![]() ![]() ![]() An echo of Salaam, Amal is simply a boy who was in the wrong place at the wrong time all the while, Amal is continuously referred to as “the defendant” and portrayed as a fully-grown man rather than the young boy he is. When he is found guilty, he is sent to a juvenile detention facility. Infused with Salaam’s wisdom, perspective and even some of the poetry he wrote while incarcerated, Amal’s truth comes to life on the page.Īmal’s life dramatically changes after one intense night when he is accused of assaulting a white boy. Though Amal’s story is inspired by Salaam’s, it is not an exact replica: “We decided that we had to make Amal a 2020 version of 1989 Yusef, and that is a boy who is incredibly self-aware,” Zoboi shared in an August interview with NPR. Amal’s story begins in the courtroom, where he awaits his verdict. In the novel, the fictional Amal Shahid is a 16-year-old Black Muslim poet and artist who is convicted of a crime he didn’t commit. Now, nearly 20 years after their first encounter, Zoboi brings Salaam’s perspective to light once more. ![]() Zoboi writes that the wrongful conviction of the Exonerated Five awakened her and many others, “to the injustices of their country and of the world.” Having met Salaam two years after he was released from prison, Zoboi was a college reporter anxious to investigate the case and share Salaam’s story. ![]()
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