Who is Eldridge Cleaver from Soul on Ice and what is their importance?

Eldridge Cleaver was born in Little Rock, Arkansas, in 1935. He was convicted of drug possession for what he terms "a shopping bag full of marijuana." He was later convicted for rape. He offers few details of his crimes in the book, other than to admit the guilt. Cleaver is incarcerated in three prisons and writes the manuscript for "Soul on Ice" from Folsom Prison in California. The writing, he says, is a search for self-discovery and an effort to help himself where the system failed. Cleaver's character is the only major character in the book.