“King and Queen for a Day”

Born and raised in Los Angeles, California, Rochelle Johnson is a loving grandmother to Tarrell Johnson. When reminded about his grandmother, the first words that come to Tarrell’s mind about her is kind and nurturing because she is always someone Tarrell can depend on during tough times. Regardless of the situation, his grandmother has accepted him with open arms and has helped him resolve whatever difficulties he faces. When he is with his grandmother there is never an unpleasant moment. The most memorable moment Tarrell has of his grandmother is during her visit to Nevada to see him. That day, Tarrell skipped school and spent it with his grandmother playing a game of king and queen; they chased each other around the house the whole day with makeshift capes and paper crowns. It became one of the highlights of his childhood. His grandmother tried her hardest to always have a fun time with him but deep inside she was struggling with her own problems and it was not until Tarrell was older did he come to realize the difficulty she was going through.

Tarrell’s grandmother was struggling with a drug addiction. She battled with the drug addiction for years but never showed or divulged it to Tarrell. It was the hardest time period of her life and it seemed like her life was slowly falling apart. She was close to hitting rock bottom but made the crucial decision to seek and receive help and live drug-free. Her family was supportive of her throughout the entire journey despite a few road bumps in the beginning.

Currently, Rochelle is drug-free and has a full-time job. She is an extremely hard worker and has taught Tarrell to be the same. Regardless of the negative stereotypes about African Americans, Tarrell has learned through his grandmother’s experiences that stereotypes do not define a person and he and others have the ability to disprove them. As a young African American man, Tarrell is taking his grandmother’s advice to achieve higher education and rise above the bad influences around him.