The only thing most people know about Dez Bryant’s mom is he slapped her and was arrested for it. But, in an exclusive interview with Rolling Stone, Dez’s gives some insight on what it was like growing up.
“Crackheads in my house, potato chips and peanut butter for dinner—my life was [expletive] all the way to college,” he tells Rolling Stone. “I’m talking at least 15 people. You’d be lucky if you had a Hot Pocket for dinner. We used to eat at Salvation Army on the regular, when the neighbors couldn’t help us out.”
“The drug game wasn’t going how it should go, I guess, and Mom would get mad and take it out on me,” Bryant says. “Hit me with a pipe and threw a car amp at me—slashed me across the back…We never, ever had that guidance, as far as report cards and homework. We just did whatever the hell we wanted to do.”
Sadly, this happens more than it should with inner city families. All things considered it is a bit of a minor miracle that Dez has made it as far as he has.
What people don’t understand is these type of environments causes mental trauma on people that never goes away and manifest itself when kids turn into adults.
Mental health is something that isn’t taken seriously by many in the black community and even those who do take it seriously, can’t afford many times to get proper treatment.
Hopefully Dez, as he matures, puts that trauma behind him.
H/T Complex