Salim released

The  Baltimore Sun's  article about Sadiki's release  made me go  to my  prison journal where I had recorded a conversation with him in the 80s.  Excerpts of the conversation are below:

 

"It started with petty thievery when we steal because we were hungry.  Then it became easy and we took more things.  Then we were daring one another as to who could take the most under the most challenging situation.

 Later it gave us a certain sense of power. I could walk into a store and come out with a thousand dollar coat in a matter of minutes.  It did not make sense to work at some job at McDonalds for about $4 an hour.

 Dressed in my expensive coat, clothes and with all my ring and chains, Miss S" He paused, opened his eyes wide, emphasizing the next words to show the power those clothes gave him.

 "I could have any girl or woman I want."   He sat quietly for a moment, as if he had nodded off.  Then he roused himself and continued.

 "Yes the women were there just ready for me and the other guys, the more expensive you look, the more choices you had.

 I was young, that was the life, I had no incentive to work.  The future was so far away.  In the sixties, I joined the civil rights movement, and did everything the young people did in those days.  I tried every form of drugs."

 His tone became reflective; his eyes took on a faraway look.  Suddenly he continued.

 "I think that a lot of the things I can't remember now is the result of my experiments with all those drugs.” 

He said in a tone as if he had expected me to contradict him,

"It must have affected my brain Miss Shirley.

Salim gave me the card on the right for Kwanzaa.