This afternoon, I’m sitting across from Shujaa Graham in a café. The sun is shining through the window and onto our table. He sits relaxed, his hands folded together, and there’s a peaceful vibe - a quiet strength built through pain.
Shujaa tells me he was born in Louisiana and raised in California; he grew up surrounded by poverty and racism. In his teens, he was wrongfully accused of murder and sentenced to death in the 1970s. After years of struggle, he was proven innocent and set free. Today, he is an activist and mentor who speaks about justice, forgiveness, and hope.
Interviewer/me: How do you feel right now, Shujaa?
Shujaa: (he sighs and looks out the window before answering.) Honestly, it’s almost hard to put into words. I spent so many years behind bars for something I didn’t do. Walking out, feeling the air on my face without bars between me and the sky—it’s freedom, but it’s also unreal. Sometimes I had to remind myself that I’m free now.
Interviewer/me: What was the first thing you did when you were released?
Shujaa: (he smiles, and you can see he really means it.) I hugged my family. My sister hugged me so tightly, I thought I might never breathe again. Then we went out for real food - fried chicken and rice. It sounds silly but eating normal food after prison made me want to cry.
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