Where do you live?
Liberty Township, Ohio which is right next to West Chester and Fairfield, Ohio
Where did you grow up?
I was born in South Carolina, moved to Lincoln Heights when I was almost seven years old and that’s where I grew up in Lincoln Heights, Ohio.
What about your personal life? Are you married, have kids, hobbies?
I been married to my wife Regina for 28 years, we have 2 children a son who is 26 and a daughter 21 years old. Hobbies, I used to play a lot of sports but now I enjoy vacationing, swimming and working out.
You wrote a book, what is the title?
The title is “From Delinquent to Disciple”.
Why did you write this book?
I wrote this book because I found myself telling people about how good God is in spite of all the mistakes I made. At first I wanted to share my story about winning my law suit against Ford. But as I looked over my life I realized it was just one of many victories that God allowed me to succeed at when I was challenged. That’s when I realized that in spite of all the mistakes I made, He continued to bless me any way. To me that’s a story worth telling.
What message do you hope to convey with this story?
That God can use the worst of us to do the best of things. I want people to understand that we all have a past and some of our pasts are darker than others. But in spite of what we used to be, or what we used to do, it’s who we are now and what we do now. Some people think that there’s no way that God can use them, but my story is proof that He can use any body. If God can take someone who was into the things that I was, and turn me around, then He can do it for anyone if they let Him into their life. I also want to share with people that if you believe in what you are doing and you feel strong about it, don’t let any one discourage you from what you are trying to accomplish.
How much of it is true?
All of it, some of the names were changed to protect peoples identities, but as far as the book, everything is true.
Do you hope this book is a pivotal point for your readers, or was it one for you?
Yes, I hope it reaches someone or some people who been wrestling with their faith in God or maybe someone who’s not close to God. I’m hoping that my book can show people that if you put God first, He will bless you. I’m a witness that He will.
Writing about your own life is always difficult. Did you find it hard to put down your feelings and actions for everyone to read?
At first it wasn’t hard, as a matter of fact it was easy. I thought the message was more important than my feelings. But after the book was in the process of being published some of the people who are closes to me started telling me about the possible consequences of writing it, that’s when I started thinking, did I really want to put my life out there like that or not? But then I realized it was a trick of the Devil. God did not give us a spirit of fear and when I started focusing my energy on God and not myself, I was able to move forward with my book.
What is the most important aspect of your life story?
There is not just one particular part of my life story that important, but several.
- Whatever goals you set for yourself in life, you can accomplish if you really believe in yourself.
- Even when the odds are stacked against you, you can persevere if you put your problems in God’s hands.
- What you are taught as a child stays with you. Even though I went astray, the words of my parents, grandmother and siblings were always present in my mind.
What do you hope to accomplish with your book?
I hope it gives me an opportunity to reach out to young people and those who don’t know the Lord. For the young people, the message is of staying in school and giving it 100 percent, and to stay off Drugs. For people who aren’t close to God, it is to get close to Him and He will do miraculous things in your life.
Your life story is really amazing: from a sharecropper’s son to a drug dealer to an upstanding citizen and Deacon in your church. Can you isolate one thing that helped you change your life?
My family. I thought about what kind of legacy I would leave if I went to jail for selling drugs. Not only that, but how would my kids feel growing up without a father knowing that he overdosed and died. I realized that my family was my priority, not drugs. My life wasn’t just about me anymore, but those who shared it with me. I had a family, and my life wasn’t just about me anymore.
In looking back on your life, was there a single event which caused you to take the “low road” rather than the “high road?”
Low self esteem, not having the things that others have and not having a mother or father who was present in my life. I remember as a kid participating in different events in school and not having a parent there to support me, so I started thinking who cares about what I do, so I started doing whatever I wanted.
Your book resonates with a spiritual undertone. How important is God in your life today?
God is everything to me. He is the head of my life. When I wake up every morning I thank God for allowing me to see another day. Throughout the course of the day, I talk and pray to Him several times a day. I have learned to thank God for everything, and to depend on Him for everything I need. I know that everything I own, I owe it all to Him.
If you were trying to lead kids on a spiritual journey to keep them from straying, what one thing would you tell them to do?
I always tell the kids in my Sunday school class that we need to think of God as our Father and how would our biological father feel if we did the wrong things. God has our best interest at heart, and when we do things contrary to what He wants, it breaks His heart. We are all going to make mistakes, but when we learn from them, that’s what makes us a better person. When we learn from our mistakes is when we are being molded according to His purpose for our lives.
Children have to learn that there is a God who loves them and have their best interest at heart. But there is a Devil whose primary goal is to steal, kill and destroy and he doesn’t care how he does it or who he uses in the process. Sometimes the very people that we think are our friends are the ones being used by the Devil. I’m not saying that they are bad people and I’m not saying that they are aware of what they are doing. I’m just saying that the Devil is crafty and we have to be aware of all his tricks. It’s easy to fall into temptation and convince ourselves that what we are doing is right but we have to listen to that small voice that tells us we are wrong. Because most of the time that small voice is God leading us in the right direction.
What do you think of the current situation in the black families and black communities of our country?
I think that discipline is the key to raising children. When we love our children so much that we don’t correct them when they are wrong, we do than more harm than good. You have to instill good values and principles in your children if you want them to grow up as respectable adults. As a parent, my children are 26 and 21, but I still give them advice that I think will make them a better person. Tough love means saying no even when it means not being the most popular person in your house.
When I mention discipline I was speaking in regard to the parents. We have to be parents that are involved in our children’s life. I’m not saying that all black communities are in dire straits because every community has its issue. But the problem we have in the black communities are the lack of resources, the lack of revenue and in some cases the lack of discipline. We need parents who are present in their children lives giving them the proper guidance and direction. You have to be a good example for your children. You can’t have a do as I say not as I do attitude, you have to set the example. We have to teach them that if you want something in life you got to get out there and get it LEGALLY. Be the example shows them how to be good productive citizens and then we can change our communities.
Do you see a way to avoid the destructive path on which they are headed?
Until we get control of the drug scene and destroy that sense of hopelessness it going to be tough to turn this thing around. When communities like Lincoln Heights have no community center, no recreation centers, what are the kids suppose to do in their spare time? How can we expect them to think that we care? When you ask your government for assistance and they say no, or they say they don’t have it, but spend billions of dollars on wars, what message does that send? When the government finally tries to help those who are in need, it becomes a debate between Democrats and the Republicans and nothing gets done. The only people that get left out are the ones who need it the most. Do I see a way to avoid it? Yea, when we start having a government who acts like they really do care.
You stepped out on a limb and filed a law suit against one of the largest corporations in the country? Why did you do that?
In my life I’ve had to deal with racism in some form or another and a lot of time I just accepted it and moved on. When Ford hired me, they promised us that they had big plans for us, but their term “us” didn’t include Blacks. I knew my abilities as well as my potential, and for them to deny me the opportunity to better myself, I refused to accept that. Then when we, the Blacks, approached the Local 863 union and Ford about what we thought was obvious discrimination, their attitude was, “that’s the way it is and there’s nothing you can do about it.” That when I decided that somebody had to do something about this form of discrimination that was happening at Ford.
Do you feel justice was served when you won the law suit?
Yes and no. I feel that the covers were pulled back and Ford was exposed for what they were doing, but to me, it was just a slap on the wrist. The reason they settled out of court was so that they could avoid the media scrutiny, and move on. As always, we are the last to get hired, and the first to go. All the people who were discriminated against may have received a monetary award and a promise to be the next in line for the apprenticeship jobs, but those jobs were already filled by the white employees. Once the economy went bad, the apprentice program was put on hold and those opportunities went with it. Thus, no promotions, and the attention went away as well.
Were you able to see a difference in the work place once the new laws were in place?
They changed the test and not just to accommodate blacks but to make the test fair for everyone. I did notice a lot of whites got mad; they felt as if we were being given something for nothing, or as they say today, reverse discrimination was taking place. But where were they when we were being left out? A lot of Blacks were happy because they were glad to see that somebody was brave enough to step up and do something about it. As far as changes, until the economy improves and Ford starts back to hiring, we won’t see any benefits until then.
Over the course of your life, have you noticed a change in the way the work atmosphere has improved as we call ourselves a “diverse” nation?
No, discrimination is still there, they just find a more technical way of doing it. When I was sent to Washington DC, the topic was how companies use testing as a mean to discriminate. Until we get away from secrecy, and find away to show everyone their scores, discrimination will always exist.
You went through a lot of difficulties when you were growing up. What things did you want to shelter your own children from experiencing?
I didn’t necessarily want to shelter my children; I just wanted them to see another side to life. I wanted them to see that it’s a big world out there and you are entitled to it if you want it. We are exposed to so much negativity; CNBC, CNN, the local news and sometimes all the media shows you is the bad. I wanted to show them that there is some good out there and life is what you make it. Children learn from their examples. If you teach them to have good morals, values and principles, than more than likely they will do well in life.
According to your book, you were very close to your siblings and family. Are you still as close to them today?
We are still very close. As a matter of fact we still plan our holidays together. We are always in constant communication with each other, whether by phone or in person. I think that the division that we experienced when we were young made us a closer family.
Are you planning another book in the future?
I don’t know. When we were without a Pastor for 16 months I put together the Bible study material and taught the classes. There is a possibility that I may pull that material out and put together some learning material to help people grow spiritually. I just have to see what God puts on my heart.
Who is your publisher?
Journey Stone Creations, the founder is Pat Stirnkorb.