seasoned, practical and insightful African American man in a tone that is at once

authentic and philosophical. More than a mere autobiography, this book details the

life and experiences of a child born to a working-class Black family in Chicago's

West Side during the 1940s. The crucible of his family and Chicago's South Side

community produced a young man who, against long odds, attended and graduated

from DePaul University, ultimately earning an MBA in finance.

His career in banking is a testament to his courage and commitment to breaking

through racial barriers and redefining possibilities for those who would follow. He

has been an inspiring example as one of the first Black Executive Vice Presidents

at Wells Fargo Bank and one of the very few black senior executives in the country

running a major financial institution's corporate and institutional banking business.

Mr. Grisham was also one of the country's first banking executives to create and

run multicultural community banks.

It is also a personal story, involving struggle, pain, loss and renewal, with a good

dose of literary musing, philosophy and a move to Oakland, California, where he

made many good friends who continue to influence and support him. In Oakland,

he lost Jane, his dedicated wife, dedicated mother and grandmother of his children

and grandchildren, and his partner of 50 years, to cancer, and in time he found an

inspiring, passionate and brilliant professor and author in Dr Paulina Rosa Van,

who is his wife and partner today.