Dreamcatcher: Surviving Chicago's Streets

0:00:09 > 0:00:13POLICE SIREN WAILS FAINTLY

0:00:13 > 0:00:16DISTANT DOGS BARK

0:00:25 > 0:00:30ATMOSPHERIC MUSIC PLAYS

0:01:05 > 0:01:09This has been buzzard-ville right here. Girl.

0:01:09 > 0:01:11It's like the guys hang out here right now

0:01:11 > 0:01:12more than the girls right now.

0:01:12 > 0:01:16- You know?- That's Peppy, ain't it? - Is that Peppy?- Look like it.

0:01:16 > 0:01:18Girl, go back there and get that ho!

0:01:18 > 0:01:21- This fool gonna run into me. - A white man...

0:01:22 > 0:01:26OK, slow down, slow down. You goin' go up and down these blocks.

0:01:26 > 0:01:29- Make a left. Make a right. - Which one? Left or right?

0:01:29 > 0:01:32- There you go, there you go, right there.- OK, it's a car over there.

0:01:32 > 0:01:37- Yeah.- It might be Teddy.- And that look like a baby, don't it?- Mm-hm.

0:01:37 > 0:01:41- Ooh, see, what this guy doin'?- Wait!

0:01:41 > 0:01:42You see, he can see I got my signal.

0:01:42 > 0:01:45Sweetie, you need condoms!

0:01:45 > 0:01:49- This ho, she... - Want some condoms, baby?

0:01:49 > 0:01:53- OK.- You want some condoms? You know you want some. Come here!

0:01:56 > 0:01:59You OK? Go on over here.

0:02:09 > 0:02:10Oh, my God!

0:02:14 > 0:02:17And now, he's stabbing me and I'm just punching him.

0:02:17 > 0:02:20And I'm telling her, why won't he die? You know what I'm sayin'?

0:02:20 > 0:02:23But my mind was slipping. And I passed out.

0:02:23 > 0:02:27The drugs, I have to stop. I broke down crying to my friend.

0:02:27 > 0:02:30I said, "Don't let me wake up, Lord.

0:02:30 > 0:02:32"In the morning, I don't want to wake up."

0:02:34 > 0:02:36I'm too scared to take my own life.

0:02:36 > 0:02:40But, in a way, I wish somebody would, you know what I'm saying?

0:02:40 > 0:02:43Cos, I mean, people die with two or three stab wounds.

0:02:43 > 0:02:48And here I am, I got stabbed 19 times and I'm still here.

0:02:48 > 0:02:50This friend of mine, just the other day,

0:02:50 > 0:02:55she put my hands to her chest, she's been stabbed so many times.

0:02:55 > 0:02:58- Mm-hm.- And I looked and I cried, "Oh, my God!"

0:02:58 > 0:03:00And I raise up her shirt and she's been stabbed. She's...

0:03:00 > 0:03:02I'm crying, I'm holding her.

0:03:02 > 0:03:05This was just this week. And I'm holding her.

0:03:05 > 0:03:08And she died in my arms.

0:03:08 > 0:03:14And I just, you know... It just messed me up.

0:03:14 > 0:03:16Because, here it is, they get stabbed,

0:03:16 > 0:03:18they this, they that, they die

0:03:18 > 0:03:22and I'm stabbed and I'm still here. This and that.

0:03:22 > 0:03:26And it confuses me at times because I want peace.

0:03:26 > 0:03:27I really don't want to be living.

0:03:30 > 0:03:36Oh, first I started sellin' drugs. Uhm, dropped out of school...

0:03:37 > 0:03:41And I started dating. You know, older males, older than me?

0:03:41 > 0:03:43My whole family, my mother...

0:03:45 > 0:03:49- You was born with crack in your system?- Yeah.

0:03:49 > 0:03:51But I've been going through a lot of stuff...

0:04:01 > 0:04:03- And...- Here you are.

0:04:04 > 0:04:06So, you've been out here prostituting,

0:04:06 > 0:04:09so you can get high, right? And you're 19 years old?

0:04:23 > 0:04:26Have you ever thought about getting off drugs?

0:04:26 > 0:04:28- And doing something with your life? - It's OK, baby.

0:04:28 > 0:04:30It's all right, sweetheart.

0:04:33 > 0:04:36SHE SOBS

0:04:51 > 0:04:55Teetee, you know what? I used to be right out here too.

0:04:56 > 0:04:59You know what I'm saying? From that hotel to the corner.

0:04:59 > 0:05:02From that hotel to that corner. That's what I did.

0:05:02 > 0:05:03You know what I'm saying?

0:05:06 > 0:05:08Hiding...

0:05:08 > 0:05:13Hiding from myself, actually. You know what I mean?

0:05:14 > 0:05:19I know what pain is. And I know you're in a lot of pain.

0:05:22 > 0:05:25If you want somebody that's going to care for you unconditionally,

0:05:25 > 0:05:28Tee, we here to do that.

0:05:29 > 0:05:31See, you didn't know about this.

0:05:31 > 0:05:34You didn't know there was some women like that here, did you?

0:05:34 > 0:05:36You didn't know that there was somebody

0:05:36 > 0:05:38that you could reach out and hold your hand

0:05:38 > 0:05:39till you can learn how to walk.

0:05:39 > 0:05:42And that's what we do.

0:05:42 > 0:05:43We understand right now

0:05:43 > 0:05:46that you're in the midst of what's going on out here.

0:05:46 > 0:05:49OK? We did it all. Been high and all of that.

0:05:49 > 0:05:50So, we understand.

0:05:50 > 0:05:53But right now, you are in the midst of what's going on.

0:05:53 > 0:05:55So, are you ready to get help tonight?

0:05:55 > 0:05:58- We're not here to pressure you or to judge you.- (No.)

0:05:58 > 0:06:00We just want to know when you're ready.

0:06:03 > 0:06:08So, you can call us. Can you? Do you know the name of this organisation?

0:06:08 > 0:06:10The Dreamcatcher Foundation.

0:06:10 > 0:06:12- You got any dreams? - Catch your dream.

0:06:12 > 0:06:15- You got any dreams you want to catch?- Yeah...

0:06:15 > 0:06:19And when you get sick and tired of being sick and tired,

0:06:19 > 0:06:21you call us and let us help you.

0:06:32 > 0:06:36There's a girl that I know. She came from the West Side, Chicago.

0:06:36 > 0:06:38Her mother died when she was six months old.

0:06:38 > 0:06:40She was put into the care of her grandmother.

0:06:40 > 0:06:43Her grandmother was alcoholic, you know, went to work every day

0:06:43 > 0:06:46but, physically, emotionally and mentally abusive to her.

0:06:46 > 0:06:50And she started getting molested at the early age of four or five.

0:06:50 > 0:06:52Sometimes the people that her grandmother

0:06:52 > 0:06:54had keeping an eye on her

0:06:54 > 0:06:56were some of the people that molested her.

0:06:56 > 0:06:58She used to sit in the window

0:06:58 > 0:07:00in an area where prostitutes worked up and down the street

0:07:00 > 0:07:03and she used to watch these ladies all the time.

0:07:03 > 0:07:05But these ladies looked kind of shiny.

0:07:05 > 0:07:07And all she ever wanted to be was shiny.

0:07:07 > 0:07:09She never wanted anything else.

0:07:09 > 0:07:13And she asked her grandmother one day, "What are those women doing?"

0:07:13 > 0:07:16She said, "Well, those women get into cars and take off their panties

0:07:16 > 0:07:18"and men give them money."

0:07:18 > 0:07:21She put a little dress on, and her little cheap shoes

0:07:21 > 0:07:25and she went down to an area where she knew the prostitutes worked.

0:07:25 > 0:07:28And she got into the car with her first customer.

0:07:31 > 0:07:33As he was on top of her, she cried. But she got out.

0:07:33 > 0:07:36Because she kept hearing her grandmother's voice, saying,

0:07:36 > 0:07:39"You need to bring some money into this house."

0:07:39 > 0:07:41And then she got into the next car.

0:07:41 > 0:07:43When she got into the next car,

0:07:43 > 0:07:47she started crying and she asked the man, she said, "Please...

0:07:49 > 0:07:52"Don't do this." Because she thought about what she had done.

0:07:52 > 0:07:55And she had gotten too far. But it was... It was too late by then.

0:07:57 > 0:07:59Her life was 25 years in prostitution.

0:07:59 > 0:08:03That young lady got shot five times, stabbed over 13 times.

0:08:03 > 0:08:06At the end of the road, she got into a car with a guy who dragged her

0:08:06 > 0:08:09six blocks, tore all the skin off her face and her body.

0:08:09 > 0:08:12And she thought she would never have a face again.

0:08:13 > 0:08:17All she asked for was her face back.

0:08:17 > 0:08:19And to make her a lady, cos she could never remember being a lady.

0:08:19 > 0:08:22And she just wanted her face back.

0:08:22 > 0:08:25And today, that young lady stands before you.

0:08:25 > 0:08:27A lady with a face.

0:08:43 > 0:08:45This... This is crazy.

0:08:45 > 0:08:50Oh, no, I had one on last night and I wanted to put it back on today.

0:08:50 > 0:08:52You know, it's my new look.

0:08:52 > 0:08:54- You got a new one?- Yeah.

0:09:00 > 0:09:02OK, I'll put on another hair.

0:09:02 > 0:09:07But see, when I change hairs, I change personalities. Oh!

0:09:07 > 0:09:10I know where my hair is!

0:09:10 > 0:09:11In the hair thing.

0:09:13 > 0:09:16- Well, maybe...- You get it?

0:09:16 > 0:09:20- No, it's not in here.- It's not?

0:09:20 > 0:09:22TV IN BACKGROUND

0:09:22 > 0:09:25- This one.- I like that one too.

0:09:25 > 0:09:27You like this one? I don't like this one.

0:09:27 > 0:09:31- You don't?- I mean, I love it but it's not, I don't feel it today.

0:09:34 > 0:09:36Right now, I'm trying to figure out,

0:09:36 > 0:09:39I'm still trying to figure out what I'm going to put on. You know?

0:09:39 > 0:09:42Cos I FELT like that hair.

0:09:42 > 0:09:47You know, it was, like, fun, springy and I felt like that.

0:09:47 > 0:09:48Now, I'm throwed off.

0:09:48 > 0:09:52I'm throwed off, so...I gotta get throwed back on.

0:09:55 > 0:09:58DISTANT CHATTER

0:10:00 > 0:10:02(Shit!)

0:10:02 > 0:10:04DISTANT SHOUTING

0:10:10 > 0:10:12INDISTINCT CHATTER

0:10:15 > 0:10:18ATMOSPHERIC MUSIC PLAYS

0:10:18 > 0:10:21- BACKGROUND:- Hey! Get in the room!

0:10:23 > 0:10:25Come here!

0:10:32 > 0:10:35INDISTINCT CHATTER

0:10:44 > 0:10:46It's hard to have a sister, ain't it?

0:10:46 > 0:10:50It's hard to trust women again after being out

0:10:50 > 0:10:52there in the streets for so long.

0:10:53 > 0:10:57Because when we're out there, men teach us to not like each other.

0:10:57 > 0:11:01Because if we like each other, that's way too much power.

0:11:01 > 0:11:05Then they can't control us if we get together.

0:11:05 > 0:11:08That's rule number eight in the pimp's code of conduct.

0:11:08 > 0:11:13Never let a ho like a ho. Ha!

0:11:13 > 0:11:17Cos then if they get together, they can turn against him.

0:11:17 > 0:11:21So, they always had these things out there about us,

0:11:21 > 0:11:23so that we wouldn't get together.

0:11:23 > 0:11:26Or, that we wouldn't know that they were using us

0:11:26 > 0:11:28because only another sister would tell another sister,

0:11:28 > 0:11:30"Girl, he ain't no good, he's using you."

0:11:30 > 0:11:35But if they kept us separated, divide, they could conquer.

0:11:35 > 0:11:37We got some time now

0:11:37 > 0:11:40and I'll leave the floor open for any of y'all who wanna share.

0:11:40 > 0:11:42He came after me.

0:11:44 > 0:11:47Beat me outside the car till I was bloody.

0:11:47 > 0:11:51Dislocated my jaw, knocked two of my very back teeth halfway out.

0:11:51 > 0:11:54Made me take all my clothes off.

0:11:54 > 0:11:57And that was to ensure that I wouldn't jump out of the car.

0:11:57 > 0:12:01And he tried to make me perform oral sex on him.

0:12:01 > 0:12:06Well, my jaw was dislocated and I couldn't do it very well. And...

0:12:06 > 0:12:11You know, he's still beating me in the car. And I'm already bloody.

0:12:11 > 0:12:13So, whatever...

0:12:13 > 0:12:17Erm, and he's talking about...

0:12:18 > 0:12:22..you know, he wants to do it to me in the butt.

0:12:22 > 0:12:24And...

0:12:24 > 0:12:29I'm like, so, this time I'm telling him anything I have to,

0:12:29 > 0:12:31so he doesn't kill me.

0:12:31 > 0:12:35He went and took a lunge forward. He put me in a headlock.

0:12:35 > 0:12:37And I started screaming.

0:12:37 > 0:12:43The guy let go of me and I dropped to the floor, or to the ground.

0:12:43 > 0:12:46And I started running across the parking lot.

0:12:48 > 0:12:52I went home and I was in and out of a comatose state.

0:12:53 > 0:12:57- I finally ended up going to the hospital.- (Wow.)

0:12:57 > 0:13:01I spent three days semi-comatose.

0:13:02 > 0:13:06You know, that's just some of what the streets can do to you.

0:13:06 > 0:13:07My name's Kina.

0:13:07 > 0:13:11Thank you, Kina. APPLAUSE

0:13:15 > 0:13:19As you all know, just recently, they vacated my whole record, right?

0:13:21 > 0:13:23APPLAUSE

0:13:23 > 0:13:26Y'all better understand about that one, baby!

0:13:26 > 0:13:28THEY LAUGH

0:13:28 > 0:13:33OK? And... This is the woman who helped me do that.

0:13:34 > 0:13:37Erm, you've been there and you're probably still struggling

0:13:37 > 0:13:40with feeling like the way you've been treated

0:13:40 > 0:13:41is what you deserve, right?

0:13:43 > 0:13:47My job is to hold the rest of the world accountable

0:13:47 > 0:13:48for what's been done to you.

0:13:48 > 0:13:52- I know... - APPLAUSE

0:13:54 > 0:13:57And what we did with Brenda is we went to the court

0:13:57 > 0:13:59and we basically said,

0:13:59 > 0:14:02"Every time that there was a conviction

0:14:02 > 0:14:06"that landed in her lap, in her life, on her record,

0:14:06 > 0:14:09"you were treating her like a criminal.

0:14:09 > 0:14:11"And that was wrong.

0:14:11 > 0:14:15"And you, the legal system, should not have done that.

0:14:15 > 0:14:20"You should have recognised that she was surviving."

0:14:20 > 0:14:23Brenda helped make the law happen.

0:14:23 > 0:14:27Because up until this law was enacted,

0:14:27 > 0:14:30we didn't have a way of going to the court system and saying,

0:14:30 > 0:14:33"These convictions shouldn't have happened in the first place.

0:14:33 > 0:14:36"You were treating somebody like a criminal, when you should

0:14:36 > 0:14:40"have been recognising that, really, they were a survivor."

0:15:08 > 0:15:13- I see him.- You see the one talking to the car...- Yeah.

0:15:13 > 0:15:16INDISTINCT CHATTER

0:15:20 > 0:15:25This is the street right here that ended my prostitution.

0:15:26 > 0:15:29- Oh, there.- I was right up here by the viaduct. I dated him up here.

0:15:29 > 0:15:33Tried to get out the car right there.

0:15:33 > 0:15:35And my clothes caught hold to the car.

0:15:35 > 0:15:38Pull over and let me give these girls some condoms.

0:15:38 > 0:15:41This is the area that ended my...

0:15:41 > 0:15:42that was my demise.

0:15:45 > 0:15:49- Someone tried to strangle me, like, a year and a half ago.- Mm-hm.

0:15:49 > 0:15:52So, I started working the track for a long time. Can't do it...

0:15:52 > 0:15:56- We don't want you to get hurt. This is dangerous out here.- Yeah, I know.

0:15:56 > 0:16:01- My friend just died a couple of months ago.- She did?- Yeah, in...

0:16:01 > 0:16:03In Newport Beach.

0:16:03 > 0:16:06They found her face down on the sand.

0:16:06 > 0:16:08Her name was Tina.

0:16:13 > 0:16:16OK, she's working but she's got a guy with her.

0:16:16 > 0:16:19Because a lot of times, they walk down here with guys.

0:16:19 > 0:16:23Because it's been so hot up here. I don't know where she went.

0:16:24 > 0:16:26But she had just came out of Denny's.

0:16:31 > 0:16:33Out here is really dangerous.

0:16:33 > 0:16:35That's why I hardly ever come out here.

0:16:35 > 0:16:38- Yeah, this is one of the most dangerous areas.- I don't hardly ever walk the track.

0:16:38 > 0:16:42- Yeah, this is one of the most dangerous spots.- I was walking home one day...

0:16:42 > 0:16:43I would never, when I was out here,

0:16:43 > 0:16:45and I was tough, you know, this area right here?

0:16:45 > 0:16:48I wouldn't do it, I would only do it in the daytime.

0:16:48 > 0:16:50I would do this in the daytime and then, you know,

0:16:50 > 0:16:53I would never do it at night. It was too spooky for me. It was too...

0:16:53 > 0:16:56They're dangerous out here. They are starting to kill the girls

0:16:56 > 0:16:59- because people started stealing and robbing from these guys.- Mm-hm.

0:16:59 > 0:17:01And not respecting the fact that their money

0:17:01 > 0:17:03is just as hard-earned as ours.

0:17:03 > 0:17:05So, once you respect the game...

0:17:05 > 0:17:08I haven't had that many bad things happen to me where I was working.

0:17:08 > 0:17:09MOBILE RINGS

0:17:09 > 0:17:11Hey. Yeah.

0:17:13 > 0:17:14Yeah, babe.

0:17:18 > 0:17:21All right.

0:17:21 > 0:17:24So, I moved out here, I was on the run.

0:17:24 > 0:17:28- From parole. I ran from parole. - Mm-hm.

0:17:28 > 0:17:30- I kept going back and forth to prison.- Mm-hm.

0:17:30 > 0:17:33And then, '08, I hooked up with my four-year-old's dad.

0:17:33 > 0:17:35And I ended up getting pregnant.

0:17:35 > 0:17:37And ended up going back to serve my time.

0:17:37 > 0:17:41I did two and a half years in prison. Got out in 2011.

0:17:41 > 0:17:45- Lived with him. Tried the, you know...- The square stuff.

0:17:45 > 0:17:50- Tried to do it.- Mm-hm.- But I wanted to get into the escorting business.

0:17:50 > 0:17:52- Which was only online.- Mm-hm.

0:17:52 > 0:17:54In April, me and my baby's dad had a fallout.

0:17:54 > 0:17:56The strain was too bad.

0:17:56 > 0:17:59Like, the violence was there, we were always fighting and everything

0:17:59 > 0:18:03- and we never got along.- Mm-hm. - I decided to leave.

0:18:03 > 0:18:05And then I ended up getting trapped in a relationship that

0:18:05 > 0:18:09was like, "Dang, I just broke up with him and now here's this guy."

0:18:09 > 0:18:10- You know?- Mm-hm, right.

0:18:10 > 0:18:13- I was doing it all over again, so... - Are you pregnant now?

0:18:13 > 0:18:16- Yes, I am.- OK. - I am 20 weeks pregnant.

0:18:16 > 0:18:19So, it wasn't... I did not want it. It was not like...

0:18:19 > 0:18:21I didn't hand the guy the condom.

0:18:21 > 0:18:23- He knew I was really fucked up. - Right...

0:18:23 > 0:18:25It was like a more, a trap thing,

0:18:25 > 0:18:27because he heard on the streets that,

0:18:27 > 0:18:30cos how loyal and how much money I made for my baby's dad,

0:18:30 > 0:18:32- you know?- Mm-hm, mm-hm...

0:18:32 > 0:18:34- So, he figured out... - He wanted to get you pregnant.

0:18:34 > 0:18:37"If I trap her, then I can control her."

0:18:37 > 0:18:40I never thought that it had to come to this but it comes to it.

0:18:40 > 0:18:43And, I've been on the streets since I was eight, so...

0:18:43 > 0:18:47- You've been on the streets since you was eight?- Yes. In Portland, Oregon.

0:18:47 > 0:18:50I'm actually, I was born in Portland, Oregon. I was a runaway.

0:18:50 > 0:18:51And I grew up around the pimps.

0:18:51 > 0:18:54I was the little girl that'd go collect the money from the hos.

0:18:54 > 0:18:56- Right.- So I've been around the game...

0:18:56 > 0:18:57- Was your mother a prostitute or something?- No,

0:18:57 > 0:19:00- my mum just lost us. She was mentally crazy.- Mm-hm.

0:19:00 > 0:19:03Couldn't deal with us and I never...

0:19:03 > 0:19:05I don't like authority.

0:19:05 > 0:19:08- So, you've been in this game for a while.- Yeah, I know the streets.

0:19:08 > 0:19:12- And you know the streets. - It's just the streets. So...

0:19:12 > 0:19:15- Did you need any condoms? - Yeah, please.- OK.

0:19:15 > 0:19:18- I was just going to say. Unlock your door on this side...- OK.

0:19:23 > 0:19:25- Call me, you know?- I will.

0:19:25 > 0:19:28If I ride around, I'll probably be around a little bit later tonight.

0:19:28 > 0:19:30I don't want to block anything for you

0:19:30 > 0:19:33but would you mind having coffee with me or something?

0:19:33 > 0:19:34- Yeah, that would be nice.- OK.

0:19:34 > 0:19:38We can go down to Pine Valley and get some coffee.

0:19:38 > 0:19:41WOMAN SPEAKS OVER LOUDSPEAKER

0:19:57 > 0:20:01These are great years. These are great years in high school.

0:20:01 > 0:20:02These are great years.

0:20:02 > 0:20:04These are the years that you have a lot of friends,

0:20:04 > 0:20:07you have a lot of fun, you do a lot of crazy things.

0:20:07 > 0:20:10But you don't have to get serious. In any way, with relationships,

0:20:10 > 0:20:14the only thing you should be serious about is your work.

0:20:14 > 0:20:17Is your work and how to graduate.

0:20:17 > 0:20:20That's the only serious thing you should be about.

0:20:23 > 0:20:26- Remember I wanted to join you... - That was yesterday.

0:20:26 > 0:20:28When I come in here, I see boys.

0:20:28 > 0:20:30They knock on the door cos they trying to get in,

0:20:30 > 0:20:33you know what I'm saying? LAUGHTER

0:20:33 > 0:20:36You know, they sniffing round the door right now. You know?

0:20:36 > 0:20:40I want you to learn different ways that you can express yourself,

0:20:40 > 0:20:44how you can tell a guy in your own words,

0:20:44 > 0:20:47"I don't want..." "I'm not with that."

0:20:47 > 0:20:48"I'm just not ready yet."

0:20:53 > 0:20:55I was 11 and I was in my best friend's house

0:20:55 > 0:21:00and I was at her house and she invited her boyfriend over.

0:21:00 > 0:21:02My best friend was older than me.

0:21:02 > 0:21:05But she invited her boyfriend over

0:21:05 > 0:21:08and I didn't know her boyfriend's big brother was coming.

0:21:08 > 0:21:11And I had a headache and I was in her room asleep

0:21:11 > 0:21:14and the only thing I heard was the door close

0:21:14 > 0:21:17and he, like, talking to me and I was like, "Who's you?"

0:21:17 > 0:21:19And stuff, I don't know who he is.

0:21:19 > 0:21:21I saw him when he came in

0:21:21 > 0:21:24and I was screaming for my best friend Brianna.

0:21:24 > 0:21:27It happened, like, aggressively.

0:21:27 > 0:21:29He raped me when I was 11.

0:21:29 > 0:21:31And I never saw him again.

0:21:34 > 0:21:36I didn't tell nobody.

0:21:36 > 0:21:39I kept it to myself until I was like 15.

0:21:39 > 0:21:42I just told my mum the other day and she was mad at me

0:21:42 > 0:21:44because she felt like I should have told her

0:21:44 > 0:21:47because that's what happened to her when she was younger

0:21:47 > 0:21:49and she didn't want it to recycle.

0:21:49 > 0:21:50Right.

0:21:55 > 0:21:58- Mm-hmm.- I was like 14 when it happened to me.

0:21:58 > 0:22:00Like, I was living with my parents.

0:22:00 > 0:22:02That's the reason I don't live with my parents no more.

0:22:02 > 0:22:05Because they had a friend of the family that was living with us

0:22:05 > 0:22:08and he raped me like every night.

0:22:08 > 0:22:10And I told my momma and everything

0:22:10 > 0:22:14but she didn't believe me, so I had to just leave from the house.

0:22:14 > 0:22:16I'm gonna cry. This is making me sad.

0:22:16 > 0:22:18OK.

0:22:32 > 0:22:33And I was like...

0:23:00 > 0:23:01Mm-hmm.

0:23:10 > 0:23:11Mm-hmm, mm-hmm.

0:23:18 > 0:23:21But it does something, like...

0:23:32 > 0:23:34- Mm-hmm.- And just...

0:23:43 > 0:23:45I don't.

0:24:03 > 0:24:04Mm-hmm.

0:24:32 > 0:24:35Yes. Yes, you did.

0:24:38 > 0:24:41I didn't even know this was going to come out

0:24:41 > 0:24:45but I'm glad it did because, for many years...

0:24:45 > 0:24:49I started getting molested at the age of four or five years old.

0:24:50 > 0:24:52I got molested most of my life.

0:24:52 > 0:24:58It became normal for me and I, too, felt it was my fault.

0:24:58 > 0:25:01I thought that there was something wrong with me.

0:25:01 > 0:25:05Because I didn't think it happened to anybody else, right?

0:25:05 > 0:25:07The molestation was horrible.

0:25:07 > 0:25:10But the most horrible part was the people who didn't believe me

0:25:10 > 0:25:13- when I told them.- Yes.

0:25:13 > 0:25:17So it made me feel that I was dealing with that alone and that,

0:25:17 > 0:25:19in some way, it was my fault.

0:25:19 > 0:25:23I'm here to tell each and every one of you today...

0:25:23 > 0:25:24it is not your fault.

0:25:24 > 0:25:26Do you understand me?

0:25:26 > 0:25:30It is not your fault, it is not your fault, it is not your fault,

0:25:30 > 0:25:33it is not your fault, do you understand me?

0:25:33 > 0:25:35That is not your fault.

0:25:52 > 0:25:55- I got too much going on. - OK, what you want me to do?

0:25:55 > 0:25:57It ain't nothing you can do,

0:25:57 > 0:26:00I couldn't go to work this morning because I was up all last night.

0:26:00 > 0:26:04I wanted to call you this morning but I was asleep, OK?

0:26:04 > 0:26:08OK, erm, Latell called, you know little Latell?

0:26:08 > 0:26:12- Right, right, right, right. - Her mum beat her up last night.

0:26:12 > 0:26:16- Her mum beat her up?- Yeah.- OK.

0:26:16 > 0:26:19She didn't fight back because I told her, "Don't fight your mum back."

0:26:19 > 0:26:22And it was a good thing, cos her mum was actually trying to fight her

0:26:22 > 0:26:25to provoke her to fight her, so that she could send her to jail.

0:26:25 > 0:26:27You know what I mean?

0:26:27 > 0:26:29And she didn't do it, so that was a good thing.

0:26:30 > 0:26:35Then, I get a call last night from Jessica.

0:26:37 > 0:26:42- OK. - Her boyfriend beat her up pretty bad.

0:26:42 > 0:26:44In fact, she had a couple of things on her arm

0:26:44 > 0:26:48because she was using her hands and her arms to protect herself.

0:26:48 > 0:26:50And she's a mess.

0:26:50 > 0:26:54And then I got to go deal with Temeka, because Temeka's aunt

0:26:54 > 0:26:57put her out last night because she came home late.

0:26:57 > 0:26:59How old is Temeka?

0:26:59 > 0:27:01Temeka is 15.

0:27:03 > 0:27:05Yeah. This is going to be real good.

0:27:07 > 0:27:09I love you, Temeka, cos you always be honest,

0:27:09 > 0:27:12you always are upright and you say what you've got to say,

0:27:12 > 0:27:14what's on your mind.

0:28:07 > 0:28:10So why you don't like to sleep at your mama's house?

0:28:13 > 0:28:15No, I don't trust you.

0:28:24 > 0:28:25Right.

0:28:51 > 0:28:53BUZZER I'm at the door.

0:29:02 > 0:29:05'Tuesday she went downtown and then that was it.

0:29:05 > 0:29:08'Sounded like she was under the influence of something and crying.'

0:29:08 > 0:29:10Hello.

0:29:10 > 0:29:14And then she calls me at midnight, she still doesn't know where she is.

0:29:14 > 0:29:17But she's out walking, so I don't know.

0:29:17 > 0:29:21You went from doing pretty good to now you's chaos.

0:29:21 > 0:29:22Mm-hmm.

0:29:22 > 0:29:27She's been texting a guy, an older guy, he said how old he is - 52.

0:29:27 > 0:29:28So she's transacting her body,

0:29:28 > 0:29:31- she's having sex with this man for money.- Mm.

0:29:31 > 0:29:34And then she's trying to recruit other girls

0:29:34 > 0:29:37to get on the internet with her to work theirself.

0:29:37 > 0:29:40- We can't leave her on the street. - No, she has to be in school.

0:29:40 > 0:29:45- Right now she's in limbo.- Yeah. - That just eats me all up. Like, how?

0:29:45 > 0:29:49I have my kids under control, they were under my eyes.

0:29:49 > 0:29:51And how you let some man get in your head?

0:30:04 > 0:30:06Yeah.

0:30:06 > 0:30:08She says she got closure from the rape

0:30:08 > 0:30:11but she was all laughing with him and sitting on his lap

0:30:11 > 0:30:12and I'm like...

0:30:12 > 0:30:14I'm like, "Wow."

0:30:14 > 0:30:16You know, that can happen but that don't stop...

0:30:16 > 0:30:19I'm not saying... It's still wrong what I did

0:30:19 > 0:30:20but the beginning of the cycle,

0:30:20 > 0:30:23you got to realise this man is over 20 years old,

0:30:23 > 0:30:25what are you sitting in his lap for?

0:30:25 > 0:30:27Ask him why he letting her sit in his lap.

0:30:27 > 0:30:31- She a baby.- He kind of not right either. He has a disability, too.

0:30:31 > 0:30:32He real not right.

0:30:32 > 0:30:34And, see, you trying to raise a child

0:30:34 > 0:30:36and a predator, a trafficker,

0:30:36 > 0:30:39a molester trying to take your baby away from you.

0:30:39 > 0:30:42Because every time Temeka go out there,

0:30:42 > 0:30:45she get involved with one of those guys, turn a trick,

0:30:45 > 0:30:49or she do something on those streets, it pull her lower and lower.

0:30:49 > 0:30:52It's like buzzards picking up at your flesh.

0:31:28 > 0:31:30I wasn't selling pussy

0:31:30 > 0:31:32but I run away from my group home

0:31:32 > 0:31:36and the girls I ran away with were associated with pimps

0:31:36 > 0:31:38and California. I've always been like,

0:31:38 > 0:31:41"OK, I got to do it on my own, I got to feed myself."

0:31:41 > 0:31:43"Well, OK, we've got a job for you,

0:31:43 > 0:31:48"you're too young to be out there, you go collect the money for me."

0:31:48 > 0:31:51You know what I'm saying? That's how they did it out on the West Coast.

0:31:51 > 0:31:54The hos would be on the corner and, instead of the pimps going

0:31:54 > 0:31:58and collecting their money or taking them off their post,

0:31:58 > 0:32:01- they would send a child. - Yeah.- I'm tired.

0:32:01 > 0:32:03I'm tired of laying with all these men and I still need help,

0:32:03 > 0:32:06trust and believe, I still need help because I struggle.

0:32:06 > 0:32:08I struggle, I struggle and I always need help.

0:32:08 > 0:32:12I'm not one to be like, "I don't need no help," no, I need help.

0:32:12 > 0:32:15What is that one thing that I could possibly do,

0:32:15 > 0:32:19if I can do anything, for either one of you, what would that be?

0:32:19 > 0:32:22If I had my home and I had a car and I had a job...

0:32:22 > 0:32:24You know what I'm saying?

0:32:24 > 0:32:27That kept me occupied...

0:32:27 > 0:32:30I want to be able to see my daughter to say, "You know what?

0:32:30 > 0:32:35"Reach for that, you cannot be what mama was. I will not allow it."

0:32:35 > 0:32:37I can be talking to you for two or three years now

0:32:37 > 0:32:40and you could still be doing the same thing, talking the same mess,

0:32:40 > 0:32:43I'm going to still be Ms Brenda to you and help you wherever I can.

0:32:43 > 0:32:45I have girls like that.

0:32:45 > 0:32:48One girl it took her actually three years and she used to think that

0:32:48 > 0:32:49- I was going to judge her.- Yeah.

0:32:49 > 0:32:52And I used to just crack up when she'd be telling me stuff

0:32:52 > 0:32:55and she said, "Ms Brenda, you're the only one that don't judge me."

0:32:55 > 0:32:57And I said, "I can't judge you because I'm you."

0:32:57 > 0:32:59You can always look in my eyes and look in my eyes

0:32:59 > 0:33:03- and it's going to be OK.- And that's what...- Look at me.- I know.

0:33:03 > 0:33:04You just touched my spirit, though.

0:33:04 > 0:33:07I'm a very spiritual person, you touched my spirit.

0:33:07 > 0:33:09- It's going to be OK. - You gave hope again.

0:33:09 > 0:33:15- And it's not 90 days, 180 days... - No. You...can't change overnight.

0:33:15 > 0:33:19- It doesn't happen overnight. - It doesn't.- But it's hard to...

0:33:19 > 0:33:22Because you have been here since you were eight years old,

0:33:22 > 0:33:24I don't expect that, I don't expect that.

0:33:24 > 0:33:28I expect you to know that I'm going to be here for you when you need me.

0:33:28 > 0:33:31That's what I expect. Do you understand what I'm saying?

0:33:32 > 0:33:34THEY TALK OVER EACH OTHER

0:33:37 > 0:33:39You really don't know.

0:33:48 > 0:33:49Mm-hmm.

0:33:56 > 0:33:59SCHOOL ANNOUNCEMENTS

0:34:22 > 0:34:23Hey, everybody.

0:34:25 > 0:34:27Hey, my love.

0:34:27 > 0:34:31I may not be there when you want me but I'm always on time.

0:34:34 > 0:34:37You got to realise I do several things in life.

0:34:39 > 0:34:42The person that I have here today was a part of my life

0:34:42 > 0:34:44when I was in the streets.

0:34:44 > 0:34:48In fact, my pimp and him were best friends.

0:34:48 > 0:34:51I saw him turn his life completely around.

0:34:54 > 0:34:57And, as awful as he used to be,

0:34:57 > 0:35:00he is as good a person today.

0:35:04 > 0:35:09Good evening, young ladies and ladies.

0:35:09 > 0:35:13My nickname was Fancy when I was in the lifestyle.

0:35:13 > 0:35:16I started out with the three-card Molly.

0:35:16 > 0:35:20And it escalated into the nightlife with women.

0:35:20 > 0:35:24I'm quite sure some of you young ladies can identify with it now.

0:35:24 > 0:35:27You can understand that child molestation doesn't start

0:35:27 > 0:35:29just with females.

0:35:29 > 0:35:33At the age of nine years old, I was molested by my auntie.

0:35:33 > 0:35:37And we became lovers for many years,

0:35:37 > 0:35:41so what that did was, it gave me a distorted sense of what love was.

0:35:41 > 0:35:46So I found it in the streets. At the age of 17 years old,

0:35:46 > 0:35:48I was finally introduced to my first prostitute.

0:35:48 > 0:35:54She introduced me to the game and from there it took off.

0:35:54 > 0:36:00The molestation, it really gave me a very distorted view, very distorted.

0:36:00 > 0:36:05I also come from a dysfunctional family.

0:36:05 > 0:36:09I used to watch my dad beat my mum up for many years.

0:36:09 > 0:36:15I was a little kid, so I wasn't confused by him beating her up.

0:36:15 > 0:36:19What confused me was that she stayed.

0:36:19 > 0:36:22So that gave this little boy the idea that,

0:36:22 > 0:36:27"OK, if I beat up my girlfriend, it's OK."

0:36:27 > 0:36:32- You know?- When did you realise that you didn't want to do it no more?

0:36:32 > 0:36:35Like, what made you say, "I'm done with this"?

0:36:35 > 0:36:39OK, one of my greatest fears as being a pimp was one day

0:36:39 > 0:36:42receiving a phone call from the police station or the morgue

0:36:42 > 0:36:46telling me to come down to identify one of my ladies

0:36:46 > 0:36:50from being killed by a trick. You all know what a trick is, right?

0:36:53 > 0:36:54Hey, you know too much.

0:36:54 > 0:36:56LAUGHTER

0:36:56 > 0:36:59Yeah. OK.

0:36:59 > 0:37:03When you was pimping, did you ever get close to your women

0:37:03 > 0:37:05or have you ever been in more...

0:37:05 > 0:37:07- In love.- ..in a relationship with one of them?

0:37:07 > 0:37:09They were all important.

0:37:11 > 0:37:15Either get my money or suffer the consequences.

0:37:15 > 0:37:17What kind of consequences?

0:37:17 > 0:37:23It could get physical, I mean, from coat hangers to broomsticks.

0:37:23 > 0:37:26Once you're in, you can't tell me when you leaving.

0:37:26 > 0:37:28You leave when I say you can leave.

0:37:28 > 0:37:31- Whoa.- Why?- Whoa.

0:37:31 > 0:37:32OK.

0:37:34 > 0:37:37You better listen. You better listen.

0:37:37 > 0:37:41Cos most abusers start out real sweet,

0:37:41 > 0:37:44it's only later on that you find out that he's an abuser.

0:37:44 > 0:37:48And once he's started, it's almost impossible to stop.

0:37:48 > 0:37:50Homeless woman would be in the back seat,

0:37:50 > 0:37:53I would be in the back seat. The pimps would be in the front seat,

0:37:53 > 0:37:56we would get slapped just for looking.

0:37:56 > 0:38:01It was so much control and so hard-core.

0:38:01 > 0:38:05But it was a life that, you know, we were living and went through

0:38:05 > 0:38:08- and we thought that was cool. - That's right.

0:38:08 > 0:38:10And then they beat you, you know?

0:38:10 > 0:38:15Emotionally they mess you up.

0:38:18 > 0:38:22Because I used to have extension-cord marks all over my body

0:38:22 > 0:38:25but they weren't as bad as what they said....

0:38:25 > 0:38:28The emotional scars.

0:38:28 > 0:38:30That I couldn't come from under.

0:38:30 > 0:38:32Every day it's a brainwash.

0:38:34 > 0:38:36Do you, like, regret it all now?

0:38:37 > 0:38:40Erm...

0:38:40 > 0:38:43I regret some of the decisions I may have made.

0:38:43 > 0:38:46Do I regret my life? No.

0:38:46 > 0:38:49I had a daughter, her name was Chinadoll.

0:38:49 > 0:38:52I pimped on her mother...

0:38:52 > 0:38:57from the day she was conceived all the way up to her ninth month.

0:38:58 > 0:39:01She was on the ho stroll, that's what it's called.

0:39:01 > 0:39:03This big.

0:39:04 > 0:39:07In the winter time with a short jacket on.

0:39:07 > 0:39:10The more flesh you see, the better.

0:39:10 > 0:39:14Anyway, my daughter was born with bronchial pneumonia.

0:39:14 > 0:39:17She couldn't breathe, she had a breathing disorder

0:39:17 > 0:39:19because of her mother being in the streets

0:39:19 > 0:39:21throughout the whole pregnancy.

0:39:21 > 0:39:25My daughter died nine months later after she was born

0:39:25 > 0:39:26because of this disease...

0:39:27 > 0:39:29..and the lifestyle.

0:39:50 > 0:39:52Being a little boy was very frightening,

0:39:52 > 0:39:54so I found my own means of escape.

0:39:56 > 0:39:59And I guess that's probably what helped spawn the...

0:39:59 > 0:40:01alter ego along the way.

0:40:02 > 0:40:05Getting outside of me, I didn't have to deal with me.

0:40:06 > 0:40:09I let my alter ego deal with that.

0:40:10 > 0:40:15- A lot of damaged goods. - And who was the alter ego?- Fancy.

0:40:18 > 0:40:19And what was he like?

0:40:23 > 0:40:25He was the total opposite of Homer.

0:40:26 > 0:40:28He wasn't loving and caring.

0:40:32 > 0:40:33Driven by greed.

0:40:36 > 0:40:38Eventually turned into a drug addict.

0:40:41 > 0:40:44Do you have any idea why your dad was so angry? Do you know why?

0:40:44 > 0:40:45No, I don't.

0:40:48 > 0:40:51No, I really don't. Never...never really asked him.

0:40:52 > 0:40:55I got the chance to meet my grandparents, they were

0:40:55 > 0:40:58pretty angry people themselves,

0:40:58 > 0:41:01so he became a product of what they were.

0:41:01 > 0:41:05And by them living in a rural area in the country of Mississippi,

0:41:05 > 0:41:08he didn't have the opportunities to do the things

0:41:08 > 0:41:10that the big city offered me.

0:41:10 > 0:41:13He probably would have went the same route I did or worse.

0:41:15 > 0:41:17To say when the violence would occur,

0:41:17 > 0:41:19it occurred when it occurred.

0:41:19 > 0:41:22At any given moment, you know, house could go up.

0:41:23 > 0:41:26With her not leaving, that solidified that,

0:41:26 > 0:41:28"OK, this might be the way it works."

0:41:29 > 0:41:34My whole idea was, the sooner I can get out of here the better.

0:41:34 > 0:41:36When I say "out of here," I mean this exact home

0:41:36 > 0:41:39where we at right now. I wanted out of here.

0:41:39 > 0:41:41It was not beautiful to me.

0:41:41 > 0:41:44All I knew was I wanted to escape.

0:41:44 > 0:41:47I didn't wake up one day saying, "I want to be a pimp,"

0:41:47 > 0:41:49that's not what happened.

0:41:51 > 0:41:56I never was one for guns and things like that.

0:41:56 > 0:41:58But, of course, I became a criminal.

0:42:00 > 0:42:03Short con player and pimping. That's because most of my life...

0:42:03 > 0:42:06that's where I spent my life, in the pimp game.

0:42:06 > 0:42:09But in the beginning, you have to understand, I had not a clue,

0:42:09 > 0:42:12not an idea that I would cause this much pain.

0:42:12 > 0:42:14I thought it would be something real cool.

0:42:16 > 0:42:20And time went on, it became business, serious business.

0:42:22 > 0:42:24Fortunately, I've never been to prison.

0:42:24 > 0:42:28I don't even have a jail record. That's probably why I chose it.

0:42:29 > 0:42:33But then some people can adapt to jail,

0:42:33 > 0:42:37I don't like a lot of confinement. I don't like someone telling me

0:42:37 > 0:42:39when I have to get up, lay down, eat, no.

0:42:40 > 0:42:44And because I had a way with the women,

0:42:44 > 0:42:47I can't quite explain what it was.

0:42:47 > 0:42:51I'm not the most handsomest guy in the world

0:42:51 > 0:42:53but I was always able to connect.

0:42:54 > 0:42:58Listen and talk. Cos I was vulnerable.

0:42:59 > 0:43:01Very.

0:43:02 > 0:43:06Now, him, on the other hand,

0:43:06 > 0:43:09I'm not sure if he really understands...

0:43:10 > 0:43:13..how much damage he actually caused through his violence.

0:43:27 > 0:43:30I remember one day me and my father having a conversation.

0:43:30 > 0:43:32I said, "Pops, let me ask you something,

0:43:32 > 0:43:34"how do you really feel about what I do?"

0:43:35 > 0:43:39And I didn't stop at the time but it did have an impact on my life.

0:43:39 > 0:43:43I asked him how did he feel cos I thought, with us both being men,

0:43:43 > 0:43:45that this would be the coolest thing in the world.

0:43:45 > 0:43:47I got more than one woman, I can do what I want

0:43:47 > 0:43:51but his answer was totally the opposite of what I expected.

0:43:51 > 0:43:54He told me, "Son, how do you think I feel?"

0:43:57 > 0:44:02What about you, Martha? How do you feel about your son now?

0:44:05 > 0:44:07Yeah.

0:44:32 > 0:44:34Hello? Is Temeka... Is she coming out?

0:44:35 > 0:44:37Tell her to bring herself on.

0:44:46 > 0:44:48You an old lady!

0:44:48 > 0:44:51INDISTINCT

0:44:59 > 0:45:03I know, like, I couldn't say "I think"...

0:45:03 > 0:45:06We were talking about your mum being very verbally abusive to you,

0:45:06 > 0:45:08did that slacken up?

0:45:11 > 0:45:14That's the first conclusion she comes to.

0:45:25 > 0:45:27He just going to go back and do it.

0:45:28 > 0:45:29It's not about whupping.

0:45:37 > 0:45:38OK.

0:45:49 > 0:45:51What happened with that?

0:45:54 > 0:45:55Mm-hmm.

0:46:01 > 0:46:03And you was thinking about going back?

0:46:03 > 0:46:06- Yeah.- To prostitution?- Yeah.

0:46:06 > 0:46:10- To your old lifestyle? Maybe your old people, right?- Yeah.

0:46:10 > 0:46:13It's not going to make it better. It's not going to make it better.

0:46:13 > 0:46:16- Yeah, that's... - It's going to make it worse.

0:46:16 > 0:46:18You know what I'm saying?

0:46:18 > 0:46:20Any time you go back, it always gets worse.

0:46:20 > 0:46:23Don't go back, let's go forward. OK?

0:46:23 > 0:46:25When you feel like that, give me a call.

0:46:46 > 0:46:49Hello? Hi, Temeka.

0:46:49 > 0:46:53Can you hold on one minute? One sec, one sec.

0:46:53 > 0:46:57Temeka, Temeka, your mother keeps putting you out,

0:46:57 > 0:46:59what are you going to do about that?

0:46:59 > 0:47:01I've called a lot of places for you...

0:47:03 > 0:47:05..that I thought would be workable for you.

0:47:09 > 0:47:11Oh, my... You pregnant?

0:47:11 > 0:47:12Yes.

0:47:13 > 0:47:14OK.

0:47:16 > 0:47:20So you had unprotected sex with your boyfriend, right?

0:47:21 > 0:47:23Yes.

0:47:23 > 0:47:25And you know you're pregnant, right?

0:47:36 > 0:47:39Well, that just opens up a whole new can of worms, sweetie.

0:47:52 > 0:47:55She probably did this on purpose, she wanted to get pregnant

0:47:55 > 0:47:58but what she doesn't want to do is she doesn't want anyone to know

0:47:58 > 0:48:02who this guy is because he's grown, he's much older than her.

0:48:02 > 0:48:05And she's only 15 years old and he's already convinced her not to

0:48:05 > 0:48:09tell anybody because he knows he'll get in trouble.

0:48:09 > 0:48:12He knows this, so that's just the way it is, you know.

0:48:12 > 0:48:14It's unfortunate that life is like that

0:48:14 > 0:48:15and there are men out there

0:48:15 > 0:48:18who don't care about getting 15-year-old girls pregnant.

0:48:19 > 0:48:21No matter how much they see them hurting,

0:48:21 > 0:48:24because anyone could tell that this girl is hurt.

0:48:24 > 0:48:27I knew that if Temeka didn't get any love,

0:48:27 > 0:48:30she was going to create some love and she has.

0:48:30 > 0:48:32She's created her own love, so...

0:48:32 > 0:48:35That's just what girls do. I did it.

0:48:35 > 0:48:37So I know what it means.

0:48:37 > 0:48:39So there you have it.

0:48:59 > 0:49:01Get the ball, get the ball.

0:49:01 > 0:49:03- Get the ball!- Get the ball. - WHISTLE BLOWS

0:49:03 > 0:49:05Where are you going? Get that ball.

0:49:07 > 0:49:10- Watch the ball, get the ball. - Get it, Jer, go for it.

0:49:10 > 0:49:11Get the ball.

0:49:12 > 0:49:14Yay, there you go!

0:49:15 > 0:49:17- Watch the ball.- Get the ball.

0:49:22 > 0:49:23WHISTLE BLOWS

0:49:23 > 0:49:25Good job today, Jer.

0:49:30 > 0:49:33CHEERING

0:49:33 > 0:49:35Touchdown!

0:49:35 > 0:49:39Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! What that do?

0:49:40 > 0:49:42What's our name?

0:49:43 > 0:49:46What? What? What's your name?

0:49:51 > 0:49:54This will be the eighth play of this drive and he...

0:49:54 > 0:49:56Keith!

0:49:58 > 0:50:00- I can't allow this.- I can't run.

0:50:00 > 0:50:03I can't allow this. This is a Hail Mary.

0:50:03 > 0:50:06The offence heads to the line for the seventh play of the drive.

0:50:09 > 0:50:11- Aw! Aw! - KEITH CHUCKLES

0:50:11 > 0:50:13That's a touchdown.

0:50:13 > 0:50:17Why, that is something to watch. A Hail Mary pass...

0:50:20 > 0:50:21Who was your first mummy?

0:50:24 > 0:50:25Mm-hmm.

0:50:25 > 0:50:28Who took care of you?

0:50:28 > 0:50:29- You.- Right.

0:50:29 > 0:50:32So you got two mummies, right?

0:50:34 > 0:50:36Which mummy you like the best? Naw, I'm just kidding!

0:50:36 > 0:50:39- BRENDA CHUCKLES - You.

0:50:42 > 0:50:43BRENDA LAUGHS

0:50:45 > 0:50:47- I'm serious.- "Since I got a game."

0:50:49 > 0:50:54When Jeremy first got with us, he just was in a trance.

0:50:54 > 0:50:57Until the guy who transports the children

0:50:57 > 0:51:00drives up in front of the door.

0:51:00 > 0:51:04Jeremy ran and hid in the closet, right?

0:51:04 > 0:51:08I didn't know much. I hadn't had a lot of experience with Jeremy,

0:51:08 > 0:51:11so I'm looking for Jeremy and he's in the closet crying.

0:51:11 > 0:51:13And I said, "What's wrong? What's wrong?"

0:51:13 > 0:51:16And he kept pointing at the man, the man.

0:51:18 > 0:51:22The man had transported him from placement to placement

0:51:22 > 0:51:25and he thought the man came there to take him away again.

0:51:25 > 0:51:29And I remember grabbing that kid and saying to him,

0:51:29 > 0:51:31"No, no, no, nobody's going to take you anywhere.

0:51:31 > 0:51:35"You will never leave again. You don't ever...

0:51:35 > 0:51:38"No-one will ever take you again anywhere."

0:51:38 > 0:51:42And that's when I made my decision that he was mine.

0:52:03 > 0:52:06It ain't easy.

0:52:06 > 0:52:11- You've had a lot of stuff happen to you in your life.- I have.

0:52:11 > 0:52:13OK, I know, you've told me.

0:52:13 > 0:52:16- You say you used to get beat for anything.- Yeah.

0:52:16 > 0:52:20You know? And that you could not stand nobody to get no whupping.

0:52:20 > 0:52:22You couldn't even stand to see, you can't do it.

0:52:22 > 0:52:23No, I couldn't.

0:52:25 > 0:52:28And that's a beautiful thing. You know what I'm saying?

0:52:31 > 0:52:34But you told me, you said, "I got beat all the time."

0:52:34 > 0:52:36You know what I'm saying? And that let me know

0:52:36 > 0:52:39that somebody tried to beat all the beauty out of you.

0:52:39 > 0:52:41Beat all the life out of you.

0:52:41 > 0:52:45Because you got something in you. You know what I'm saying?

0:53:03 > 0:53:04Would he beat your mother?

0:53:06 > 0:53:07So you saw that?

0:53:13 > 0:53:14Mm-hmm.

0:53:38 > 0:53:40You said, "That was all he did,"

0:53:40 > 0:53:42- but wasn't that enough?- Yeah.

0:53:42 > 0:53:47Sometimes I hear you talking, "That's all he did." That was enough.

0:53:47 > 0:53:51We make excuses for people who do things to us because we love them.

0:53:51 > 0:53:54When we love somebody,

0:53:54 > 0:53:57we make excuses for what they do, you know what I'm saying?

0:53:57 > 0:53:59You make excuses for my brother.

0:53:59 > 0:54:04Right? And there's no excuse.

0:54:04 > 0:54:06You understand what I'm saying?

0:54:08 > 0:54:11I feel you. I know. It's not easy.

0:54:14 > 0:54:15You know?

0:54:27 > 0:54:28Yup.

0:54:34 > 0:54:36# I appreciate life

0:54:36 > 0:54:37# I'm so glad that I'm alive

0:54:37 > 0:54:40# I like what I see when I'm looking at me

0:54:40 > 0:54:43# When I'm walking past the mirror... #

0:54:43 > 0:54:45- This is the best. - I need y'all to come on with me.

0:54:45 > 0:54:47# I like what I see when I'm looking at me

0:54:47 > 0:54:50# When I'm walking past the mirror... #

0:54:50 > 0:54:52Yeah. Hey.

0:54:52 > 0:54:55Y'all don't understand how to get the party popping.

0:54:56 > 0:54:59This is my daughter, Dr Ruth Vasil

0:54:59 > 0:55:01and she will tell you more about herself,

0:55:01 > 0:55:04she's a psychologist for adolescents.

0:55:04 > 0:55:06What I'm here to do today is I want to talk to y'all.

0:55:06 > 0:55:08Whatever y'all want to talk about,

0:55:08 > 0:55:12whatever questions you all have about the discussion that you

0:55:12 > 0:55:16had with my mother a few weeks ago, just about molestation

0:55:16 > 0:55:19and sexual abuse. And my mum also told me you all had

0:55:19 > 0:55:26questions for me in regards to just, I guess, having heard my mum.

0:55:26 > 0:55:30She said you guys had questions that you might have wanted to ask me

0:55:30 > 0:55:32about how that was or some experience

0:55:32 > 0:55:35that me and my sister may have gone through growing up.

0:55:35 > 0:55:37So I'll open the floor first for the questions

0:55:37 > 0:55:39and I'll tell you a little more. Yes.

0:55:39 > 0:55:44How did you feel when she told you she was a prostitute?

0:55:44 > 0:55:46We always knew that, actually.

0:55:46 > 0:55:49There was a lot of different traumas that happened to us.

0:55:49 > 0:55:53My grandmother... My mother, she was, of course, out on the street.

0:55:53 > 0:55:55My grandmother died when I was like four,

0:55:55 > 0:55:58so at that point we were just kind of put with everybody.

0:55:58 > 0:56:02We had a lot of strings of people that we lived with.

0:56:02 > 0:56:05Like, baby-sitters, my grandfather and...

0:56:05 > 0:56:08You know, left with a few different people in our lives.

0:56:08 > 0:56:10Of course, through that process,

0:56:10 > 0:56:13I was sexually abused a couple of times through that process of

0:56:13 > 0:56:17being with different family members who took advantage of the situation.

0:56:17 > 0:56:19There were nights that we didn't have any food,

0:56:19 > 0:56:21barely had any clothes.

0:56:21 > 0:56:24Infested with rats and roaches and different things like that.

0:56:24 > 0:56:26We went through a lot of different...our own

0:56:26 > 0:56:30little different traumas as a kid waiting for her.

0:56:30 > 0:56:31How...How...how...

0:56:31 > 0:56:33How you really actually deal with that?

0:56:33 > 0:56:36When I looked at her I thought, "OK, she's here with us now,

0:56:36 > 0:56:39"she's smiling, the drugs are not here, so she loves us."

0:56:39 > 0:56:41I knew when she went on the street, that was her drugs,

0:56:41 > 0:56:43that's why we didn't hear from her,

0:56:43 > 0:56:45that's why she was out there all those years

0:56:45 > 0:56:48and things like that and I think that's what we always understood.

0:56:48 > 0:56:50It was my mother under the influence of drugs.

0:56:50 > 0:56:53Under the influence of pain, under the influence of all

0:56:53 > 0:56:57the things that...what happened to her as a child.

0:56:57 > 0:57:01My mama did some things that she regret

0:57:01 > 0:57:06and, to this very day, I still take it out on her.

0:57:06 > 0:57:08So I don't actually talk to her at all.

0:57:08 > 0:57:13Like, I moved out and everything. I don't have no communication,

0:57:13 > 0:57:16- and I don't want none. - Can I say something?- Sure.

0:57:16 > 0:57:18When I told you, like, at one time I was gone

0:57:18 > 0:57:21and they didn't hear from me for, like, 12 years, right?

0:57:21 > 0:57:25I used to call the house and I wouldn't say anything,

0:57:25 > 0:57:26I would just breathe on the phone.

0:57:26 > 0:57:29They would say stuff like, "We're praying for you.

0:57:29 > 0:57:30"We pray for you every night."

0:57:30 > 0:57:34And I was out in my madness and that, right there, would keep me

0:57:34 > 0:57:41alive because they didn't say "I hate you," they didn't say,

0:57:41 > 0:57:44"I don't want to talk to you," they kept saying,

0:57:44 > 0:57:47"Hey, Mum, is this you? We pray for you every night."

0:57:47 > 0:57:50And that made me say, "My daughters are praying for me."

0:57:50 > 0:57:52And I remember I used to get off the phone

0:57:52 > 0:57:55and I used to look around at the people that I was hanging with,

0:57:55 > 0:57:57I was saying, "My daughters are praying for me."

0:57:57 > 0:58:00You know, the shame kept me away.

0:58:00 > 0:58:03All the stuff that happened to me when I was young,

0:58:03 > 0:58:08I was running from it and, in the process, I ran from them.

0:58:08 > 0:58:12The last time that I saw them, I abandoned them.

0:58:12 > 0:58:14I abandoned them.

0:58:15 > 0:58:19You know what I mean? I mean, straight abandoned my kids.

0:58:21 > 0:58:23I couldn't live with myself.

0:58:35 > 0:58:37So...

0:58:37 > 0:58:39what's up?

0:59:02 > 0:59:03OK.

0:59:15 > 0:59:17I can't sleep, I can't think because...

0:59:19 > 0:59:24..it hurt cos we were so close. He asked me, he said,

0:59:24 > 0:59:26"I don't want to be at home, I don't want to be at this school,

0:59:26 > 0:59:28"can I come and stay with you?"

0:59:35 > 0:59:37I'm like... You feel me?

0:59:37 > 0:59:40"I'm not trying to take you from Mum and I don't want them to think

0:59:40 > 0:59:43"I'm just letting you do whatever, so you've got to stay there.

0:59:43 > 0:59:46"Besides, she needs your help since I'm not there.

0:59:46 > 0:59:47"She's got babies to raise.

0:59:47 > 0:59:50I would go around there and just put a message out in the hood, right?

0:59:50 > 0:59:54- Yeah, we did.- No, no, you, cos he's close to you.

0:59:55 > 1:00:01"Tell my brother I said, if you see him, tell him come on home to me.

1:00:01 > 1:00:03"I got him, he can stay with me."

1:00:03 > 1:00:07Now, my family looking at me like I'm the bad person.

1:00:07 > 1:00:10No, you're not the bad person, and your mama can't put that on you.

1:00:10 > 1:00:11At that point and at that time

1:00:11 > 1:00:13you'd have done the best that you could have done.

1:00:13 > 1:00:16In fact, you might have tried to take on the whole family, if you could.

1:00:16 > 1:00:19But you don't have it, you know what I mean?

1:00:19 > 1:00:22You're barely surviving yourself, so how is that your fault?

1:00:22 > 1:00:25Because you don't have any... Cos you're not surviving?

1:00:25 > 1:00:30You're a child being put in adult situations

1:00:30 > 1:00:33and given more responsibility than you should ever have right now.

1:00:33 > 1:00:34It's not you.

1:00:36 > 1:00:37I think he'll come home to you.

1:00:37 > 1:00:41You told me that you had dropped out of school and now you're back

1:00:41 > 1:00:44cos you want something, you hungry for education.

1:00:44 > 1:00:47But you got so much, all this stuff, you know, getting thrown at you.

1:00:49 > 1:00:52But what I would like for you to do right now

1:00:52 > 1:00:54is try to get here every Tuesday. Can you do that?

1:00:57 > 1:00:59What's it going to be?

1:01:00 > 1:01:03- I'm going to do it. - Huh?- I'm going to do it.

1:01:07 > 1:01:09It's not your fault.

1:01:09 > 1:01:12Everything seems to be your fault, don't it?

1:01:12 > 1:01:13It's not.

1:01:13 > 1:01:15You ain't been on the planet long enough

1:01:15 > 1:01:17to have to deal with all of that.

1:01:32 > 1:01:35SHE SHOUTS

1:01:43 > 1:01:46MELODY SINGS

1:01:49 > 1:01:52- Mama!- Will you please come on?

1:01:54 > 1:01:56Melody, come on in here!

1:02:02 > 1:02:04Bring your ass over.

1:02:10 > 1:02:12Bring your ass on out of there.

1:02:20 > 1:02:21Get on in there.

1:02:23 > 1:02:25What do you want me to do?

1:02:25 > 1:02:27Bring your motherfucking ass out.

1:02:36 > 1:02:38Sheesh!

1:02:53 > 1:02:56SHE SINGS

1:03:06 > 1:03:09INDISTINCT CHATTER

1:03:09 > 1:03:11What's up?

1:03:21 > 1:03:22Open the door.

1:03:30 > 1:03:31You can't get in, boy?

1:03:37 > 1:03:40Well, thank you, pumpkin. This is Jeremy.

1:03:40 > 1:03:43He sleeps here cos he wants to.

1:03:43 > 1:03:45He's got another room upstairs.

1:03:45 > 1:03:50He doesn't want to sleep upstairs, he wants to be down here.

1:03:50 > 1:03:54That's why he's here with my stuff. Cos this was a futon, right?

1:03:54 > 1:03:58And he's got a twin bed, then he's got a double decker bed.

1:03:58 > 1:04:00Either one of those rooms he could have,

1:04:00 > 1:04:02but he wants to sleep down here in this bed.

1:04:02 > 1:04:06I guess cos he's close to us, you know what I'm saying.

1:04:06 > 1:04:08So... No, don't hang that up in there.

1:04:08 > 1:04:11I'll get that. Don't worry. You just have a seat and talk to me, OK?

1:04:11 > 1:04:15Cos this is our lady time, this is our girl talk, OK?

1:05:30 > 1:05:31I knew you wanted it.

1:05:34 > 1:05:36I wanted you to have it

1:05:36 > 1:05:39because I've been where you are...

1:05:41 > 1:05:44..and I know how it is to want something and you can't.

1:05:44 > 1:05:48And it's just so hard to get it and...

1:05:49 > 1:05:51..when...

1:05:52 > 1:05:54I just know how you feel.

1:06:16 > 1:06:19Listen, Melody, one thing I can tell you is,

1:06:19 > 1:06:25I know how it feels to be locked in something and not be with your kids.

1:06:25 > 1:06:26Mm-hm.

1:06:26 > 1:06:29You got so much stuff on top of the beauty inside of you,

1:06:29 > 1:06:32but I see through that stuff.

1:06:32 > 1:06:35I see how beautiful you are on the inside, you know what I mean.

1:06:35 > 1:06:37And that's the Melody I want to flow and be out there,

1:06:37 > 1:06:39you know what I'm saying.

1:06:39 > 1:06:42I'd love to come around there when you're not high

1:06:42 > 1:06:48and you and I laugh and we talk and we understand each other.

1:06:48 > 1:06:50Because no matter what you think,

1:06:50 > 1:06:52I can never judge you cos I was there too.

1:06:52 > 1:06:56But I know that there's a beautiful woman inside of there

1:06:56 > 1:06:58that's just dying to come out.

1:07:01 > 1:07:05And you know, any time you ready, I'm ready.

1:07:05 > 1:07:07I'm ready to help you walk through it.

1:07:40 > 1:07:42There's only a little bit of chicken left.

1:07:46 > 1:07:48Jeremy.

1:07:55 > 1:07:58# I love my little hucky pucky

1:07:58 > 1:08:00# Yes, I do

1:08:00 > 1:08:05# What about you, you, you?

1:08:05 > 1:08:09# Hucky pucky, number one. #

1:08:09 > 1:08:11- Huh?- Yeah.

1:08:14 > 1:08:19The young lady, Maria, she called me and she was crying and she said,

1:08:19 > 1:08:22"I can't do it. I'm ready to go in."

1:08:22 > 1:08:25So I'm going to go get her now

1:08:25 > 1:08:29because she said she smoked some crack cocaine and she's pregnant.

1:08:29 > 1:08:33So I had to leave my job and go get her. This is it.

1:08:35 > 1:08:38What happened?

1:08:38 > 1:08:41Well, you know me and Chloe been working off the internet

1:08:41 > 1:08:44and it just takes a toll on you.

1:08:44 > 1:08:47After a while it's just like...

1:08:47 > 1:08:48I'm tired of turning dates.

1:08:48 > 1:08:51And it doesn't seem like anything can go right.

1:08:51 > 1:08:54Like, I save up to get a place,

1:08:54 > 1:08:55I saved up to get an apartment,

1:08:55 > 1:09:00and the dude was willing to work with me, give him 200 a day

1:09:00 > 1:09:02until I get the 1,400 for him.

1:09:02 > 1:09:04I'm just like, "I can't do it no more, though."

1:09:04 > 1:09:06I can't. I'm tired.

1:09:06 > 1:09:09I get sick when I go in there and turn these dates

1:09:09 > 1:09:14and my baby doesn't like it and it's just like I can't do it.

1:09:14 > 1:09:17I can't do it. I miss my daughter more than anything.

1:09:17 > 1:09:21And it's hard because I did two and half years away from her

1:09:21 > 1:09:26and to come home and to be in her life and then...

1:09:27 > 1:09:33..because her dad was so fucking brutal to me I had to leave and...

1:09:36 > 1:09:38And I just relapsed last night.

1:09:38 > 1:09:43I was doing good, like, really good and it just took a toll on me.

1:09:43 > 1:09:46And I went to go see a friend

1:09:46 > 1:09:48and was smoking weed

1:09:48 > 1:09:54and I was already using crack before I got pregnant, so it wasn't like...

1:09:54 > 1:09:57It was there and we got high.

1:09:57 > 1:10:01I just kept getting high until I puked.

1:10:01 > 1:10:06I always come up with an excuse to keep on working and I'm just tired.

1:10:06 > 1:10:08I can't work any more.

1:10:08 > 1:10:10I knew once I saw you,

1:10:10 > 1:10:15I told everybody, I said, "She ready," cos I saw it in your eyes.

1:10:15 > 1:10:19Even though you tough, you strong, you all of that.

1:10:19 > 1:10:20You know what I'm saying.

1:10:20 > 1:10:23You can kind of hide it, be all, you know, thuggish in the street

1:10:23 > 1:10:27and everything like that, but on the inside, you ready to stop.

1:10:27 > 1:10:28I am. I'm ready on the outside.

1:10:28 > 1:10:31It's like, I look at my body and I'm almost six months pregnant.

1:10:31 > 1:10:36I'm like, how? How? You know what I'm saying.

1:10:36 > 1:10:38I don't want to hurt my baby any more.

1:10:38 > 1:10:42And when I turn these tricks I get sick, like, he knows...

1:10:42 > 1:10:45Is it cos he knows that it's not his dad?

1:10:45 > 1:10:48Does he know that this is not right.

1:10:48 > 1:10:52Does he know? And then these tricks are asking me, "Are you expecting?"

1:10:52 > 1:10:54Well, I got a bed waiting for you.

1:10:54 > 1:10:58- OK.- Everything's all taken care of. We don't even have to stop.

1:10:58 > 1:11:00We have to go straight up to the second floor.

1:11:00 > 1:11:02She told me to bring you straight up to the second floor.

1:11:02 > 1:11:06Because that's how I get down.

1:11:06 > 1:11:10And you're going to be OK, but you got to stay, get your detox.

1:11:10 > 1:11:13They have a programme up there, we don't know what will be next,

1:11:13 > 1:11:14but we'll work it out.

1:11:14 > 1:11:17But just take today, just for the day right now, OK?

1:11:30 > 1:11:35- Hey! How you all doing today? ALL:- Good.

1:11:36 > 1:11:40What up? What up? Wake up! Wake up! Ya'll know I like all of that.

1:11:40 > 1:11:42- I got good news.- Good news.

1:11:42 > 1:11:45- My brother came home. - My brother came home.

1:11:45 > 1:11:46CHEERING

1:11:46 > 1:11:49Everybody say it. My brother came home.

1:11:49 > 1:11:51- ALL:- My brother came home.

1:11:51 > 1:11:53Cos that's good for you.

1:11:53 > 1:11:56Give me some good news. I like good news.

1:11:56 > 1:11:58Whoa! That's real good news.

1:12:00 > 1:12:03Somebody share, baby.

1:12:03 > 1:12:06I guess ya'll kind of wondering who this lady is, right?

1:12:06 > 1:12:11- ALL:- Yes.- This lady right here used to be my wife-in-law.

1:12:11 > 1:12:14- We had the same pimp.- Wow!

1:12:14 > 1:12:16Whoa!

1:12:16 > 1:12:18Bust that one down.

1:12:18 > 1:12:23Sometime in December I'm going to have surgery.

1:12:23 > 1:12:27They're going to give me new knees.

1:12:27 > 1:12:30They're going to replace my knees so that I can get around better

1:12:30 > 1:12:32cos I'm having a total hard time getting around.

1:12:32 > 1:12:35And so I'll be out for a while.

1:12:35 > 1:12:38While I'm gone, she'll be coming to see you.

1:12:49 > 1:12:52INDISTINCT SHOUTING

1:13:03 > 1:13:06How many guys you got in here cos you all look just alike?

1:13:06 > 1:13:08That's your brother?

1:13:08 > 1:13:09What's his name?

1:13:09 > 1:13:11DOORBELL RINGS

1:13:11 > 1:13:13- Jeremiah.- And your name is? - I'm Terrance.

1:13:13 > 1:13:17- Hey, Terrance. You're handsome. - Stop that.

1:13:17 > 1:13:18Hey!

1:13:26 > 1:13:28Anybody. I don't care who you are.

1:13:28 > 1:13:31- Anybody need help with all these children.- Yeah, I know.

1:13:31 > 1:13:34And you don't have any help.

1:13:34 > 1:13:36And that's how we found Sharita,

1:13:36 > 1:13:38cos she wasn't going to school,

1:13:38 > 1:13:42and we're going to make sure that we help you.

1:13:42 > 1:13:43OK?

1:13:51 > 1:13:54- Just call me Em.- Huh?

1:13:55 > 1:13:57Call you Eminem?

1:14:00 > 1:14:02No, no, no, I respect that.

1:14:02 > 1:14:04I respect that, OK?

1:14:04 > 1:14:06Me and you cool, OK?

1:14:06 > 1:14:08All right. I just wanted to know you were OK, all right?

1:14:08 > 1:14:11BABY CRIES

1:14:11 > 1:14:15You're a smart, young man. You ain't crazy, are you?

1:14:15 > 1:14:18- No.- You see what's going on out there in the streets, don't you?

1:14:18 > 1:14:22- Yeah.- You don't want that to happen to you, do you?- No.

1:14:22 > 1:14:25Now, you can do the right thing, which ain't popular,

1:14:25 > 1:14:27or you can do the wrong thing, like my son did.

1:14:27 > 1:14:30See, he wanted to be slick, sell drugs. They gave him 42 years.

1:14:30 > 1:14:33You can't even hang with that crowd. You can't be with them.

1:14:33 > 1:14:35Listen to this.

1:14:35 > 1:14:37You don't know me, I don't know you, right?

1:14:37 > 1:14:39You can tell me whatever you want to tell me.

1:14:39 > 1:14:42But guess what? What I'm telling you is fact.

1:14:42 > 1:14:44It's going to happen.

1:14:44 > 1:14:45If you stay out there in them streets,

1:14:45 > 1:14:48trouble's going to find you, whether you're looking for it or not.

1:14:48 > 1:14:50And you're going to be sitting back in jail talking about,

1:14:50 > 1:14:52"I didn't do nothing."

1:14:52 > 1:14:54You don't have to do nothing. You was out there.

1:15:13 > 1:15:15Let me ask you something.

1:15:18 > 1:15:20- Do I steal what?- Stuff.

1:15:20 > 1:15:22- Nah.- You don't?- Uh-uh.

1:15:22 > 1:15:25- OK, I need to ask you that cos I'm real. I'm going to ask you.- Yeah.

1:15:25 > 1:15:27- But I don't.- OK.

1:15:27 > 1:15:30OK, if you need something you know that you can call and ask us, right?

1:15:30 > 1:15:32- You hear me?- Yes.

1:15:32 > 1:15:37If you're hungry, if you need some things, right, let me know, OK?

1:15:37 > 1:15:39Guess what? We got you.

1:15:41 > 1:15:42- You hear me?- Yeah.

1:15:42 > 1:15:45Things that you might have been doing to survive...

1:15:45 > 1:15:48That's what I want to help you to do, OK?

1:15:48 > 1:15:50Like I said, I want you to know I got your back.

1:15:50 > 1:15:52And the reason I asked you if you steal is

1:15:52 > 1:15:54not that somebody said that you steal, right?

1:15:54 > 1:15:56If you don't do one thing, you do the other.

1:15:56 > 1:15:59You understand what I'm saying. So I'm asking, how do you survive?

1:15:59 > 1:16:02I want to make sure that you don't have to do that, OK?

1:16:02 > 1:16:04Cos if I was hungry I would steal.

1:16:04 > 1:16:06And I know we have to do some things in order to survive.

1:16:06 > 1:16:08You don't have to do that, OK?

1:16:08 > 1:16:11We want you to be a part of Dreamcatcher.

1:16:11 > 1:16:14We want you to be a Dreamcatcher girl.

1:16:14 > 1:16:16OK?

1:16:16 > 1:16:19If you know somebody got your back, you'll make it.

1:16:39 > 1:16:44Sharita is 17 years old and I wanted to know who she was staying with.

1:16:44 > 1:16:47I didn't want to come down here and bodyslam you.

1:16:47 > 1:16:50INDISTINCT

1:16:50 > 1:16:52But you seem like a caring person.

1:16:52 > 1:16:54- Yeah, I am.- Mm-hm.

1:16:54 > 1:16:56- And you care about Sharita, right? - Yeah.

1:16:56 > 1:17:00He the type of person that will try to do everything he can

1:17:00 > 1:17:06to make sure that we eat every single night. He takes care of me.

1:17:06 > 1:17:10When something wrong with me, he know, he going to keep asking me

1:17:10 > 1:17:12until I actually tell him what's wrong with me

1:17:12 > 1:17:14cos that what he do.

1:17:14 > 1:17:16She brings me up when I be down at times.

1:17:16 > 1:17:19- So that's how I know... - See what I'm saying?

1:17:19 > 1:17:22I've been hearing a lot about ya'll. It's all she talk about it ya'll.

1:17:22 > 1:17:25Uh-huh. She talk about the Dreamcatcher Foundation a lot and me?

1:17:25 > 1:17:27- Yeah.- And what we do and everything like that?

1:17:27 > 1:17:29- Yeah.- Well, that's good.

1:17:32 > 1:17:35- For yourself, huh?- Yeah.

1:17:36 > 1:17:38Well, you know what?

1:17:38 > 1:17:40You deserve to be happy.

1:17:44 > 1:17:50MUSIC: Brake Fluid by Snoop Dogg

1:18:46 > 1:18:49I understand you and I got your back.

1:18:53 > 1:18:56I know. And that's most important, that it does to you.

1:18:56 > 1:18:59Cos you forgot, when I came around I had no face.

1:18:59 > 1:19:02- OK.- I lost my whole face, Homer.

1:19:04 > 1:19:06Yeah, you're going to get it back.

1:19:06 > 1:19:09You're going to get it and it's going to be lovely,

1:19:09 > 1:19:12especially on that chocolate pretty skin, you're going to have

1:19:12 > 1:19:15all them white teeth in there.

1:19:15 > 1:19:17It's affecting my weight.

1:19:17 > 1:19:19- Yeah.- Everything, cos I can't chew like I want.

1:19:19 > 1:19:21Yeah, mm-hm.

1:19:25 > 1:19:28When I asked him to come here with me today,

1:19:28 > 1:19:31I brought him here cos I don't want to offend anybody,

1:19:31 > 1:19:34but because we need the information, people.

1:19:34 > 1:19:36We need this information.

1:19:36 > 1:19:38We don't need to get angry about anything today.

1:19:38 > 1:19:39We don't need to get upset.

1:19:39 > 1:19:42But what we need is the information to learn how to fight

1:19:42 > 1:19:43human trafficking.

1:19:43 > 1:19:46We don't need to get caught up about nothing.

1:19:46 > 1:19:49I started at the age of 16 years old.

1:19:49 > 1:19:53Older women were attracted to me so they gave me money,

1:19:53 > 1:19:56and that told me that I had some power.

1:19:56 > 1:19:59And I think all of us want some power.

1:19:59 > 1:20:02I haven't used any drugs or pimped on a woman in 13 years.

1:20:02 > 1:20:04I think that deserves a hand clap.

1:20:04 > 1:20:06APPLAUSE

1:20:06 > 1:20:10We got to have people to give us information about this, am I right?

1:20:10 > 1:20:12Yes.

1:20:12 > 1:20:17So you guys got to be open-minded to the tools that are available to you.

1:20:17 > 1:20:22I use Homer for, and I do use Homer, but I use him for the good,

1:20:22 > 1:20:24you know what I mean.

1:20:24 > 1:20:28Isn't it ironic how life can change and go around?

1:20:28 > 1:20:31How Homer used to ride with my pimp and they used to pimp,

1:20:31 > 1:20:34now Homer work for me.

1:20:34 > 1:20:36LAUGHTER

1:20:36 > 1:20:38Ha-ha!

1:21:02 > 1:21:04Basically we were animals out there.

1:21:27 > 1:21:30Brought her home. Young girl. About 14 years old.

1:21:30 > 1:21:32She looked just like me.

1:21:33 > 1:21:35He was in the bed with her.

1:21:35 > 1:21:40And usually I would join in and stuff like that, but I didn't.

1:21:40 > 1:21:43I sat in the living room and I smoked a joint.

1:21:43 > 1:21:46And when she came out I was looking at her, rolling her eyes,

1:21:46 > 1:21:50not cos I was jealous, because it was like he had did me in there,

1:21:50 > 1:21:51and I was a baby.

1:21:55 > 1:21:56That's when you were numb.

1:22:01 > 1:22:02Hm.

1:22:05 > 1:22:08Cos it's the only way to survive out there.

1:22:08 > 1:22:10You cannot survive out there and only be the victim.

1:22:10 > 1:22:12I promise you.

1:22:45 > 1:22:49I've been going through some emotions lately and I really am...

1:22:55 > 1:22:56..kind of like...

1:23:00 > 1:23:05I'm an emotional person, but I'm kind of emotional about this surgery,

1:23:05 > 1:23:08about not being with my family, about not doing my outreach,

1:23:08 > 1:23:11what my girls are going to do while I'm down.

1:23:13 > 1:23:15I'm hoping that...

1:23:15 > 1:23:18I prepared them well enough that they can be OK until I get well,

1:23:18 > 1:23:21and that's why I'm hoping that everything's going to be OK.

1:23:29 > 1:23:33And even with 16 years out of the lifestyle, almost 17 years,

1:23:33 > 1:23:34I still get...

1:23:37 > 1:23:40..emotional, and I get...

1:23:45 > 1:23:48..sometimes these anxiety attacks.

1:23:53 > 1:23:57Especially after I've seen a lot of clients. I can kind of...

1:24:08 > 1:24:13Cos sometimes people think that you dress up, you look well...

1:24:13 > 1:24:16you make it to everything that you need to make it to,

1:24:16 > 1:24:19but they don't know how you're feeling on the inside.

1:24:20 > 1:24:26It takes a lot of work to continue to maintain trauma,

1:24:26 > 1:24:27stuff that you've been through,

1:24:27 > 1:24:30and just because I work with girls doesn't mean

1:24:30 > 1:24:33I don't have my own days, I do have my own days.

1:24:34 > 1:24:38And in the last couple of days I've been having a few moments.

1:24:49 > 1:24:54INDISTINCT SHOUTING IN BACKGROUND

1:25:01 > 1:25:04I used to think for a long time that...

1:25:06 > 1:25:11..because I wasn't standing on the corners that I wasn't a prostitute.

1:25:13 > 1:25:15I was...

1:25:15 > 1:25:17I've been living on the streets since I was 11.

1:25:17 > 1:25:19I'm 20 now.

1:25:20 > 1:25:23What is a child to do at 11?

1:25:23 > 1:25:27I'm a child. I don't have no guardians, no help.

1:25:29 > 1:25:34At the age of 11 I was sexually molested a lot.

1:25:34 > 1:25:38I was molested to the point that I thought it was OK.

1:25:40 > 1:25:42My mother wasn't always in my life.

1:25:42 > 1:25:45There were times that I would go without seeing my mother.

1:25:45 > 1:25:46Mm-hm.

1:25:46 > 1:25:50We slept in cars, we slept in abandoned buildings.

1:26:03 > 1:26:07When I was in the fourth grade I used to get beat for no reason.

1:26:07 > 1:26:11He would tie me by my hands and my feet across the bed.

1:26:11 > 1:26:13The drug dealers?

1:26:13 > 1:26:15And he would beat me for no reason.

1:26:15 > 1:26:18I tried to run away and found my way back to Chicago.

1:26:18 > 1:26:20I was living in Milwaukee then.

1:26:22 > 1:26:24I would always get caught.

1:26:24 > 1:26:28And he would beat me bloody.

1:26:28 > 1:26:31This is not a place for nobody. I hurt.

1:26:33 > 1:26:38And you were so courageous. I mean, you asked for help, you did.

1:26:38 > 1:26:41You said, "Ms Brenda, I need some help."

1:26:41 > 1:26:42I'm here to help you.

1:26:44 > 1:26:46I'm going to help your little sister.

1:26:49 > 1:26:51Oh, thank you so much.

1:26:51 > 1:26:55Cos I asked for help all the time and people just look at me,

1:26:55 > 1:26:59"OK, we're going to help you," and I never hear from them again.

1:27:03 > 1:27:06Every time I look at you I want to cry.

1:27:10 > 1:27:12Thank you so much.

1:27:17 > 1:27:20Being raised out in the street,

1:27:20 > 1:27:23I did just about everything that I could do

1:27:23 > 1:27:26and some of the things I didn't want to do, I had to do.

1:27:26 > 1:27:32- Right.- Sleeping in abandon buildings, eating out of garbage cans.

1:27:32 > 1:27:33I've done that.

1:27:36 > 1:27:37Drugs.

1:27:37 > 1:27:40- Alcohol.- Mm-hm.

1:27:40 > 1:27:42It played a part in my life.

1:27:42 > 1:27:47Was there anybody who was abusing you or her or Dianah at that time?

1:27:47 > 1:27:49Yeah.

1:27:49 > 1:27:53At one point we had an issue where Dianah,

1:27:53 > 1:27:59a gentleman friend of mine was supposed to have abused her.

1:28:00 > 1:28:03You say supposed to have.

1:28:03 > 1:28:06- I said that, yeah. - Do you believe that he did it?

1:28:08 > 1:28:10To be honest with you, I really don't know.

1:28:10 > 1:28:14- Why? Do you believe your daughter? - I believe my daughter.

1:28:14 > 1:28:16Good. That's what you're suppose to do.

1:28:16 > 1:28:18- You're suppose to believe your baby. - Right.

1:28:18 > 1:28:20So, yeah...

1:28:20 > 1:28:24I know how it was when I was out here.

1:28:24 > 1:28:27If I had told somebody, if they would have believed me...

1:28:27 > 1:28:28I didn't tell nobody.

1:28:28 > 1:28:33- Right. - I kept all my stuff within myself.

1:28:33 > 1:28:37- Mm-hm. - And I dealt with...

1:28:38 > 1:28:43..things...the best way I could.

1:28:43 > 1:28:47I'm here to open the door to let you know you have assistance.

1:28:47 > 1:28:49- You have support, OK?- OK.

1:28:49 > 1:28:52You have support now.

1:28:54 > 1:28:56It's OK.

1:28:56 > 1:28:58- Thank you.- It's OK.

1:29:00 > 1:29:02She's coming. She's coming.

1:29:03 > 1:29:05She's coming back, Mama.

1:29:13 > 1:29:17Stephanie, I'm already rolling. I've got three interventions lined up

1:29:17 > 1:29:19and I just need to call you to hear your voice.

1:29:19 > 1:29:22You know I can't do stuff without you.

1:29:22 > 1:29:25When other people are in their beds asleep on a Sunday,

1:29:25 > 1:29:27my husband and my son just went to breakfast,

1:29:27 > 1:29:29I'm doing interventions.

1:29:29 > 1:29:31The trees are gorgeous.

1:29:33 > 1:29:34By my house.

1:29:37 > 1:29:40Oh, my God! They gorgeous.

1:29:42 > 1:29:43I feel better.

1:29:43 > 1:29:46When they told me that you were coming to see me today,

1:29:46 > 1:29:48I was like, "Oh, my God! Thank God!"

1:29:48 > 1:29:51Cos I've been having it hard, like, I was, like...

1:29:53 > 1:29:56It was like a fresh breath of air again.

1:29:56 > 1:29:58And I'm going to be around, but I'm not going to be there

1:29:58 > 1:30:02all the time cos I need you to get strong enough to take care of Marie.

1:30:02 > 1:30:05This is what I'm focused on. I'm here, not there.

1:30:05 > 1:30:07I'm not all over the place. I'm going this way.

1:30:07 > 1:30:10Just like you're talking about the ex who approached you and said,

1:30:10 > 1:30:15- "I'm waiting for you." - That's what I told him. I said...

1:30:15 > 1:30:18It was actually yesterday after I got done with my meeting.

1:30:18 > 1:30:20I went over there and he was like,

1:30:20 > 1:30:22"I got about four girls coming to town.

1:30:22 > 1:30:24"Will you be able to manage the phones for me?"

1:30:24 > 1:30:26I was like, "Tyson, I'm in recovery.

1:30:26 > 1:30:29"I'm not only in recovery for drugs and alcohol,

1:30:29 > 1:30:30"but I'm in recovery for prostitution.

1:30:30 > 1:30:33"That means I don't want no part of it.

1:30:33 > 1:30:35"No, I don't want to be your business partner

1:30:35 > 1:30:37"when it comes to service. I have a whole new..."

1:30:37 > 1:30:39Like, I don't even want to own a service now.

1:30:39 > 1:30:42- At the beginning I was like, "I want to own a service."- I remember that.

1:30:42 > 1:30:43"Have these girls work for me."

1:30:43 > 1:30:47It was like, "No, I want to save these girls. I want to help them."

1:30:47 > 1:30:48I want to help them save themselves.

1:30:48 > 1:30:51This couldn't have happened if you hadn't have made a decision

1:30:51 > 1:30:54and wanted to be involved in your life.

1:30:54 > 1:30:56And you said, "No, I need my life back."

1:30:56 > 1:30:59And that's what you did, baby. That's what you did.

1:31:01 > 1:31:04You did that. I'm loving you.

1:31:04 > 1:31:06I love you.

1:31:33 > 1:31:36MUSIC DROWNS SPEECH

1:31:54 > 1:31:57CRYING

1:32:05 > 1:32:07CRYING

1:32:08 > 1:32:11- Hi, sweetie. - Hi, Dianah.- Don't cry.

1:32:13 > 1:32:15- Hey.- Hey.

1:32:15 > 1:32:16How you doing?

1:32:18 > 1:32:20I'm fine.

1:32:20 > 1:32:22You fine? Don't cry, baby.

1:32:22 > 1:32:24You look so nice.

1:32:24 > 1:32:27You got my favourite colour.

1:32:27 > 1:32:31- Huh? - You got my favourite colour.

1:32:31 > 1:32:34I miss you so much.

1:32:34 > 1:32:36I miss ya'll too.

1:32:36 > 1:32:38Brenda is a real nice lady. I met her.

1:32:38 > 1:32:40She came to the house and I met her.

1:32:40 > 1:32:43She told me all that she's trying to help you do.

1:32:43 > 1:32:46And I'm so grateful for that.

1:32:46 > 1:32:49And you take advantage of that and get all you can out of that.

1:32:49 > 1:32:51And get your high school diploma.

1:32:53 > 1:32:54Are you going to school?

1:32:55 > 1:32:58You are? That's good.

1:32:58 > 1:33:00That's good. That's great.

1:33:01 > 1:33:05- It's all right, baby.- Stop crying. - Stop crying.

1:33:12 > 1:33:13Don't cry.

1:33:18 > 1:33:21- I'm sorry.- Don't cry.

1:33:21 > 1:33:22I love ya'll.

1:33:22 > 1:33:24We love you too.

1:33:24 > 1:33:27We love you too, sweetie.

1:33:27 > 1:33:29I wish I could be home with ya'll.

1:33:29 > 1:33:31I'm sorry for leaving ya'll.

1:33:31 > 1:33:35- I'm sorry.- That's OK. It's going to be all right.

1:33:39 > 1:33:40And you won't be back.

1:33:41 > 1:33:44I know. It will be all over with.

1:33:44 > 1:33:46DOOR OPENS

1:33:46 > 1:33:49- It's time to go. I love ya'll. - I love you too.- I love you.

1:33:49 > 1:33:51- I love ya'll.- See you later.

1:33:52 > 1:33:55CRYING

1:33:55 > 1:33:56All right?

1:33:58 > 1:34:00She's going to be all right.

1:34:05 > 1:34:08You got to forgive and let go

1:34:08 > 1:34:12and put it in God's hands, and that's what I did.

1:34:12 > 1:34:16Now my time with them is going to be so precious.

1:34:17 > 1:34:20Man, it's a good feeling.

1:34:24 > 1:34:27Back then I didn't have no hope.

1:34:27 > 1:34:31My blood was black, my heart was black, my soul was black.

1:34:32 > 1:34:34And now I got life.

1:34:55 > 1:34:58And now, ladies and gentlemen... Shush. Sit down.

1:34:58 > 1:35:03I'd like to introduce you to my best friend, my road dog,

1:35:03 > 1:35:10all the way from 54th and Hyde Park, Mrs Stephanie Daniels.

1:35:10 > 1:35:12CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

1:35:12 > 1:35:14LAUGHTER

1:35:18 > 1:35:20What's going on, ladies?

1:35:20 > 1:35:22What's popping?

1:35:22 > 1:35:26- You want me to sing the song Always to you?- Yes.

1:35:26 > 1:35:28It goes like this.

1:35:28 > 1:35:32# As around the sun the Earth knows she's revolving

1:35:32 > 1:35:36# And the rosebuds know to bloom in early May

1:35:36 > 1:35:39# Just as hate knows love's the cure

1:35:39 > 1:35:41# You can bet my mind assure

1:35:41 > 1:35:44# That I'll be loving you always... #

1:35:45 > 1:35:47LAUGHTER

1:35:47 > 1:35:50# Always

1:35:50 > 1:35:54# Now we can't reveal the mysteries of tomorrow

1:35:54 > 1:35:58# But in passing we'll grow older every day

1:35:58 > 1:36:01# Just as kindness knows no shame

1:36:01 > 1:36:04# Know through all my joy and pain

1:36:04 > 1:36:07# That I'll be loving you always

1:36:07 > 1:36:09# As today I know I'm living

1:36:09 > 1:36:11# But tomorrow

1:36:11 > 1:36:16# Can take me to the past but that I mustn't fear

1:36:16 > 1:36:18# Cos I know deep in my mind

1:36:18 > 1:36:20# The love for me got left behind

1:36:20 > 1:36:23# And I'll be loving you always... #

1:36:23 > 1:36:25And then it goes...

1:36:25 > 1:36:28# Until the day that 8x8x8 is 4

1:36:28 > 1:36:32# Until the day that you are me and I'm no more

1:36:32 > 1:36:34- # Always - Until the day... #

1:36:34 > 1:36:37LAUGHTER # Says our work is through

1:36:37 > 1:36:40# Until the day that you are me and... #

1:36:40 > 1:36:42Well, that's my song, OK?