I Am Maroon: A Life of Radicalism, Incarceration, and the Black Power Movement

A cinematic memoir of justice and redemption that traces one man’s tumultuous life from gang member to Black liberation leader to political prisoner.

Russell Shoatz was a gang member in inner Philadelphia starting at age 11. But at 23, after hearing Malcolm X speak, his life changed course. Shoatz would become a lifelong crusader for justice, a soldier in the most militant units of the Black Liberation Army, and a community organizer who was constantly brushing up against the notorious Frank Rizzo and his police commandos in Philly. As the struggle for self-determination among Black communities intensified, Shoatz was convicted to life in prison following a coordinated attack on a park police station that left one guard dead.

The prison walls, however, could not deter Shoatz’s battle for personal and collective freedom. He escaped state prisons twice, making him a living legend, and endowed him with the moniker ＂Maroon,＂ once used to honor runaway slaves from plantations. He survived 22 years in solitary confinement, prompting an international campaign for his freedom.

I Am Maroon charts a life of dizzying intrigue and long struggle for liberation. With an unforgettable voice, Maroon reminds us that we too are capable of radical change, leaving us a blueprint for how we might dedicate our lives and minds to the ongoing fight for freedom.

Russell ＂Maroon＂ Shoatz was a dedicated community activist, founding member of the Black Unity Council, former member of the Black Panther Party, and soldier in the Black Liberation Army.

Kanya D’Almeida won the 2021 Commonwealth Short Story Prize, becoming the first Sri Lankan and only the second Asian writer to hold the honor. She was awarded the Society of Authors’ annual short story award in 2022. Her journalism has appeared in Al Jazeera, TruthOut, and The Margins, and her fiction has appeared in Granta. She holds an MFA from Columbia University, where she studied under Victor LaValle.