My Second Journey: Confronting Racism

In March of 1994, while walking home from church on Chicago’s west side, I experienced a moment that changed my life forever. Five young Black men assaulted me, and as painful as the blows were, it was their words that cut the deepest. “Welcome to racism.” Those three words shook something awake inside me. Instead of turning away, I felt a burning need to understand the pain behind them. That moment became the beginning of a thirty year journey of walking beside, learning from, and ultimately serving in Chicago’s inner-city Black communities.

I went into places most outsiders would never step foot in. I crossed neighborhood lines, removed invisible barriers, and entered communities shaped by poverty, trauma, and survival. For eighteen years, I volunteered inside Division 10 of Cook County Jail, offering compassion and truth to men the world had discarded. For thirteen years, I served at the Juvenile Detention Center on the Victim Impact Panel, speaking to more than seven thousand youth every year. On the streets, the young men began calling me Revy D, a name that came from trust, relationship, and shared humanity.

I also saw the need for a safe space, so I transformed an old fellowship hall at Rogers Park Baptist Church into a vibrant community hub. For nearly a decade, more than three hundred fifty youth walked through those doors every week. We shared meals, played basketball, made music, held afterschool programs, and had conversations that changed lives. It became a place where young people finally felt seen, valued, and supported.

Over time, my outreach grew into OneLove, a movement shaped directly by the life experiences that transformed me. OneLove reflects my commitment to confronting racism, fighting for justice, and loving the communities that became my family. My work has carried me far beyond Chicago. I have spoken at gatherings, churches, and conferences across the United States, Nigeria, Indonesia, and Singapore. My message is rooted in truth, humility, and lived experience. I speak openly about my white privilege and the white supremacy mindset I had to confront within myself, and I share that journey with more than forty two thousand YouTube followers and twenty eight thousand Facebook supporters.

As I often say, “I would rather be hated for speaking truth than liked for remaining silent.” This journey shaped my voice, my calling, and the man I am today. It is a story of empathy, resilience, love, and an unwavering dedication to justice.

If you want it shorter, more dramatic, more spiritual, or formatted for your About Me page, I can create additional versions.