A Fight to Care for Six Children

Known to us as Mr. Betty, Curtis Taylor moved on 62nd and Ada Street in Chicago in 1965 and was befriended by a widow with six children. Because he was gay, he was always teased and taunted and called a sissy. He and my mother became friends, and he would look after us when my mother worked. My mother asked Mr. Betty to look after us if something should happen to her. Four years later, she died. He made promise to do so. But that promise was met with criticism by neighbors. We were removed from his care by the Chicago Police Department and placed in an abusive environment. After being starved and abused many times, I got the courage to share my experience with the Principal. In 1970 the proper authorities were finally called. We were placed back with Mr. Betty, who remained a part of our lives until his death in 2010. Though he raised us, we were not allowed by the State to bury him because we were not related to him. I still don’t know what has happened to his body.

Coming Back to Life

My daughter, Ike, has disability, but was offered a scholarship to dance in a Chicago suburb. However, the dance school exploited her secretly for money. One day, she stumbled across cards with her picture on it where her disability was discussed. The school placed her as being needy though she had just raised over $5,000 for an Italy trip. After writing the Director and sharing her feelings about being exploited, Ike was given a letter saying that she could not attend the Italy trip. She then went to another dance studio in Chicago and was bullied by a teacher from the suburban studio. Ike has not been in any dance studio out of fear of being harassed. Ike is struggling to make it back into the studio.