(In the previous installment of Born Into the Cycle, Lakesha Townsend described growing up with her mother, Gracie Marshel Wilson, known as “Michelle,” in the Imperial Courts project of Watts. In this installment, Townsend describes the role of some of the men in Michelle’s life.)

One important man in my mother’s life was her boyfriend R. Lee. Whenever he came over, he’d bring us kids chips, cookies, candy, or something, and he was always nice to us, even when Michelle, our mother, wasn’t. We loved him.

When Michelle would straighten our hair, …