GROWING UP: I am from Los Angeles. I graduated from high school in LA and have never been anywhere else. I used to work in the medical records department in the USC Medical Center. I was married and I have 3 kids.
CURRENT GIG: I have been with the United States Postal Service for 27 years.
EXPERIENCES WITH RACE: One day when I was working at USC, I was in the cafeteria getting my lunch. A food attendant wanted to serve me a couple pieces of meat that wasn’t good. I asked him why can’t I pick my own meat? He didn’t really have an answer, but I knew why. He didn’t think I deserved the good meat. I haven’t forgotten that in all these years.
FINAL THOUGHTS: I love being a grandfather. My hobby is raising pigeons ever since I was 9 years old. I like all sports and I am spiritual. I am productive too. We like the same things, birds and the bees. We like to enjoy life. We are all the same. I came out of the projects and have been through a lot. A lot of my friends are dead due to drugs, violence or they just gave up. I never give up. I want to prove that black men like myself can do anything or overcome any challenge.
Photographed by Elmar Van Der Watt