At the age of only fifteen, Eddie Joseph, a high school honors student in the Bronx, New York, joined the Black Panther Party. It was the late 1960s, and Eddie, who renamed himself Jamal, found himself, within a year, as part of the group of Black Panthers known as the Panther 21. The Panther 21 had been arrested on multiple charges, including conspiring to start a guerrilla war in New York. He was sent to the infamous Rikers Island prison at age 16, eventually being exonerated because of his young age. Jamal Joseph became one of the youngest spokes people and leaders in the Black Panther Party’s New York Chapter. Going on to become involved as an adult to help rid the black community of drugs, he found himself in prison once more, this time for a sentence of more than 12 years. In Leavenworth prison where he served his sentence, Jamal Joseph began writing plays, poetry, and music. Eventually he went on to earn two degrees, and founded and ran a prison theater. Today he is a full professor at Columbia University’s School of the Arts Film Program. In a new book entitled Panther Baby: A Life of Rebellion and Reinvention, Godfather to Tupac Shakur, and Oscar nominee, Jamal Joseph tell his incredible story.

On Thursday February 9, 2012, Jamal Joseph spoke with Uprising host Sonali Kolhatkar on KPFK Pacifica Radio. Watch a video of the interview here:

Martina Steiner recorded this interview.