Describe the consumer's history.
Family Members:
Precious' Mother = Mary Lee Johnston
Precious' Father = Carl Kenwood Jones, Mother's former boyfriend & Father of Precious' 2 children
Precious' Grandmother
Precious' 1st Child = Mongoloid, who is usually called Mongo because of her down syndrome
Precious' 2nd Baby Child = Abdul
Age: 16 years old
Gender: Female
Ethnic Background: African American
Living Situation: Precious and her mother Mary live in a low-income rental housing in the New York City ghetto of Harlem together. Precious' 1st child Mongo does not live with Precious because Mary cannot handle her Mongo. Thus, Mongo lives with and is cared for by Precious' grandmother.
At home, Mary only smokes, watches television, and collects welfare through fraud (as she doesn't try to look for a job). Because Mary believes that education can do nothing for Precious, Mary insists that Precious also collect welfare to bring money into the household.
Later when Mary and Precious get into a huge fight, Precious breaks into the alternative school building for temporary shelter, and with the help of her teacher, she finds housing at a halfway house.
History of Child Abuse: Since Precious was 3 years old, she was a victim of molestation and incest, raped by her father Carl, resulting in two pregnancies. Even when Precious is pregnant with her 2nd child, Mary subjects Precious to her emotional and physical abuse. Mary often berates Precious, blaming and throwing hurtful insults and objects at her.
Three days after Precious' 2nd pregnancy, Precious goes back home, and Mary asks to hold Abdul. However, out of anger, Mary throws Abdul to the floor and attacks Precious to the point she chooses to run-away. Precious eventually finds a place to live with baby Abdul in a halfway house.
Education: Precious is still in junior high, and her pregnancies disrupt her learning in school to the point where her school principal Mrs. Lichtenstein suggests she attend an alternative school called Each One, Teach One to fit her lifestyle with her upcoming 2nd child to be born.
When Precious begins her education at the alternative-school, she meets Ms. Blu Rain, who teaches Precious to learn, read, and write. She pushes Precious to believe in herself and realize that anything is possible. With encouragement from her alternative-school teacher, Ms. Blu Rain, Precious is determined to make herself better to complete a GED test to receive her high school diploma equivalency.
Socio-economic Situation: Since Precious' mother Mary is unemployed, Precious & Mary live off of welfare checks and receive extra money by pretending in front of the social worker that Mongo (Precious' 1st daughter from her Mary's former boyfriend) lives with them.
