Shomari Kress wants to live the American dream: start his own business, make lots of money, drive a fast car. But like many other young African-American men in his south side Chicago neighborhood, he’s not sure how to realize that dream.

Shomari’s world seems to offer him two options: low-paying service jobs or the lucrative, illegal drug trade. He finds himself at a crossroads, choosing between selling drugs and a low-paying, entry-level job.

Originally broadcast on WBEZ’s Chicago Matters and NPR’s All Things Considered under the title “Picture Me Rolling: Shomari’s Story.” Winner of the Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Award for reporting on the disadvantaged.