“A Difficult Journey;

From Rural Hardship

to Urban Adversity”

Project in English
th
4 Grading

Submitted by: Brian Cyber R. Pasasadaba

Submitted to: Mr. Emmanuel Raposa
About the Author:
Dash was born on March 16,
1944 in New Bedford, Massachusetts
to Leon Dash, Sr., a postal clerk, and
Ruth, an administrator for the health
department. As a college student at
Lincoln University, he served as the
editor for the school newspaper, the
Lincolnian. It was not until he
transferred to Howard University
where he received a paying position in
journalism. That year, in 1966, The
Washington Post hired Dash as a
journalism intern and a cub reporter. Two years later, he
graduated from Howard University with his B.A. degree in
history. After graduating, Dash joined the United States Peace
Corps in Kenya.Upon his return, Dash began working full-time
for The Washington Post.

In 1995, Dash and The Washington Post photographer,

Lucian Perkins, won the Pulitzer Prize for Explanatory
Journalism on their report of a District of Columbia woman's
struggle with poverty, crime and drug use. In 1996, the article
was turned into a best-selling book, Rosa Lee. Dash also
received an Emmy Award from the National Academy of
Television Arts and Sciences based on the documentary.
Characters:
 Leon de Costa Dash Jr. - An American reporter
who wrote about the life of Rosa Lee Cunningham.
 Rosa Lee Cunningham – A mother of 8 children
and a former Heroin addict.
 Bobby- Rosa Lee’s oldest child.
 Ducky- One of Rosa Lee’s children, a drug addict.
 Patty- One of Rosa Lee’s children, a drug addict
and prostitute.
 Alvin- One of Rosa Lee’s sons. He and his brother
Eric are successful in their life and despise drug
use.
 Eric- One of Rosa Lee’s sons. Like Alvin, he has a
job, a family and a home of his own.
 Ben Wright- Rosa Lee’s older brother and is
considered the family historian.
 Summary:
On the day of September 5, 1990, 53 year-old Rosa Lee
Cunningham got dressed and ready for her interview with Leon Dash
Jr., a reporter. Leon arrives and is answered by Bobby, Rosa Lee’s
oldest child of eight. After coming inside, he sees Ducky, Patty, Junior
and the other children. He sees Rosa Lee and they are left alone. He
planned to take her to a methadone clinic then a restaurant for her
interview but Rosa Lee wanted to go to a Pepco office to restore their
electricity. They drive to the office but learn that she needs to pay
$70 to get the electricity back on. They drive downtown to an energy
office but are told that a grant is not eligible until 1991. During lunch,
Rosa lee needs to buy her medications but is unable to find her card.
She cries and tells him that she, Bobby and Patty have HIV. They drive
to a pharmacy where a pharmacist knows her and has her record for
Medicaid. He fills her prescription and return to Rosa Lee’s
apartment. Inside, she asks Leon to look through her papers and
check if she is behind her rent. The next night, he returns it to her,
divided into envelopes. They then plan to straighten their finances
and request Leon to write it down. When asked about her relatives,
Rosa Lee points Leon to Ben, Rosa Lee’s older brother. They go to his
workplace and after some persuasion; Ben agreed to help them and
Leon soon find out about their family’s whereabouts.

Wednesday afternoon, November 28, 1990, Rosa Lee is in the

emergency room of a hospital telling Leon Dash about her seizure
that put her there. The doctors tell Leon that it may have something
to do with her drug use. He finds out that she shared a bag of heroin
with her daughter, Patty, then immediately had a mild seizure. She is
taken to the emergency room but she does it again with patty.
Afterwards, she goes limp and her eyes roll back in her head so she is
taken to the hospital where she is told by her doctor that she may die
from another seizure. After her stay, Rosa Lee vows to herself that
her she will not use drugs again.

Christmas morning of 1990, Leon arrives at Rosa Lee’s

apartment and found that everyone is asleep except for Rosa Lee.
Leon and Rosa Lee drive to a clinic for her medicine. As he drives,
Rosa Lee tells him why everyone was exhausted. The day before,
Ducky came home with his paycheck, he gave $150 to Rosa Lee and
leaves to buy drugs with the rest. Rosa Lee gives Patty the $20 that
Ducky owed and Patty spends it on drugs. Afterwards, Patty asks for
more money and is given $10. She then begs for more so Rosa Lee
asks her to buy ice cream and gives her $20. She comes back later
with one of her “tricks”— men who gives her drugs for sex. They
prepare drugs in the bedroom and offer some to Rosa Lee but she
refuses. Patty leaves and Rosa Lee fell asleep. At about 2a.m., Patty’s
boyfriend, Howard, asks where Patty is but Rosa Lee does not know.
In the morning, Rosa Lee wakes up and finds Howard and Patty
fighting. Ducky pulls Patty inside and they see that her arm is
bleeding. Patty tells them that she cut herself during an argument
with Howard. Paramedics arrived and bandage Patty’s arm and she
cries herself to sleep. Rosa Lee’s story is finished and Leon drops her
off at her apartment. He wishes her a merry Christmas and says he
will see her next week. Rosa Lee wishes him a merry Christmas and
they go their separate ways.
Vocabulary:
 Intricate- very complicated or detailed.
 Tapestry- a heavy handwoven reversible textile
used for hangings, curtains, and upholstery and
characterized by complicated pictorial designs.
 Phenomenon- a fact or situation that is observed
to exist or happen, especially one whose cause or
explanation is in question.
 Devastated- destroy or ruin (something).
 Disproportionate- to an extent that is too large or
too small in comparison with something else.
 Debilitating- making someone very weak and
infirm.
 Racial- relating to race.
 Oppression- prolonged cruel or unjust treatment
or control.
 Segregation- the action or state of setting
someone or something apart from other people or
things or being set apart.
 Pervasive- spreading widely throughout an area
or a group of people.
 Perputually- in a way that never ends or changes;
constantly.
 Yoked- rob; mug.
Lessons:

 People can make a wrong decision in their life but

it doesn’t mean that they are bad.
In the story, we see that Rosa Lee is not a bad person. She
is a victim of her circumstance and is actively trying to
change.

 Alcohol and drugs may give us pleasure but it will

not solve our problems.
Rosa Lee and some of her children use drugs to cope with
their problems and pursue a new high but it only brings
more problems to them

 It is possible for a person to change.

We see in the story that change is possible through the
character of Rosa Lee. Although a former drug user, she
tries to change and be better person by the end of the
story.