Every high school graduation is a small miracle.
This, however, feels more miraculous than most.Boy Ray Carus I tried to kill once I became a young man trying to graduate from Charlotte High School.
Prime Minister Lee Adams has already tried on hats and gowns to see if they fit. He has an orange and blue shirt and tie, which he wears under his gown to match the school colors. He will be on stage with other Vancehai graduates at the Bojungles Coliseum in Charlotte on June 5th at 5:30 pm. He is tall and grabs his arm without the help of the pedestrian who uses it. Favorite high school teacher.
Is he happy to graduate?
“Yeah!” Said Prime Minister Lee when he sat down with him at a picnic table in Freedom Park on Monday.
Prime Minister Lee is 21 years old. Due to the chaotic situation of his birth in 1999, when his pregnant mother, Cherika Adams, was shot four times in Charlotte, he suffers from permanent brain damage and cerebral palsy. Hitman hired by Carruth, Former Carolina Panther.
Cherika Adams eventually died of her injury that night — her murder trial was broadcast nationwide 20 years ago.But she Saved the life of her fetal son After a drive-by shooting on November 16, 1999, she made an unforgettable 12-minute “911” call from the car.
Karus was a wide receiver from Sacramento, co-starring in Colorado, and was the first draft topic of the Carolina Panthers in 1997. He was convicted in 2001 by a North Carolina jury for colluding to kill his on and off girlfriend Adams during an ambush.
After serving in a North Carolina prison for nearly 19 years, Carruth Released in October 2018.. When he was released, he moved to Pennsylvania to live with his friends.I tracked his address after a few weeks, rang his doorbell, and finally Only interviewed He has given since his liberation.
Carruth, now 47, couldn’t hear this story.
Carruth once sent thousands of dollars to his son as he became a free man Through the court system (He owes Adams millions of damages). However, he has never met his son in person since he was a baby. Sandra Adams, Cherika’s mother and the woman who raised Prime Minister Lee from birth, doesn’t think Karus knows her grandson is about to graduate from high school.
“I hope someone can tell him about this wonderful milestone that the Prime Minister has reached,” said Adams, who long ago forgave Karus and his three conspirators in a murder plot. I did. “And as always, I’m still open — maybe we can have some communication.”
Karus has never admitted that he organized the murder of Cherika Adams. He wrote to me in an email in 2018: Did a person cut only from the worst mold? “
Cartwheel of heaven
As for Lee’s mother, Sandra Adams is absolutely confident that Cherika Adams knows about her next graduation.
Cherika Adams, who died at the age of 24, has always loved butterflies. Even now, when Soundra sees it, she believes it is a sign that Cherika is watching over Soundra and Prime Minister Lee from heaven.
So Cherika appreciates the caterpillar-to-butterfly metamorphosis that her only child made — a loving young man with a diploma and a smile from a premature infant who wasn’t supposed to walk, talk, or live long. City up to a man.
Saundra Adams recently sent a text message with one of Cherica’s best friends. Saundra said: “I know Cherika is in heaven and laughing,” he said. And she said, “Girl, you know it’s an understatement! She’s doing more than a smile! She’s singing, dancing, and cartwheeling. Masu — she gathers all the angels and cheers him on. She says: “It’s my boy!”
Like all Vence students, Prime Minister Lee is allowed four guests upon graduation. Neither of his parents are there, but Sandra’s brother attends with his wife. The cousin Saundra wants to appoint Lee’s future guardian is also there when and when needed.
And, of course, as always, there is Sanundra, Prime Minister Lee’s beloved “G-Mom.”
If you are also attending Vence’s graduation ceremony, please advise: Saundra said he wouldn’t applaud until all the graduates walked the stage. She waited 21 years and was able to applaud and scream and display numbers of sufficient length.
“He worked really hard,” Soundra said of Prime Minister Lee. “He has a lot of A / B honors. I’m so proud that it might be a little noisy.”
‘I will succeed’
Prime Minister Lee has actually spent the last six years in Vance. I spent four years in an exceptional children’s high school program and another two years in a transition program aimed at teaching life skills. He always needs a home caregiver and usually speaks only one or two words at a time, but Prime Minister Lee has learned how to order his food at a restaurant and understands the concepts behind credit cards. ..
He and other young men and women who participated in the Vence e-commerce program have been advocating the motto of the class every day for many years. When I was sitting with Prime Minister Lee and Soundra at the picnic table, they decided to say it together. My grandmother’s pronunciation was clear, but Prime Minister Lee clearly remembered all eight lines.
I am someone
You can reach your goal
Pay tribute
And I use self-control.
I have a Dream
I choose to lead
Nothing can stop me
I will succeed!
Prime Minister Lee will be part of Vence’s final graduation class.School Rename Julius L. Chambers High School.
Zebrombans, the origin of the school’s original name, was a Confederate soldier who later served as North Carolina Senator and Governor in the 1800s. Vance owned slaves and sought to prevent black citizens from voting after the Civil War ended.
A symbol of civil rights, Chambers undertook groundbreaking legal work in the 1970s that led to the elimination of racial discrimination in Charlotte-Mecklenberg schools.
“It’s important that the Prime Minister is part of Vence’s last class,” said Sandra Adams. “And for me, it’s in line with our theme. Our story was a story of change from the beginning. What seems very bad and what has so many negative implications. You can take up and take advantage of it. “
Blessing and sign
What will Prime Minister Lee and Soundra do next?
I’m not sure about them. They have long talked about starting a business called “Lee’s Lids” that sells caps and hats online. Saundra has spoken motivated about the power of forgiveness, but may do more.
At Freedom Park, the appearance of hats and gowns for an interview with Prime Minister Lee caused a fuss. Of the 10 random people who walked out of our way, at least 5 immediately recognized him. They wanted photos and fist bumps. When I saw him walking by a small grove of birch trees in the river, some jumped out in a voluntary applause.
A man stopped fishing in a pond in the park and told Prime Minister Lee: It’s a real blessing. “
“Thank you,” said Prime Minister Lee.
It was time to go when the last photo was taken. I walked back to their parking space with Adams. He felt strong enough not to use it, so he carried Prime Minister Lee’s pedestrian.
As they took the last few steps towards the car, the monarch butterfly lit the ground in front of them.
“Hey, Cherika!” Said Saundra Adams.
I looked around and was surprised to find Saundra talking to the butterflies.
As Adams approached, the butterfly bent its wings several times. It remained in place as they passed slowly.
Prime Minister Lee smiled at the butterfly. His grandma opened the car door for him and folded the pedestrian into the trunk. The butterflies remained.
“We love you too, Cherika,” said Soundra.
Then they ran away, and the butterflies flew away.