Biography
Brian "Hakiym Sha'ir" Simpson is a Black father, wildland firefighter, community leader and poet imprisoned in Oregon for defending himself against a racist attack. At his fire company's barracks he was pursued and punched first by a coworker shouting racial slurs — as the attacker himself testified — and Simpson's return punches broke the man's nose and jaw. He was convicted of second-degree assault and sentenced to 70 months, a prosecution his supporters compare to other cases of survivors of racist violence punished for self-defense. He has continued writing poetry from prison.
