2021 Cliff Edom New America Award

Tears run down Mckenzie Trahan's face as the 22-year-old talks about the trauma she has experienced in her life. Trahan, who landed on the streets of Hollywood at age 13, has spent time in foster care, juvenile detention, child welfare and criminal justice systems, including two stints in state prison on charges of possessing methamphetamine for sale.

Mckenzie Trahan, 22, left, is offered some food from her friend Pamela Vizcarra, 32, right, who lives in a neighboring tent along the 101 freeway in Hollywood.

Mckenzie Trahan, 22, and her boyfriend Eddie, 26, stay under a tarp in an alley in Hollywood. The two had been friends for 15 years. He took her in when she was released from prison. "He was my friend before anything; he tells me when he thinks I look sexy," she said, "I never had that before."

Mckenzie Trahan, 22, stares off as her boyfriend Eddie, 26, rests his hand on her womb near their tent in Hollywood. Trahan had been ambivalent about the pregnancy. "It's supposed to be a beautiful thing," she said doubtfully. "I'm terrified, I feel like my whole life has been written for me. Like I'm supposed to be stuck here like this. I'm not supposed to get any further."

Mckenzie Trahan, 23, opens a gift for her baby as her mom Cynthia Trahan, right, looks on from her tent in Hollywood.

Eddie, 26, panhandles at a freeway off ramp in Hollywood hoping to make money to take out his pregnant girlfriend Mckenzie Trahan on her 23rd birthday.

Medical assistants Erick Sandoval, center, and Marleny Larios, right, try to draw blood unsuccessfully from Mckenzie Trahan, 23. Her veins had been damaged by IV drug use. She was referred to an outside blood bank. Her boyfriend Eddie, 26, at left, waits patiently, at a clinic in Los Angeles.

Mckenzie Trahan, 23, looks out towards the eight lanes of whooshing traffic below on the 101 Freeway in Hollywood, where her encampment clings to a steep embankment.

Mckenzie Trahan, 23, looks back toward her boyfriend Eddie, 27, while listening to their baby's heartbeat at White Memorial Gynecological and Obstetrical Medical Group in Los Angeles. Eddie looked down at the ground, eyes closed and head in hand.

Mckenzie Trahan, 23, cuddles with her boyfriend and baby's father Eddie, 27, in the waiting room of her doctor's office. The couples' relationship has been on and off.

Mckenzie Trahan, 23, opens the door to her new apartment at PATH, an interim housing program for single and expectant mothers and their children, in Los Angeles. Trahan is scheduled for a Caesarean section three days later.

The hospital set off bells in the waiting room each time a baby was born. The bells chimed for Mckenzie’s baby girl: 19.5 inches, 6 pounds 11 ounces. Both mother and child were healthy. Mckenzie Trahan, 23, left, and her friend Christina Bojorquez, 25, right, holding baby, cry together, "I couldn't have done it without you, " Trahan told Bojorquez, at Adventist Health White Memorial hospital in Los Angeles.

Mckenzie Trahan, 23, is captivated by her newborn daughter at Adventist Health White Memorial hospital in Los Angeles, as a nurse leaves the room.

Mckenzie Trahan, 23, holds her four-day-old daughter at Adventist Health White Memorial hospital in Los Angeles. The night before, Trahan was alone in her hospital room when child protection investigators appeared after visiting hours at her bedside. This was not Trahan's first baby.

Mckenzie Trahan, 23, carries her baby and stroller up the stairs to her apartment just 10 days after delivering via Caesarean section. As part of the rules of the apartment, visitors are not allowed. Trahan must take care of her child all on her own, including lifting the stroller up two flights of steps.

Mckenzie Trahan, 23, breast feeds her daughter at their apartment in Los Angeles. The building is for pregnant women and young mothers run by People Assisting the Homeless, PATH.

Mckenzie Trahan, 23, gets dressed for a job interview at her apartment in Los Angeles. A local organization helped provide Trahan with professional attire. Trahan arrived early and enthusiastic. She did not get the job.

Mckenzie Trahan weeps outside of a courtroom in Bellflower, California as a friend looks on. Trahan was being charged with possession of a gun and drugs after being pulled over in a car with another friend. The gun possession charge was later dismissed.

Soon after the baby was removed, Mckenzie Trahan found herself living back on the street. A visitor peers into Trahan's tent near a Hollywood freeway offramp, where Trahan has been living. Trahan's relationship with the baby’s father ended a short while after her birth.

After several months of living back on the street, Mckenzie Trahan receives an apartment through a housing program in Los Angeles. Trahan lays on the floor in gratitude.

Mckenzie Trahan, 25, reads a book to her daughter on FaceTime-through a cell phone balancing between her knees. Her daughter is currently in foster care. Trahan stays hopeful that someday she will get her back.

"I never had a cold come on so quick," says Brandon Claymore who was in isolation for Covid-19 in one of the trailers purchased by the Standing Rock Tribe. It was stationed at the pow wow grounds in Ft. Yates, ND. ] Coverage of Covid-19 on the Standing Indian Reservation. RICHARD TSONG-TAATARII ¥ [email protected]

Elkhorn UCC Cemetery overlooking the village of Little Eagle is the resting place of tribal members who choose to be buried next to each other in simple graves.] Coverage of Covid-19 on the Standing Indian Reservation. RICHARD TSONG-TAATARII • [email protected]

An Standing Rock Tribe ambulance participates in the funeral procession of Jesse "Jay" and Cheryl Taken Alive who both died of Covid-19. ] Coverage of Covid-19 on the Standing Indian Reservation. RICHARD TSONG-TAATARII • [email protected]

Nurse practitioner Christine Rosheim gets ready to take the oxygen levels of Covid-19 patient Stephan Crawford Taken Alive who has lost four close relatives to Covid-19 including his aunt, two brothers and a sister-in-law. ] Coverage of Covid-19 on the Standing Indian Reservation. RICHARD TSONG-TAATARII • [email protected]

Unci Delores Taken Alive, or grandmother in Lakota died of Covid-19 in the summer of 2020. Three other members of the Taken Alive extended family passed away in the past couple of months. ] Coverage of Covid-19 on the Standing Indian Reservation. RICHARD TSONG-TAATARII • [email protected]

L to R: Nurse practitioner Robbi Yellow, LPN Crystal Silk, and Brenda Strong Heart get ready to see patients in the respiratory clinic at the Fort Yates IHS. The modest building is being used for testing Covid-19 patients.] Coverage of Covid-19 on the Standing Indian Reservation. RICHARD TSONG-TAATARII • [email protected]

At the Ft. Yates IHS hospital, tribal member and nurse Jewell Schell reacted with joy after she received the Moderna vaccine against Covid-19. She was the third person on the reservation to be vaccinated.] Coverage of Covid-19 on the Standing Indian Reservation. RICHARD TSONG-TAATARII • [email protected]

Indian Health Services Ft. Yates Hospital director Dr. Amber Tincher, left, and CEO Jana Gipp announce the rollout of the Moderna vaccine on KLND, the high power radio station on the Standing Rock reservation.] Coverage of Covid-19 on the Standing Indian Reservation. RICHARD TSONG-TAATARII • [email protected]

Standing Rock Tribal Council Member Avis Little Eagle sheds some tears as she recalls the recent death of her mentor and former Chairman Jesse Taken Alive whom she called "the greatest leader since Sitting Bull." ] Coverage of Covid-19 on the Standing Indian Reservation. RICHARD TSONG-TAATARII • [email protected]

Blackjack tables at the Grand River Casino near Mobridge, SD were closed to minimize the spread of Covid-19. Gamblers could still play slot machines as long as they wore masks.] Coverage of Covid-19 on the Standing Indian Reservation. RICHARD TSONG-TAATARII • [email protected]

In their McLaughlin, SD home, Teddi Redstone,8, and her cousin Wynter Rayne Eagle,7 have remain at home and do not play with most neighborhood kids to avoid infecting their grandparents with whom they live.] Coverage of Covid-19 on the Standing Indian Reservation. RICHARD TSONG-TAATARII • [email protected]

Shannon Brown helps deliver evening meals for the Boys and Girls Club in McLaughlin, SD. The meals are essential in helping minimize food insecurity in the villages on the reservation. ] Coverage of Covid-19 on the Standing Indian Reservation. RICHARD TSONG-TAATARII • [email protected]

During the weekly delivery of food rations by the Standing Rock Tribe, a volunteer hops the fence after dropping off a box of goods on their door steps of a Little Eagle, SD home.] Coverage of Covid-19 on the Standing Indian Reservation. RICHARD TSONG-TAATARII • [email protected]

Waniya Locke, who calls herself a Lakota language teacher and activist makes an elderberry syrup which she will deliver free of charge to tribal members suffering or trying to prevent the onset of Covid-19 symptoms. Locke fundraises through the internet for the ingredients involved in the homeopathic remedy. ] Coverage of Covid-19 on the Standing Indian Reservation. RICHARD TSONG-TAATARII • [email protected]

Children from the Little Eagle Grant School posed with Santa Claus after receiving a gift during the Christmas Parade. Paraprofesional Denise Gilbert said this might have been the happiest day of the year for the children who have been in isolation.] Coverage of Covid-19 on the Standing Indian Reservation. RICHARD TSONG-TAATARII • [email protected]

Tanner Soft,3, receives a bag of goodies from the Christmas parade as he prepares to head back in the house.] Coverage of Covid-19 on the Standing Indian Reservation. RICHARD TSONG-TAATARII • [email protected]

The procession for the funeral of Jesse "Jay" and Cheryl Taken Alive goes by the village of Little Eagle, SD on the way to a family cemetery north of Fort Yates, ND. The death of the former Standing Rock chairman and his wife made national news. Jesse Taken Alive was a relentless advocate for upholding Standing Rock treaty rights and for preserving. Lakota culture. ] Coverage of Covid-19 on the Standing Indian Reservation. RICHARD TSONG-TAATARII • [email protected]

L to R: Sisters Antania and Anaya Mellette grieve for their uncle Jared Mellette. The two sisters were especially close to Jared who died in a Minneapolis hospital at the age of 24 of Covid-19 complications. ] Coverage of Covid-19 on the Standing Indian Reservation. RICHARD TSONG-TAATARII • [email protected]

Pastor Doug Wilkinson sings some hymns during the funeral of Marquita Sims who died of a heart disease and had been diagnosed with Covid-19 according to family members. Coverage of Covid-19 on the Standing Indian Reservation. RICHARD TSONG-TAATARII • [email protected]

The death of husband and wife Jesse "Jay" and Cheryl Taken Alive delivered a major blow to the clan and the Standing Rock Tribe. They were buried on a family plot south of Cannon Ball, ND overlooking the Missouri River] Coverage of Covid-19 on the Standing Indian Reservation. RICHARD TSONG-TAATARII • [email protected] RICHARD TSONG-TAATARII • [email protected]

Former Standing Rock Chairman Jesse "Jay" Taken Alive and his wife Cheryl were buried next to each other in the family plot overlooking the Missouri River just south of Cannon Ball, ND. Ina and Até mean mother and father respectively in the Lakota language. ] Coverage of Covid-19 on the Standing Indian Reservation. RICHARD TSONG-TAATARII • [email protected]

At the funeral of his parents, Jesse "Jay" and Cheryl Taken Alive, son Ira Taken Alive and his sister Jessie Taken Alive Rencountre gathered some flowers after the internment ceremony was finished. ] Coverage of Covid-19 on the Standing Indian Reservation. RICHARD TSONG-TAATARII • [email protected]

Sharon Eagle looks out the window of her McLaughlin, SD home as her grandkids Tucker Eagle,15, and Teddi Redstone,8 gather around the dining room table. Sharon and her husband have managed to avoid catching the virus by maintaining social distancing. ] Coverage of Covid-19 on the Standing Indian Reservation. RICHARD TSONG-TAATARII • [email protected]

Theo Schrager, 6, relaxes in his hammock that he "loves" outside the tent he is living in with his mom Leah Naomi Gonzales (not pictured) in Berkeley, California, on Monday, Aug. 19, 2019. They have been living in a tent at Strawberry Creek Park for months after being unable to secure money for a hotel.

All 7-year-old Theo wants is his own room and a kitchen to bake a chocolate cake.He dreams about it while he sleeps in tents, in parks and under the freeway in Berkeley, California. Theo and his mother Leah have been homeless for much of his life. During the pandemic, Theo's life was devoid of structure. No school meant hours on the computer and erratic outbursts. After a year of ping-ponging between hotels and the streets, they ended up in a tent on the same block they started out on - outside a Tesla dealership. Theo's struggle, even amidst the affluent community of Berkeley, showsÊthe intractability of CaliforniaÕs homeless crisis.

Nearly asleep, homeless child Theo Schrager, 6, rides on his mom Leah Naomi Gonzales' shoulders on University Avenue in Berkeley, California, on Monday, Aug. 19, 2019. With no money, Leah went door to door to beg for food for her son. A Mexican restaurant gave them tortilla chips and cheese that they ate as they walked back to their tent in the park.

Homeless child Theo Schrager, 7, scales the fence as he returns from going to the bathroom down an embankment outside the tent he shares with his mother Leah Naomi Gonzales (not pictured) at Strawberry Creek Park in Berkeley, California, on Thursday, Oct. 10, 2019.

Police officers gently ask homeless mother Leah Naomi Gonzales (center) to move her tent where she has been living with her son Theo for several weeks at Strawberry Creek Park in Berkeley, California, on Thursday, Oct. 17, 2019. It is illegal to stay in a tent in parks in Berkeley so Leah is forced to set up and break down everyday.

Theo Schrager, 7 watches videos on his mother Leah Naomi Gonzales' (right) phone while she begs for money on University Avenue in Berkeley, California, on Saturday, Oct. 19, 2019. Sometimes she is able to get a decent amount of money but other days, like today, she only makes about $15 over several hours.

Theo Schrager, 6, jumps up to ask the hotel attendant for a key to the breakfast room in order to heat up his dinner of macaroni and cheese at the Quality Inn Motel in Berkeley, California, on Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2019.

Theo Schrager, 6, watches his favorite show SpongeBob Squarepants as he cuddles under the covers at the Quality Inn hotel in Berkeley, California, on Sunday, Aug. 25, 2019. Theo says, "I like hotels more than the tent because I get to watch TV."

After a bath, Theo Schrager, 7, has his face and hair toweled off by his mother Leah Naomi Gonzales (right) on Halloween night in Berkeley, California, on Thursday, Oct. 31, 2019. Halloween is a tricky time for Theo and his mother because Halloween of 2018 was the last time Theo saw his father.

Clasping her hands together Leah Naomi Gonzales pleads with her son Theo Schrager, 6, (left) to behave after he repeatedly tries to play video games on her phone as she tries to get him ready for the first day of school at the Quality Inn hotel in Berkeley, California, on Monday, Aug. 26, 2019. Leah tells him, "No, no, no. No video games. School. We gotta go in five minutes. It's 7:07 and the bus comes at 7:25." Annoyed with his mother, Theo walked out of the room and pouted in the parking lot. Leah was also frustrated because she had to check out of the hotel room that day and was stressed that they had nowhere to go.

Leah Naomi Gonzalez and her son Theo Schrager, 7, fly a kite at Cesar Chavez Park in Berkeley, California, on Friday, June 12, 2020. Theo ran around trying to get his kite to stay up in the air but soon became distracted by people flying their drones. He said he wanted to start a business where people could get coffee delivered by drone so that he didn't have to leave the tent or hotel to get coffee for his mom in the morning.

SpongeBob Squarepants is reflected in Theo Schrager's, 6, glasses as he watches his favorite show at the Quality Inn hotel in Berkeley, California, on Sunday, Aug. 25, 2019. Theo says, "I like hotels more than the tent because I get to watch TV and don’t have to sleep on the hard ground.”

Theo Schrager, 6, excitedly grabs a bundle of balloons at Dollar Tree and yells out "Mom, can I have them?" the day before his 7th birthday in Berkeley, California, U.S.A. on Sunday, Sept. 22, 2019. That afternoon Theo talked about how excited he was to turn 7 and wondered what kind of presents he would get. Leah Naomi wanted him to be clean for school on his birthday so she made sure to shower him at the YMCA before going back to their tent at Strawberry Creek Park.

Theo Schrager, 7, holds a peanut butter and jelly sandwich his mom made him for lunch during shelter-in-place at the LaQuinta Hotel on Thursday, May 21, 2020, in Berkeley, California. It can be hard to eat without a proper kitchen so microwave meals and sandwiches are commonplace for them.

After spending over an hour trying to put up a tent in Curtis Park, Leah Naomi collapses in her son Theo Schrager's, 6, arms as rubs her head and they fall asleep in Berkeley, California, on Sunday, Sept. 1, 2019. Theo helped put the tent together with his mom but they knew by morning it would have to come down again.

Unsure of how many days they have left at the hotel, Leah Naomi Gonzales calls the front desk as her son Theo Schrager, 7, watches television in their hotel room at the Downtown Berkeley Inn Hotel in Berkeley, California, on Monday November, 11, 2019.

Theo Schrager, 7, and his mother Leah Naomi Gonzales carry all of their belongings as they move from sleeping outside in a tent to a hotel in Berkeley, California, on Sunday, November, 17, 2019.

On his 7th birthday, Theo Schrager, 7, passes out party hats to his classmates in his first grade class at Thousand Oaks Elementary School in Albany, California, on Monday, Sept. 23, 2019. Theo’s mom Leah missed the party where his classmates sang and ate cupcakes because she said the bus was running late.

Theo Schrager, 7, (left) takes gauze off of his mother Leah Naomi Gonzales' arm as she rests in the hospital with severe stomach and back pains on Christmas Eve, Tuesday, December 24, 2019, in Berkeley, California, U.S.A. While at the hospital Theo looked at his mother and asked, "Are you going to die?" She said, "Horribly. Just kidding. Come here. Am I gonna die? Mommy has been pretty sick but no honey I'm not gonna die I don't think. It's not a dying day."

Leah Naomi Gonzales (right) restrains her son Theo Schrager, 7, after she scolded him for stealing balloons from a window display on Wednesday, May 20, 2020, in Berkeley, California. ÒStupid!Ó Theo yelled as he attacked his mom in the street, ÒStop it right now, youÕve got to quit it!Ó she said as she tried to restrain him. During the coronavirus pandemic, TheoÕs life has lacked structure. No school has meant many hours on the computer and increased irritability.

After scrambling up a tree, Theo Schrager, 7, takes a moment to rest at Strawberry Creek Park where he is staying in a tent with his mother Leah Naomi Gonzales (not pictured) in Berkeley, California, on Sunday, November, 17, 2019.

As they prepare to move from one hotel to another Leah Naomi Gonzales stands exasperated in the hallway with her son Theo Schrager, 7, who refused to move from the floor on Wednesday May 13, 2020, in Berkeley, California. During the coronavirus pandemic, Theo's life has lacked structure. No school has meant many hours on the computer. His mother Leah says that they both had the coronavirus early on but Theo says he can't remember what it felt like because the virus "wiped my mind".

A grocery shopper looks down at Theo Schrager, 7, as he sits in the middle of the aisle eating a snack on Wednesday, May 20, 2020, in Berkeley, California. Theo refused to wear a mask during the pandemic because he felt suffocated by it.

Theo Schrager, 7, holds on to his mom Leah Naomi Gonzales' hand as they visit a friends tent under the Gilman Street underpass in Berkeley, California, on Friday, June 12, 2020. They spent the afternoon looking for their friend Elf who has two new puppies. Theo loves dogs and desperately wants one. "Mama, I want one and I want one now." Theo declared. She answered, "Theo, I have way too much to take care of. There's just no way we can have a dog in our situation."

Leah Naomi Gonzales puts her hand to her face as she realizes it is her son Theo Schrager's 7th birthday and she doesn't have any presents for him as they awaken in their tent at Strawberry Creek Park in Berkeley, California, on Wednesday, September 23, 2019. Leah said, "I just don't know how much longer we can do this. It's killing us. It's killing by baby."

The family home of Maria and Fernando Alejandro, where they lived since 1994, is seen in front of a smokestack at the adjacent Valero refinery in the Manchester neighbourhood of Houston, Texas, U.S., October 3, 2018. (FIRST PUBLISHED IN 2020)

The Sillas family is pictured at home in the Manchester neighbourhood of Houston, Texas, U.S., September 26, 2018. Members of the family suffer from numerous health issues they believe are caused by pollution exposure.
(FIRST PUBLISHED IN 2020)

Environmental advocates from the nonprofit "T.E.J.A.S." put up a sign of resistance before a public hearing regarding a Valero permit to legally release hydrogen cyanide at the Hartman Park Community Center in the Manchester neighborhood of Houston, Texas, U.S., September 20, 2018. (FIRST PUBLISHED IN 2020)

Dennys Nieto does routine health checks on herself at home in the Manchester neighborhood of Houston, Texas, U.S., September 28, 2018. Nieto later moved out of the Manchester neighborhood, convinced the health of her family had severely suffered because of pollution exposure. (FIRST PUBLISHED IN 2020)

Dennys Nieto points toward daughter Reyna Nieto, 14, while addressing representatives from the Valero refinery during a public hearing regarding a permit to legally release hydrogen cyanide at the Hartman Park Community Center in the Manchester neighborhood of Houston, Texas, U.S., September 20, 2018. (FIRST PUBLISHED IN 2020)

Chemical plants and refineries adjacent to the Manchester neighborhood are pictured in the industrial east end of Houston, Texas, U.S., August 9, 2018. (FIRST PUBLISHED IN 2020)

Natalie Contreras and her boyfriend Richard sit with Contreras' daughter Rosalina at the Hartman Park Community Center in the Manchester neighbourhood of Houston, Texas, U.S., December 15, 2018. (FIRST PUBLISHED IN 2020)

Natalie Contreras and daughter Rosalina Chronister, 3, stand by a tribute to Contreras' deceased daughter Ciera Rose, who died of leukemia, at the Hartman Park Community Center in the Manchester neighborhood of Houston, Texas, U.S., December 15, 2018. Ciera Rose lived her short life near the Valero refinery. (FIRST PUBLISHED IN 2020)

A board depicting Jesus Christ stands in a grassy lot in the east end of Houston, Texas, U.S., September 2, 2018. (FIRST PUBLISHED IN 2020)

The annual town Christmas parade, organized by the local Catholic church and sponsored by Valero, takes place in the Manchester neighborhood in industrial east Houston, Texas, U.S., December 15, 2018. (FIRST PUBLISHED IN 2020)

Daisy Henriquez and son Kevin Santos, 10, receive a medical evaluation at a Harris County Public Health mobile clinic set up in response to recent hazardous chemical exposure experienced by residents in the Deer Park suburb of Houston, Texas, U.S., March 22, 2019. (FIRST PUBLISHED IN 2020)

Eugene Barragan displays an x-ray showing a diagnosis he claims of four tumours in his lungs at his home in the Manchester neighbourhood of Houston, Texas, U.S., June 2, 2019. Barragan, a lifelong resident of the Manchester neighborhood, complains of numerous health issues he believes result from air pollution, including the four lung tumors. (FIRST PUBLISHED IN 2020)

Local residents fish in a bayou across from a Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company plant in Houston, Texas, U.S., September 8, 2018. Pollution heavily affects the waterways on the industrial east side, making fish unsafe for consumption. (FIRST PUBLISHED IN 2020)

Irma Garcia holds eight-month-old grandson Efrain Rodriguez on the front porch of her home in the Manchester neighbourhood of Houston, Texas, U.S., June 2, 2019. Garcia is a lifelong Manchester resident, and complains of persistent respiratory problems she believes result from the neighborhood's air pollution. (FIRST PUBLISHED IN 2020)

Irma Garcia sits on the front steps of her home in the Manchester neighbourhood of Houston, Texas, U.S., June 2, 2019. Garcia is a lifelong Manchester resident, and complains of persistent respiratory problems she believes result from the neighborhood's air pollution. (FIRST PUBLISHED IN 2020)

A mariachi band plays for plant workers who just finished their work shift at the LyondellBasell chemicals and refining plant in the Pasadena suburb of Houston, Texas, U.S., August 9, 2018. The plant workers have made it tradition to bring in the mariachi band to this parking lot near work, where they unwind with beers on payday. (FIRST PUBLISHED IN 2020)

A quinceañera dress is pictured on the sidewalk in front of a shop in the industrial east end of Houston, Texas, U.S., September 9, 2018. The majority of communities in this part of town are Latino. (FIRST PUBLISHED IN 2020)

Dennys Nieto looks at decorations she made for her quinceañera business in her home in the Manchester neighborhood of Houston, Texas, U.S., September 28, 2018. Nieto despised living in the Manchester neighborhood, convinced the health of her family had severely suffered because of pollution exposure. (FIRST PUBLISHED IN 2020)

Maria Alejandro gets help from her granddaughter while moving out of the family home where she and her husband lived since 1994 in the Manchester neighbourhood of Houston, Texas, U.S., October 3, 2018. They were bought out by Valero in an effort by the refinery to expand operations. (FIRST PUBLISHED IN 2020)

Fernando Alejandro carries belongings to the car while moving out of the family home where he and his wife lived since 1994 in the Manchester neighbourhood of Houston, Texas, U.S., October 3, 2018. They were bought out by Valero in an effort by the refinery to expand operations. (FIRST PUBLISHED IN 2020)

Maria Alejandro is comforted by her granddaughter while moving out of the family home where she lived with her husband Fernando Alejandro (left) since 1994, in the Manchester neighbourhood of Houston, Texas, U.S., October 3, 2018. They were bought out by Valero in an effort by the refinery to expand operations. (FIRST PUBLISHED IN 2020)

The bulldozed lot where Maria and Fernando Alejandro's home stood is pictured in front of the Valero refinery in the Manchester neighbourhood of Houston, Texas, U.S., December 11, 2018. Over the years Valero has expanded into the Manchester neighborhood, buying out local residents and expanding further into the community. (FIRST PUBLISHED IN 2020)

Cesareo, who requested his surname be withheld, is pictured while helping cousin Fernando Alejandro move out of his home where he and his wife lived since 1994 in the Manchester neighbourhood of Houston, Texas, U.S., October 3, 2018. They were bought out like many other Manchester residents by Valero in an effort by the refinery to expand operations. (FIRST PUBLISHED IN 2020)

In Kinston, N.C., basketball is king Ñ or queen, as the case may be. The town has a reputation for producing more NBA players than anywhere else in the country. Yet the girls team wins just as often as the boys. The girls often receive top grades Ñ last spring, two players graduated at the top of their class Ñ and after graduating, many stay in the community, sometimes serving as assistant coaches. Growing up in Kinston isn't always easy. More than half the students at Kinston High were economically disadvantaged according to the most recent state report card Ñ and that was before the pandemic hit. "The Kinston High women's basketball program...it's another definition for family," senior Zykia Andrews explains. "We could go through a lot of adversity, but we still got each other."

Kinston High School senior Taliyah Jones goes up for a shot as the team takes on North Lenoir High School. The girls basketball team was undefeated in their conference for the 2019 - 2020 season.

(Left to right) Sheriece Jones, Zykia Andrews, and Quiaira Powell cheer for their teammates during a jamboree hosted by Kinston.

The Kinston High School girls basketball team players listen to head coach Christopher Bradshaw after practice. With eight seniors on the team, many of the girls have known each other since preschool and have been playing basketball together since elementary school. Senior Zykia Andrews explains that the team's bond goes beyond the court as well, "It's like a sisterhood."

Senior Lesley Sutton, center, fixes her hair along with teammates Taliyah Jones, left, and Anzaryia Cobb, right, following a game.

Quiaira Powell's homecoming queen crown sits on the dashboard of her car.

Senior Quiaira Powell watches her friends get ready to have their photos taken wearing caps and gowns a few months before graduation. Schools throughout North Carolina closed in March as a result of the coronavirus and a modified graduation ceremony for Kinston High School seniors took place in early June. Several small ceremonies were held with limited guests as students wore masks and sat in chairs spaced at least six feet apart throughout the gymnasium.

(Left to right) After their game, Kinston players Kahlia Hargett, Lesley Sutton, Quiaira Powell, and Alena Rivers sit in the stands with a friend's son to watch the boy's team play South Lenoir High School.

Senior Michyla Dove hugs her mom Lori Carmon before heading to a day of jamboree games hosted by Kinston High School.

Michyla Dove's mom Lori Carmon holds her "basketball mom" necklace. Carmon travels to all of Dove's games and says she plans to do the same when Dove plays for Barton College about an hour away next year.

Senior Taliyah Jones works on online coursework through Kinston-based Lenoir Community College. Jones has been taking online courses throughout high school and will attend Winston-Salem State University next year.

Winter Lane, left, the only sophomore on the varsity team, leans on senior Anzaryia Cobb, right, during pre-season training sessions last summer.

Taliyah Jones warms up with the rest of her team before a game.

Kinston High School cheerleaders support the girl's team during a game against South Lenoir High School. The cheerleaders travel with the girl's basketball team to away games as well cheering for them at home.

Head coach Christopher Bradshaw talks with the team during a game against North Lenoir High School. Bradshaw has been head coach since 2013 and understands the important role he plays in helping to shape the girls' future success. "I could go home and relax," he explains, "but God has blessed me to mentor these kids."

Seniors on the girl's basketball team volunteer at the concession stand during a boy's football game. The girls spend as much time together off the court as they do playing together. Their team chant which echoes throughout the locker room before games and after every practice, is "Family on three! One, two, three, family!"

Lori Carmon, left, whose daughter Michyla Dove plays on the team, and team assistant KJay Johnson, right, serve food during the jamboree games hosted by Kinston High School. Carmon woke up at one a.m. that morning to start cooking all of the food. She is a constant fixture at every game and says that, "I have one child but I've gained many," then adding, "ThereÕs nothing like being a team mom."

Senior Zykia Andrews celebrates her eighteenth birthday with friends and teammates at a local seafood restaurant. After dinner the girls went bowling. When thinking about her last Kinston High School basketball season and all of the milestones of senior year, Andrews says, "I don't want to cry about it, but it's hard to believe."

Michyla Dove rests her head on a friend's shoulder while waiting to celebrate her teammate Zykia Andrews's eighteenth birthday.

Kinston High School basketball players and their friends wait outside the Hook and Reel restaurant before celebrating senior Zykia Andrews's birthday.

Senior Anzaryia Cobb's brother Ervin Jones wears a shirt with a photo of his sister during senior night celebrations.

Anzaryia Cobb, center, holds her niece, right, while she and Winter Lane, left, prepare to leave the locker room following the team's loss in the Regional Championship game. The round of regional championship games were the last games to be played before the State Championships were cancelled due to the coronavirus.

The team prays after a game against South Lenoir High School.

Senior Sheriece Jones goes up for a shot during practice at a community gym. As eight members of the team prepare to finish up their senior year, fellow player Michyla Dove says, "I feel like IÕm not who I am without them. I wouldnÕt be who I am today had I not met these girls."

Junior Kenya Forbes looks out of the bus window on the way to a game. With eight seniors leaving the team, Forbes will be one of only a few players with varsity experience for the upcoming season. Despite the challenges of rebuilding the team and the uncertainty of the coronavirus pandemic, Coach Bradshaw will continue to emphasize resilience. He mentions a common local sentiment. "If you're from Kinston, you can adjust to anything," he says as his sights are already set on next season.