| Jamal Joseph is a writer, director, producer, poet, activist and educator who credits his time spent in the Black Panther Party and the nine years he spent in prison as the inspirational fires that forged his creative sword. |
| In 1968 at the age of 15 Jamal joined the Panthers. Six months later he was arrested as the youngest member of the New York Panther 21. Afeni Shakur was also a member of the Panther 21. Afeni adopted Jamal as her "little brother" and
the two created a bond of family and love that has lasted through prison, drug addiction, recovery, tragedy and triumph. |
| Jamal was close to Tupac his whole life. They enjoyed hanging out together whenever Tupac was in New York and debated and "acted out" subjects ranging from politics and family to hip hop and kung fu movies. Jamal's commitment to bringing creative arts and leadership training to young people is a tribute to discussions and plans he made with Tupac to build arts programs across the country. |
| While in prison Jamal earned two college degrees, wrote five plays and two volumes of poetry. Two of these plays, Beyond The Call of Duty and 30 Days and A Wake Up, became award-winning Black theater productions. Jamal studied film at Third World Newsreel and is an alumnus of the Sundance Director's Lab. |
| Jamal is the co-author of "Look For Me In The Whirlwind", the collective biography of the New York Panther 21. His poetry has been published in the anthology "Hauling Up The Morning" and numerous journals and magazines. |
| Jamal's screenwriting credits include Ali: An American Hero for FOX, Bad Blood for New York Undercover, The Many Trials of Tammy B for Nickelodeon and "Knights of The South Bronx" for A&E. He wrote and directed Drive By: A Love Story and Da Zone for Black Starz. He is currently writing Tupac Shakur: In the Beginning for MTV films and The Courtship of Eddie's Father for Warner Brothers. |
| He is the director of Hughes Dreams Harlem, a poetic documentary about Langston Hughes and is currently filming Shake Loose Memories: The Life and Work of Sonia Sanchez. |
| Jamal is currently the chair of Columbia University's Graduate Film Division and the Artistic Director of New Heritage Theater in Harlem. He is the proud co-founder of Impact, New Heritage's youth theater ensemble that has a membership of 50 young artist/community activists. |
| His wife Joyce is a writer, director and actress. They have three children; Jamal who is a writer, filmmaker and a Marymount, Manhattan alum, Jad, an aspiring filmmaker who is attending Brown University, and daughter Jindai, a singer, dancer and actress who attends Dalton. |
| His awards include a James Baldwin Playwriting award, a Cine Golden Eagle, a New York Foundation of the Arts playwriting fellowship, an AUDELCO award and a Black Filmmakers Hall of Fame Award. |