I was born in the South, raised in the South and spent most of my life in the South. In November, on election day, I will be 74.

I grew up in the South with all the Jim Crow laws and did not realize the harm they did to both Black people and White people.  It was not until I became a born again Chiristian, at age 29, did I realize that God did not see color.  He only sees saved and unsaved people.

When I graduated from High School, I joined the Navy and served almost 4 years during the Korean War era.  While I was still in the Navy, I married my wife Mary Frances Stacy when I was home on leave.  We are still best friends after almost 54 years of marriage.

When I was discharged from the Navy, I joined the Birmingham Police Department as a Police Patrolman.  After serving one year, I transferred to the Jefferson County Sheriff's Department where I served the next 25 years.

In 1963, the civil rights movement began in earnest.  The friction between the then Gov. George C. Wallace and the late Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. kept those of us in law enforcement in the streets day and night.  It was a time to try men's souls. It is a part of my story.

In my book, I write about how Black people were denied the opportunity to serve on juries and about the wiretaps we employed during the period of the movement. I also tell the story of being dispatched to Atlanta, Ga. to fly back to Birmingham with Dr. King so I could arrest him as soon as the plane touched down.

In 1980 I was asked, by a District Superintendent of the United Methodist Church, North Alabama Conference, if I would pastor a small church.  Because I had promised God I would do anything I was asked to do for the church, I could not refuse.  I am in my 18th year at Bayview United Methodist Church.

In 1981, I was elected to the Jefferson County Commission and served for 8 years; the last 4, I was President of the Commission.

Now, I am retired and have but to dream of and relive those times of turmoil and to see the changes that were wrought.

I wrote my book, "From Segregation To Civil Rights And Beyond," to be both informative and inspirational.