On Friday, October 15, Holy Innocents’ Episcopal School welcomed Ibi Zoboi and Dr. Yusef Salaam, authors of “Punching the Air” to speak with Upper School students. The book tells about a fictional teenager who is wrongly convicted of a crime and imprisoned. 

Ms. Zoboi and Dr. Salaam wrote the book with the hope of inspiring others who may be going through a struggle. The main character, Amal, used art and poetry to tell his story but also to cope with his situation. He explores many emotions, from anger to hope to forgiveness. 

“Ms. Zoboi did a brilliant job humanizing his story without being political,” Adrienne Rowe, Upper School teacher and dean, said. “There are moments in life that might derail you. This is triumph over tragedy.” 

Ms. Zoboi is the author of “American Street,” “Pride” and “My Life as an Ice Cream Sandwich,” all of which are young adult books. She lives in New Jersey with her husband and children. Dr. Salaam lives in Atlanta with his wife and children and is a poet, activist and inspirational speaker.