A CONVERSATION WITH JAMAL JOSEPH AND ASHANTI ALSTON
JAMAL JOSEPH
FounderJamal Joseph grew up in the Bronx and joined the Panthers at 15. He was one of the Panther 21 — activists arrested in 1969 on conspiracy charges and ultimately acquitted. After serving time in Leavenworth, he transformed prison time into education and creative work, earning two degrees and writing plays. He is now a Professor of Professional Practice at Columbia University and the first Black chair of its Graduate Film Division, as well as founder of IMPACT Repertory Theatre in Harlem. He has been nominated for both an Oscar and an Emmy.
ASHANTI ALSTON
Ashanti Omowali Alston is a writer, speaker, and member of the steering committee of the Jericho Movement, which advocates for U.S. political prisoners. Born in Plainfield, NJ in 1954, he joined the BPP at 17 before moving into the Black Liberation Army. His years in prison sparked a deep political evolution away from hierarchical organization and toward Black Anarchism — a philosophy he has spent decades developing and teaching. His forthcoming book, Anarchist Panther, is out August 2026.
"Run to Death or Walk to Life" — A Conversation with Ashanti Alston & Jamal Joseph
Two Panther veterans sit down with The Dugout to reflect on decades of resistance, transformation, and revolutionary love. Ashanti Alston and Jamal Joseph — who joined the Black Panther Party at 17 and 15 years old, respectively — trace the arc from Newark riots and Bronx foster care to the BLA underground, prison cells, and the work they carry forward today.
This episode covers it all: what drew two teenagers into one of the most consequential revolutionary organizations in American history, what they discovered once inside, and what they had to unlearn. They speak honestly about the BPP's internal contradictions, the turn toward armed struggle, the texture of life underground, and how incarceration became a crucible of political and personal transformation. They also reflect on Black masculinity, the legacy of Kuwasi Balagoon, and the revolutionary role of love.