The man at the center of the book, William "Juneboy" Outlaw III logged in and answered all of our questions while giving us background on his life that wasn't included in the book. Outlaw had been one of the biggest drug dealers and gang leader in New Haven and is now a community activist and motivational speaker. He works with the group: CT VIP (Connecticut Violence Intervention Program. The book is amazingly narrative, reading almost like a best-selling novel. Charles Barber of Wesleyan University is the author, but this is truly Juneboy's story.
He said it took five years to write the book and the publishers edited out a great deal of material. There is talk of a movie project in the works! Outlaw expressed his disappointment with the publisher's decision to leave out so much especially about the police corruption going on in New Haven, the lack of guidance or concern on the part of adults that "looked the other way" when he was posting large cash bails, and he wasn't in school."
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| Outlaw, age fourteen on the cusp of his gang career |
Shelara asked, "What were you not receiving in your life that put you on this path? Outlaw answered, "Not having my father. My father always said he was going to take me fishing or come to my basketball games and never showed up. My mother worked two full-time jobs and on the weekends she cleaned the house. It was just me and my mom in the apartment."
Laura commented, "Your mom was kind of presented as using "tough love" and told you to leave the house when she found money and drugs in your room." Outlaw answered, " I think the shock for her was that I actually left. She went to every bar and told them I was underage and not to serve me. My mother did a wonderful job raising me. The Bible says, "Honor thy mother and Father. I was the one who broke that covenant."
Lensley asked, "What is your message to youth?" Outlaw answered, "I have two distinct groups. One group is the truly at risk group. The other is the group aging out of DCF custody. I have different messages for different young men. If you have a niece or a nephew, spend time with them."
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| Outlaw, in 2019 mentoring youth in New Haven |
Barb said she read the book and found it very compelling, she asked Outlaw, "What is the role that I can take?" Outlaw responded by asking her, "What is your role in life? What is your career? Share with the people you know about the things you know about. Don't be afraid of young black males. Share with the people you know about history from slavery until now. You can do so many things. Teach a class at the library."
Laura gave us information about a program she knows that gives out free computers upon completion of a course. Outlaw mentioned a professional (social worker?) he met while incarcerated. He said this man became like a big brother or a father figure. He challenged outlaw saying, "If you don't change for yourself, change for me."
I asked Outlaw if everyone believes he has changed. He answered by talking about his mother, saying his mother said, "Juneboy, I'm going to be honest with you. I didn't really believe you had changed." This was after he had been home for years.
Another person who didn't believe Outlaw had changed was one of his sons, who had waited years and years for his father to come home and take over his crime dynasty where he'd left off. Outlaw said, "He pulled a gun on me! He was looking for the 'bad me' to come home and help him to be bad. He had waited twenty years for this."
Outlaw ended the session by asking us, "What is worse than trauma?" the answer, "Untreated Trauma." We need fair and equal psychiatric services. I feel for the people of Sandy Hook, but I realized that all those first responders and others impacted received mental health services. We need to recognize and demand the adequate mental health services we need for the untreated trauma in our communities!
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