I’m not sure how much I’ll get done.
But I do know this — I’m still here. And that means something.
The last 3 years have been some of the lowest points in my life.
I’ve dealt with the weight of isolation, disappointment, and survival mode — especially here in Baltimore, where I expected brotherhood and community but often found ego and silence.
I was enchanted by seeing Black people in leadership…
But deeply disappointed in what that has translated into in real life.
I lost my job in December — right before Christmas.
And despite all my education, experience, and drive, I still haven’t secured a stable full-time role in education or higher ed. I make it work as an adjunct professor and mentor for a men’s program. But most days, I’m holding on by a thread.
Days I come home and I think about what a good meal would be, cause it’s no groceries in the fridge.
Money for JustINSPIRE must come from someplace, I sacrificed it all.
I’ve had moments where I questioned if I wanted to keep going.
Suicidal thoughts aren’t foreign to me.
And what hit me hardest was realizing — some of the same people who ignore you when you’re struggling will show up when you’re gone.
And somehow, the money that couldn’t be found to help you live…
will appear to bury you.
That’s when I decided: No.
I’m not giving up.
I made the choice to have the audacity to believe in myself like never before.
To see this through — all the way.
I smile a lot, even when I’m carrying pain.
Because I know what I’m building with JustINSPIRE Mentoring matters.
Because I see myself getting closer to my goals, even if it’s inch by inch.
Because in my losses… I decided I would become a winner.
If you’re reading this and it’s heavy — don’t just scroll.
Pray for me. Check in on someone else. Support a mission that’s really out here trying to change lives, not chase trends.
🖤 https://givebutter.com/JustINSPIRE
Be Wise. Be True. Just INSPIRE
