-podcast-host-rahsaan-thomas-sentence-commuted-governor-gavin-newsom-1669603 |access-date=2025-04-19 |website=Newsweek |language=en}}

In 2018, Thomas became a co-host of Ear Hustle, the award-winning podcast produced inside San Quentin created by Earlonne Woods and Nigel Poor. In 2020, Woods, Poor, and Thomas were nominated for a Pulitzer Prize for Audio Reporting for their work on Ear Hustle Season 4. That same season, Ear Hustle was awarded the 2021 DuPont Award from the Columbia Journalism School.{{Cite web |title=Finalist: Nigel Poor, Earlonne Woods and Rahsaan Thomas |url=https://www.pulitzer.org/finalists/nigel-poor-earlonne-woods-and-rahsaan-thomas |access-date=April 16, 2025 |website=The Pulitzer Prizes}}{{Cite web |title=2021 Alfred I. duPont-Columbia Award Winners Announced {{!}} Columbia Journalism School |url=https://journalism.columbia.edu/news/2021-alfred-i-dupont-columbia-award-winners-announced#:~:text=Three%20podcasts%20won%20prizes,%20including%20two%20from,local%20television%20stations%20were%20honored%20including%20K |access-date=2025-04-19 |website=journalism.columbia.edu}}

Thomas, along with freelance writer Emily Nonko, created the nonprofit Empowerment Avenue in May 2020. Empowerment Avenue helps incarcerated writers, visual artists, and filmmakers develop their careers and conquer the challenges of getting published and compensated justly for their work. In 2022, Empowerment Avenue was awarded a $600,000 Imagining Freedom grant from the Mellon Foundation.{{Cite web |title=Empowerment Avenue |url=https://www.empowermentave.org/ |access-date=2025-04-19 |website=www.empowermentave.org}}{{Cite web |title=Episode 79, Part 2: Rahsaan "New York" Thomas |url=https://thelastmileradio.org/podcast/rahsaan-new-york-thomas/ |access-date=2025-04-19 |website=The Last Mile Radio |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |title=Empowerment Avenue, Empowerment Works, Inc. |url=https://www.mellon.org/grant-details/empowerment-avenue-20451630 |access-date=2025-04-19 |website=mellon.org |language=en}}

At San Quentin, Thomas was a contributing writer for the San Quentin News, and co-founded Prison Renaissance - through which he curated an art exhibit for the Museum of the African Diaspora (MoAD) in 2021. Thomas' work has been published by The Marshall Project, the Vera Institute for Justice, Business Insider, VICE, Outside Magazine, NBC, Open Campus, Apogee Journal, the Boston Globe and Current. While incarcerated, Thomas published over 50 articles, with 42 being published between June 2020 and his release in February 2023.{{Cite web |last=Article |first=Andrew Goldstein ShareShare This |date=2021-01-12 |title='We Can Add Value to the World': San Quentin Prison Inmate Rahsaan Thomas on Why He's Curating Art Shows From Behind Bars |url=https://news.artnet.com/art-world/rahsaan-thomas-art-angle-transcript-1936096 |access-date=2025-04-20 |website=Artnet News |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |date=2023-11-13 |title=Twenty Years Ago He Was Incarcerated for Life. He Just Ran the New York City Marathon as a Free Man. |url=https://www.runnersworld.com/runners-stories/a45724882/rahsaan-thomas-san-quentin-new-york-city-marathon/ |access-date=2025-04-20 |website=Runner's World |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |date=2021-03-30 |title=Prison Renaissance program uses art to end cycles of incarceration from inside San Quentin |url=https://abc7.com/san-quentin-prison-reform-art/10459382/ |access-date=2025-04-20 |website=ABC7 Los Angeles |language=en}}{{Cite web |date=2023-11-22 |title=From Serving Life to Liberating Others Through Journalism: Rahsaan "New York" Thomas – Hunter College Journalism |url=https://fm.hunter.cuny.edu/journalism/index.php/2023/11/22/from-serving-life-to-liberating-others-through-journalism-rahsaan-new-york-thomas/ |access-date=2025-04-20 |language=en-US}}

The Sundance Institute and The Marshall Project awarded Thomas a grant to direct and produce the short documentary film Friendly Signs. Thomas completed the film while incarcerated. Friendly Signs premiered at the San Francisco Documentary Film Festival in 2023 and screened at Double Exposure, Atlanta Film Festival, Bravemaker and Superfest Disability Documentary Film Festival where it received an Advocacy Award.{{Cite web |last=Abdullahi |first=Aala |date=2025-02-07 |title='Friendly Signs' Documentary Follows One Man's Quest to Create Community for Deaf Prisoners |url=https://www.themarshallproject.org/2025/02/07/friendly-signs-documentary-film-san-quentin#:~:text=02.07.2025-,'Friendly%20Signs'%20Documentary%20Follows%20One%20Man's%20Quest%20to%20Create%20Community,the%20challenges%20of%20prison%20filmmaking. |access-date=2025-04-19 |website=The Marshall Project |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=Double Exposure Investigative Film Festival |url=https://doubleexposure23.eventive.org/films/65292985f06a54007abcb203 |access-date=2025-04-19 |website=doubleexposure23.eventive.org}}{{Cite web |title=2024 Atlanta Film Festival |url=https://atlff2024.eventive.org/films/65ece0a8a4758a00b29a7515 |access-date=2025-04-19 |website=atlff2024.eventive.org}}{{Cite web |title=Superfest Disability Film Festival |url=https://superfest.eventive.org/films/66d9f76650a6e2008480349c |access-date=2025-04-19 |website=superfest.eventive.org}}{{Cite web |title=Film Fest 2024 |url=https://bravemaker2024filmfest.eventive.org/films/friendly-signs-665b75a43290d000a617de20 |access-date=2025-04-19 |website=bravemaker2024filmfest.eventive.org}}

Thomas co-produced, What These Walls Won't Hold, directed by Adamu Chan, which won the Best Mid-Length Feature at the 2023 San Francisco International Film Festival and premiered on PBS America Reframed.{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.pbs.org/video/what-these-walls-wont-hold-kglzdo/ |title=America ReFramed {{!}} What These Walls Won't Hold {{!}} Season 12 {{!}} Episode 3 |language=en |access-date=2025-04-19 |via=www.pbs.org}}{{Cite web |title="What These Walls Won't Hold" + "How We Get Free" + "Sol in the Garden" |url=https://sffilm.org/event/what-these-walls-wont-hold-how-we-get-free-sol-in-the-garden-cgv/ |access-date=2025-04-19 |website=SFFILM |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |date=2023-04-24 |title=SFFILM Announces Golden Gate Award Winners at the 66th San Francisco International Film Festival |url=https://sffilm.org/sffilm-announces-golden-gate-award-winners-at-the-66th-san-francisco-international-film-festival/#:~:text=Mid-Length%20Winner&text=%E2%80%9CThe%20jury%20applauds%20the%20film,Best%20Mid-Length%20Award.%E2%80%9D |access-date=2025-04-19 |website=SFFILM |language=en-US}}

Thomas is co-director and co-founder of the inaugural San Quentin Film Festival. The San Quentin Film Festival is the first film festival held inside of a prison in the United States. It took place at San Quentin in October 2024. Notable celebrity guests included Kerry Washington, who hosted a panel with Thomas, Jerry and Jessica Seinfeld, W. Kamau Bell and Cord Jefferson. In April 2025, Thomas and screenwriter Cori Thomas, who co-founded the San Quentin Film Festival with Thomas, were recognized as Impact Warriors by the Golden State Warriors for their work creating the festival. The second annual San Quentin Film Festival will take place on October 23-24, 2025.{{Cite web |last=Hailu |first=Selome |date=2024-10-08 |title=The First Film Festival Inside a Prison: How a Formerly Incarcerated Documentarian Secured Approval, Funding and Celebrity Jurors for San Quentin's Inaugural Event |url=https://variety.com/2024/film/news/prison-film-festival-incarcerated-san-quentin-1236170624/ |access-date=2025-04-20 |website=Variety |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |title=Rahsaan Thomas and Cori Thomas |url=https://community.warriors.com/profile/rahsaan-thomas-and-cori-thomas/ |access-date=2025-04-20 |website=Warriors Community Foundation |language=en}}{{Cite news |last=Knight |first=Heather |date=2024-10-13 |title=Once Known for Death Row, San Quentin Hosts a Star-Studded Film Festival |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/10/13/us/san-quentin-film-festival-prison.html |access-date=2025-04-20 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}{{Cite web |last=Hailu |first=Selome |date=2025-03-27 |title=San Quentin Film Festival to Return to Bay Area Prison for a Second Year; 'Sing Sing' Producers Launch Masterclasses for Incarcerated Men (EXCLUSIVE) |url=https://variety.com/2025/film/news/san-quentin-prison-film-festival-second-year-1236348684/ |access-date=2025-04-20 |website=Variety |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |date=2025-04-01 |title=San Quentin Film Festival |url=https://filmfreeway.com/SanQuentinFilmFestival |access-date=2025-04-20 |website=FilmFreeway |language=en}}

File:Thomas NYC Marathon 2023.jpg

Thomas began running while spending time with childhood friend Shannon Briggs in Big Bear, California where Briggs was preparing for his fight against Francois Botha. After being unable to keep up with Briggs during a three mile run, Thomas was inspired to develop his running skills. He was a member of the Thousand-Mile Club at San Quentin,https://www.1000mileclub.com/ an organized running club coached and sponsored by the Tamalpa Runners.https://www.tamalparunners.org/ During his time with the club, he completed three half marathons, and a full marathon in 2017 which was covered in the documentary 26.2 to Life. In 2023, his completion of the New York City Marathon was covered by NBC Nightly News, Runner's World, ESQUIRE Magazine, Outside Magazine, and the Brooklyn Paper.{{Cite web |title=Running the NYC Marathon to change America's prison system |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/nightly-news/video/running-the-nyc-marathon-to-change-america-s-prison-system-196904005794 |access-date=2025-04-19 |website=NBC News |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Gearhart |first=Sarah |date=2023-11-01 |title=His First Marathon Was in Prison. His Second Will Be in New York City. |url=https://run.outsideonline.com/people/rahsaan-thomas-nyc-marathon/ |access-date=2025-04-19 |website=RUN {{!}} Powered by Outside |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Fishman |first=Melissa |date=2023-11-20 |title=Running for a cause: Brooklynites tackle New York City Marathon for 'something bigger than themselves' • Brooklyn Paper |url=https://www.brooklynpaper.com/brooklynites-team-inspire-nyc-marathon/ |access-date=2025-04-19 |website=www.brooklynpaper.com |language=en-US}}

Thomas was a member of the 2017 inaugural 38-member cohort of the San Quentin Society of Professional Journalists NorCal Satellite Chapter (SQ-SJP), and served as chairman from 2018 to 2023. While chair, Thomas organized symposiums at San Quentin and invited journalists into the prison to discuss their coverage of prisons and people who have been impacted by the justice system. In 2021, Thomas penned an article for The Marshall Project's The Language Project entitled "We Are Worth the Extra Letters" in which he advocates for using people-first language and discontinuing use of the word "inmate." As chairman of SQ-SJP, Thomas received the John Gothberg Award for Meritorious Service in 2021 for his leadership in maintaining the flow of information in and out of San Quentin during the Covid 19 Pandemic lockdowns.{{Cite web |title=SPJ NorCal Honors 2021 Excellence in Journalism Award Winners « SPJ NorCal |url=https://spjnorcal.org/2022/01/28/spj-norcal-honors-2021-excellence-in-journalism-award-winners/ |access-date=2025-04-19 |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |title=Behind Bars – And In SPJ |url=https://www.quillmag.com/2017/06/16/behind-bars-and-in-spj/ |access-date=2025-04-19 |website=Quill |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Thomas |first=Rahsaan |date=2021-04-13 |title=How I Convinced My Incarcerated Peers to Make Language a Priority |url=https://www.themarshallproject.org/2021/04/13/how-i-convinced-my-incarcerated-peers-to-make-language-a-priority |access-date=2025-04-19 |website=The Marshall Project |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=About SPJ « SPJ NorCal |url=https://spjnorcal.org/about/ |access-date=2025-04-20 |language=en-US}}

Taina Vargas, founder of Initiate Justice, said that a 2017 call with Thomas motivated her to work on California Proposition 17, a successful 2020 ballot initiative that restored voting rights to people on parole in CA. Thomas served as an Initiate Justice Board Member, and designed the 2018 Voting Rights and Democracy Act.{{Cite web |title=Rahsaan Thomas - Board Member |url=https://initiatejustice.org/our-team/rahsaan-thomas/ |access-date=2025-04-19 |website=initiatejustice.org}}{{Cite web |title=California Voters Approve Prop. 17, Restoring Voting Rights to People Who Have Completed Prison Terms {{!}} Brennan Center for Justice |url=https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/analysis-opinion/california-voters-approve-prop-17-restoring-voting-rights-people-who-have |access-date=2025-04-19 |website=www.brennancenter.org |language=en}}

Writing:

• "Why I Run in Prison". Outside. April 2017.{{Cite web |last=Thomas |first=Rahsaan |date=2017-04-02 |title=Why I Run in Prison |url=https://www.outsideonline.com/health/running/why-i-run-prison/ |access-date=2025-04-20 |website=Outside Online |language=en-US}}
• "I've served 19 years in San Quentin prison and I just got diagnosed with COVID-19. Where is the justice?". Business Insider. August 2020.{{Cite web |last=Thomas |first=Rahsaan |title=I've served 19 years in San Quentin prison and I just got diagnosed with COVID-19. Where is the justice? |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/coronavirus-inside-san-quentin-prison-2020-8 |access-date=2025-04-20 |website=Business Insider |language=en-US}}
• "A Question of Violence". The Marshall Project. December 2020.{{Cite web |last=Thomas |first=Rahsaan |date=2020-12-18 |title=A Question of Violence |url=https://www.themarshallproject.org/2020/12/18/a-question-of-violence |access-date=2025-04-20 |website=The Marshall Project |language=en}}
• "Incarcerated people are telling their own stories more than ever before. It's about time.". NBCU Academy. May 2021.{{Cite web |last=Academy |first=NBCU |date=2021-05-18 |title=Incarcerated people are telling their own stories more than ever before. It's about time. |url=https://nbcuacademy.com/rahsaan-thomas-prison-incarcerated-media-peter-merts/ |access-date=2025-04-20 |website=NBCU Academy |language=en-US}}
• "What Did You Call Me?". Brennan Center for Justice. June 2021.{{Cite web |date=2021-06-07 |title=What Did You Call Me? {{!}} Brennan Center for Justice |url=https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/analysis-opinion/what-did-you-call-me |access-date=2025-04-20 |website=www.brennancenter.org |language=en}}
• "A Prison Reckoning with Remorse". Boston Globe. August 2021.{{Cite web |last=Thomas |first=Rahsaan |date=August 15, 2021 |title=A prison reckoning with remorse - The Boston Globe |url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/2021/08/15/opinion/prison-reckoning-with-remorse/ |access-date=2025-04-20 |website=BostonGlobe.com |language=en-US}}
• "First Person: Why college matters for people serving extreme sentences". Open Campus. January 2022.{{Cite web |last=Thomas |first=Rahsaan "New York" |date=2022-01-20 |title=First Person: Why college matters for people serving extreme sentences |url=https://www.opencampus.org/2022/01/19/first-person-why-college-matters-for-people-serving-extreme-sentences/ |access-date=2025-04-20 |website=Open Campus |language=en-US}}
• "I Organized My First Art Show From Behind Bars. Here's How Incarcerated Curators Can Help Us See the World Differently". Artnet. April 2022.{{Cite web |last=Article |first=Rahsaan Thomas ShareShare This |date=2022-04-27 |title=I Organized My First Art Show From Behind Bars. Here's How Incarcerated Curators Can Help Us See the World Differently |url=https://news.artnet.com/art-world/rahsaan-thomas-curating-op-ed-2104324 |access-date=2025-04-20 |website=Artnet News |language=en-US}}
• "My Wild and Winding Path to a College Degree Behind Bars". The Marshall Project. September 2022.{{Cite web |last=Thomas |first=Rahsaan |date=2022-09-02 |title=My Wild and Winding Path to a College Degree Behind Bars |url=https://www.themarshallproject.org/2022/09/02/my-wild-and-winding-path-to-a-college-degree-behind-bars |access-date=2025-04-26 |website=The Marshall Project |language=en}}
• "The Silent Treatment". Vera. January 2023.{{Cite web |title=The Silent Treatment |url=https://www.vera.org/the-human-toll-of-jail-2023/the-silent-treatment |access-date=2025-04-20 |website=Vera Institute of Justice |language=en-US}}

Film:

• Friendly Signs. (2022). Director. Producer.{{Cite web |last=Abdullahi |first=Aala |date=2025-02-07 |title='Friendly Signs' Documentary Follows One Man's Quest to Create Community for Deaf Prisoners |url=https://www.themarshallproject.org/2025/02/07/friendly-signs-documentary-film-san-quentin |access-date=2025-04-15 |website=The Marshall Project |language=en}}
• 26.2 to Life: The San Quentin Marathon. (2022). Main Character.{{Cite web |title=Home — 26.2 TO LIFE: THE SAN QUENTIN PRISON MARATHON |url=https://www.sanquentinmarathon.com/ |access-date=2025-04-15 |website=26.2 TO LIFE |language=en-US}}
• What These Walls Won't Hold. (2022). Co-Producer, Main Character.{{Cite web |title=whatthesewallswonthold.com |url=https://www.whatthesewallswonthold.com/ |access-date=2025-04-15 |website=whatthesewallswonthold.com |language=en-US}}

Audio:

• Ear Hustle Podcast. (2018–2023) Co host, Producer. (2023-present) Producer.{{Cite web |date=2025-04-02 |title=Ear Hustle |url=https://www.earhustlesq.com/ |access-date=2025-04-15 |website=Ear Hustle |language=en-US}}

{{reflist}}

• [https://www.empowermentave.org/ Empowerment Avenue website]
• [https://www.sanquentinfilmfestival.com/ San Quentin Film Festival website]
• [https://www.earhustlesq.com/ Ear Hustle website]
• [https://www.rahsaannewyorkthomas.com/ Rahsaan Thomas website]
• [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZQDkBxo1e4o Friendly Signs full film]
• [https://www.newday.com/films/what-these-walls-wont-hold What These Walls Won't Hold full film]
• [https://www.sanquentinmarathon.com/ 26.2 to Life film website]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Thomas, Rahsaan}}

Category:1970 births

Category:Living people