In 1971, Eddie Conway, Lieutenant of Security for the Baltimore chapter of the Black Panther Party, was convicted of murdering a police officer and sentenced to life plus thirty years behind bars. Paul Coates was a community worker at the time and didn't know Eddie well – the little he knew, he didn't much like. But Paul was dead certain that Eddie's charges were bogus. He vowed never to leave Eddie – and in so doing, changed the course of both their lives. For over forty-three years, as he raised a family and started a business, Paul visited Eddie in prison, often taking his kids with him. He and Eddie shared their lives and worked together on dozens of legal campaigns in hopes of gaining Eddie's release. Paul's founding of the Black Classic Press in 1978 was originally a way to get books to Eddie in prison. When, in 2014, Eddie finally walked out onto the streets of Baltimore, Paul Coates was there to greet him. Today, these two men remain rock-solid comrades and friends – each, the other's chosen brother. When Eddie and Paul met in the Baltimore Panther Party, they were in their early twenties. They are now into their seventies. This book is a record of their lives and their relationship, told in their own voices. Paul and Eddie talk about their individual stories, their work, their politics, and their immeasurable bond. "There is much to be learned from Paul and Eddie: the value of friendship, the importance of hope, the need we all have for guiding principles, the firm belief that the world can be changed for the better. Readers will not be disappointed by this book. They will surely be uplifted." — Monthly Review "Contextualized and compact, The Brother You Choose is a useful addition to the literature arising from the social movements challenging systemic racism in the United States." — Counterpunch Susie Day’s new book, The Brother You Choose , offers a wealth of insights into how the Black Panthers were able to transform individual disaffection into collective revolutionary organizing practices." — Truthout "Both Paul Coates and Eddie Conway have stood up for decades and their example showcases the power of friendship, commitment, and loyalty. What’s more, no matter how much work is left undone–no matter how much of a mess the world continues to be in—their friendship remains beautiful, important, and inspiring." — The Independent " The Brother You Choose is a landmark book for anyone who wants to understand the deep connectivity of Black America. It provides a ringside seat to the bruising fight for Civil Rights with two men, Eddie Conway and Paul Coates, as they provide necessary lessons on politics, change, community and enduring bonds. Their journey together and their hard-earned insights span nearly fifty years of seismic change in America. We see it through their experiences from prison to publishing house, their transformation from Vietnam War vets to Black Panthers, and now as elders with critical perspectives for the Black Lives Matter movement. Susie Day captures the elixir of a fifty-year friendship and the extraordinary men at its heart. It 's a lesson in loyalty, commitment under fire, and what we can all do to make America keep its promise." — Walter Mosley " The Brother You Choose is a powerful addition to the rich collection of Panther autobiographies. Former political prisoner Eddie Conway and Black Classic Press founder Paul Coates have worked with radical journalist Susie Day to craft a beautiful dialogue about their life trajectories through the military, the Baltimore chapter of the Black Panther Party, the prison system and the ongoing struggle for Black Liberation. Their narrative moves the BPP's center of gravity from the Oakland leadership to explore the very different dynamics in the East Coast in which the Panthers emerged from dense black communities in cities like New York, Philadelphia and Baltimore. There is so much to be learned here about the BPP, the Black Liberation Army, the effects of state repression and the role of political education and publishing in the fight for freedom. I have read all of the Panther autobiographies and this is one of my favorites. The Brother You Choose is an ideal book to assign to undergraduates as well as for the larger reading public. Its elegant structure and powerful content speak directly to moment we face as the urban uprisings against state violence sweep cities across the US." — Donna Murch, author of Living for the City: Education, Migration and the Rise of the Black Panther Party in Oakland, California "Too often unheard above the sirens, the desperate gasping for breath, is the consistent language of love, of tenderness, of support between men. In this powerful offering, Paul Coates and Eddie Marshall Conway speak to us of the brutal harm visited upon Black people and they speak to us of revolution and freedom. But woven masterfully throughout the conversations shared is a life-giving narrative that