His early life was no crystal staircase. Mister Harriel grew up in a single-family, low-income home in a South Sacramento neighborhood. Drug dealing and gang violence were commonplace. That and his father’s absence became an on-ramp to a street life of drug dealing and property crime. Meanwhile, Harriel played high school basketball mainly to calm himself down. Yet, a void gnawed at him. “Nobody pushed me to go beyond my circumstances,” Harriel said. “I did not know anything about the outside world.” In short time, a criminal conviction landed him into state prison coming out of high school.
After serving prison time, determination and inspiration gained ground with him. Harriel became a standout basketball guard at a junior college in rural northern California. He scored 50 points in one game. Division I four-year colleges such as Oregon State University recruited him. However, California’s prison parole policies barred him from receiving an athletic scholarship. Instead of wallowing in acrimony, he was a positive change maker, playing pro basketball overseas, then becoming a businessperson and a father. He also helms two nonprofits that focus on improving the chances for disadvantaged youth.
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