ROSEMONT, Ill. (AP) – Two former drug dealers who spent years behind bars say the key to reforming their lives was education.
Infamous 1980s Los Angeles drug kingpin Rick Ross says he “turned his jail cell into a university.”
Ross and former heroin dealer Frank Lucas spoke Saturday at the Nation of Islam’s annual Saviours’ Day convention in suburban Chicago.
Their session was called “Redefining the American Gangster.” Lucas’ life is depicted in the 2007 movie “American Gangster” starring Denzel Washington.
Numerous sessions deal with reform, which is a cornerstone in the Chicago-based movement.
The black nationalism movement has a long history of working with prison inmates. Recently it’s increasingly looked to non-Muslims like Ross and Lucas for help.
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On the Net:
Nation of Islam Saviours’ Day 2010: www.noisd.org
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