Drug Lord's Son Seeks New Family Legacy: Are You Proud of Your Parents?
Fef
2012/07/02 18:00:00
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Parents have a hand in shaping the lives of their children. Children, on the other hand, don't have the same influence in shaping their parents. Children inherit their parents' legacy whether they like it or not.
Tony Lewis Jr., know as "Little Tony" on the street, grew up the son of Tony Lewis, Sr., a notorious drug lord. Little Tony learned of his father's illegal activity when he turned 8 years old in 1988. A year later, Tony Sr. got convicted of running one of the largest drug rings in Washington, D.C.'s history.
Little Tony became a community activist to shrug off his father's crime-lord legacy -- and he needed all the help he could get. Little Tony recalls, "The men in my family were bank robbers, and gamblers ... and drug dealers. There was no blueprint for me to succeed."
Tony founded Sons of Life in 2010 to help prevent other young kids from going down the wrong path. Sons of Life also helps ex-convicts learn job skills and stay out of prison by contributing instead of destroying the community. Through Sons of Life, Little Tony has succeeded at rebuilding the reputation of his name, Tony Lewis. "One of the biggest things I'm proud of is that I've been able to really change the perception of what my name means in my city."
CNN reports:
Tony Lewis Jr., know as "Little Tony" on the street, grew up the son of Tony Lewis, Sr., a notorious drug lord. Little Tony learned of his father's illegal activity when he turned 8 years old in 1988. A year later, Tony Sr. got convicted of running one of the largest drug rings in Washington, D.C.'s history.
Little Tony became a community activist to shrug off his father's crime-lord legacy -- and he needed all the help he could get. Little Tony recalls, "The men in my family were bank robbers, and gamblers ... and drug dealers. There was no blueprint for me to succeed."
Tony founded Sons of Life in 2010 to help prevent other young kids from going down the wrong path. Sons of Life also helps ex-convicts learn job skills and stay out of prison by contributing instead of destroying the community. Through Sons of Life, Little Tony has succeeded at rebuilding the reputation of his name, Tony Lewis. "One of the biggest things I'm proud of is that I've been able to really change the perception of what my name means in my city."
CNN reports:
Community activist Tony Lewis Jr. is on a mission to right the wrongs of his father's past. Tony Sr. is one of the most infamous drug dealers in DC history.
Read More: http://www.cnn.com/2012/06/21/living/tony-lewis-dc...
Top Opinion
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Pele Emerging 2012/07/02 06:29:38Yes
+7Fortunately, I had good parents. Tony Lewis deserves credit for changing the direction of his life so his own children can be proud of him and their name.
Growing up I was annoyed by the fact that my parents wouldn't buy me junk food or let me watch tv for hours, but now I've come to realize that their resistance towards unhealthy lifestyles has helped formed me to form my own identity. They're also interesting people, and although we do not always agree- I have learned a lot from them both.
My second husband never spoke to his family, I never met them or anything, when he died no one even knew how to reach them to tell them, that is if we had wanted to let them know.
But if I had to be extremely proud of any two people it would be my mother and grandmother. It's true, big strong black women can run anything.