Conscious Conviction

Powerful and poetic, "Conscious Convictions" is an expressive reflection on the trials and tribulations of a life. The words illustrate pain, joy, and the power of one's intellectual prowess to perpetuate inner growth. This is the poetic memoir of a man who has made mistakes but refuses to be a captive of circumstance.

At first read, I knew that Conscious Convictions was a personal piece. It was a look into his life in the form of the spoken word. An elaborate illustration of the depths of his minds depicting where he has been, where he is, and where he wants to be. I was overwhelmingly intrigued and was carried away by the articulation of his experiences. I was completely immersed in the efficacy of his delivery and expression. This book is more than a collection of poems. It is a depiction of a man's journey and his struggle for freedom. The battle of a black man that has made mistakes and has learned and grown from them. The importance of reflecting and deciphering decisions to make the future. Once again, an infrequency in men in his situation. Instead of letting his circumstances consume him, he is using them to inspire and encourage others in his same predicament. The cadence and wordplay are expelled from the depths of his insight and personal experience. The importance of this expressive and personal quest is to let others know that they are not alone, that the consequences of our actions can be configured into something beautiful, and that a man is the master of his destiny and that your mind is your greatest asset. The subject matter is meant to reach those who feel mentally trapped while being physically trapped.

Ironically, on the date of his birth in 1868 the 14th amendment was ratified, guaranteeing Negros citizenship and all its privileges, and was officially adopted into the U.S. Constitution. CJ, as a young black man, would eventually face the effects of the motivation of the 14th amendment, which has no guarantees. The struggle and constant conflict of this truth exists even now, decades later. After 24 years on earth, the trajectory of CJ's life took a detour. Freedom as he knew it was no more. However, although he became physically confined to four walls, the four walls of his mind remain free to create. From childhood, CJ has been on a quest to express his thinking through creation. He embodies a natural ability to scribe and illustrate. He creates from a place of relevancy, which includes both his happy place, as well as his place of pain.