Roots: Wake Forest University

Wait Chapel, Wake Forest University

Men in the culture of America have become "rootless." This is not good. It is not good because it allows us to be "fake." I am not saying that we have to be from a "good family" in order to be a man. Please do not hear that. Quite the contrary, in fact, the people from some of the most deprived families turn out to be our strongest leaders. The important issue is not the "type of story" but the reality of the story. Without a story we perish. Because I am from Winston-Salem, the people of the place, the staff at Wake Forest, and many others know much about me that I might try to hide. The story that God has writen in that place tell us lots about who we are. Our story keeps us rooted. In our cultural moment, men struggle with the lie. The lie is this. "Tell the story of a story when you did not have a story." Men simply need to be connected to their past, or they will not be able to walk into their future. For me, Wake Forest University was the place where I learned how to be a man. More importantly, it was the place where I was a kid.

Here are some of my statistics.


I graduated with a BA in sociology in 1995 from  Wake Forest. I graduated with an MA in Education in 1997. I met my wife at Wake Forest. I was baptized at Wake Forest Baptist Church by Richard Groves, the pastor of that church for over 25 years. I graduated from High School at Wait Chapel, on the campus of Wake Forest. I grew up within a one minute walk of the central campus of Wake Forest. I grew up chasing my next door neighbors through the corridors of the Scales Fine Art Center. I played in Reynolda Gardens, was engaged under a Poplar in the garden, was married at Graylyn, Baptised at Wake Forest Baptist Church, and graduated from high school in that same building. My life story revolved around the institute of the Demon Deacon. And for that, I praise my Lord every day.