Fenton Steven - Where a man stands: two different worlds, an impossible situation, and the unexpected friendship that changed everything

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THIS BOOK IS dedicated to my parents, Lessie and Carter Paysinger Sr. For more than fifty years, my mother and father made an unbelievable team. Their unshakable emphasis on family, integrity, and character, along with their unrelenting love, commitment, and sacrifice, will live through me and my brothers forever.

To my best friend, my confidante, and my beautiful wife, Karen, thank you! Your unwavering love and support has been the foundation of my adult life. For thirty-seven years you have been my world, my rock, and without a doubt the strength of our relationship. You made me not only the beneficiary of an incredible wife, but my mother-in-law, Bernice, and my late father-in-law, Joseph Jackson, were instrumental in my development as a young man.

Three years ago Karen and I were blessed beyond belief. We became parents to a beautiful baby boy, Chandler Brian Paysinger. Chandler is the light of our life, and he amazes us daily. We are determined to give him the opportunity to grow up with as much love and happiness as we were able to enjoy.

It takes a village could not have been a more accurate description of our family. Thank you to all of our aunts, uncles, and cousins. Growing up with the best brothers in the worldCarlton, Donald, and Vonzieallowed me to learn the true meaning of loyalty, compromise, and teamwork. We grew up as best friends supporting and loving each other. The experiences we shared I will always cherish. As adults, we were joined by some extraordinary women. My wifes sisters, Deborah and Sheryl; the love of Vonzies life, Coleen; and Donalds wife, Autumn, are all tremendous additions to the Paysinger family. I would also like to acknowledge all of their children, our talented nieces and nephews: Justin, Spencer, Cameron, Shieann, Sierra, Reina, and Maya.

My experiences would never have been what they were without the help and support of all of my former students, mentors, and colleagues. Ive had a tremendous run from the athletic department to the main office; thank you all for your support and commitment. Also, a special thank-you goes to Chuck Kloes. I owe you more than anyone could ever imagine. Rob Wigod, thank you for enhancing my career by giving me an opportunity to be a member of the governing body of high school sports in the state of California.

Reed Aljian and Alan Jackson are two of the best attorneys in the country. I am truly grateful for your support and friendship.

Thank you to all of my childhood friends, as well as my current friends, in both Beverly Hills and South Central, Los Angeles. Your friendships were and will always be invaluable. I would like to acknowledge Lawrence Tolliver, our barber for more than forty years, for his friendship and support to so many of us in the community. Additionally, I would like to acknowledge our crew, our inner circle of friends; you know who you are. Thank you for always being there.

Frank and Judie Fenton, your love and support for the Paysinger family over the years have been very much appreciated and will never be forgotten. Finally, Steven, I am as proud of you today as I was twenty-seven years ago when you were my gutsy, determined, and hugely successful second baseman.

I WANT TO thank the love of my life, Leeza Gibbons, for her unwavering and tireless support of the book. On our first date, I shared with her the story of my friendship with Carter and the very reasons why I wanted to give back to my community. Six years later, her commitment to me has been nothing short of staggering, voluminous, and irrefutable. Standing by my side, having my back at all times, and loving me in a way I had never known, Leeza is simply the best person I have ever known.

Leeza also gave me the gift of becoming a stepdad to three phenomenal children, Lexi, Troy, and Nathan, all of whom have captured my heart in such a profound way.

This transition into becoming a stepfather was seamless and due in large part to their father, Steve Meadows. He supported me from day one, and because of it my relationship with the kids flourished. I will be forever grateful to him because of it.

Thanks to my father-in-law, Carlos Gibbons, for being a true inspiration and role model. As an educational leader in the Deep South in the 50s and 60s, he was progressive, aggressive, and determined to make sure all people were treated fairly regardless of the color of their skin. Hes the real hero in our family.

I also want to thank my mom for her unwavering love and guidance throughout this entire experience. In our community, my mom is loved, not so loved, respected, feared, envied. But to me, shes just Mom, and I love her unconditionally.

This book wouldnt be complete without acknowledging my ninety-eight-year-old Nana and my brother (Gary) and my sister (Jenny), all of whom have taken heat for some of my decisions but never wavered in their support of me (or Carter). Im so fortunate to have them not only as my family but also as my best friends.

The person responsible for giving birth to this book is Lacy Lynch. From conception through inception, this young, dynamic super-agent from Dupree/Miller came up with the idea for the book, sold it, and stood by our side until the very end. Her unshakeable faith in us was more than we deserved, and she gets the sole credit for making this book happen. She wasnt just our agent; she was our partner on this entire journey.

A journey made possible because of Jessica Wong, Becky Nesbitt, Jonathan Merkh, and the entire team at Howard Books/Simon & Schuster. It was Jessicas passion and unequivocal support that became a game changer for us.

We would be remiss if we didnt thank Alex Tresniowski and Bettina Gilois for their significant contributions to the book. They helped give shape and context to our story, and we are thankful for their efforts.

To the late Ron Brown for pushing me at a young age to be the best that I could be, and to Jeff Witjas and Chuck Weingarten for continuing the tradition by pushing me at this older age to be even better.

Thank you to my former coaches Jim Barker, Bill Erickson, and Joe Sutton for their guidance and mentoring. To my former college coach, Doug Bletcher, thank you for warning me that, Steve(er), you always straddle that line as a player between aggressiveness and stupidity. I think about that often as I catch myself drifting toward that line.

My former school district teammates, Alex Cherniss, Dick Douglas, Pat Escalante, Jerry Gross, Sylvester Harris, Dave Hoffman, Steve Kessler, Dawnalyn Murakawa-Leopard, Irene Stern, Rich Waters, and Pam Kraushaar, thank you for believing in the vision... and in me.

Under great pressure, my former school board teammates Brian Goldberg and Jake Manaster didnt flinch as they secured their place in history when they voted for Carter. Jake knew which side of history he wanted to be on, as he was Carters third and final vote. He forever changed Beverly as he singlehandedly tipped the scales in Carters favor. When people in our community look back at this historic 3-2 vote, Jake will be remembered as the man who made it happen. For that, our entire community owes him a debt of gratitude.