At simply 10 years previous, Keenan Abercrombia crept into his mom’s bed room of their Compton residence, drawn by cigarette butts within the ashtray. That harmless curiosity lit the primary spark of what would grow to be a long-burning behavior. By 15, he was smoking menthols frequently—shopping for, splitting, and puffing with mates, unaware that he was stoking a fireplace that may be onerous to place out.
“I used to be curious at ten years previous,” Abercrombia stated. “We favored the scent of it. We didn’t know we had been placing an dependancy into us. We favored it and our our bodies had been fiending for it.”
Whilst his lungs had a lower than favorable response, he chalked it as much as a part of the method, shrugging off the warning indicators. Lighting up grew to become a part of his every day rhythm, a ritual that grew more durable to extinguish with every try to stop. However what lastly snuffed out his smoking behavior wasn’t a nicotine patch or gradual discount—it was the painful sight of somebody he cherished struggling.
“My mother bought actually sick, actually in poor health,” he stated. “It was a turning level. I stated, ‘I can’t preserve doing this to my physique, and I see my mother struggling with this at 72.’”
At 30 years previous, Abercrombia stop. Chilly turkey.
“In the future I simply awoke and stated, ‘I don’t need this anymore,’” he recalled. Inside per week, the lighter was down, the pack tossed, and the haze that hung over his life started to clear.
Now 33, Abercrombia is a father of three daughters, a husband, a chef, and a proud member of the Compton Cowboys—the place he cares for horses and mentors youth. He’s reclaimed his breath and his voice, and he’s utilizing each to combat again towards Large Tobacco’s chokehold on Black communities.
As a part of Kick It California’s statewide marketing campaign, Abercrombia shares his journey, providing a real-life roadmap for these hoping to finish the identical behavior.
In line with the California Well being Interview Survey (2021–22), tobacco kills extra Black Individuals every year than AIDS, accidents, and murder mixed. In locations like Compton, tobacco corporations flood the streets with menthol advertisements and flavored merchandise intentionally focusing on younger prospects. And even because the strain from public well being advocates builds, these corporations shift techniques, turning to vapes and different slickly marketed options.
“Simply because it lights up and has a battery doesn’t make it cool,” Abercrombia tells younger individuals. “You don’t need to comply with tendencies. The adverse impression it’ll have in your physique isn’t price it.”
Abercrombia’s story doesn’t finish with quitting—it evolves into mentorship. As a toddler, he was a part of the Compton Jr. Posse, also called the Compton Junior Equestrians, and now he rides with the Compton Cowboys, a bunch that teaches youth methods to take care of horses, keep out of hassle, and discover objective past the streets.
“I grew up in this system. Once I bought older, I stayed concerned and have become a mentor,” he stated. “Horses taught me self-discipline, love, and persistence. That’s what we attempt to give again to the children who come by now.”
By the Compton Cowboys, youth ages 8–18 don’t simply journey—they develop their very own meals, are inclined to livestock, and develop a way of duty. It’s a spot the place seeds of change are planted and unhealthy habits are left within the mud.
By his work with the Compton Cowboys and Kick It California, Abercrombia’s message blazes ahead: “For youthful and older of us, it’s doable to make change in your life.”
And for these nonetheless caught within the cycle? He factors them to KickItCA.org, the place free, science-backed stop assets and educated “stop coaches” provide assist.
Without spending a dime stop assets, go to KickItCA.orgTo be taught extra concerning the Compton Cowboys’ youth mentoring work, go to ComptonCowboys.co
In regards to the writer: Billy Montgomery is a Los Angeles-based photojournalist and educator who captures tales with coronary heart, depth, and a pointy eye for cultural moments that matter.
