“Let go and let God”
Dr. Yusef Salaam is one of the most graceful and inspiring people I’ve ever met. Given what he’s gone through—in 1989, when he was just 15, he was tried and convicted in the “Central Park Jogger” case and spent nearly seven years in prison for a crime he didn’t commit; the sentences of the Exonerated Five were overturned in 2002—it is humbling to hear his thoughts on family, faith, and hope. The title of his memoir sums up his life philosophy in three words, Better, not Bitter; I highly recommend it.
Even before you hear Dr. Yusef’s gentle, euphonious voice—he often pauses to find just the right word, quote or metaphor to explain his thought—you notice the way he dresses—always elegant, typically in a double breasted suit, pocket square, polished shoes, often a dapper hat and scarf, necklace and rings that he designed himself with “CP5” emblazoned on them. It was an honor to ask him a couple questions from the 30 Days Journal—first, I wanted to know what brings him joy.
“What brings me the most joy is that there is a grace…I don’t want to say that has been gifted to me, because God gifts us all grace…but that I am able to recognize and be thankful for. There is a saying in the African American community, “Let go and let God.” A lot of times we want to be in control, we want to make sure that things go exactly accordingly to plan. But everything is up to the Divine. When you let go and let the reality of Allah be present, you can sit back and smile and say I had a plan but God’s plan was better than my plan, and made my plan even more magnificent because of how it happened.
You know it’s one thing if you’re a criminal and you’re out there doing activities that will ultimately land you in prison, but it’s another thing when you’re not a criminal and you happen to find yourself under oppression, under the clutches of systemic issues…how people see you and what they think of you and what they want to do to you is beyond your control. You can curse God, or you can let go and let God. Allah’s plan is the best of plans, and when you allow that reality into your consciousness, it gives you a certain understanding; you might not be able to explain it, but the peace that you find, the happiness, the humility, the grace, the blessing—you find all of that, and you’re ok. This is what brings me joy.
My faith deepened when I got to prison; the closest I’ve ever felt to Allah was in prison. I had a young man’s understanding of what Islam was when I went in. But when you go through something like this, you grow through something like this. Going into prison was a benefit I would say because it removed me from society, it turned the noise down—and sometimes you have to be taken and put into a chrysalis in order to develop into a butterfly.”
With his grandmother Ida Mae.
Of course I also wanted to know a wisdom from an elder that guides him.
“My grandmother would always send me letters and cards when I was in prison. When I got to speak to her, I remember saying to her once, “May God grant you a long life.” And she corrected me, she said you should rather say, “May God grant you life in your years.”
Wow. As I thought about it, a lot of times you think you want to have a long life because you want to have grand experiences and all of that, but imagine not being able to participate in any of that. So to have life in the years that you have gives you a different kind of ability to show up and be present and participate.”
In his memoir, Dr. Yusef says that his grandmother would address these letters and cards to "Master Yusef Salaam" to remind him who he was and because she "wanted the correctional officers to know who they were holding.... that there were people outside of the facility who loved and cherished" him.
Thank you Dr. Yusef for your inspiration, courage, faith, and grace—and for teaching us how to live better, not bitter. And thank you for your warm words about the 30 Days book, so glad you enjoyed it!
The 30 Days book and 30 Days journal make beautiful gifts, for Eid, Mother’s Day, graduations, weddings, birthdays, or for your own self care. You can purchase them here (please use discount code “freeshipping” in the US as an Eid treat!).
Please follow more inspiring stories on Instagram @salma.hasan.ali.
This is newsletter #30. If you know anyone who might enjoy this newsletter, they can subscribe here. A few past newsletters:
On shame, and being human (Amena Khan)
Farhan Latif’s wisdom from his dad
Journalist Mehdi Hasan’s wisdom from his dad
A Letter of Gratitude, for my Husband’s Surgeon
Wisdoms Inspired in Nature: My New Book!
Life Lessons for my Son, that I Learned this Week
Coming to America and the Power of Our Stories