When Ibi Zoboi randomly bumped into her former college classmate, Yusef Salaam, of The Central Park Five she knew serendipity was at work, and she knew she needed to help him write his story for young adults. Together, they authored Punching The Air, the tragic, beautiful, and touching story of a young Black boy convicted of a crime he did not commit. While the story is fictional it parallels the real-life wrongful conviction of co-author Yusef Salaam in 1989.  In This Episode: How the real-life story of, Yusef Salaam, of the Central Park Five lead to writing and publishing Punching The Air How being young, black, and male is often a literal jail sentence in America Realizing that processing our rage is a necessary human action Listener Perks:  ---> Enter Our Giveaway! - Go to www.Thatswhatshedidpodcast.com to enter to win FREE books from our featured authors. ---> Libro.fm - Purchase audiobooks directly from your favorite local bookstore. Choose from more than 150,000 audiobooks, including New York Times bestsellers and recommendations from booksellers around the country. Use Code: SheDid at checkout to get a 2-month audiobook membership for the price of one month!  ---> Need a library card? Register for an eCard today and immediately access hundreds of eMedia resources including eBooks, audiobooks, music, movies, and more at DenverLibrary.org ---> Our listeners get 10% off at The Feminist Shop! Use code SheDid at checkout.  Follow Ibi Zoboi: www.ibizoboi.net IG: @ibizoboi Follow The Show:  Contact the Show: ThatsWhatSheDidPodcast@gmail.com IG: @That'sWhatSheDidPodcast FB: That'sWhatSheDidPodcast Website: That'sWhatSheDidPodcast.com