Better Not Bitter by Yusef Salaam
Named a Best Book of 2021 by NPRThis inspirational memoir serves as a call to action from prison reform activist Yusef Salaam, of the Exonerated Five, to turn our stories into tools for change in the pursuit of racial justice.
They didn't know who they had. So begins Yusef Salaam telling his story. No one's life is the sum of the worst things that happened to them, and during Yusef Salaam's seven years of wrongful incarceration as one of the Central Park Five, he grew from child to man, and gained a spiritual perspective on life. Yusef learned that we're all "born on purpose, with a purpose."
Despite having confronted the racist heart of America while being "run over by the spiked wheels of injustice," Yusef channeled his energy and pain into something positive, not just for himself but for other marginalized people and communities. Better Not Bitter is the first time that one of the now Exonerated Five is telling his individual story, in his own words. Yusef writes about growing up Black in central Harlem in the '80s, being raised by a strong, fierce mother and grandmother, his years of incarceration, his reentry, and exoneration. Yusef connects these stories to lessons and principles he learned that gave him the power to survive through the worst of life's experiences. He inspires readers to accept their own path, and to understand their own sense of purpose.
With his intimate personal insights, Yusef unpacks the systems built and designed for profit and the oppression of Black and Brown people. He inspires readers to channel their fury into action, and through the spiritual, to turn that anger and trauma into a constructive force that lives alongside accountability and mobilizes change.
Yusef Salaam's message is vital for our times. Better, Not Bitter has the power to soothe, inspire and transform. It is a galvanizing call to action.
"Salaam's compelling memoir is one of astounding warmth ... This book should be read by anyone who wants to hear the story of the Exonerated Five directly from one of its members." ―NPR
"An important memoir and call to action that sheds light on the personal injustices of mass incarceration." ―Library Journal
"Warm, generous, and inspirational: a book for everyone." ―Kirkus Reviews
Salaam, Yusef: - Yusef Salaam was born in Harlem, New York City and raised in Lumberton, North Carolina, where he graduated from J. H. Hayswood High School in 1965. He writes regularly for the New York Beacon. He is a member of the National Writers Union. He was a guest on the Oprah Winfrey Show to discuss Why White Men Fear Black Men. The Harlemite is the recipient of several awards and grants, including a Council of the City of New York Proclamation for his contributions as an English teacher and writer. He is currently writing a children's book, Elijah Muhammad: Builder of a Nation and a book of essays, Healing My Soul of the Word Nigger. His plays have been produced and read on stages in theatres, libraries, homes, restaurants, cultural centers, and colleges.
| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9781538704998 |
| ISBN 10 | 1538704994 |
| Title | Better Not Bitter |
| Author | Yusef Salaam |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Binding Type | Paperback |
| Publisher | Grand Central Publishing |
| Year published | 2022-05-17 |
| Number of pages | 304 |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |