First published 2016
Shaka Senghor grows up in middle class Detroit during the crack epidemic of the 1980s. An honor student who dreams of medical school, his life derails at eleven when his parents' marriage collapses and his mother's abuse intensifies. He runs away, deals drugs to survive, and lands in prison at nineteen for second degree murder. Behind bars for nineteen years, seven in solitary confinement, Senghor discovers books, meditation, and self reflection. These tools help him confront his past, forgive those who hurt him, and accept responsibility for his crimes. Released at thirty eight, he becomes an activist mentoring young people in similar situations. His community work earns him fellowships at MIT and the Kellogg Foundation, plus speaking invitations to TED and the Aspen Ideas Festival. Senghor examines life amid poverty and violence while demonstrating that people can change and arguing for criminal justice reform.
Genres: african-american, crime, autobiography, non-fiction, biography-memoir, activism, family-drama, american-history
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: redemption, second-chance
Setting: Detroit
Period: 1980s
268 pages · Hardcover · Convergent Books
Content warnings: abuse, addiction, child-abuse, violence