In 1991, Shaka Senghor was sent to prison for second-degree murder.
Today, he is a lecturer at universities, a leading voice on criminal
justice reform, and an inspiration to thousands.
In life, it's not how you start that matters. It's how you finish.
Shaka
Senghor was raised in a middle class neighborhood on Detroit's east
side during the height of the 1980s crack epidemic. An honor roll
student and a natural leader, he dreamed of becoming a doctor but at age
11, his parents' marriage began to unravel, and the beatings from his
mother worsened, sending him on a downward spiral that saw him run away
from home, turn to drug dealing to survive, and end up in prison for
murder at the age of 19, fuming with anger and despair.
Writing My
Wrongs is the story of what came next. During his nineteen-year
incarceration, seven of which were spent in solitary confinement,
Senghor discovered literature, meditation, self-examination, and the
kindness of others tools he used to confront the demons of his past,
forgive the people who hurt him, and begin atoning for the wrongs he had
committed. Upon his release at age thirty-eight, Senghor became an
activist and mentor to young men and women facing circumstances like
his. His work in the community and the courage to share his story led
him to fellowships at the MIT Media Lab and the Kellogg Foundation and
invitations to speak at events like TED and the Aspen Ideas Festival.
In
equal turns, Writing My Wrongs is a page-turning portrait of life in
the shadow of poverty, violence, and fear; an unforgettable story of
redemption, reminding us that our worst deeds don't define us; and a
compelling witness to our country's need for rethinking its approach to
crime, prison, and the men and women sent there.
