The Cherie Johnson Story, Part I

BY SIMONE J. SMITH

“There are only two outcomes when you live this type of lifestyle: you either go to jail, or you die!” Cherie Lavana Johnson

I saw this very straight-faced, yet powerful soul, walk into the room on the opening day of the Jamaican Diaspora Conference. As beautiful as she was, her sternness threw me, and I had no idea that myself and this young woman would create a bond so strong, that the bond alone inspired me to share her inspirational and transforming story with our readers here in Toronto.

Cherie Lavana Johnson was there to collect one of the most esteemed awards that a Jamaican descendant can get, and that is the Governor-General’s Achievement Awards for the Diaspora. Cherie, alongside some other well deserving candidates, received their award on stage, but before they were presented with it, there was a small video that described some of their journeys, and why they were even considered for this award. When it was Cherie’s turn, she stepped forward (with that same stern look on her face) and listened as the presenter told her story.

From the moment the person started talking, I was transfixed by this woman standing on stage in such a nonchalant manner; her story was absolutely incredible, and when myself and a team of journalists had a chance to sit down with her, we leaped at the opportunity and became her humble audience. The first thing out of her mouth was “People think that I am sometimeish!” I chuckled because I could relate, but from that point on, I listened keenly to the story of a woman who is bound to make history.\

 “We are not all built to carry the same bucket of water.” (Cherie Johnson)

Cherie Lavana Johnson was born in East London in a socially deprived area called Peckham. She was raised in what she called a single parent home because even though dad was around, he really wasn’t around. She clued us into the fact that her parents probably did this on purpose because in England if you are a single parent family, you get more money from the government, just like here in Toronto. The very first time that Cherie was left alone was at the age of 13 years old when her mother went to prison. This was a tough time for her because at 13 years old, you are just beginning to identify with who you are. At a young age, Cherie had experienced a lot; she had been exposed to a criminal lifestyle, and for a while, that was all she knew.

“Mom taught me well, but she could not reinforce the discipline”

 With mom in and out of jail so much, Cherie knew that she had to keep what was going on at home a secret, or child services would come in and tear the family apart. She is one of 21 children, and she had devoted her life to keeping her younger siblings together. She began to tell her friends that her mom was a flight attendant; it was the only thing that made sense as to why she was away all the time. This went on for a while until finally, she felt safe entrusting a friend with that information. Naturally, friendships fall apart, and as you can imagine, the friend that she trusted went and told the entire school that her mom was in prison. Back in those days, and we could say even now when you hear prison, there is a certain judgment that is instantly made about the person. They must have done something bad, or they are a bad parent. Cherie was devastated by this; by the end of the school year, everyone knew that Cherie’s parents were criminals, and spent time in and out of a prison.

“Dad sold drugs, and the entire community knew about it!”

With 21 brothers and sisters, she was not short of elders. Once it was out that she was basically taking care of a household by herself, Cherie’s sister stepped in to help out. This would have been great if she actually got along with her sister, but unfortunately, she did not. This, of course, pushed Cherie out of the house and into the street to hang out with friends who were just as dysfunctional as she was. During a child’s early development, what they see is very important; it is during these years that children are like sponges and the soak up all the information around them using all of their senses. So you can imagine how easy it was for Cherie to get caught up in the same life of crime that her parents had. At a very young age, Cherie was a boss; at one point she had 13 people who actually worked for her selling drugs in different areas of London. She was making that fast money and enjoying it. Imagine the freedom of having large amounts of cash at a very young age, and what you would be doing with it, especially if you didn’t have parents around.

Things came to a head when she met the father of her daughter. They instantly connected because they had similar backgrounds, which meant they had a lot in common. Now she was a boss and had a man who was a boss, and they started to make money together. The next thing you know, Cherie is pregnant and she is only 18 years old……..

Stay with us family. I will bring you the conclusion of the Cherie Lavana Johnson story in the next edition of the Toronto Caribbean Newspaper.