Mr. T’s Rise from the Robert Taylor Homes: Lessons in Self‑Respect, Hard Work, and Mentorship

Laurence Tureaud was born on May 21 1952, the second‑youngest of twelve children on Chicago’s South Side, and grew up in the violent public‑housing project known as the Robert Taylor Homes.

When he was 18, after learning that his brother, a Marine serving in Vietnam, had been addressed as a "boy," he changed his name to "Mr. T" to force others to call him "Mister" and to demand the respect his family had been denied.

At Dunbar Vocational High School he excelled in athletics, becoming a football star and winning the city wrestling championship; he and his brothers built strength by doing push‑ups, chin‑ups and wrestling on the concrete surrounding the housing project.

To support his family he juggled three jobs, one of which was a bouncer at a club. When thugs robbed his mother in the elevator of the Robert Taylor Homes, he retrieved a shotgun, confronted the attackers, and decided to become a bodyguard, protecting others as he had tried to protect his mother.

Pastor Corey Brooks, founder of Project H.O.O.D., frequently cites Mr. T’s journey as a concrete example of self‑respect and perseverance for the program’s South Side youth, urging them to adopt the same discipline and values.

Mr. T’s life illustrates that even in environments plagued by violence and systemic racism, personal resolve, mentorship and hard work can create pathways out of poverty, offering a realistic role model for young people facing similar obstacles.

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Mr. T’s Rise from the Robert Taylor Homes: Lessons in Self‑Respect, Hard Work, and Mentorship

Mr. T’s Rise from the Robert Taylor Homes: Lessons in Self‑Respect, Hard Work, and Mentorship

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