Edward Gilliam

"I served as the principal at the toughest inner-city public school in Compton, California. A school where the Crips and the Bloods fought over turf, and which had suffered a devastating mass shooting with over a dozen injured and killed. Under my watch, we ended gang violence and prevented more mass shootings in school. Here's my recipe to end them nationwide." - Edward Gilliam

As a witness to the tragic events that unfolded at Columbine High School and a former school principal, Edward Gilliam brings a distinctive memoir, Compton Shuffle, that explores the recrudescence of gun violence in American schools.

In this narration, Gilliam sheds light on his involvement in the fight to secure American schools and protect his students and those around him.

Following the horrific events that left the American people grieving and forced to confront the complicated problem of mass shootings and gang violence, Edward leads readers through a chronicle that is both heartbreaking and inspirational. He does this with a searing remembrance of that day in 1999.

Over the course of almost three decades, Gilliam recounts his experiences and observations regarding all the factors that led to the disruption of educational systems. He discusses the various aspects of racism, prejudice, inadequate education, police brutality, and family dissolution that lead to school violence.