← Concrete Mama: The Podcast
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Transcript12 lines
- [00:03]
A
Welcome back, listeners. When we last left the heroes of Concrete Mama, Vic, demar, Red and Anthony, they were on an unexpected journey, becoming the hosts of a popular podcast. Little did they know what adventures awaited them. Would these dapper, debonair, dangerously devious dialogue dandies crumble under the pressure or rise to the occasion and take their listeners on another trip into the world of the Washington State State Penitentiary? Will season two of Concrete Mama be a hit? Or will it flop harder than the Joker swan diving off Gotham City Hall? When we last left Vic, he moved to LA to build his dream life under the sun. But has our hero thrived in the heat or gotten burned in the City of Angels?
- [01:00]
B
Hey, Concrete Mama fam, It's Vic, your host and showrunner. For me, the journey of Concrete Mama started inside my cell at the Washington State penitentiary back in 2014. That's where my process of healing and transformation truly began. But it was also the rebirth of my journey as a storyteller, a dreamer, and an all around creative mastermind. When all the distractions of the outside world are stripped away, all that you're left with is your thoughts and your imagination. And as I lay on my bunk behind metal bars in a six by nine foot cell, I dreamed of this. Of starting a production company, being a filmmaker, and telling the stories of those of us on the inside. Specifically here at the Penn in Walla Walla. And look at us now. I think our team knew that we had something special with concretemama. But to achieve the success that we've had with season one was definitely a dream come true. Since we wrapped on our premiere season, I've been focused on several different creative projects, both with Unincarcerated and without. I finished a TV pilot that I wrote and have been applying for screenwriting fellowships. I've been delving more into acting and even had my first callback audition in Beverly Hills for a commercial. I'm producing a narrative short film that I wrote and will direct and star in. And with Unincarcerated. Not only are we working on Concrete Mama, but we are gearing up for a big film production out in Columbus, Ohio. And as I wrap up my eighth year of freedom, I continue to view myself as a work in progress, always striving to be the best version of me. I have 13 years of sobriety under my belt, continue to make fitness a priority, and keep up a daily practice of spiritual and energetic work, most importantly, meditation. This was something I started while incarcerated and it has completely changed my life. On 1111 of 2023. I made the decision to move to Los Angeles, and it was an act of having full trust and faith in the universe in pursuing my dream life. And it is a decision I'm so grateful I made. I continue to build my life here in Southern California, and the universe keeps showing up to support me in my crazy, audacious choices to lead the life that aligns with my heart and soul and brings me the most joy and abundance.
- [03:18]
A
When we last left Damar, he was balancing life as a father and husband while also leading the podcast team from inside the penitentiary walls. Has our hero stepped into the leader he was born to be, or has the weight of the crown crushed him?
- [03:38]
C
The impact this podcast has had on my life is a purposeful one. You know, my mission has always been to start reaching people and growing as a person. I love touching people's lives. I love connecting with people. It's one of my gifts. It has also allowed me to renew myself based on today's work and relieving me from the feelings of being in prison to my past mistakes, Something that I think anybody on the inside can relate to. We begin to grow. We begin to take classes. We begin to face ourselves. Then there's this crazy weight that we carry of remembering and reconnecting to the things that we've done in our past and trying to figure out, what do we do with that. It can be heavy. You know, so many people who work in corrections and those that are incarcerated constantly inform me that they appreciate the work that's being done and how it's touching them and giving them hope.
- [04:29]
D
Hope, Hope.
- [04:30]
A
Hope.
- [04:30]
C
It's a big word for a place like this. It's something that everyone needs. I mean, recently I was informed by the superintendent of the prison, Rob Jackson, that our former secretary of prison, Cheryl Strange, recognized the good work that I've been doing. And she sent a special thanks and a token of appreciation, which was really upl for me. I think it was huge because a lot of the times people like that don't connect with people like me. They don't tend to really see us, you know, especially in those administrative spaces where they're doing the heavy work of trying to figure out how to work with prisoners, how to change the culture. We don't necessarily build relationships. And so to be recognized on that level, along with SPL and my team, that was really, really big for me. It was kind of like a boost, steam to the engine. Personally, my mental health has strengthened, and it's also pushed me to go and speak with the mental health specialist inside of the prison. Something that I'm proud of. I did that so I can continue to grow and process my past trauma, the traumas that produce behaviors that led me to this prison sentence. You know, I also show up in other people's lives with more understanding that we all carry something which diminishes judgment and a lack of patience. You know, when you don't understand someone, you judge them. It's just what people do, which attacks the compassion you can have for them. I guess overall, I'm just learning that I'm an asset today, not the liability I once was to the community. My father used to always tell me, be an asset d not a liability. That's something he would say to me often. Today I feel like I'm an asset and I'm excited to keep growing as a productive, evolving man.
- [06:17]
A
When we last left Red, our resident historian, he'd realized he might be a natural born creative. But has our hero learned that his superpower of storytelling? Or has the fear of being seen sent him spiraling back into the shadows?
- [06:36]
E
The podcast has completely changed my perspective on doing time in prison. I used to think that while we're here, a lot of things in life are unobtainable. Unincarcerated productions has proven to me that isn't true. I went from being a millwright and metal worker to an aspiring podcaster, screenwriter, actor and producer. Things that we only dream about in prison. I've literally had people inside tell me listening to the podcast has given them new hope and was even saving lives. I've gotten emotional a few different times listening to reactions. People inside say they finally feel there's voices in media that understand them and that they can relate to. I've realized that we're now a voice for the people inside and we also have to be role models for those that are looking at us for guidance and direction. That has made me become a more positive man in all aspects of my life. Hearing other stories and realizing that we're all alike has helped me work on and figure out my own mental health as well as I've realized that anxiety and PTSD are things that a lot of us in here deal with, and it's encouraged me to see a mental health professional and get my own anxiety and PTSD in check. The relationships between myself and my family have gotten stronger as well. Through mental health and recognizing past traumas, my sister Nicole and I have gotten much closer. All my family out of state and in Washington have been super excited about everything we're accomplishing with the podcast and the screenwriting class, I even met the love of my life, Tiffany. After she went to one of our fundraiser events and see me up on a screen addressing the audience, she felt compelled to reach out. And now we're both happier than we've ever been. Because my life has positively changed so much. It's given me new hope for the future.
- [08:24]
A
When we last left Anthony, he was enjoying the first taste of freedom in Walla Walla. But now that he's a free man, has he truly shaken off the shackles of 17 years of incarceration? Or did the speed of real life send him into a tailspin?
- [08:40]
D
Hey, this is Anthony. And before anything else, I need to honor where this all began. This podcast didn't start in freedom. It started inside of a cell with myself and Damore. Soon after, Red and Campbell brainstormed with us. And by destiny, Unincarcerated Productions believed in us and opened the door to talk about life, question the system, and imagine a world where our voices matter. Back then, we weren't building a podcast for fun. We were building a lifeline, a mirror, a future we couldn't see yet. And when I got out, that dream didn't stay behind. It came with me. But the shift from creating inside to creating outside has been heavy. I still get to see my brothers on Zoom calls. Their faces, their fire, their trust in this platform. But every call comes with that same sting. I get to hang up and walk back into freedom while they're still locked in the place where we all prayed to leave, and carrying on this work without them right beside me. It hurts, but it also fuels me. This podcast is our shared heartbeat, and I refuse to let it fade. And while all that's been happening, life on the outside has been moving faster than I expected. I've been finishing my first semester at Whitman College, a place I never imagined I'd stand as a student. A place that opened a door for me when almost every statistic, every stereotype, and every story about people like me said I shouldn't belong there. Whitman wasn't just a school. It was an opportunity, a second chance with a path attached. A place that didn't look at my past and slammed the door shut. A place that let me learn, grow, question, and become someone I didn't think I had space to be. Meanwhile, I've been stepping deeper into community work, trying to take everything I've lived through and everything I'm learning and pour it into something bigger than me. Whether it's event planning, mentoring, youth building reentry programs or just showing up for people who remind me of who I used to be. This community involvement has become a part of my healing and my purpose. And through it all, this podcast has stayed a mirror. It's forced me to slow down and reflect. It's reminded me that freedom is not an event. It's a discipline. And it's shown me that growth is real, even when it's messy. So today, I'm not the same man who came home a year and a half ago. I'm not even the same man who recorded season one Today. I'm learning to build a life, not just survive one. I'm learning to walk away from what drains me. I'm learning to ask for help without shame. I'm learning to trust God's timing instead of my fear. I'm learning to stop shrinking, stop apologizing, stop doubting the space I earned the. And before we go any further, I need to say this to everybody who rocked with season one. Thank you. Every download, every share, every message, you carried this project right along with us. You helped bring our voices from the inside out. You proved that people would listen when we speak our truth. So for season two, yeah, get ready, because we're about to take it even deeper. More honesty, more growth, more storytelling. More of the fellas still pushing from both sides of the wall. If you've been here since day one, or if you're just now tuning in, I'm honored you're walking with us. This isn't just a podcast. This is a journey of becoming a bridge. And I'm grateful to have you here on the path. So if you're here for the polished version, this isn't it. But if you're here for the truth, the raw, beautiful, painful, human truth, then welcome back to Concrete Mama, the podcast.
- [12:14]
A
That's right, listeners. The time has come, Concrete mom of the podcast, season two. So fire up your Batmobiles, buckle up with your besties, and let's blast off on another badass ride with our heroes.