Born Into the Cycle, Part One

My Grandmother's Life In Watts Was Tough. My Mother's Life Was Tougher.

Watts is the place I call home. It’s also the place I want to leave. It’s my comfort, and it’s my trap. When I was growing up, I didn’t want to live all my life in the hood on welfare and minimum wage, thinking this was as good as it gets.

Leaving Watts means breaking a cycle. I’ve tried to break it, but I’ve made a lot of mistakes. Sometimes I feel trapped in a movie stuck on replay. Why do I keep making the same bad choices? How can I …

The Greatest Love

What Whitney Houston Meant to a Teen in South L.A.

One day, about 25 years ago, I was listening to the radio station KGFJ when I heard a crystal-clear, powerful voice. The music that followed, about finding the greatest love …