marquise thehubbardCharger Nov/Dec 2017 Community 13 “chicago “

OXFORD HIGH SCHOOL SENIOR TELLS HIS STORY OF LIFE, LOSS, HOMELESSNESS 3 14 Community Nov/Dec 2017 theCharger In the summers, Hubbard would live with by walker bailey his cousins and sisters in Cabrini-Green, one sports writer of the most notorious project complexes in I felt like Chicago. Marquise “Chicago” Hubbard woke up “Because of my circumstances I didn’t one morning, went out the front door of his believe I was going to live past 16. It was friend’s house, and walked directly into a bad,” Hubbard said. “But I’ve been a hustler shootout happening in the street. my whole life, not just with drugs. When I “ “Walking into that gunfight was one of was young I used to have these little books, needed a man the most traumatic events of my life,” Hub- more pictures than words, and I used to go bard said. “I heard all the bullets flying. My knock on doors and sell them for 50 cents cousins yelled at me to move and get back to make money. I was a kid so I would just to look to inside but I was just frozen.” spend it on candy.” At the time, Hubbard was only a sixth- The toughest blow came for Hubbard grader living in Calumet City, Ill., 20 miles when he was in seventh grade. At the begin- outside of Chicago, with his mother and sib- ning of the year, he lost his mother. The only and that lings. A product of a broken home, his father immediate family that he had left were his was only involved for the early years of his brother and his sisters. However, his brother life. wasn’t around because he had grown up and I had to be “My dad and I were really close until I moved out. was four-years-old,” Hubbard said. “We were “When my mother passed I never cried,” really close, and then one day he just wasn’t Hubbard said. “I didn’t cry because I felt the man a piece of my life anymore.” like I had to be the man in my family. I felt Hubbard no longer had a man to look up like my family needed a man to look to and to in his life. His family was constantly fight- that I had to be the man without my father without my ing and he was looking for a better environ- around.” ment. He looked for family on the streets, Hubbard moved in with his aunt, but the and immediately found himself in a gang, extended family that Hubbard had left had father selling drugs at age 10. no confidence in him. They told him repeat- “Joining a gang was probably the single edly that he was nothing, and he wouldn’t biggest mistake of my life,” Hubbard said. even make it to high school before dropping “Even though now I look at it as a mistake, out. Despite that negativity, Hubbard contin- around. at the moment it was nice to have a group of ued school at Crete-Monee Middle School. “ guys that always had my back.” (continued on next page)

Courtesy of Marquise Hubbard

Senior Marquise Hubbard shown at 5-years-old while living outside of Chi- cago with his mother and sisters. Following his junior year, Hubbard decided Courtesy of Marquise Hubbard to move to Oxford, live with his grandmother and finish his high school career.

Senior Marquise Hubbard pictured at 9-years-old with his two sisters and his mother. Hubbard lived in Calu- met City, Ill., at the time with his mother until her death, after which he and his sisters moved in with his aunt. theCharger Nov/Dec 2017 Community 15 (cont.) “My family told me that I wasn’t fight and his brother kicked him out. going to do anything with my life,” “I was homeless for almost four Hubbard said. “They told me I was no months,” Hubbard said. “Some nights different than anyone else and they I slept outside and some nights I couch told me I was going to drop out and hopped with friends. I stayed any- end up just like everyone else but I where. If I found an apartment build- didn’t believe that was true.” ing and I would see one of the bottom Hubbard set out to prove the mem- doors open I would go in and sleep on bers of his family wrong. He passed his the stairs. But I went to school every eighth grade year to move on to his day. I had to because I didn’t want to freshman year at Crete-Monee High become a statistic.” School, and then everything at Crete- Finally, Hubbard called his father, Monee fell apart. who he had barely seen or spoken to in “I got expelled during my fresh- years, and asked if he could stay with man year for fighting,” Hubbard said. him. His father told him to call his “I fought way too much and it was al- grandmother in Oxford. ways just over small stuff, people were “I called my grandmother and she taking me for granted and I would fight gave me a place to stay,” Hubbard said. about it.” “She sent me a bus ticket and I got on Hubbard enrolled at a new school the bus and rode for eight hours to get believing that it was his last chance to down here [Oxford], and now I’m fin- prove his family wrong and graduate ishing and getting my high school di- from high school. He turned to athlet- ploma here for my mom.” ics to keep him out of trouble. Hubbard Even after moving in with his began playing football and basketball grandmother, Hubbard didn’t really his sophomore year and heavily relied feel a sense of family surrounding him. on those sports to pass the time. Hubbard finally found a group he could “Friends would ask me to do bad call family when he joined the Oxford things and I would have to say no,” High School football team, even earn- Hubbard said. “I didn’t want to do any- ing himself the nickname “Chicago” thing that would look bad for the foot- from his teammates. ball coaches and also having so much “Coach [Cutcliffe] and those play- practice I never really had time.” ers are my brothers, every single one Hubbard’s aunt passed away dur- of them,” Hubbard said. “They’ve em- ing the time he was living with her, braced me from the time I got here and so he moved in with his brother. The I’m extremely grateful to them for ev- situation was not ideal, with frequent erything that they’ve done.” bickering between Hubbard and his Hubbard is a senior and will at- brother and the lack of food in the tempt to become the first member of home. his family to graduate and receive a “I ate school food. My brother high school diploma. barely got food,” Hubbard said. “He “I’m going to finish here and get told me I’d get used to it.” my diploma,” Hubbard said. “I’m go- Even though Hubbard was making ing to get it for my mother, she’s what better choices, his life became more drives me and anytime I think about difficult. At the end of his junior year, stopping, I think about what it would Hubbard and his brother got into a mean to her for me to finish.”

Livvy Cohen • theCharger i was homeless for almost four months ...i stayed anywhere... i went to school every day. i had to because “ i didn’t want to become a statistic. “