by Julius, San Francisco
By way of introduction, my name is Julius. I am a 19-year-old Salvadoran, Native American, and Black young man who was born and raised in San Francisco, California.
On March 25th, 2002, my mother gave birth to me at St. Luke’s Hospital, with my father right at her side. Unfortunately, my father would be in and out of prison, leaving my mom on her own to raise my brother and I for most of our childhood.
Living in a single mother household can be very challenging for a kid growing up in the city, especially when you have the streets constantly trying to lore kids into the façade that they will love, provide, and protect you.
My older brother and I used football and our education as an outlet to keep us away from the “street life” that consumed so many young males. Playing football during fall and spring helped keep us busy after school throughout the week.
From Monday through Friday, we would have practice, and on Saturdays we would have our games. Football was a great way to steer us in the right direction due to the fact that it provided us with structure, coaches that can be considered fine father figures, and also helped motivate us to get good grades in order to play for our teams.
Some people don’t know it, but a lot of the fundamentals football teaches you, can actually translate into the classroom and real life. As a student athlete, I learned discipline, time management skills, teamwork, and perseverance. I have used the skills to excel academically as a student athlete.
Luckily, I was blessed with the opportunity to have my older brother, Rashawn, to look up to, who always led by a positive example and set every standard high for me. Although he was only two years older than me, he took on the role of being the man of the house and was more like a father figure to me, even at such a young age.
He was born naturally gifted in many ways. Since I could remember, he excelled in everything he did. At the age of about seven, he was introduced to the sport of football. He noticed early on how he could use this and his education as a tool to become successful and eventually provide for his family.
Throughout his middle school years, he was able to earn a 4.0 GPA, which would end up landing him a full ride scholarship to one of the most prestigious high schools in the city at the time.
The school is called, Sacred Heart Cathedral Preparatory, and it can be known for its highest sports and academic achievements. But unfortunately, all of his aspirations and dreams would be shattered at the tip of the knife, just in his first week of his freshman year.
On September 2nd, my brother and I were walking to the local corner store to buy something to drink. Two guys approached my older brother. One of them was my older brother’s former classmate. He was so jealous of my brother over a girl, that he manipulated this older person to stab my brother and the knife just so happened to puncture his heart.
My mom tried everything she could to get him to the nearest hospital as soon as possible, but he didn’t end up pulling through. He was murdered in broad daylight on camera, and never received any type of justice. Although the police knew exactly who was responsible for his murder, no one was ever held accountable for it and both suspects walked away with smiles on their faces at the end of the day.
I still remember the homicide detective simply telling my mom they didn’t have enough evidence to convict anyone. Six years later, this is the same homicide detective who was in my court room trying his hardest to convict me for a murder based off circumstantial evidence (evidence that relies on an inference).
This is a prime example of how corrupt the juvenile system can be, when they pick and choose who and when they want to charge someone with a crime.
Since September 25th, 2019, I have been incarcerated at juvenile hall YGC in San Francisco, California facing a juvenile life sentence. Throughout my stay here at juvenile hall, my brother’s legacy has been a source of motivation to strive and further my education because he never got the chance to.
Despite being currently incarcerated, I made it a priority to excel academically in order to graduate high school a semester early and I am currently enrolled in City College of San Francisco. So far, I have completed 15 transferable unit courses while holding a 4.0 GPA, resulting in being recognized by City College (CCSF) for my scholarly achievements.
I have created a student education plan (SCP) that outlines the courses I would need to take to earn my associates degree in administration of justice. My goal is to apply and transfer out of state to the University of Miami and earn a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice.
In conclusion, the struggle of overcoming the death of my brother, Rashawn, coupled with my current state of me being incarcerated, only motivates me further to pursue a higher education. I want to break generational curses such as generational incarceration, poverty, and violence.
With the help of my family, mentors, football coaches, and guardian angel (Rashawn) I am confident I can transform the struggles into triumphs by taking the necessary steps to earn my bachelor’s degree.
After I hit this goal, I plan to become a change agent to illuminate the injustices that disproportionately disadvantage people of color, so that no other family has to endure the pain and suffering I have experienced.