Raised by my loving mother on the Southwest side of Detroit, Michigan. As a child, I frequently watched movies and TV shows, while secretly dreaming of one day being a Hollywood movie star, like my distant cousin, Richard Roundtree aka “Shaft”. Unfortunately, nothing within my purview gave me reason to believe that was remotely possible, so I suppressed it and looked to academics and sports to guide me into my future. I credit Detroit with providing me with the tough skin, fearlessness, strength and determination to succeed in spite of my circ…