S3E40, Part 2: Ida McCray

We saved Part 2 of Ida McCray's podcast with us for a good reason. We didn't want her incredible story to get lost in the chaos and uncertainty that marked last week. And we suspect that you, like us, feel a little better heading into this week, so ... Ida picks up where she left off in Part 1, with her release from prison when she was a teenager. She shares the story of when she helped hijacked a plane from San Francisco to Los Angeles and ended up in Cuba. Fast-forward to 16 years later, when a member of her family turned her in. She served a little more than a decade in federal prison, and when she got out, she started working at the San Francisco Sheriff's Department, where she stayed for more than 20 years, as a rehabilitation coordinator. She also started teaching wellness for the formerly incarcerated at City College. Ida ends this podcast talking about needing a break from The City she loves but doesn't recognize lately. We recorded this podcast outside of Ida's home in the Excelsior in October 2020. Photography by Michelle Kilfeather