Jarvis “Javo” Wright
The ConTextos Authors Circle was developed in collaboration with young people at-risk of, victims of, or perpetrators of violence in El Salvador. In 2017 this innovative program expanded into Chicago to create tangible, high quality opportunities that nourish the minds,,expand the voices and share the personal truths of individuals who have long been underserved and underestimated. Through the process of drafting, revising and publishing memoirs, participants develop self-reflection, critical thinking, camaraderie and positive selfprojection to author new life narratives.
Since January 2017 ConTextos has partnered with Cook County Sheriff's Office to implement Authors Circle in Cook County Department of Corrections as part of a vision for reform that recognizes the value of mental health, rehabilitation and reflection. These powerful memoirs complicate the narratives of violence and peace building, and help author a hopeful future for human beings behind walls, their families and our collective communities.
While each author’s text is solely the work of the Author, the image used to create this book’s illustrations have been sourced by various print publications. Authors curate these images and then, using only their hands, manipulate the images through tearing, folding, layering and careful positioning. By applying these collage techniques, Authors transform their written memoirs into illustrated books.
This project is being supported, in whole or in part, by federal award number ALN 21.027 awarded to Cook County by the U.S. Department of the Treasury.
Win from Within
Jarvis “Javo” Wright
Thirty years ago on April 19th I was born to two of the most amazing parents anyone could ask for: Arena Wright (mom) and Arthur Moore Sr. (dad). I also think they might have the two biggest hearts in the world. I’m sure that's where I got mines from.
My childhood was everything I could have ever imagined plus more. I’m the youngest of five siblings so I guess you could say I got spoiled a lot. Growing up I can remember having talks with my older brothers Steve and Bird and them telling me I got it good because my mother and father were pretty hard on them.
As a child I loved to be at my grandmother’s because that's where all my friends were that's where I met two of my closest friends on her block: Kelles and Hero. Man we did everything together from playing “tag you ' re it” to building go karts and tree houses, but what I enjoyed the most was playing football in the street.
I could still remember my mother telling us to ”get out the street and go play in the vacant lot.” Man we would play for hours. Pretty much from that point on I was in love with football, so me, Hero and my boy Flocka decided to join an organized tackle football team called the Titans up at Paul Robeson HighSchool. We all tried out and we all made the team.
I remember coach Miller picking our positions and assigned me as quarterback. I was so excited. I couldn't wait to get home and tell my mother and call my pops, the very next day he came and picked me up to go shopping for cleats and gloves.
Body
Football always came easy to me. I was good at it and as long as I kept my grades up in school my mother didn't mind letting me play.
School wasn't a problem for me at all. Elementary all the way up through highschool. I was an honor roll student. I could have chosen any high-school I wanted because I had brains to do so but I chose Paul Robeson.
I knew they weren't the best fit academically but they had one of the best football teams in the city. Also the territory was familiar on top of idolizing Johnny, Brandon and Meechie and seeing them sign to big D1 universities. Coming from this same school only influenced my decision even more.
The Robe was everything. I had good grades, all the ladies and everyone there loved me. I was a three sport athlete making the Sun-Times newspaper for my performances regularly. Everything was fine until I started getting big headed. I started missing classes to hang with my friends in the hallways and ditching school so I can go try to have sex with this girl or that girl.
That summer before school started, I just lost a really good friend of mine “Aiki,” on top of that my father was ill at the time recovering from a stroke that really took a toll on him. My head was everywhere. I was pissed at the world and didn't know how to talk about the pain I was feeling, so I started acting out.
After that it was pretty much dominio effect of bad things starting to happen in my life. I was hanging with friends more and more. Fighting, drinking alcohol, even popping pills getting high. I even remember walking home after school getting jumped by 15 guys. My punk ass homie took off and left me. I even got ran over by a car.
Those guys fucked me up pretty bad, left me in a vacant lot cut up bleeding. Still to this day I don't know how I made it to his house but I did. Both my hands were cut up so badly I couldn't finish the football season. That really pissed me off.
I couldn't wait to get my revenge on my homie for leaving me because that was his fight not mine. I didn't even know the dudes.
Growing up where I'm from, we were taught that if one fight all fight and under no circumstances are you supposed to leave your boy hanging.
I was so hurt because at the time I couldn't do a lot of things on my own. I needed help bathing, and eating. In fact I couldn't even wipe my own behind.
On top of everything, he was able to finish the football season while all I could do was watch the game from the sidelines which only added fuel to my anger.
Several weeks went by and my hands finally healed even though they were never the same and still aren't. They were good enough to whoop his ass so that's what I did, “beat his scary ass. ”
Now that I'm older, I realize that I was wrong and I actually owe him an apology because two wrongs don't make a right. That's the message I preach to my children daily, that you don't always have to get even. There's nothing wrong with walking away or simply just talking out your problems and getting positive results.
Due to that fight and one after that I got kicked out of school. Assistant principal told me don't bring my ass back. I was through, she was done with me. That's when it hit me like damn, how the hell am I going to go home and tell my parents I then got kicked out of school my senior year, a few months before graduation? I'm thinking like damn my mama and pops about to get on my ass.
That was a turning point for me, I was disappointed in myself. I really couldn't believe she kicked me out of school. I really wasn't a bad student at all but I wasn't making the best decisions at that point in my life.
From that moment on I realized I had to get back on track. So that's exactly what I did.
Now luckily my football and track coach Curry was able to get me back in school, but I was missing half of a credit so I couldn't walk across the stage with the rest of the seniors.
I ended up having to take an online course for Spanish 2 to make up the half credit I needed to graduate, now it was much harder than sitting in an actual classroom setting but I managed to pull it off.
To this day that's one of my biggest regrets, robbing my parents of that opportunity. I really can't express how sorry I am.
I made plenty of mistakes in my life but who hasn't. No one is perfect but it's never too late to change and get your life in order. I have to be the best role model I could be and set great examples for my own kids to follow. I no longer play football anymore but I still enjoy watching it and even encourage my sons to play the sport. Hopefully I'll be released one day soon and can help coach their team and teach them what I learned from the game and just life in general.
Age comes with wisdom so I’m no longer chasing this girl and that girl. I’ve found one woman that completes me and whom I plan to marry once I’m released.
Now my pops is no longer with us in flesh but he’s always in my heart and I hope that presenting this memoir to you and my mother can make up for the graduation.
Love Always Your Baby Boy Jarvis!
“LONG LIVE JOJO”
Jarvis “Javo” Wright
I Am From
I am from 69th Street, Englewood
From the same place we lost Aiki and Lil Jojo
I'm from Grandma house
Eating hot dogs and pork and beans
I'm from where we had to where Colorado boots
Because we couldn't afford Timberlands
I'm from getting up and going to YBFC
On Saturday mornings with Uncle Boogie
I'm from where, me, Kelles and Hero used to hustle up a few dollars
To eat a special from Jim Dirty's
I'm from where one fight, all fight
And you better beat his ass or I'm going to beat yours
I'm from you can be anything you want to be in life if you put your mind to it
I'm from don't be afraid to be great
I'm from what we accept Christ as our Lord and Savior
I'm from a place where they call Chi-Raq
I'm from lots of playing cards, old school music
Pans of fish and chicken and alcoholic beverages for the adults
I'm from where Auntie Jan (my mom) is the glue of the family
And don't mind going without just to make sure everyone else was happy
I'm from where the whole Community raised you
And you can catch a whooping from your neighbor and another one when you get home
I'm from love, courage, and respect will take you a long way
