Albert Woodfox was held in solitary confinement for more than 45 years, longer than any prisoner in our nation’s history. Framed for the murder of a white prison guard in 1972 in retaliation for his membership in the Black Panther Party, he was confined to a 6-by-9 foot cell 23 hours a day, and routinely subjected to abuse and injustice. He maintained his dignity and humanity by reading works of literature, philosophy, history, and law, transforming his cell into his own university. His extraordinary memoir chronicles his experiences with insight and wisdom, vividly exposing just how broken our criminal justice system is.
A queer Chicana poet and activist treasures the life of her ailing mother and Moraga clan matriarch, Elvira. As Moraga writes so eloquently in her prologue, “Few bemoan the memory loss of the unlettered. My mother- and her generation of MexicanAmerican women- was to disappear quietly... But when storytellers go, taking their unrecorded memory with them, we their descendants go too, I fear.” Here is the story of a woman seen and unseen, a mother who accepted her lesbian daughter, and left a legacy for the rest of us to keep alive by reading it.
Many know Damon Young as the co-creator of VerySmartBrothas.com, a popular blog site know for its serious, yet hilarious, commentary on black popular culture. His essay memoir is just as funny and thought provoking as his online essays. I enjoyed the collections because he is able to make such serious points with a dash of humor. When reflecting on what Young has shared, I am reminded that many of us laugh to keep from crying.
