Rosa Lee Cunningham was born in Washington D.C. on October 7, 1936 (Dash, Leon, 1996). her parents were Rosetta and Earl Wright. Rosa grew up in poverty and really never came out of it. Rosa has lived in and out of homeless shelters. Rosa father died of AIDS when she was young, forcing her mother to raise her alone. It was hard for Rosa mother to find jobs. Rosa began stealing and shoplifting to get the things she needs. At the age of Thirteen, Rosa became pregnant (Dash, Leon, 1996). After Rosa’s father died, she did not have a good relationship with her mother. Rosa’s mother had begun abusing her. Rosa had eight children by six different men, which followed her down the same path of crimes, drugs, and poverty (Dash, Leon, 1996). Rosa third child father was Alvin Cunningham whom she married, which later on died from (AIDS) Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome. Rosa oldest son died from AIDS.
Rose children followed in her foots steps steeling and using drugs. Rosa’s child has begun to use drugs with her. The family was on welfare and receiving social security benefits, which was not enough money to support all the children and herself. Rosa stated shoplifting and stealing, which was the beginning of her criminal history. She stated selling herself for drug, which she also introduces her
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When the relationship ended, that’s when Rosa started using hard drugs, such as heroin. Rosa would use needles to inject the heroin into her body. She later found out she had contracted the HIV virus, which later turned to AIDS. (Dash, Leon, 1996). When Rosa could no longer support her drug habit, she began prostituting because she could no longer support her drug habit. At the age of sixteen, Rosa was arrested and the cycle continued into her adulthood. Rosa had no boundaries when it came to her drug use. She would use drug in front of her children, which the children have also turned to using drugs as