by Robbie Tolan
I would like to thank my pastors, Kirbyjon and Suzette Caldwell, for their unyielding support. You both rallied the entire Windsor Village Church family behind my family and me and this case. Encouraging and inspiring to say the least, you have continued to exemplify exceptional leadership. I am proud and grateful to be under your tutelage.
It has always been kind of funny to me to think about how certain relationships have formed. If I hadn’t been at this place, or answered this email, or stopped to say hello to this person, then this or that door would have never opened. Over the years, people who’ve paraded around as supporters and made empty promises to help have come and gone. But I’ve noticed that with the people who are really supposed to be in my life, there’s always some crazy story about a perfect storm of events that brought us together; that’s nothing but God all up and through there. It has been a long lonely lesson, but I have learned to trust and appreciate the process. Everything happened exactly the way it was supposed to and I am a gratitude machine to all of those who follow:
To my incredible agent Jan Miller, I thank God for you every day. As I was writing my thank yous, I had about twenty or thirty adjectives to describe your awesomeness, but I can’t think of anything more perfect to call you than what you are: an angel. Thank you for being the dopest ever! I love you. Austin Miller, thank you so much for your help, guidance, and calming presence, and most of all your patience. I know at times I had to have bugged the hell out of you with questions, but you never made me feel that way and always encouraged me to reach out. Bless you, brother! Like it or not, you’re stuck with a lifelong friend. Lacy (LL Cool) Lynch, thank you for all your help and support. When I was nervous as hell in those meetings in New York, you encouraged me and made me believe I belonged there. And thank you to the entire Dupree Miller family for your support and being so kind to me when I crashed the office.
Much love to Lawrence Ross for your hard work and commitment to this book. From the moment we met and sat down at the Starbucks in Corona, California, I knew this would be a great book. We sat for hours talking about the project, and life, and music; it was like talking to a friend. I’m inspired by your passion for the black voice and telling the world about the black experience. Thank you, my brother, for your wisdom, your patience, and your professionalism.
To Kate Hartson, Grace Johnson, and the whole team at Center Street and Hachette Book Group, thank you. Thank you for giving me an opportunity to tell my story to the world.
To Pastor Marvin Winans, I thank you for your spirit. When we met in Houston, you told my mom and me that you wouldn’t forget about us and that you would not stop telling our story, and my goodness, you kept your word and told my story to THE Jan Miller, and here we are. Bless you, man of God!
To Martin Siegel, I cannot say enough good things about you. To work diligently for over a year on a case that was deemed a long shot, without a single dollar, speaks volumes about your character. I thank you. My family thanks you. And I’m sure all of the families that have used YOUR Supreme Court case, Tolan v. Cotton, thank you. To the dream team: Darryl Parks, Darryl Washington, Nick Pittman, Natalie Jackson, Matthew Pita, Shaundala Brown, Jennifer Morgan, and, saving the best for last, Ben Crump. Thank you all for your time and dedication to this cause and to this case! Ben, thank you for being such a champion for civil rights and the conduit to the national spotlight for these families in turmoil. I’ll never forget you sitting at the kitchen table at my parents’ house and saying, “As a black attorney, civil rights is in your DNA.” I greatly admire you, and I’m honored to have your support, your ear, and your friendship.
Thank you Bryant Gumbel, David Scott, and the whole HBO Real Sports crew. Thank you all for your kindness and your candidness in sharing my story with the world. I am forever grateful. To the Investigation Discovery family—Henry, Koz, Reenie, Jessica, and Asena—thank you all for being so kind to my family and me. From TCA to The Paley Center to the screening in Houston, each event was a blast. Thank you for keeping my story alive with your platform. You guys are awesome! Finally, to my man Keith Beauchamp, I thank you for your persistence, brother. Thank you for your passion for civil rights and social justice. We have to get back on tour soon, man! Thank you for your friendship.
My boys Eric, Jason, Chris, DJ, I love y’all to life. Oh, the stories we have, lol. Thank you all for your boundless support and always being a phone call away to lend an ear or a shoulder. Dmitri, playing for you was one of the most enjoyable times of my life. Thank you for being cool as fuck. Thank you, DY, for your compassion and for your friendship. In New York, I told my story to a friend, expecting nothing in return, but you gave me an escape and an opportunity to once again play the game I love. I love you for that, brother. To my teammates PJ, Juice, Des (and the Jones boys), KK, and Bobby Ray, you all are the shit. It was an absolute honor to grind beside you guys. Thank you to the Gwynn (and extended) family; rest well, Big T. This is hella nerve-racking; I hope I’m not leaving anyone out. Thank you Dennis Gilbert, Barry Larkin, Darnell Coles, and Tony Tarasco. Shout out to the Destin/Cooperstown/Turks and Caicos crew. Dequina, I’m still waiting to create some more magic with you. I know it’s coming, but thank you for your endless support and always encouraging me to create and be great. Crichelle, Slat Daddy, Ahmed, Eb, Cory, Amir, Dre Evans, Steve, Dixon, Courtlove, Bacon, and Nick, Stacey, and Myia, thank you for being you and having my back. I am blessed beyond measure to have all of you in my corner. I pray that God continues to bless everything you touch.
To the Houston Astros Youth Academy crew, Darryl Wade and Duane Stelly, thank you for your patience and understanding. I appreciate you all for the opportunity. Darryl, I’ve been taking donations to buy you some longer shorts, and we’re almost at our goal. Those shorts are coming soon, my man! To the Cruuuuuuuuuuuuuz Baseball family: Rocky and Enrique, thank you both so much for allowing me to join your organization as a coach. I heard the tales of the ’99 State Championship team and came to Bellaire High School as a freshman admiring the hell out of you guys. Fast forward 10+ years later and coaching side by side with you all has been the coolest. So to Rodrigo, Enrique “Fowler,” Cochise, Revo, JD, and our powerhouse softball team… Good Shales! Love you guys!
Lastly, I beg again for forgiveness from anyone who has supported me over the years whose name I have failed to mention. Please judge my mind and not my heart. Your presence and encouragement are, and always have been, remarkable and invaluable.
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Robbie Tolan is a prominent voice of the millennial generation, having been thrust into the national debate over police brutality after having been shot by a Bellaire, Texas (Houston suburb), police officer in 2008. Prior to this, Tolan followed in the baseball footsteps of his father, former Major League Baseball player Bobby Tolan, who played in the MLB for fourteen years and played in four World Series before moving his family to Houston, Texas. Robbie played in the minor leagues for the Washington Nationals before his career was cut short by the police shooting.
Tolan has appeared in numerous publications, including The New York Times, Associated Press, and Essence Magazine. He was also featured on The Injustice Files on Investigation Discovery, MSNBC with Melissa Harris-Perry, and HBO’s Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel, where his story sparked international outrage. Since then, Robbie Tolan has spent the past decade fighting for the rights of black victims seeking justice when dealing with police officers and the judicial system. His law-making case, Tolan v. Cotton, has set the precedent in the way judges are allowed to grant police officers qualified immunity. Since its ruling in 2014, Tolan’s case has been cited in and helped thousands of cases involving police brutality. Tolan’s foundation, Project 1231, is dedicated to making sure that victims of police brutality get the support they need. He currently lives in Houston.
Lawrence Ross is a bestselling author, lecturer, writer, filmmaker, and social media expert. His groundbreaking book, The Divine Nine: The History of African American Frater
nities and Sororities, has become the preeminent book on African American fraternities and sororities. His book, Blackballed: The Black and White Politics of Race on America’s Campuses, is a biting indictment on campus racism and the issues college students of color deal with historically and contemporarily.
He’s written regular pieces for CNN.com, The Grio, The Root, Ebony.com, and USA Today. He’s also a regular guest on XM radio on the John Fugelsang and Karen Hunter shows, and has appeared on MSNBC on Reverend Al Sharpton’s show Politics Nation. He lives in Los Angeles with his wife April and son Langston.
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