Letters to the Unchained: A True Story of the Streets, Gangs, Prison and Mass Incarceration

By Darrell L. Myricks II

 

Despite a loving mom, he was lured in by the streets. Until his time in jail became a rallying cry to halt the cycle of African American pain.

It seemed inevitable once sixth-grader Darrell L. Myricks II was unfairly cuffed by the cops. Feeling the pull of gang bonding and the glamour of the fast-lane lifestyle, the teen's eager choices spiraled into a prison cell. Now he's here to transform his personal experience and extensive research into a powerful message to divert other young Black males from his destructive path…

 

Letters to the Unchained is a raw and honest wakeup call to the dire realities facing adolescents, and how to intervene and lead them to prosperity. Framed as a collection of conversational and impactful essays, Myricks refuses to shrink from sharing his troubled history that culminated in a life-changing stint behind bars. And by absorbing his compelling transformative arguments for parents, mentors, coaches, youth workers, and at-risk kids, you'll gain the tools to be the champion needed to turn the tide for the better.

In Letters to the Unchained, you'll discover:

• How to understand the pressures placed on teens, so you can be a positive role model
• The importance of education and discovering prominent Black scholars, inventors, doctors, and leaders
• Why it's imperative to embrace something bigger than yourself, so you can ensure youngsters grow into productive citizens
• Actionable methods for producing immediate growth and motivation toward making rational decisions
• Insight into fostering strong family units, ways to initiate thoughtful discussion, and much, much more!

Letters to the Unchained is a forthright resource to help set a restorative course for today's imperiled generation. If you like from-the-trenches advice, gritty frankness, and forging paths to life-giving outcomes, then you'll love Darrell L. Myricks II's light in the dark.

Buy Letters to the Unchained to encourage greatness today!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Darrell L. Myricks II
• Release date: Nov 3, 2023
• ISBN: 9798223603511

Book preview

Letters to the Unchained

By

Darrell L. Myricks II

Copyright © 2023 Darrell L Myricks II

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without permission, in writing, from the author and publisher.

DEDICATION

To each and every young African-American male being raised without a father, and to the millions of Black children who have lost a parent or a loved one to the vicious cycle of America’s criminal justice system. This book is dedicated to you.

QUOTE

A people without the knowledge of their past history, origin, and culture is like a tree without roots.

Marcus Garvey

Table of Contents

Dedication Quote

About the Author Acknowledgements Introduction

Letter 1 The Streets

Letter 2 From Gang-Gang to Chain Gang Letter 3 Prison Life

Letter 4 The Awakening Letter 5 Mass Incarceration Letter 6 Dear Black Man Afterword

Note and References

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Darrell L. Myricks II is a son, a brother, and an activist for African - American youth, particularly for those who find themselves at a crossroads in life. In 2012, Myricks was sentenced to life in prison after refusing to take a plea deal of ten years for a crime he did not commit in Douglas County, Georgia.

In this his first book, Myricks explores the system of mass incarceration by peeling back the layers of his own adolescent years spent traveling between Gary, Indiana and Michigan City, Indiana, as an example of the factors that influence decision-making. He graduated from high school in 2006 and went on to attend ITT Technical College and Ivy Tech Community College.

Currently, there is a petition on www.change.org to Georgia Governor Brian Kemp to free Myricks. He also encourages readers, activists, and community leaders to continue to speak out on injustices throughout our community.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

First and foremost , all praise is due to The Most High. The Supreme. The Almighty. The Most Merciful. The One and Only God. I thank you for blessing me with this God-given talent and with the ability to write. I know that with you, nothing is impossible and without you, nothing is possible.

Secondly, I would like to thank my editor, Mrs. Tameka Washington, for her professional and incredible editing skills. You not only helped me shape my book, but you also guided me to bring my personality and my own experiences to the drawing board. Without any hesitation, you took my concept, ran with it, and helped me tackle this project. I thank you for always being honest with your input and for rising to the occasion. You believed in me, and my vision, and I cannot thank you enough for that, nor for adding your Midas touch.

To my dad, Darrell L. Myricks, I thank you for being patient and taking the time to read my manuscript and giving me constructive criticism and positive feedback. If not for you and my stepmom (hi, Robin), helping me get it typed up and putting it all together, I do not know what I would have done. Throughout this entire process you have been my legs, LOL. Thanks, Pops, for reentering my life and maintaining a relationship with me since I have been incarcerated. I could not have made it this far without our ritual Sunday talks and your powerful words of encouragement.

To my mom, Renetta Myricks, I thank you for always supporting me in everything that I do and for always being my number one fan, cheering me on. No matter what, you have always been there, and your love is truly unconditional when it comes to your children. You have always pushed me to go hard, to never give up. You stayed on me and pushed me to finish the book before I even got started. Your pushing was exactly what I needed to get it done. Thanks, Mom, and know that I love you for everything that you do for me.

To my brother, Roy L. Chambers Jr., I thank you for your encouragement and for planting the seed for me to sit down, open up, and begin the writing process for this book. I still remember our very first conversation about me writing this book, and from that very moment you have been watering that seed. You inspired me to be authentic and to tell our story, not holding back on revealing the things we have been through. You and I have a bond that is unbreakable. You know everything that we

have endured and survived, and now, so do they. Keep your head up and held high. Know that our time is coming and with it, so is our freedom.

To my nephews, Isaiah, Emerson, and Jeremiah, you are the main reasons I wanted to bring this book to reality. I wanted to leave something to you, as well as your generation and those who follow. I pray that when you finally read this book, you learn and benefit from your uncle’s mistakes, break the cycle of generational curses, and choose not to follow the same path that led to my incarceration. I love all three of you dearly.

To my cousin, Tanisha J. Myricks (a.k.a. TJ Myricks), I thank you for sitting down and giving me the game before I jumped in and got started. You were upfront and honest with me about the book game and shared your years of experience and wisdom. You helped connect me to the right person and did not hold back at all. Your positive energy and genuine love will never go unnoticed or forgotten. No matter how busy you were, you always made time. You answered whenever I came calling. I thank you dearly for your patience and your knowledge. Make sure ya’ll go check out these books: Phat Phat Memoirs, Lost in Rebellion, Phat Phat Memories: Rent to Own, and Consequential Currency by TJ Myricks. Love you, Cuz.

Last but not least, I would like to say thank you to everyone who has supported me over the years while I have been incarcerated and while I have been writing this book. If I have left anyone out, I ask that you charge it to my mind and not my heart.

Darrell L. Myricks II

INTRODUCTION

For centuries, Black culture has been a phenomenon that has been mimicked by the entire world. From our music to the way we dance, the way we talk, the way we dress, even to our melanated skin tones.

All these things that distinguish our culture, tie into our history, that make us unique, has, at the very least, had an attempt carried out to recreate or reinvent it.. Surprisingly, other ethnicities seem to think it is cool, chic even, to try on the cloak of pretending to be Black, acting Black, while sloughing off and setting aside our pain. They have no real idea what it is like being Black, of living Black in this country.

Letters to the Unchained is the unlocking, the unveiling and unraveling of that cloak that has become America’s purposely woven fabric. It addresses the complex and complicated realities that African -American men and women face each day right here in this country, the challenges we experience as an entire race. It highlights the pain, sorrow, torture, and hatred that Black people have suffered and endured for generations,and that we still encounter here, right now, in the twenty-first century.

Letters to the Unchained brings you into a world of harsh realities. It exposes and outlines the truth about The Streets, Gang Life, Prison Life, and Mass Incarceration, while also bringing awareness to our Black history. The reader will be given a glimpse into the difficulties that threaten and affect us, our communities, and our children, the youth of