Jamal Joseph is a writer and activist in New York City. While incarcerated in his teens, Joseph earned two college degrees, wrote five plays, and produced two volumes of poetry. His most recent book is Panther Baby, a memoir about his years as a Black Panther.
When Jamal Joseph was 16, he was was one of the "Panther 21" -- a group arrested for an alleged plot to blow up the New York Botanical Gardens and several department stores. Here, he recalls the events that drew him into the organization's fold.