The stories you are about to experience will hit you square in the chest. Some will make you laugh out loud. Others will bring tears to your eyes. None will leave you unmoved.
Most mothers instinctively protect their children from harm.
Depending on the level of crime and violence in their community, how a mother protects her children and how she teaches them to protect themselves can make the difference between her children's survival and their demise. Of the men I interviewed, Chicago police officer James Love grew up in the roughest neighborhood, the Robert Taylor Homes, one of the most notorious housing projects in the country. His mother was his first line of defense against violence, gangs, and the unpredictable situations he encountered daily. Now, as an undercover narcotics officer, Love has survival skills, learned from her, that are a valuable asset in his efforts to help rid the Chicago projects of drugs. His mother is employed as a maintenance worker at Johnson Publishing Company, publisher of Ebony and Jet magazines.