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Did you read my @CoryBooker profile? politico.com/magazine/story… Here’s a story I left out about his pal Jimmy Wright. 1 
Jimmy was a Newark homicide detective who lived in Cory’s project, Brick Towers. That photo was him in the bodega across the street. 2
Jimmy got demoted for supporting Cory’s first run against a machine mayor. He was later Cory’s IG, then founded a nonprofit to help kids. 3
Anyway, Jimmy showed me the neighborhood before I walked it with Cory. He was a great tour guide. 4
At one point we thought we saw a guy pissing on Jimmy’s car. Turned out the guy was just hiding drugs in his pants. But I digress. 5
After our tour Jimmy and I ate at Vonda’s on MLK Boulevard. He told stories about solving murders and coaching Pop Warner football. 6
At one point he noticed a big young dude staring at him at another table. And Jimmy’s not shy. He goes: “Can I help you? Do I know you?” 7
The kid goes: “I’m Semaj.” Jimmy stares blankly. The kid goes: “You coached football, right?” Jimmy goes: “Little Semaj with the dreads?” 8
Turned out Jimmy coached him in Pop Warner. He lived a few blocks from the field, but Jimmy always drove him home to avoid the gangs. 9
The odds weren’t awesome for Semaj. He lived in the roughest part of Newark with a single mom who had brain cancer. 10
But there she was a dozen years later at Vonda’s, having lunch with her son. 11
Semaj is now a linebacker on a full scholarship to Howard University. He’s majoring in civil engineering. 12
His mom told Jimmy: “I want to thank you for everything you did for Semaj. Look at him now.” Semaj is shy but he says: “Thanks, coach.” 13
They all hugged it out. Jimmy got a little choked up. He kept saying: “Man, little Semaj with the dreads!” 14
I don’t really have a point. Jimmy told me lots of stories about kids he & Cory knew who ended up in jail or in coffins. Semaj didn’t. 15
Jimmy spent years helping kids like Semaj, and it was cool to see him get his reward at Vonda’s. That’s service. And that’s all I got. END
Oh man I screwed up the threading. Hey @threadreaderapp can you unroll this? Thanks!
