It’s almost amusing to picture Damion Walker as a rambunctious middle schooler. Now in his 40s, sitting at a table to tell his backstory, he looks ready to go to the office—trimmed beard, pressed button-up shirt. Still, he hasn’t lost the sunny demeanor that made him a fun kid.
He moved around a lot, sometimes living with grandparents, always learning to adapt to new crowds in order to make friends. When his family settled in southwest Houston, 11-year-old Damion started hanging out with older teens.
Before long, he found out these kids sold crack, which had become especially prevalent in marginalized communities of color like Damion’s. He first held crack in his hand in the fifth grade. By the end of seventh, he was selling the drug for extra cash to help his family, but Damion was still getting good grades and playing football. He dreamed of going pro someday.
