Written by President ELLA
This is one of the most heart-wrenching stories I’ve ever heard. Time Out details the real life story of Willard Jimerson, a man who went to jail at the age of 13 for “Lack of vision, Lack of purpose. [and] Poor self-image.” Claudia Rowe helps gather photos and details to tell Willard’s story and explain what happened the night he shot his classmate, Jamie Lynn Wilson, in the back. Combined with details of the political climate, we are able to see the societal circumstances that led Willard to the fateful night.
Your heart breaks with each page of this story. Luckily, the story ends well but the fact that it ever happened is appalling. Willard is an example of something that plagues underserved communities; children with little or no guidance often go astray. This tale helps give Willard back the humanity media and courtrooms are known to rob black men of. Willard was made the poster child for “black kids with guns” and suffered incredible emotional trauma before and after the night I’m sorry to hear his story, but I’m happy to know Willard’s name and know that his story ended up with him realizing his existence and his worth. I hope his story helps someone else realize theirs…
[This is an incredibly short read (about an hour), and free if you have Kindle Unlimited.]
EllaThought 