Background: I co-created this episode of the narrative podcast series “Shoe Leather” at the Columbia Journalism School, where we dig up stories from New York City’s past to find out how yesterday’s news affects us today. “The Day Before…” is about what was going on in the city before the 9/11 attacks, and how the next day changed everything.
“The Other Hijacker” is the story of Patrick Critton, a son of Harlem and Black revolutionary who became the first man to hijack an airplane in Canada in December 1971. He spent 30 years on the run before he was finally tracked down thanks to a detective with a chip on his shoulder and new, simple technology: a search engine. It’s a story about crime, to be sure — bombings, a bank robbery straight out of a heist movie, hijackings, a manhunt — but it’s also about identity, redemption and legacy.
You can find a transcript of “The Other Hijacker” hosted by the Columbia University library, but I obviously recommend you listen to the episode to get the full experience. It’s available on Spotify and Apple Podcasts, or right here: