In the book "THE STREETS, MY CRADLE" Author Jennifer L. Jackson not only shares information about the thirty year nightmare she was in growing up on the streets, she also shares what she learned from those horrific experiences. How she got on a path of healing, sobriety and recovery. "What a struggle" the author says then smiles thinking of "what a relief" to have made it out of the street life alive. The author talks about experiences that affect people from diverse communities world wide. This story is so horrific, you'll ask yourself did this take place in a third world country?, No, right here in the United States of America. This type of abuse, mis-use, the exploitation of children and adults is still taking place right here in the USA also. Although THE STREETS, MY CRADLE is a horrible story, it is also an amazing one because un-like so many others, the author of this story survived!The reader will experience the street life without physically experiencing it and understand some roots of abuse. From the author On our journey of recovery we will run into obstacles from time to time. Some we can easily just go around. Some we have to ask for guidance from our Higher Power on how to get around. But we must find a way. We can not stay stuck, if we do then we become like stagnated water, unable to flow and polluted again. Here's a poem I wrote from the book "THE STREETS, MY CRADLE" pg. xiii; WHAT DO YOU ACCEPT? One day I was walking down the street. I smelt something & wondered could that be me? I took a shower, I knew I had. Could that still be me smelling so bad? Then God said it wasn't my underarms or my feet. But, all the garbage that had been dumped in me. Because God cleaned me up, I now smell Oh so good! And I don't accept what I normally would. All rights to this 102 page memoir belong to the Author Jennifer L. Jackson. Copy right 2009.
About the Author: Author Jennifer L. Jackson was born on an airforce base. Growing up in the Bay Area she was molested at age five and twelve. Not having been informed enough about appropriate touching, Jennifer kept the horrific experiences of sex abuse to herself. A naive twelve year old, Jennifer fell for the false love and attention from an older guy. He frequently visited her at a school in Oakland, Ca. Jennifer recalls their meeting and him blowing her head up and making her feel really special. He gained her trust then used very brutal methods, like beating her with a wire clothes hanger to make her submit to him for prostitution. She was fortunate enough to escape from the influence of that vicious Pimp. But, the damage was done. Not knowing where else to turn to, Jennifer ran to the streets for comfort and found just the opposite. She was introduced to heroin and crystal meth/crank between the ages of twelve and fourteen years old. She eventually turned to prostituting for herself as a means of survival and to support her drug habit. A drug habit that lasted for thirty years. She would stay sober for six months to a yea, she could not face the pain of her past life of so much abuse and would relapse. After she was lied on and her children were taken, lead her to walk the streets of Los Angeles six days to two weeks straight with no desire to sleep. Just hustle money for drugs to numb the pain she was engulfed in. In the book "The Streets, My Cradle" Author Jennifer L. Jackson not only shares information about the thirty year nightmare she was in, but when and how she eventually woke up, fought for her life, accepted her responsibilities, got into therapy, went to a sober living home and finally, finally got out of the "Street Life" and off drugs for good!!! On her journey of recovery... Jennifer L. Jackson graduated from Los Angeles Southwest College as a Chemical Dependency Specialist in Criminal Justice. A Certified Advocate for youths and adults, an Anger Management Facilitator. Sharing her story at Women's Re-entry Programs, Girls & Gangs, to name a few. Interviews; The Los Angeles Sentinel & La Opinion news paper. On-line podcast; The Dr. Thema Show, Judith Norman Show, Black Urban Times, Radio Stations 1680 AM and KPFK 97.8. Panelist speaker for BLACC Los Angeles at the California African American Museum, etc. Jennifer continues to advocate, educate Youth and Parents about experiences one can go through running away and growing up on the streets.