A BLACK HISTORY MONTH ENCORE:

The co-authors of “Punching the Air,” Ibi Zoboi and Yusef Salaam. Zoboi is the Haitian-born New York-raised author of such books as “American Street,” “Pride,” and “My Life as an Ice Cream Sandwich.” Dr. Yusef Salaam, is a poet, activist, inspirational speaker, and one of the group of young men wrongfully convicted and incarcerated as teens, first called the Central Park Five, now known as The Exonerated Five.

The two first met as students at Hunter College following Yusef’s release from prison where he served almost seven years for the crime he did not commit. Their nascent collaboration was fostered in a class taught by Dr. Marimba Ani who instilled in them an African consciousness that mobilized in each a desire to use their creativity in the service of challenging racial inequity and the criminal injustice system in America.

A chance meeting years later, after Salaam had reclaimed his life and artistic aspiration and Zoboi had become a multi-published author, was the spark that set in motion their masterpiece of young adult literature. “Punching the Air,” based on Yusef Salaam’s writings, drawings, and memories of his years in prison.

There have been a number of profound reflections on the shameful story of the Central Park Five -- notably  Joan Didion’s 1991 essay, “Sentimental Journeys,”  Ken Burns’ 2012 documentary “The Central Park Five,” and last year both an opera and Ava Duvernay’s Netflix series “When They See Us” -- But “Punching the Air” is the first rendering of the grave  miscarriage of justice from the inside, as an interior monologue, a soliloquy, a redemption song by one who lived it.But “Punching the Air” is the first rendering of the grave  miscarriage of justice from the inside, as an interior monologue, a soliloquy, a redemption song by one who lived it.

Hosted by Janet Coleman and David Dozer

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