‘When we lose hope, we lose our sense of humanity’
“I have an African American son, and my wife worries about us when we go out to bike ride. She worries about me when I go out to jog. That is painful. And it is a very tough time right now. But I’ve learned something about people. I’ve learned something about life. I feel it’s all about perception. If I continue to believe that things will never change, that they will never be different, then from my point of view, they never will.
“I’m not naive enough to think that I can change the world. But if I can change the corner of the world that God has placed me in, then I will have done my part. That means changing perception — the way that people see you, the way that you see people. I feel like as long as there is a quest and a thirst for knowledge, then the ability to bring change is there.
“I am hopeful for the future. Because when we lose hope, I think we lose our sense of humanity. I have to be hopeful for my children. I have to continue to prove to them that things can get better.
“I have five kids, four girls and a boy. My oldest are now in public school. When they were younger, they went to a church school, and they were the only Black kids there. But they never once knew or were made to feel like they were the only Black kids there. My daughter in first grade has been friends with another little girl since they were 4 years old at this school. They think they’re sisters. They think they look alike. They think their hair is the same. Because they both like Elsa, they think they’re twins. When they see each other on the playground, they run and hug.
“I think that is how the world should be. So I have to remain hopeful.”
— Sherman Gray III
The Grays welcomed their fifth child on June 20. “She almost made Father’s Day. It was 11:59 and 17 seconds when she was born.”
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