An 80's baby born in the slum of Richard Allen Projects to a drug addicted mother and drunken father. Azhar Washington's fierce, sassy, and undoubtedly witty persona is a natural reaction, as Azhar discovers very early on that life is one hell of a bitch. At just ten years old she's introduced to three letters that will scar her for life; HIV. Azhar's mother's positive status is just the beginning of her endless nightmare called life. From being sold for drugs as an infant, to discovering the ugly truth behind her mother's and father's love triangle which resulted in her father murdering his brother. By the time Azhar reaches high school, her mind has developed the perfect coping mechanism-DID. Rejection, abandonment, self-hate, jealousy, envy, and acceptance- all issues that Azhar will have to face head on while hopping from one home to the next. The constant change and fast pace in Azhar's life becomes one big blur as she loses herself amongst mayhem. A true fighter, though both driven and strengthened by her pain; Azhar is a beautiful struggle desperate for answers and an escape from her life's reality. A Beautiful Struggle is a real tragedy to triumph that takes an indepth look of how a young ambitious girl finds strength in the darkest and coldest hours of her life.
About the Author: The self-proclaimed epitome of "A Beautiful Struggle", 31-year-old Andrea Walker stands firm on her title. She is the mother of five, three of which she is the biological mother of; two who are her nieces that she single handedly raised from the young age of seventeen. After being abandoned with family members, at just ten years old Andrea learned that her mother was HIV positive. Andrea struggled throughout her childhood to fit in, as she attended multiple schools and was displaced from home before finally graduating from Imhotep Charter School. Though short lived, Andrea attended college at Delaware State University as a means to escape her unstable and troubled home life. Faced with the ultimatum whether or not to drop out of college or to step in and care for her young nieces, it was at this point, when Andrea decided to pursue her dreams of becoming a writer. At the tender age of eighteen Andrea's manuscript gained the attention of New York Times Best Selling Author Terri Woods, but Andrea was too consumed with parenting to fully dedicate her time to writing. Her dreams were halted as she climbed the corporate ladder in healthcare management. At the age of twenty-nine years, Andrea became the youngest black, female Director at her company. Currently the Founder of iROC (Intelligently. Redefining. Our. Culture), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization whose mission is to provide children and families within the community a vast amount of resources, to nurture, mold and develop a superior view and understanding of the importance of knowledge. In addition iROC places extreme emphasis on HIV/AIDS out reach and awareness. Through iROC, Andrea personally provides mentoring resources to young women who struggle with issues ranging from college selection, career goals and achievement, becoming an entrepreneur, overcoming daily obstacles and one that Andrea is truly no stranger to; defying the odds. The HIV/AIDS activist and advocate serves as a change agent within her community by assisting other non-profits with developing and sustaining their organizations. Such organizations include Chains Inc. and As I Plant This. To date, iROC has impacted hundreds of lives in the Philadelphia area through several community programs including but not limited to iROC's annual Father Daughter Dance and annual Know Your Status Campaign and Red Tie Event.