The Beginning : We Not Opps

I was seventeen when I was arrested on murder charges and a couple weeks later I turned 18 yrs old in the Cook County Jail. I thought my life was over. I decided a change was desperately needed after five or six years of incarceration. While attending school and taking advantage of the programs that was still available several young men wanted to do something different in their lives but just didn’t know any steps to take to get there. There were others I worked with who wasn’t as ready but I didn’t give up on them.

I was released 25 years later with a plan but didn’t know what to expect, however, my community was worse off than when I left it. The guys I was incarcerated with me put a post on Facebook about all of us meeting up to play basketball so we could catch up with each other. So, one of the guys asked who would facilitate it. That’s when my name came up. I accepted the offer and began to put the event together.

While incarcerated I began to hear a lot of young guys coming to the prison talking about their “opps” short for opposition meaning their enemy. I asked them why would you say that, they said that they was they opps and I responded “How can yawl be opps when you got the same Judge, sitting in the same chow hall, and getting on the same bus going to another slave camp” He didn’t respond at all, only with a blank

stare.

It was pretty easy getting the guys to the gym. The first event took place July 22, 2022 and mostly everyone showed up and they brought their kids, and grandkids. I also invited some kids in all the neighborhoods. It was a complete success and everyone was saying we should do this again. Jelani Bennett who was a great friend of mine for over 20yrs told me that I should do something with this and soon after We Not Opps was born. He was the inspiration for WE NOT OPPS. Tragically he was gunned down in front of his house a couple days later. I knew then I have to be the change I want to see and fulfill his assignment to me. May Allay place you in the highest level of paradise my brother.