True to the Hood: Surviving the Streets of Richmond, California is the story of Willie Jasper, one of many young men raised on the streets of Richmond who relied on the protection and power of his neighborhood to stay alive. As Willie struggles to overcome a family marred by addiction, poverty, imprisonment and violence, his city battles to rein in its sorry reputation as one of America’s murder capitals.
Richmond’s notorious homicide rate stems almost entirely from the back-and-forth battles that have consumed its inner city neighborhoods since the 1980s. True to the Hood shows how these neighborhoods, mostly built years ago as a means of stowing away Blacks from whites, have learned to fend for themselves by making their own money and providing their own protection. Thus came the business of drugs and the need for guns and the competition that provoked violent neighborhood battles. The book describes Willie’s attempt to hold onto his neighborhood’s identity as his city seeks to take away everything he relies on to stay alive. True to the Hood shows how the instigation of gang labels has lumped all young Black men into one-size-fits-all prosecutorial policy, creating life sentences on cases where non-gang members would spend much less time in custody.
As Willie rides “found” bikes in and out of traffic, watches his older brothers stash guns beneath the family’s couch pillows, and tries to stop his mother from stabbing trash bags she believes harbor demons, the child develops the knowledge and armor he needs to survive. A neighborhood kingpin takes a liking to young Willie and escorts him on risky drives through enemy territory. An older friend takes Willie on his first shooting excursion in a stolen car. His older brother drags him into another shooting foray against men who are supposed to be their allies. Each adventure constitutes a milestone in his impending collision with irreparable harm.
This book came about after Willie went to prison in 2009 for killing a man. One day at the Contra Costa County Public Defender’s Office, where I had been working as an investigator since the 1980s, I received a letter from Willie saying he had a story to tell and would I write it. I had done the investigation on Willie’s case and we had gotten to know and respect each other. But I knew little about his early life or, as it turns out, many of the details of his older life. After spending three hours with him at Mule Creek State Prison, listening to him relay the stories that would later become this book, I sat looking at him wide-eyed and disbelieving. Yes, I told him, absolutely. Yes I will write the book.
So now it’s written and I am looking for a publisher. I hope to have that accomplished soon.
Linda Sanderson 