Jamal Joseph was a 15-year-old honor student when joining the Black Panther Party. He later faced a 12-year sentence in Leavenworth Penitentiary for helping fugitive Panther members. Behind bars, he taught a theater group, and now he teaches the arts at Columbia University. His new book is part of Tell Me More's Black History Month memoir series. Advisory: This conversation may not be comfortable for some listeners.

The Help, the best-selling novel about the life of black maids in segregated Jackson, Miss., successfully transitioned into a box office smash. Viola Davis and Octavia Spenser are nominated for Oscars. Many fans are dismayed Oscar recognition goes to black women portraying domestics, a hated stereotype.