WOMAN TELLS ABOUT HER LIFE IN ATLANTA STREETS

Hinzugefügt: 2026-06-02

[00:00:00]Okay, why did having a baby make you become homeless?

[00:00:03]>> What's up, YouTube? Actually, this is now back to the content.com and I appreciate you being over here. No long commercial. Now, back >> Now, back to the content.

[00:00:14]>> What's up, YouTube? Atlanta Street Interviews out here with another one.

[00:00:18]So, we got a young lady with us today.

[00:00:19]How you doing today, miss?

[00:00:20]>> I'm good.

[00:00:21]>> Okay, okay. So, are you homeless?

[00:00:23]>> Yeah.

[00:00:24]>> Okay, how old are you?

[00:00:25]>> I'm 36.

[00:00:26]>> 36. And so, how long have you been homeless?

[00:00:30]>> Um personally, I would say a little on and off for about 3 years.

[00:00:33]>> About 3 years? What happened about 3 years ago that caused you to become homeless?

[00:00:36]>> I had a baby.

[00:00:38]Um not knowing that I was going to go through a process of you know, losing my information and stuff. I kind of got a little lost and it took me you know, 30-something years to lose that and it wasn't on purpose. I just had got in an incident and left it.

[00:00:51]And um you know, my identity got ruined, my name got stolen. So, I kind of That's kind of like where part of my setback.

[00:00:58]>> Okay, okay. So, I guess the whole you know, documents stolen all that stuff going on. Were you working at the time?

[00:01:06]>> No.

[00:01:07]I was saying my first rather had my first I had a job but due to me being, you know, in an incident of being jumped on by somebody it didn't work out in my favor. So, it's hard when you're a single mom. You don't really have a day there's um >> You said you got jumped on?

[00:01:22]>> Yeah, so that incident kind of caused me to lose the job that I was dedicated to and you know, >> Who'd you get jumped on by?

[00:01:27]>> I don't I remember her name but >> Okay, so this was somebody that you got into a fight with?

[00:01:33]>> Yeah, and here comes the lady that jumped on me and also >> Why did they get into a fight with you?

[00:01:37]>> She just got mad about, you know, thinking I was I didn't charge her. I was just waiting on the manager to come and erase something off my um cashier my cash register that I was working on that day so when she was taking a little too long the lady got mad cuz she only came in with a dollar.

[00:01:50]I was trying to tell her that I was only going to count you know, half of it.

[00:01:52]Once the manager erased off the screen what was on there.

[00:01:55]>> I can barely hear you. Can you speak up a little bit?

[00:01:57]>> I said once the manager erased out the screen where it was on there, I told her I would, you know, live for a certain amount of time there for as much as possible for her one dollar that she had.

[00:02:05]>> What job was this?

[00:02:06]>> Uh it's like Burger King. I was working at Burger King.

[00:02:08]>> Burger King?

[00:02:09]Was this a customer or an employee?

[00:02:11]>> Yeah, it was a customer. They just uh >> Okay, so you got jumped on by a customer and you left after that.

[00:02:16]>> Pretty much, yeah. I was >> Okay, did you get fired or did you did you leave?

[00:02:19]>> No, I I left because I felt like they was kind of like inconsiderate of me and what happened to me what was happening to me. Nobody came to my rescue. They was kind of like allowing it. You know what I'm saying?

[00:02:28]>> I got you. I got you.

[00:02:30]Okay, so um how many kids do you have?

[00:02:32]>> One.

[00:02:32]>> One? Okay.

[00:02:34]Um and so who is the where does the kid live right now?

[00:02:36]>> Uh he's with um my siblings. I'm not even My parents is there.

[00:02:40]>> Okay. Okay. All right, so um what is it that that has you out here cuz and I ask for truth and transparency on these interviews, right? I see the hands. I see the stem, right? So obviously um there's crack use going on, right?

[00:02:55]>> Yeah. I mean, nobody's perfect. I know.

[00:02:57]I mean, there's a difference cuz it's a difference when you go through something like that. You learn from it.

[00:03:02]If you really change, then you know, here it is. You looking forward to moving, you know, prospering and moving forward to what you was um trying to accomplish and people will set you back just because you never know what's going to happen.

[00:03:14]>> Well, let me let me ask. How When was like how long have you been smoking crack?

[00:03:19]>> Yeah, it probably been about like around that time, too. Maybe about 3 years. I ain't really keep up with it.

[00:03:23]>> About 3 years?

[00:03:25]>> Maybe 2 Maybe 2 and 1/2 years.

[00:03:26]>> 2 and 1/2 years?

[00:03:27]>> Yeah, I'd say that.

[00:03:28]>> What was it that made you start smoking crack?

[00:03:30]>> I don't know. One day I just tried it and like it's what happens, you know, you going through you know, abuse from that time and that kind of time.

[00:03:37]>> Abuse from who?

[00:03:39]>> I mean, I don't want to say their name.

[00:03:40]>> You ain't got to say their name, but you Was it >> even know it.

[00:03:43]>> Was it like a boyfriend or something like that?

[00:03:45]>> Uh nah.

[00:03:46]It it it was somebody that I um I got into it with them. I don't want to be too more of a >> Is somebody that you have an incident with?

[00:04:02]Okay, I get it. I get it, but just remember I might did ask at the beginning. I said, "Hey, if there's anything you don't want to talk about, don't start the interview."

[00:04:09]Right? Because >> want to talk about it, it's the way you doing it. It's like I don't like I don't want to talk about this, but you always in this.

[00:04:15]He's like, "I don't want to answer it."

[00:04:19]>> Okay, so you was being abused by somebody.

[00:04:22]How long had the abuse been going on for?

[00:04:24]>> Uh pretty much a long time, my life.

[00:04:26]That's why I was just used to it.

[00:04:29]You know, protecting me like that because stuff starts when you're very young and start I ain't going to come out of the door. People see things they, you know, feed on it and it never stops, you know what I'm saying? Once they find out something, they could be devastating and tragic to your life. They don't care how bad they tear you down with it. And you know, my life growing up, I had to become a strong girl, you know what I'm saying? For young >> talk about that real quick. So let's just start from the beginning. Where you from?

[00:04:53]>> I'm from Atlanta.

[00:04:53]>> You from here? What about what part?

[00:04:56]>> Uh originally I love Westside, Westside, but mainly like Southwest where I'm originally from.

[00:05:00]>> Okay, Westside and Southwest. Hey, man, shout out that Westside, man. Shout out that Swat, that Counter Part, East Point all day. All right, so um and shout out the whole city all day, man. All right, and so growing up here in Atlanta, um did you have both mom and dad in the household, like a two-parent household?

[00:05:16]>> No, they kind of like got divorced the party when I was very young. That's why I wouldn't even like 5 years old. My parents they split.

[00:05:23]>> So they split when you was young and so you grew up with mom mainly?

[00:05:25]>> Yeah, and then grandparents and stuff like that.

[00:05:27]>> And grandparents, okay. So you alluded to it already, but I'm going to go ahead and ask. When you was younger, did anything like ever happen to you or anything like that?

[00:05:34]>> Yeah, I kind of went through stuff. I mean like sexual abuse, things like that. You might Yeah, you know, taking advantage of when you're a younger girl and then things like >> What age was like the first time something like that happened?

[00:05:47]>> I probably like 12.

[00:05:48]>> 12?

[00:05:49]>> Yeah.

[00:05:49]>> Was it with uh like a family member or was it like a stranger type deal?

[00:05:55]Or like a friend of the family's type of deal?

[00:05:57]>> I mean, you can you can have things in your family that I mean you want to be kind of discussing stuff like that, but that's kind of like where it started. My situation in the city where I'm from because ever since that incident had got off due to the fact of background of siblings like certain siblings. Our grandparents may not be very, you know, wealthy and known out there to the you know, the world because he lived a long long time, you know what I'm saying? Or you may have You know, you don't know who it is. They be very like, you know, I don't want to say anything. Like I said, they may be talking You know them very well. Like so, people would like feed on things and you know, assume things and make up stories. They never come and ask you no questions. They ain't never asked about that. They always >> So, you're saying based on like the family's reputation, they wouldn't be hearing you. They wouldn't be >> They never did. They just did what they're doing now when you're life and stuff.

[00:06:45]>> Well, so this is your time to talk, right? So, what was it that happened at 12?

[00:06:50]>> I kind of got in a little incident with a parent, but you know, it wasn't even posted been out there in the streets. I didn't know I moved to some friends and some stuff just went wrong. It was like, how did that get out there? Like yeah, I'm on the Twitter and I was >> So, so let me try to follow what's going on if I can. And you can sit down if you want.

[00:07:07]So, let me try to follow if I can. So, you're saying that at 12, it sounds like you moved in with a different parent?

[00:07:15]>> No, I was with my mom. That parent I was with My dad wasn't even there.

[00:07:18]>> Okay, so what was it that happened at 12?

[00:07:21]Like >> want to be like too personal about that, but I already have talked about it.

[00:07:25]You know, people know it. It's not nothing new.

[00:07:26]>> So, here here's the thing. All right, so >> want to talk about it.

[00:07:29]We can move on there. We'll come back to that. Okay?

[00:07:32]It was annoying, bro. Like you said, yeah, you really trying to be clever with me.

[00:07:37]You don't like me.

[00:07:39]All right, you're annoying, bro.

[00:07:42]It's annoying to talk about this. What to do right there in my face like that.

[00:07:45]>> So, what was it that happened at 12?

[00:07:47]>> Well, my dad decided that, you know, he was in some kind of little situation where he had got um taken advantage of to that I overheard his story. What caused a parent like that to go um prey on someone else.

[00:08:00]That's how that started. So, I just happened to be out there in the neighborhood where I was from up the road from my projects where I was living. And overheard some boys I was going to ride the bus. This is about two young [ __ ] out that window just cussing. That's the first time I ever heard somebody talk about it and it never stopped getting talked about ever since.

[00:08:16]And that whole entire, you know, location where I was in, you know, I kind of like went through a battle of getting taken advantage of, you know, people lying on you, ruining your life, fighting you. This is the stuff that never stopped, you know? I still went through it for numerous years that but the fighting and all that stuff might have died down to up until now when I went through something like last year to now when my, you know, life got ruined again like people >> So, listen, I I I'm kind of getting lost a little bit.

[00:08:44]But, so let's I'm just going to run it back real quick. And just tell us like what happened, right? So, I'm asking, what happened at 12?

[00:08:51]>> I just told you that.

[00:08:54]>> So, maybe I'm not following, but it sounds like I'm asking like did any type of sexual assault or anything like that happen at 12?

[00:09:02]>> Of course. I said you got taken advantage of. That's kind of like some stuff you would think of.

[00:09:06]>> Okay, you got taken advantage of by who?

[00:09:08]>> Well, my dad it was like man, I just not overheard talking to him, but in my At this time my mind is a 12-year-old girl, you're not thinking how somebody's, you know, affecting you in their way where they're older than you.

[00:09:19]Your mind was where you had somebody overhearing this conversation that I was trying to upset about it before it even happened. Because I was like, you sitting there manipulating people and telling them, you know, stuff like but they just they was worried about me going with my my father and stuff like that, you know what I'm saying? But, he said I was going to move and everything else like I was like, "Okay." In my mind I was thinking like Oh, he going to do do that but you kind of like I said in a situation on the tour.

[00:09:45]>> Right, you was only 12 so let me ask was it a one time thing or was it ongoing?

[00:09:50]>> I don't know what to No, it wasn't ongoing thing. My dad time like went away for like a a numerous year and when he got out I still gave him money when I was 12. It was like to do this even walking around whoever still trying to do me wrong and I didn't I didn't care.

[00:10:05]>> Did he get locked up for what he did to you?

[00:10:08]>> It wasn't just me it was my sister too but you know yeah he got um sentenced a lot of a numerous amount of years. He's gone about 10 years.

[00:10:15]>> Oh wow.

[00:10:16]>> my life from during my teens I didn't even see him. I never got you know got to really hang in you know see what it was like not to live a hard life in between you know your teenage years you couldn't even be a kid you know.

[00:10:28]>> So you say that your grandma is like a famous preacher or something?

[00:10:31]>> Yeah, she was out there like everybody knew she was from the way her church is.

[00:10:35]Okay, say when she ministered it was um Cascade. I'm sorry Hillside Seventh Day Adventist and you know she told them fair hunting.

[00:10:43]>> You say Hillside?

[00:10:44]>> Yeah and um Other than that you know due to that because her reputation like messed up my grandma reputation so like when people do you know >> When people found out what happened?

[00:10:55]>> going things out there and they not understanding how that can really ruin somebody life you know forever you don't know it until you're in so to other people the outsiders they looking in and thinking that you got this perfect life this perfect world cuz they see you riding some big old Escalade some big they think it's all that it's not what they be thinking it is.

[00:11:12]>> How do you think that incident affected you at 12?

[00:11:15]>> It affected my life real bad. I never got respect from no man in this city ever.

[00:11:20]None of them.

[00:11:21]All they do is come for me and one day I'm 12 and that was it. It was never nothing else they did. Half of them [ __ ] I might have been young when I was young and still not going to remember but it wasn't much that much in life like that Cuz they would be quick to drop your pants or even think about doing anything else with you.

[00:11:37]That's all I got. So, incidents like that, you better be careful when you going to come out there saying stuff like that to somebody in public. Just like I had used to have to me and my girl we used to argue over something. I twisted about a guy telling me he done this to me and my friends. And I was devastated the day after New Year.

[00:11:52]It might be on the >> So, you got taken advantage of day after New Year?

[00:11:55]>> Yeah, but before this person ended up getting, you know, hurt or, you know, passed away and stuff like You didn't even know that was going to happen, but >> How did they pass away?

[00:12:03]>> Because somebody hurt them. I don't know if stuff is getting out there. I don't know. I don't I don't be out >> Okay, so somebody somebody >> But they are punishing you time down the line later thinking you had something to do with something that wasn't even true.

[00:12:13]But you said it to one person that went and spread it.

[00:12:17]And then you had other people defending you. Your You know, telling your friends >> How did How did people find out that your dad had did that to you at 12?

[00:12:26]>> I have no idea.

[00:12:28]Because people would like They already got to talk. It could be adults they just want to run their mouth. But look at them telling everybody. I said something to my grandmother. I I I never get She said something to my sister mom.

[00:12:39]Over called her and was just talking about the situation with my dad like as if, you know, he was perfect. As if he had never any of my my my sister mom Somehow way it got back to my sister. I don't even know how this happened. That's when she ended up breaking Finally busting and breaking down her situation to our mom about what had happened to her.

[00:12:56]And um When that happened, she um It basically got to um to my grandmother that we were arguing She said that I was too.

[00:13:04]>> Okay.

[00:13:05]So, you had already told your grandma?

[00:13:07]>> No.

[00:13:08]Yeah, I told about this incident because it was an incident before that.

[00:13:12]Maybe that same year that I had from another um parent, you know, best friend or something like that. And when that situation >> parent's best friend?

[00:13:20]>> One of my Okay, I'll say my father's stepfather's side of the um family. His friend you talking about cuz they always in the background, you know, hanging around and play games, y'all.

[00:13:28]>> He was like an uncle almost.

[00:13:29]>> Yeah, almost like a a sibling and um due to that incident, first of that incident, kind of like destroyed me in my neighborhood a little bit. So, it kind of like went >> It destroyed you and your neighborhood?

[00:13:40]>> crying.

[00:13:42]>> I'm sorry. I I didn't I'm sorry to interrupt. I'm just I'm trying to keep up.

[00:13:48]I I didn't mean to cut you off.

[00:13:49]>> to call I'm not giving him no TV show right now like I'm pushing that.

[00:13:56]Anyway, I'm trying to leave this too hot, man.

[00:13:59]You ain't came around here no water handy.

[00:14:00]>> You say what?

[00:14:01]>> You ain't came around here no water handy.

[00:14:03]>> to walk out with a case of water?

[00:14:04]>> I got I got that. Stop. Yeah, >> I'm supposed to walk out with a case of water?

[00:14:07]>> Yeah, you want to come in the heat and start having folks talking out there.

[00:14:10]>> Like I'm talking too. I'm in the same heat.

[00:14:13]>> Bro, you a cooler. Roll that with you, too.

[00:14:14]>> I got to roll with a cooler now?

[00:14:16]>> [laughter] >> Yeah.

[00:14:18]>> Okay.

[00:14:19]>> letting you know that.

[00:14:20]>> Okay. Okay. So, because you waited till later on in life to start smoking crack.

[00:14:27]>> It's not about no crack, first of all.

[00:14:29]It's about life ruining. You can be out here, man. People just really can be doing stuff. You don't even know stuff happens. It's about life. It's called bullying, though.

[00:14:38]Tormenting folks, you know, holding folks hostage. You don't know what nobody be going through.

[00:14:42]It could look like it's perfect on a house, you know.

[00:14:45]>> Right, just normal.

[00:14:46]>> Perfect on a picture, but not once you do go up and say "Bro, are you okay?"

[00:14:49]Even open up to let them know I can see something. Y'all Y'all don't even like try to eat so people won't comfort you through nothing. It's almost like people just automatically start talking crazy like and just accusing folks. You walk past and you all you hear is people saying this today, they friend or they homegirl or they auntie or they cousin.

[00:15:05]Oh, you see the girl. Oh, you see the Like it's like when they start doing that aggravating stuff and you and no matter how long the paranoia was, you have dealt with it. How long you have been dealing dealing with it. They don't know it. Or they do know it and they just allow it to go on in public. Like so, it makes your living situation a lot harder. Your safety your your safety >> So, you feel like you don't have anybody to kind of vent to, talk to?

[00:15:25]>> No, I don't. And that's why I stay to myself. If they feel like I'm talking to myself, I don't care what you think. I'd better be coaching myself on getting my own >> Well, and and Listen, and I get that, but how do you think that the crack affects you?

[00:15:38]>> I mean, everybody has a different effect to You won't know unless you ask.

[00:15:43]But >> Well, I'm asking you. I'm asking you.

[00:15:45]How do you think it affects you?

[00:15:48]Because I think it that I think it that it has a role. Think that that play a My bad. Heh.

[00:15:53]Let me pick that up.

[00:15:55]>> [laughter] >> Like stop playing.

[00:15:57]Listen, listen. Don't do that, all right? I dropped this on accident.

[00:16:07]Well, what do you mean? Like it it like stop it. Ain't nobody being funny.

[00:16:11]Okay? Like let's finish up the interview. We're almost done.

[00:16:23]Well, you don't get the full amount if you don't Well, you agreed to You agreed to do it.

[00:16:30]You agreed to do it.

[00:16:39]You said what?

[00:16:40]No, what did you say?

[00:16:45]Well, let's just No, I'm really really not trying to embarrass you.

[00:16:54]Why do you think I'm being funny?

[00:16:58]Well, I can, but then that means that it's not going to be the full fee.

[00:17:02]Is that okay?

[00:17:05]Well, then you if you agreed to something Okay, well, we're almost done.

[00:17:11]Let's just wrap it up, okay? Let's just wrap it up, all right?

[00:17:15]Okay, all right. Well, listen.

[00:17:17]It's kind of hot out here. Um I really appreciate you taking the time breaking all this stuff down.

[00:17:23]If anybody out there did want to reach out and help or donate, do you have a way for them to do that? Do you have social media, cash app, anything like that?

[00:17:31]>> Yeah.

[00:17:32]My name is Ashlyne >> Shout it out. Shout it out.

[00:17:34]>> Okay, okay, Facebook is called Ashlyne Banks.

[00:17:37]That's my name.

[00:17:37]>> How do you spell it?

[00:17:38]>> A S H L Y B A N K S >> Okay, like with all the attitude.

[00:17:45]>> [laughter] >> I told you I don't >> And so do you have cash app or anything?

[00:17:48]>> I told you I don't know.

[00:17:49]>> No, okay, okay. All right, well listen, like I say, we appreciate you.

[00:17:52]Definitely wish you nothing but the best, all right? Make sure you have a good one.

[00:17:56]>> a cold windy day though.