Becoming Ms. Burton

Though Susan Burton's life was irrevocably changed by the death of her five-year-old son, she channeled her grief into a passion for justice reform. As a black woman living in an impoverished neighborhood under siege by the War on Drugs, Susan Burton cycled in and out of prison for fifteen years. She self-medicated, becoming addicted first to cocaine, then crack. Though never receiving treatment or therapy for addiction, Susan found private drug rehabilitation and eventually dedicated her life to helping women facing similar struggles.