Author Description

Mateen Ajala Diop's life was a rollercoaster of one misfortune after another. He had to endure an abusive stepfather who repeatedly raped his older sister from a very young age. To escape his stepfather, Mateen's mother took him and his sister away. This move saw Mateen end up in Alamo Heights, San Antonio, where he constantly endured racist taunting and abuse. With increasing exposure to racism and racial discrimination, Mateen coasted through life without any guidance or prospects until he had a moment of clarity in the military. What was this moment about, and how did it alter Mateen's life? This autobiography is the story of one man's battle against all odds for the educational emancipation of himself and his community.