Michael

"The best decision I ever made was to separate myself from gang activity. When I was growing up, I knew everybody in my neighborhood. The old people would always wave and say hi, invite me into their homes, get me to cut their grass, no problem. But when I was 13, I joined the Gangster Disciples and that stopped. All I saw in the eyes of the old people then was fear. It's easy to manipulate a young person into joining a gang, especially if they lack guidance at home, but there's a lot of hatred, a lot of violence in that life. After thirteen years, I decided I wanted better for myself, so I got out. I knew there were young brothers who looked up to me, and I wanted to lead them in a better direction. I'm not saying I don't talk to the gang members anymore. I do, but I'm by myself a lot more now. I can't hang with them because that can lead to bad behaviors. I can't have drugs in my system and have a job, for instance. I can't go to work with a hangover. But I don't hate anybody. The lines of communication are open and they're still family, but they see me now as a dude who's trying to do something, not break something. I see kids in my community now, and I always try to tell them to stay in school and do the right thing.

"My dad used to tell me, 'Boy, you're not going to see 16. You're not going to see 17. Or 18.' That went on for a long time, but then I left the gang, met a woman I wanted to be with, and we got married. I was finally making the right decisions for my life, and my dad said, 'Son, I'm proud of you. Now you know what it is to be a man.' He had never told me that before. I feel a lot better being a man than I did doing those unnecessary acts of evil."

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