Three people, an older woman, a younger woman, and an older man, smiling and sharing a kiss on the cheeks while standing outdoors in front of a large tree.

He gave me the love, strength and roots. Now I build for others the way it was built for me.

A man with a beard and a dark baseball cap with a red 'D' on it, sitting on a chair with large, angel-like wings behind him. He is wearing a blue T-shirt with a football player graphic and blue jeans, along with colorful argyle socks and blue sneakers.

Make it count.
In honor of the ones who carried us here.

He never wore a cape. But he saved me, still.
This is my Granddaddy Woodrow. Detroit soul born and raised here in Vicksburg, Mississippi. Silent strength. The reason I knew what love felt like before I had the words for it.

He believed in me when I didn’t believe in myself. He taught me how to stand tall, love deeply, and never back down from doing right. I carry his voice in my head every time I doubt myself. And I carry his fire in my spirit when I fight for this community.

This mission is for him.
This city is my thank-you.
And I’m making it — because he made me.

“The man who held me steady is gone, but the mission he left in me is louder than grief. I’m rebuilding this city in the rhythm of his love.”
— For Woodrow Bolls Jr.