Thelma Wright - Book Interview

(C) 2013 by Rych McCain, All Rights Reserved. No part of this column may be reprinted, re-posted or duplicated without written permission from Rych McCain Media/Syndication. Violation is subject to applicable laws.

Thelma Wright - Book Interview

By Rych McCain International/Nationally Syndicated Entertainment Columnist

By Rych McCain, www.twitter.com/rychmccain and Facebook

Thelma Wright

Former Drug Queenpin’s Message To Youth!

    

     There are only two options for those in the drug game; jail or death! For anyone to finagle through the maze of backstabbing, double-crossing, drive-by's, hits, being duped, cheated, lied on, ratted-out, sold down the river by your closest associates, always looking over your shoulder and being set up to be killed or arrested and actually get out untouched is nothing short of a miracle.

    Thelma B. Wright is one of the rare ones to rise to the top of the cocaine and heroin dealing game to get out relatively clean and pretty much unscathed but she has a story of untold horror and close calls to warn the young people of today who see the drug pushing lifestyle as glamorous and an easy way to get rich. Wright was born and reared in Philly where she played basketball and ran track in high school. She came from a good family with a solid Catholic upbringing. But like most young girls in the hood, she was fascinated and attracted to the guys with the fancy clothes and flashy cars. It wasn’t too long after she graduated from high school that she became involved with older men who were part of the Philly drug trade.

     After dating a couple, Wright met one of Philly’s most powerful drug kingpins (from the late 70’s to mid 80’s), named Jackie Wright. After a year or so of dating, they became man and wife. Even though she wasn’t involved with her husband’s business dealings, she still had to roll with the punches of that lifestyle which taught her much. Unfortunately the game caught up with Jackie and he was set up and murdered. Because his business was flourishing so well and making money, Wright decided to take over his operations and herself became Philly’s top drug Queenpin shipping cocaine and heroin From Philly to LA and most points in between. As a result, she enjoyed lavish meals, furs, expensive jewelry, cars, designer clothes and party trips including a championship fight in Vegas arriving via private jet. However, the murder of three of her closest associates was too close to home and she got out of the game while the getting was good and never looked back.

 

     Coming up as a nice, clean cut Catholic girl; how did the transition to hanging out with gangsta drug dealers happen and what would Wright caution young girls in a similar position today to look out for and avoid? She expresses, “The transition was a little easy because I was a ball player and I played basketball throughout the city of Philadelphia. So in playing sports and being athletic, you got to meet a lot of people from all walks of life. When I got involved with my husband, his reputation preceded him but it wasn’t one to be dangerous. It was one of this guy Jackie Wright, real cool, smooth guy making a lot of money. The Black Mafia in Philly was over with when I came along. I started dating Jackie in 1977 when I was 21 so by that time a lot of those guys had been arrested and were in jail or killed and their time was totally over.”

   

Thelma B. Wright and her son Jackiem

    Wright continues, “I caution young people now. I’m saying to them that the streets are totally different from even what they were when I was out there in my early twenties. They were dangerous then but to me they are a lot worse now. Back then when people were in the streets hustling, they had a purpose. It was wrong but they had a purpose. They were trying to make money to buy homes and take care of their families so they came together and stopped all of the gang violence so they could unite and bring back money into the community. Now days it’s different. You have young people now who are hustling just to say they are hustling. They’re not making any money. There was a lot of money in the drug game in the 70’s, 80’s and 90’s. There is no money now. People are going to jail, they can’t afford attorneys, they can’t pay their own bails, they are getting killed in their teens and early twenties about nothing. If you ask the young kids now days what is it all about, what is the beef about? They can’t even explain it to you. So when I speak at the schools, to our youth and at the prisons, I’m saying listen, this is not about nothing. It’s going to end in a bad way. You’re either going to jail for a very long time or you’re going to get killed.”

     You can get Wright's book online at Amazon.com, order through Barnes & Noble or Wright's website www.thelmabwright.com  

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