My name is Ronnie Williams. I was born in Seattle on June 22, 1971. I grew up in the Yesler Terrace projects in the ’70s when the Black Panthers were in the neighborhood. I went to Bailey Elementary. I played on a Little League Baseball team in Judkins Park. But I’ve had a hard life. My life was a total disaster. Alcohol. Drugs. The street.
I lost both my parents in 1993. My mom, Alciea Ann Williams, died from cirrhosis of the liver. My dad, Richard Williams, died from an overdose of heroin. My sister found him in a pool of blood in Holly Court apartments. ...