Shades of Ebony

About the Book

The true Renaissance Man always ponders, queries, assesses and documents his feelings, both spiritual and tactical, real and imagined. Hence, I use poetry to solidify my interpretation of life’s pleasures and pain. Yes, Shades of Ebony is the manifestation of the true “Me” nobody knows.

About the Author

The 54 year old Motivational Speaker, Program Director, Writer, and Addictions Counselor spent the first 18 years of his life, raised by “great” Westside of the Bronx, New York. In 1976 he attended Benedict College, it was there his interest in writing, began the take shape(writing articles for the school newspaper on sports, entertainment and politics).After college he joined the Navy in 1980. After his discharge from active duty in 1991 he returned to school to pursue law and work in law enforcement in Raleigh, NC. In 1996 he relocated to Washington DC and became a Certified Addiction Counselor. In1998 he was named Assistant Director of the Women’s Safe House( A residential program for mothers in recovery with children). In 2000 he became the Coordinator of Taylor Manors Adolescents Drug Treatment Program in Ellicott City, MD. In 2001 also renewed his passion for writing by publishing his first book of poetry “Shades of Ebony-epigrams of my life”. In 2002 he received his Masters in Criminal Justice and became the Program director for Vanguard Services, Phoenix House in Arlington VA .In 2008 he became the Director of The RSAT program at Baltimore County Detention Center in Towson MD. It was then he decided to pursue his writing and entrepuneral visions full time, eventually creating his “Believe & Achieve Foundation” October 2009, in Phoenix, Arizona. Benedict College and the University of South Carolina in the mid 70’s. After a failed attempt with the Seattle Seahawks, he joined the Navy in 1981where he became a hospital corpsman and traveled the world extensively.