How did it feel to look at that
rejection letter?
I bet it stung.
You got frustrated, right?
Well, I asked you about
that school—your top
choice—just to see your
reaction. You just
shrugged and said you didn’t know.
That was Hampton.

I asked you about Morehouse,
and you gave me the
same answer.
You didn’t know. How many
times have you lied?
Morgan,
Lincoln,
Medgar,
Howard,
I got the same answer.

You will make something
of your life.
I have way more faith
in you.
You’re supposed to
light my way.

What happened to that
boy who dreamed
he could do anything? Let
him out. Let him
breathe. We used
to plan our airplane
company together. I still
have those plans. You
are a vital part of those
plans. If someone
doubted us, you said
we’d show them.
When are we going to
start?

No one had faith in
you, but those SAT scores
proved them wrong. They
proved me right. I
said you could do it,
you were just afraid to.
You’ve tried to quit,
but I refuse to let
that happen.
You aren’t going to
be the one who
stays home.
I will push you from
behind.

We are connected
through blood,
our tears,
our scrapes,
our nicks,
our bruises,
our fights,
our fists,
our mother and father.
You can’t get rid of me.

The next time I ask you
about a college,
I man up
and tell me the truth.