A Bittersweet Milestone
My Fifth Book Contract in the Midst of Grieving
Two days after burying my father, I received an email for my fifth book contract.
Instead of being excited, I sat at the table across from my sister and my wife and shed tears. It was hard embracing this joyful moment because the only thing I could think about was losing my dad and how quickly it went from having conversations with laughs to realizing that I would never talk to him again.
I opened the email, and it read,
“We’re pleased to send you a contract for a new project. The Agent is first in line to review the contract. Once the Agent has initialed the contract to indicate their approval, the Author will receive a copy to sign.”
Right before he passed, I had talked to him about potentially writing another book and using it to inspire others who had, like him, overcome struggle, poverty, and trauma to reach our God-given potential. He told me that he thought I should keep doing what I was doing because it motivated him to have faith and hope.
I don’t know how I found the strength after shedding tears, but I did and signed it. Shortly after, I received another email that read,
“I’m pleased to let you know that the contract for From Dropout to Doctorate has been fully signed. Please accept this email as receipt confirmation.”
And, while I have been grieving the past month, today, I am choosing to honor my father by sharing that I signed it because he believed in me and told me that I should always continue going forward. Because what I have found is that grief comes in waves, but we can also find moments to celebrate and remember the spirit of our loved ones who we have lost.
My dad is no longer here, but his spirit, his words, and the ways in which he touched my life still live with me, and for that, I am grateful. I am realizing that I am not moving on without my father; I am moving forward with the memory of his legacy.
While this book will be about my life’s story of going from being a high school dropout, experiencing homelessness and poverty, being an ex-gang member, and dealing with the family dysfunction that, in many ways, creates a weight that makes it challenging to escape specific barriers, it also addresses the lack of PhDs in communities that have been historically discriminated against and not given proper access because of concentrated poverty, policy, and a host of other systemic factors.
This past week, this announcement even made its way to Publisher’s Weekly, where they described it this way,
The book exposes the complexities surrounding the scarcity of Ph.Ds in urban areas, advocates for equitable access to advanced education, and addresses systemic barriers that limit opportunities for Black people.
Today, I am grateful that I have chosen not to stop writing and that, in this book, in a small way, I will even get a chance to honor the repair that happened between my father and me and tell stories that hopefully inspire all those who are going through struggle or see themselves as allies and co-conspirators in standing in solidarity with those in the struggle.
I won’t pretend it has been a hard month full of grief, and there will be many more difficult days ahead, but today, I am choosing to see this as a hopeful way to honor my dad’s words, “You got to keep going, T...”
Therefore, today, I am proud to announce that I have signed my fifth book contract to tell some of my life’s story, entitled “From Dropout to Doctorate,” with InterVarsity Press.
P.S. This one’s dedicated to you, Dad!
Preorder “Zion Learns To See: Opening Our Eyes To Homelessness” [HERE]
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