Shaka Senghor Character Analysis

Redemption, courage, and transformation. These are characteristics that I believe describe an American that’s made a dramatic impact in my life over the last decade. It wasn’t until about two years ago that I first learned about Shaka Senghor and his life altering decision to commit murder. Taboo. However, for Shaka who had previously been a victim of gun violence shot three times his unequivocal decision didn’t seem farfetched, but rational.

Most people cannot understand why I have selected Shaka Senghor as an American who’s made a significant contribution in the last decade. I don’t care about the status quo my goal is to reach the outliers of which I consider Mr. Senghor. After spending two decades incarcerated it is mostly what Senghor went through during his sentence that contributed to his conversion. Senghor lived more than 7 years of his prison sentence in solitude confinement which provided him with much time to reflect on his choices and more importantly to examine his life and share what he learned with others.

Shaka was not a gatekeeper of knowledge but a seeker and a mentor to others. For this I am grateful. It is because of Mr. Senghor’s mission post incarceration to continue doing work in improving and informing at risk and economically disadvantaged communities that I salute his accomplishments. I respect

I only hope that I become half of the man Shaka is as I continue to develop into a man. I am sixteen years old and an African American male. Although I may not have experienced the same childhood as Senghor I am familiar with the stereotypes that lead many minorities into the pipeline to prison. I believe if it wasn’t for my mom’s exposure to Shaka’s compelling 2014 ted talk that I would’ve ever learned about the criminal justice system and the possibility of redemption for hardened criminal’s even