Clifford Leroy Lee was born in Watts, where his life was forged through the harsh realities of gang life, poverty, and survival in the Nickerson Gardens projects. Lee grew up with an absent father and was raised in a world where children portrayed violence as their way of life. Clifford thus went deep into the violent world of the Bloods. As Clifford struggles through family conflicts, gang battles, and the anguish of hustling, his life story changes into a struggle not only to survive but to be defined.
"Dreams Aren't for People Like Us" is an exciting read that drops readers into the heart of Los Angeles Street life, where the only constants are the factor of loyalty, bloodshed, and a fleeting sense of belonging. The unyielding frankness of the individual is seen in Clifford as he ruminates on the brutality of his decisions and the loyalty that kept him bound to the streets. This unflinching memoir will allow the reader entry into a world where hope is hard to come by, but survival instincts are true and deep.
Will Clifford ever break the cycle of violence to be redeemed, or is such redemption impossible for a person born into this life? His story will keep you on edge in what it takes to rise from the ashes of a broken world.
