Issue link: http://maconmagazine.uberflip.com/i/1546131
August/September 2026| maconmagazine.com 83 For more lectures discussing topics like this in Macon, visit kingcenter.mercer.edu What has been the inspiration for wanting to travel with your boys? I never had my father in my life. All my childhood, I saw other kids with their father and I always wanted a relationship with mine. I searched for him. When I found him years later, he denied me in my face. I was 11. On death row, he never visited, wrote me or even acknowledged me. When I was on death row, I made myself a promise. If I was ever given another chance at life, and if I ever became a father, I would be present. This trip isn't just about seeing America. It's about giving my sons experiences instead of excuses. I want them to understand our country's beauty, its history, its failures, and its possibilities. What are the challenges today? The biggest challenge has been uncertainty. Honestly, I've been rationing food. As I write this, my sons' cell phones have been disconnected because I can't aff ord the bill. But the greatest joy has been watching my boys experience life through curiosity instead of fear. They've stood on the Edmund Pettus Bridge during the anniversary of Bloody Sunday. They've listened to stories of civil rights leaders. They've watched me speak about my story at Mercer. We've laughed around campfi res, cooked together in an RV, and talked for hours while driving down highways. Ten years from now, I don't want them to remember the RV or their cell phones being disconnected or eating ramen noodles for lunch every day. I want them to remember that their father showed up. I was there for them… I hope they remember a man who kept his promise — that no matter how diffi cult life became, I chose to be present. Sarah, I want to close by saying people often look at me with amazement because they read about a child surviving death row. People view me as this strong, amazing man. People ask me how I survived death row and can still be positive. The truth is, surviving death row was only the beginning. The harder journey has been learning how to truly live after freedom. That's the journey I'm on now — and I'm inviting my sons to walk it with me. I pray and hope I can survive this chapter too. They've stood on the Edmund Pettus Bridge during them to remember the RV or their cell phones being disconnected or eating who kept his promise — that no matter how diffi cult life became, I chose to be present. ABOVE From left, author Sarah Gerwig, Shareef Cousin, and Douglas Thompson at the lecture. BELOW The room was packed!