Victor James Hill saw himself in his community’s kids. As a child of the Projects, he’d witnessed deadly shootings, heroin addiction, and brutal violence by the age of thirteen. He bottled up his emotions, longing for a father figure to guide him. By adulthood, he was chasing the wrong dream-he had dropped out of high school to pursue material wealth, women, drugs, and social status.
A traffic accident changed everything. After walking away unharmed from his violently flipped vehicle, he knew there was a reason he’d been saved. He’d noticed how many community kids ran the streets, and it gave him an idea. He would start a youth basketball league in the heart of the Projects.
The project would surpass Victor’s wildest dreams. From “The Lakeside Four,” a 3-on-3 team that racked up multiple national championships, to a summer youth program that brought hundreds of kids to the AME church, Victor’s basketball league brought hope to a new generation. It changed Victor, too.
Gritty and moving with touches of humor, The Ignorant Man’s Son: A Memoir recounts his journey to find himself through community service. He thought he was searching for a father, but he found his true purpose in serving his community’s children.
“Hill vividly portrays the emotional anguish he experienced growing up without a father, an experience that inspired him to become a father-figure to others…Hill’s story is both dramatically eventful and inspiring—a remarkable transformation, movingly conveyed.”
—Kirkus Reviews
“Depth. Transparency. Vulnerability. What is a story of one’s triumphs, and downfalls; insecurities and strengths; one’s life, without these three components? … In Mr. Hill’s story, [we see] someone real. We see a triumphant retelling of a man’s history, dedicated to seeing those coming up after him live in the light of purpose. We see a man’s desperate desire to grow, unsure of his footing at times, nevertheless journeying on to make an impact in his community. ‘The Ignorant Man’s Son’ is a book for right now and a book for all time. I truly believe that Mr. Hill’s story will impact many for generations to come.”
—Christa Cuffie, YouthWorks Detroit
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