Jamal Joseph facts for kids
Jamal Joseph (born Edward L. Joseph in 1953) is an American writer, director, and educator. He is also a poet and an activist. Jamal Joseph was a member of the Black Panther Party. He has taught at Columbia University and created many books and films.
Contents
Jamal Joseph: A Life of Creativity and Activism
Early Life and Joining the Black Panthers
Jamal Joseph was born in New York City. His parents were both Afro-Cuban. His father, Alipio Zorilla, was a friend of Fidel Castro. He later became Cuba's ambassador to Tanzania and Zambia. Jamal was raised in Harlem by his foster family's housekeeper and her husband.
He joined the Black Panther Party in September 1968. He was 15 years old at the time. The Assassination of Martin Luther King had happened that same year. This event made Joseph feel very upset. He looked for the Panthers because he thought they were a strong Black group. He expected to get a gun from them. Instead, they gave him many books by African-American authors. They told him this was how he would be "armed."
Legal Experiences and Education
In 1969, Joseph was one of the people accused in the Panther 21 trial. This trial claimed the Panthers planned attacks in New York City. Joseph spent a year in prison while waiting for the decision. In the end, he and all the other people were found not guilty. During his time in the Black Panther Party, Joseph became friends with Afeni Shakur. She was also accused in the Panther 21 trial. Joseph later became the Godfather to her son, Tupac Shakur.
In 1981, Jamal Joseph was found guilty of helping someone who was wanted by the law. This person was Mutulu Shakur, Afeni's husband. For this, Joseph spent five and a half years in Leavenworth State Penitentiary in Kansas. While in prison, he earned two college degrees. He also wrote his first play during this time.
A Career in Arts and Education
After leaving prison, Jamal Joseph became a poet, author, playwright, and director. He earned his BA degree with very high honors from the University of Kansas. This was while he was at Leavenworth. His first job after prison was at Touro College in East Harlem. He helped arrange special graduation ceremonies at the Apollo Theatre.
Joseph is now a full professor at Columbia University. He used to be the head of its Graduate Film Division. He is also the artistic director of the New Heritage Theatre Group in Harlem. He has appeared on HBO's Def Poetry Jam and BET's American Gangster. He also contributed to Tupac Shakur's The Rose That Grew from Concrete Volumes 1 and 2. He wrote an interactive book about Tupac Shakur called Tupac Shakur Legacy.
Awards and Recognition
In 2008, Joseph was nominated for an Academy Award. This was in the Best Song category. He helped create the song "Raise It Up." This song was performed in the 2007 film August Rush.
His memoir, a book about his own life, is called Panther Baby. It was published in February 2012 by Algonquin Books. A TV show based on this book is being made by Starz. It will be directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood.
Writing and Directing Films
Joseph is a co-founder of the Harlem Film Company. He started it with producer Cheryl Hill. In 2016, their company released the film Chapter & Verse. Joseph helped write and directed this movie. The film was chosen as a New York Times Critics’ Pick.
In 2023, Joseph was interviewed in the FX TV show Dear Mama.
