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Writing My Wrongs

Life, Death, and One Man's Story of Redemption in an American Prison

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Writing My Wrongs

By: Shaka Senghor
Narrated by: Shaka Senghor
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About this listen

 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • An “extraordinary, unforgettable” (Michelle Alexander, author of The New Jim Crow) memoir of redemption and second chances amidst America’s mass incarceration epidemic, from a member of Oprah’s SuperSoul 100

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 eleven, his parents’ marriage began to unravel, and beatings from his mother worsened, which sent him on a downward spiral. He ran away from home, turned to drug dealing to survive, and ended up in prison for murder at the age of nineteen, full of 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; and a compelling witness to our country’s need for rethinking its approach to crime, prison, and the men and women sent there. Activists Politics & Activism Social Sciences Crime Murder
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This was a wonderful book. And sadly ended too quickly. I wanted to hear more. You cannot judge a person for what he WAS. You can however judge a person for what he IS and more importantly, what he will BECOME.
Congratulations Shaka and thank you for sharing too.

You can’t judge a person for what he was…..!

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This book is a truly inspiring story of resilience. The author's struggles with his parents separation resonated. The author's narration made the story feel even more real and authentic. His reflections on prison life were quite an eye opener and at times the writing was so captivating that I just wanted to keep listening to find out what happens next. Listening to what the author went through and how he kept going despite being in a challenging environment and facing setbacks after setbacks inspired me to not give up on my dreams and even motivated me to begin my own journaling practice.

A Story of Hope and Redemption

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