BOP 2005 Still Photo Winners > Feature Picture Story
- Honorable Mention
- Carol Guzy, The Washington Post
"When I was younger I didn't have any guidance and I was like a threat to society. I wanted to get what I seen other kids had. I did whatever it took to get it... I stole cars, stood up stores, went to jail twice. I didn't want to be in jail. I didn't want to be killed out here on these streets. I wanted to be successful in life which means I have to work hard to get what I want." -John Thomas. John Thomas came to a crossroads. When faced with two very distinct life paths, he made a conscious decision to avoid the violence and turmoil that plagued his impoverished inner city neighborhood in Washington DC. By overcoming many obstacles and challenges during a tumultuous year at Ballou Senior High School, he became a star basketball player and graduated with honors. He is the first in his family to attend college. His love of basketball bordered on obsession and eventually overcame the lure of the streets. It was a salvation of sorts to keep him out of harm's way. In what felt like a community under siege, far from the monuments and economic revitalization that thrives in other parts of the capital, the graduation ceremony meant more than just a diploma. It marked surviving high school in an area where rivalries can get a student killed, or a mistake can land a person in prison. In his 19 years of life, he experienced the pain of countless shootings, including the homicide of a childhood friend in the hallway of his school. Fights broke out on a regular basis leading to suspensions and arrests, stolen mercury forced a month long evacuation and a beloved principal lost his job. Two other classmates were also slain the same year and candlelight vigils in the gym became routine. John's journey began on a familiar but dangerous road. Like many of his peers, he stole cars, was arrested and looked toward a future of little promise. His father has been in prison since he was five years old, an older brother spent time in jail awaiting trial and his sister su
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All photographs from BOP 2005 are copyright © 2004 their respective rights holders. Used by permission.
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