How Love Conquered 'The Bloods'

I considered posting this article on AC when the editors made an initial request for "My Big Secret" submissions, but I decided against it. One reason was because of the fact that I would've had to disclose some very personal information about the subject of the story, and I wasn't sure what his reaction would be at the time. Another reason I declined to submit was because I didn't want you folks to get the impression that I was patting myself on the back. It was only after a recent conversation with the subject that I reconsidered. He urged me to post his story online because it could help many, many kids facing similar situations and/or circumstances.

I first met Michael Howard in April of 2004. The introduction took place during a mentoring program I was part of at his school, Far Rockaway High School. The late, great Apostle Donald Ventura, a dear friend of mine who launched the program, requested that I join his "dream team" each week to impart information, wisdom and personal experiences to a group of teens that had extensive arrest records, as well as a history of extremely poor academic performance. The team consisted of representatives from each of the following: the Queens District Attorney's Office; the Queens Borough President's Office; the New York City Department of Education; the New York City Police Department; and yours truly as a representative of news media and the entertainment industry.