Empathy Lessons from Incarceration to Liberation - A Spotlight on Halim Flowers

My weekly Purposeful Empathy newsletter is dedicated to amplifying the voices of people from around the globe who believe the world needs more empathy - and are doing something about it. In September, I’m highlighting the work of two incredible empathy scholars and two inspiring men who understand the power of empathy to change lives, workplaces, and the world.

At 16, Halim Flowers was labeled a "superpredator" and sentenced to life for a felony murder he didn’t commit. Yet, after serving 22 years in prison, he emerged not as a broken man but as a symbol of resilience, transformation, and hope.

His extraordinary journey, chronicled in the Emmy-winning documentary Thug Life in DC, reveals a story that extends far beyond incarceration. 

Behind bars, Halim found unlikely mentors—men who had been incarcerated for decades. They opened his mind to literature and music, giving him a glimpse into a world beyond prison walls. "They saw something in me that was salvageable," he told me.

Through reading, and later writing, Halim transcended anger and resentment to reclaim his dignity and self-worth in an environment designed to strip them away.

Today, Halim is a celebrated author of 11 books and a globally renowned visual artist. His artwork has been exhibited worldwide, with several pieces commissioned for prestigious events, including the Queen of England’s Platinum Jubilee and Warner Brothers’ centennial celebration.

During a recent conversation on my podcast, Halim shared a deeply emotional story about a judge’s empathic decision to transfer him from a West Coast prison back to the East Coast— a move that likely saved his life. As he recounted the story, he was flooded by emotions. So was I. That's the power of purposeful empathy. 

Despite his inspiring story, the battle for criminal justice reform is far from over. Just last week, Marcellus Williams was executed in Missouri, despite pleas from prosecutors and the victim’s family to spare his life. According to the Death Penalty Information Center, at least 200 people sentenced to death since 1973 were later exonerated.

From being wrongly labeled a superpredator to becoming an acclaimed artist, and a loving husband and father, Halim’s story is a powerful call to action—urging us all to fight harder for justice to ensure that every voice that has ever been silenced can be heard.

Want to learn more about empathy? Order my debut book, Purposeful Empathy: Tapping Our Hidden Superpower for Personal, Organizational, and Social Change.

Watch my Purposeful Empathy interview with Halim Flowers on YouTube here or listen to it as a podcast on your favourite platform (Spotify or Apple Podcasts).