Sam Elfay was just 13 years old when he started skipping school. Somewhere along the way Elfay had lost interest. As soon as his father dropped him off at school he’d wait until his dad left, then skip class. Elfay’s appetite for more danger in his life grew. He started to break into houses and cars, stealing whatever he could get his hands on. Then one day he stole a gun from someone’s car. That changed everything. It led him into the Crips gang. Then he met Jason McBride, a youth violence crime prevention specialist who managed to convince Elfay to take a different path away from gun crime.Host, reporter and producer: Jo EricksonProducers: Stephanie Wolf and Shane RumseyEditor: Rachel EstabrookMusic: Daniel MescherExecutive producer: Kevin DaleArt: Jodi GershThanks also to Hart van Denburg, Kevin J. Beaty, Shelby Filangi and Jon Pinnow
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Season 3 Preview: Teens and guns
Youth gun crime is rising and it disproportionately affects Black and brown people. This crime is often sidelined as a community problem, which dismisses the reasons young Black men get caught up in an environment of violence, crime and death.Systemic, hosted and reported by Jo Erickson, is back for Season 3, to tell the stories of those who fight injustice as they attempt to dismantle the status quo. This season, the series dives deep into the lives of teenagers at risk of being incarcerated and the steps community leaders, police and legislators are taking to reduce youth gun crime. The podcast returns August 11. Follow the show wherever you listen so you don’t miss an episode.
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Overcoming Hate
When it comes to prosecuting hate crimes, Colorado didn’t have a great track record until they amended Colorado’s bias-motivated crimes statute.
In this bonus episode of Systemic, we look at how Melissa Hall, a Black parent who was racially abused while volunteering on school premises, tested this new amendment in court.
Host and producer: Jo Erickson
Producers: Rebekah Romberg, Kibwe Cooper, Emily Williams
Theme music by Daniel Mescher. (Additional music via Universal Production Music.)
Art: Maria Juliana Pinzón
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Dreams
Leaders in Denver Public Schools acknowledge existing inequities in schools and are trying to address them. They recognize the lack of people of color in leadership positions has created policies that led to disparities between white students and students of color. To redress this problem, DPS created a leadership program. But while it solves some problems, it may create new ones. In this episode we follow educator Paulina Lerma as she attempts to break the glass ceiling to become a Latina principal.
Host and producer: Jo Erickson
Editor: Erin Jones
Producers: Rebekah Romberg, Kibwe Cooper, Emily Williams
Theme music by Daniel Mescher. (Additional music via Universal Production Music.)
Art: Maria Juliana Pinzón
Executive producers: Brad Turner, Kevin Dale
Additional editorial support: Jenny Brundin, Rachel Estabrook, Sherkiya Wedgeworth-Hollowell, Luis Antonio Perez
Thanks also to Jodi Gersh, Clara Shelton, Mia Rincón, Arielle Wilson, Hart van Denburg.
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Tipping Point
The number of Black teachers leaving the profession is rising. Kevin Adams is a social studies teacher working in Denver Public Schools. He’s very popular with students and parents, but struggles with microaggressions from his colleagues. Like many Black teachers, he thinks about quitting education. Why are Black teachers walking away? Kevin and his friend started a podcast to put a spotlight on the hard truths about why teachers of color are leaving the profession. In this episode we follow Kevin Adams as he navigates a stream of microaggressions.
Host and producer: Jo Erickson
Editor: Erin Jones
Producers: Rebekah Romberg, Kibwe Cooper, Emily Williams
Theme music by Daniel Mescher. (Additional music via Universal Production Music.)
Art: Maria Juliana Pinzón
Executive producers: Brad Turner, Kevin Dale
Additional editorial support: Jenny Brundin, Rachel Estabrook, Sherkiya Wedgeworth-Hollowell, Luis Antonio Perez
Thanks also to Jodi Gersh, Clara Shelton, Mia Rincón, Arielle Wilson, Hart van Denburg.
Systemic is an award-winning podcast that uses audio diaries and interviews to document the lives of people working to create change.In Season 3, the series dives deep into the lives of teenagers at risk of being incarcerated and the steps community leaders, police and legislators are taking to reduce youth gun crime.In Season 2, the show follows a diverse group of educators, students and parents during a school year in which debates around race and equity in public education reached a fever pitch.Season 1, produced in the wake of George Floyd's death and the ensuing protests, follows Black Americans working to reform policing from inside and outside the system.
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