My Life – Chapter 2
My childhood was good and I’ll also add, informative compared to some others growing up in “The Hood” of Los Angeles, California. People like me were often referred to as “Light Skinned Brothers” or “Yellow Brothers”. For some reason, skin color is much too important to Black people than it should be. Whenever we moved to a different hood, I attended a new school. One or two fights seemed to usually be required just to prove that “Light Skinned Brother” didn’t mean weakness. With a light skinned mother and brown skinned father (as shown above), I turned out like this.
“The Hood” was not a nice place to live during the 60’s and 70’s. Riots (as shown above) and street gangs resulted in many lost lives. Those who didn’t become “street smart”, probably didn’t live long. Drive by shootings were very common, especially after dark. Sheriff helicopters flew donut patterns over the hoods several times a week. I learned a few things about people and street survival. So just add this to my list of reasons for getting out of the hood.
I wasn’t a gifted athlete, no employable skills or knowledge of how to start a business. My first job came at age 14 working in a Dry Cleaners after school earning $2.00 per hour. Over the next few years, I worked at a couple of fast food places, gas stations, a plumbing company and a car wash. This was not looking good. Working indoors everyday just didn’t seem to fit me. Being outdoors was more fun. I also wanted the flexibility to go other places. Next step, the United States Army. This step turned out to be, a total game changer.