To the Point
The First Prison Memoir of Black Man Discovered
Historians believe they've authenticated the earliest recovered memoir written in prison by a black American. It dates to 1858 — before the Civil War and emancipation. The Life and Adventures of a Haunted Convict , or the Inmate of a Gloomy Prison, has been a mystery since it was discovered by a rare books dealer in upstate New York.
By Warren Olney • • 1 min readHistorians believe they've authenticated the earliest recovered memoir written in prison by a black American. It dates to 1858 — before the Civil War and emancipation. The Life and Adventures of a Haunted Convict, or the Inmate of a Gloomy Prison, has been a mystery since it was discovered by a rare books dealer in upstate New York. Now it's authenticated under the name of Bob Reed, believed to have been born a free man who learned to read and write in reform school. Brenda Stevenson is a history professor at UCLA, author of The Contested Murder of Latasha Harlins: Justice, Gender and the Origins of the LA Riots, discusses its historical significance.
Warren Olney
former KCRW broadcaster
Caitlin Shamberg
KCRW
Christian Bordal
Managing Producer, Greater LA
Kareem Maddox
Three-on-three basketball player in the final stages of qualifying for Olympics; former KCRW intern
Brenda Stevenson
professor of history and African American studies at UCLA; author of “The Contested Murder of Latasha Harlins: Justice, Gender, and the Origins of the LA Riots”