Louise
I am so grateful that RAP was there for me
back in 1970 . I was 24, had injected heroin, and I had just
done six months at Alderson in West Virginia.
I was the only Black woman resident at the time. The other
residents were young white kids. Some came from rich families;
they all seemed to know they had a future. At that time, I
was shy and stayed to myself because of defects I thought
I had. But the staff gave me a sense of belonging and a sense
of pride.
I stayed at RAP only about five months, but what I learned
there stayed with me throughout my life. When I started at
RAP, I had never had a bank account, couldn’t drive
a car, never had a real job. When I left RAP, all of those
things were a part of my life.
Today, I own my own home; I have a small beauty consulting
business—Mary Kay; and 3 years ago, retired from the
D. C. Department of Health. I dropped out of school in 7th
grade but I went back later and received a diploma. Also,
I went to UDC for a year, majored in psychology, and I’m
proud to say I never missed a day!
I’d like for people to remember this: In order to progress
and move ahead, you have to be honest. And you must remember
the past. RAP taught me that if you forget the past, you will
repeat it. I will never forget.
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