My Story

I go by Wazir, but my real name is Henry Broomfield (Founder of Poetic Opinionz). I was born and raised in Springfield IL during the 80’s and 90’s crack epidemic. The divorce of my mother and father made my mother become a high-profile drunk as she tried to drink away her problem. I was physically abused; so ass whooping was a routine. My house was the hang-out spot, and all of my uncle, brothers and their friends were criminal-minded. I saw it all at an early age. Becoming a teen was bittersweet, the sweet in – I played sports, the bitter was my relationship with my mother.

 More time in the street during time as a juvenile led me to a dark path. While I was on juvenile probation at 17, we had a bully in the neighborhood, who was robbing kids, women and all of my friends. As a result, I took laws into my own hands.  I do have remorse as my heart goes out to the victim’s family.  I was tried as an adult, which early on, I felt they were trying to railroad me. Since I was young and fresh from the street, it was frustrating.

I couldn’t use a gun to win this war, not at that time I wanted to shoot everybody in the courtroom, but that was only because I was frustrated and didn’t know how to deal with the situation.  So I began to apply my street mentality in the courtroom. I’m going to fight you, how you fought me. I started to read criminal law and discovered how they were violating so many of my rights. I started speaking up in court, filing motions per se and even helping others win their cases. Soon, I was railroaded and sent to Statesville maximum prison at 18, with 28 years to do.

Then I got shot months later in a big fight in a chow hall. A few years later, I got into a fight and was shot at again. So for years, as I grew, I was writing colleges, people in positions of power, legislators asking for help on how the courts had violated my so-called right. I wrote to close to 100 or more people. I lost my grandmother, my mom, brother, cousin, and close friend all of whom were a part of my support system in the course of this journey.

 However, I continued to read, study, and mature. I have almost 50 certificates from classes I’ve attended. In October 2021, I started teaching a class called Foundation for Life that I previously graduated in. They wrote an article and put it in the CCW mag of 2021.

 For many years, people have been encouraging me to tell my story and to use my voice. Even though I am a hip-hop artist and poet, there are still other ways that I can be effective with my gift. As of recently, King Moosa told me, “Bro, we need your mind and your help out here, especially with this prison reform.”

 Here is what separates me and this Poetic Opinionz  Movement; I went to prison as a kid, so I have a youthful mature perspective. The world hasn’t had the opportunity to beat me up and indoctrinate my mind or rob me of my creativity.  I had the luxury of time; I also had the luxury of mental, emotional and spiritual space to develop. I was a young lion that turned the prison into a fox hole and developed an omnipotent relationship with God. Now, I’m about to change some shit. I recommend you get on the right side of history. I’ve been waking people up from the dead; now it’s time for me to do it globally.