In a Gust, The Hurricane Leaves Us Behind; RIP Rubin “Hurricane” Carter: We Look Back at Our 2011 CYInterview
Rubin "Hurricane" Carter passed away today. He was 76 years old. Mr. Carter, who initially rose to fame as a boxer, is best remembered for his incarceration and subsequent battle with the criminal justice system, based on his protestations of innocence. After being convicted of murdering three people at a tavern in New Jersey in 1966, Mr. Carter's conviction was overturned in 1985 after having served 19 years in prison. No doubt, many know Rubin Carter's story owing to the 1999 movie The Hurricane. Oscar winning actor Denzel Washington portrayed the incarcerated pugilist in that film. In 2011, I spoke with Mr. Carter for over 35 minutes. In our CYInterview, he told me prison was the best thing that ever happened to him, even though he always maintained his innocence. Rubin also spoke about Muhammad Ali, Nelson Mandela, the Canadian family who assisted in getting him released from prison, inaccuracies in the movie The Hurricane, as well as many other topics.