Choices: The Ulysses Long Story

A Long Time Coming…The Ulysses Long Story

By Ulysses Long with Chris Warner





One fleeting moment can derail a life.


A youthful mistake that netted him $6.50 ultimately bore a 130-year prison sentence.  


In 1968, Ulysses Long was 25.  An honorably discharged Air Force veteran of three years, he was a free spirit on the streets of New Orleans, hanging out on corners, chasing girls and good times.  He was young and extremely naïve.


An emotional roller coaster ride, the Ulysses Long Story follows Ulysses from the bustling New Orleans riverfront docks to the perilous prison conditions of Angola State Penitentiary, and finally to Baton Rouge--the viper pit of Louisiana politics.  


Ulysses maintained a sense of right throughout his time among the brutal social circles of the Angola State Penitentiary.  He persevered to freedom through the twisted,

bureaucratic manipulations of a racist judicial system during a time when Louisiana was reluctant to make the United States Constitution work for blacks.  


Ulysses’ survived his tortuous twenty-year odyssey through uncanny personal strength. Anger at the incredible odds against him would have been understandable.  And yet, anger did not fuel his crusade for freedom, nor does bitterness taint his story.  Hope is the main character.  


In time, Long finds faith and friendship in an unlikely knight, LSU Basketball Coach Dale Brown, that leads to his eventual pardon by Louisiana Governor Edwin Edwards.


The subject of a forthcoming George Soros’ Open Society Institute documentary titled, “New Orleans Justice” (N.O. Justice), the Ulysses Long Story is a fascinating tale of corruption, greed, fear and faith.  


This is not a scared straight story.  It’s an honest lesson in personal responsibility, a lasting testament of human faith, and an indelible tribute to the ultimate power of hope.


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“Hope happens when we focus our thoughts on clear and meaningful goals. We concentrate on the future we want, reflect on our goals, and think about all the ways we can make our vision of the future a reality.” 


– Shane J. Lopez, Ph.D.