In this episode, Emeka shares his story of being born in Jamaica to a strong praying mother and a father who was a diplomat that left Jamaica soon after he was born. He takes us through the experience of coming to the US as a child and learning what it means to create an identity for himself as not only a black man, but later in life, learning what it means to be a father. Throughout his life he has persisted through a number of struggles including growing up in the midst of gun violence, watching his mom be physically abused, nearly failing out of college, and becoming a father. The one constant that remained was his mother’s expectations and his belief that he could be better. Hence, this is his tale of growth. This episode is produced by Charisse Alouidor, it was filmed by NECTN, edited by Mayah Gilmer, and the music & logo are created by Chris Theodat.