I am Linda Pearl Harden- Wilson. I grew up in the mean streets of west Dallas, where drugs, and crime were the “norm.” I attended Elementary, Middle and High school in the area known to be contaminated by the now infamous “Murphy Metals Lead Smelter.’ I came up in the era where Black life didn’t matter. Where living in a house meant you had to fight regularly with the kids who lived in the housing project. Although I had both parents and 6 siblings that lived in our home, nothing and no one could protect me from the streets and from myself.
I served as a police officer for the city of Fort Worth, Texas. I watched beatings and abuse of minorities, and I didn’t have a voice. I have been to hell, more than once, and only with God’s grace have I survived this thing called “LIFE.” I have endured time in prison, drug addiction and even being raped by a police officer. I continue to witness injustices daily with the legal system that’s in place. The difference is…
Now I have a voice. I have a platform and a forum. I refuse to continue to be a part of the problem. I am now part of the solution. I realize that I made it through the storms of life for a reason. That reason is to empower, inspire, and educate others. My goal is to make a difference.
I have a Doctors degree in Counseling. However, as a former drug-addict, my passion is Recovery. Some things have changed. When I was on drugs, I was classified as a criminal, and sent to prison. There was no real treatment. But, now addiction is classified as a disease. There are programs that offer some realistic help and sustainable sobriety. I am proof that recovery is possible, and there is hope! Recovery is attainable,
if you WANT IT!