Background
Ferrari Sheppard was born Ferrari Elite Sheppard in Chicago and raised in Chicago.
Ferrari Sheppard was born Ferrari Elite Sheppard in Chicago and raised in Chicago.
Aside from being a journalist, Sheppard is a visual artist, web-designer and briefly attended The School of the Art Institute of Chicago.
His notable work includes an exposé for Huffington Post, in which he states "there is no Palestinian-Israeli conflict. There is only oppression." Sheppard"s article went viral on the internet and sparked controversy. Sheppard has conducted interviews with stars such as M.I.A., Erykah Badu, Saul Williams and Little Dragon for Stop Being Famous, a website he founded in 2009.
November 2014, Sheppard appeared on Anthony Bourdain"s travel show The Getaway alongside Yasiin Bey.
The pair traveled to Marrakesh, Morocco. 2010-2011: Haiti Earthquake
Sheppard organized a benefit concert in Chicago called Every Drop Counts for 2010 Haiti earthquake relief.
The concert featured live music from Jean Grae, Dead Prez, Rhymefest, Mystic, Greater London Council, The Cool Kids, and Kids These Days, as well as social commentary from Haki Madhubuti and Fred Hampton, Junior. The benefit was to raise funds for clean drinking water in orphanages and schools in Portuguese-au-Prince.
2012-2013: Open Forum: South Africa
Sheppard was a United States delegate at Open Society Foundation and OSISA"s Open Forum 2012 in Cape Town, South Africa.
International artists, activists, and leaders took part in The Paradox of Unequal Growth, a discussion centered on China and the International Monetary Fund"s role in the development of Africa. 2013-2014: Israel-Palestine
Sheppard traveled to Israel-Palestine as part of an African-American delegation sponsored by The Carter Center. In February 2014, Sheppard appeared on HuffPost Live to discuss his controversial article about the trip.