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Episode Description
Charles MacArthur Emanuel—known to many as Chuckie Taylor—speaks to us from United States Penitentiary Lee in Virginia, where he is serving a 97-year sentence under a conviction he has always challenged. In this raw and unfiltered conversation, he shares the story the world hasn’t heard.
Far from the one-dimensional villain of news headlines, Emanuel reveals himself as a man searching for truth, accountability, and redemption. Born in Boston to a Trinidadian mother and Liberian father, he was raised with Caribbean values of respect and “manas” long before Liberia’s brutal civil conflict. An assassination attempt on his father, President Charles Taylor, pushed him toward creating the Anti-Terrorist Unit to protect his family—a decision he says was driven by loyalty, not lust for power.
Chuckie Taylor describes himself now as “Gomai,” a man in philosophical transition who rejects the narrative of a sadistic warlord and asks the world to recognize his growth and humanity. He argues he was unfairly targeted as the only U.S. citizen convicted under federal anti-torture laws—an unprecedented case that he says was more about politics than justice.
This conversation is about complicating the easy story. It’s about giving voice to the condemned and confronting the uncomfortable question: What if this man deserves a second chance?
👉 If you believe in clemency, forgiveness, or the power of change, read his story and consider supporting his petition for a pardon:
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