The Other Wes Moore: One Name, Two Fates

This brief section highlights the details that further separate the realities of the two Wes Moores. Since 2000, the other Wes Moore “has spent every day of his life […] in the Jessup Correctional Institution, a maximum-security facility in Maryland” (173). At the time Moore was writing the book, Wes was a carpenter and made about 53 cents a day. He was also a devout Muslim. Ten years into his life sentence, he was 33 years old and had just become a grandfather.

After becoming a Rhodes Scholar, Moore spent two and a half years earning a master’s degree in international relations at Oxford University. Following this, he interned in Washington, DC, focusing on homeland security. After being advised to look into economics, Moore “joined the world of high finance on Wall Street” (176).

He took a leave of absence and then served for several months in Afghanistan. Upon returning to US soil, he became an assistant to Condoleezza Rice. Moore describes the special experiences he has had in some of the most honorable places in the world. He ends this section by answering the questions he commonly hears during speaking engagements. Namely, people want to know what made the difference between the two Wes Moores.