Hot Read Interview: Michelle Coles, DOJ Attorney Who Closed Notorious Juvenile Prisons Debuts Her Book, “Black Was the Ink”

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Michelle Coles is an attorney with the Department of Justice Civil Rights division. Her work contributed to the closure of multiple cruel juvenile prisons including the Dozier Correctional Facility in Florida and Walnut Grove Correctional Facility in Mississippi. Coles was also one of the first DOJ attorneys on the ground in Ferguson, MO. following the police killing of unarmed teenager, Michael Brown Jr.

Now, she’s the debut author of “Black Was the Ink”. Through the help of one of the ancestors, sixteen-year-old Malcolm is sent on a journey through Reconstruction-era America to find his place in modern-day Black progress. Through “Black Was the Ink”, she hopes that revealing the often hidden history of African Americans will empower young people to understand how history informs the present so they can reimagine their destiny.

Listen in to our chat about the book, issues our community faces today and more.