Secound chance
I grew up in the trenches of Baltimore in the 1980s, the eldest son of three boys. Both of my
parents struggled with substance abuse, and by the time I was 10 years old, I was supporting my
two younger brothers while my mother was largely absent due to her addiction. Desperate for a
means to support myself and my siblings, I turned to the only viable source of income: street
drugs. I started as a runner and slowly transitioned into a dealer. It was not something I wanted to
do. I wanted to be in school, doing the same things my peers were doing. But I had no choice,
because joining a gang was my only option for survival.