The Symbol of Peace

July 26, 2024

I've been binge-watching My Hero Academia on Netflix. With news that the manga is in its final arc, I thought this would be a good time to jump in and see what I've been missing all these years. Man, I thank God I did—I love this show! From the first episode, I felt young Midoriya's passion. The episode was filled with so many emotional triggers, reminiscent of early Naruto. Then I was introduced to the inspiration for this article, All Might! I instantly liked All Might because he's one of those characters, like Gojo, who is recognized and heralded as "the symbol of peace."

I was watching the episode where All Might first faced off against All for One, the series’ main antagonist at that point, and he was on his last ounce of strength. The remaining embers of his fire were blazing as he looked out to take down the foe whose existence posed a threat to all of Japan! The way people showed admiration for him even in his most vulnerable moment sparked a fire inside me.

I might have been taking this show too literally, but at that moment, I, too, adopted the moniker of "the symbol of peace," which is even more fitting for me because I’m a lawyer. I remember several years ago when word first got out that I was pursuing a career in law, my church members would say, "Here’s our civil attorney right here." My mother and I would always laugh because we both thought, "Man, we’re on the money; I ain’t trying to be that." But if you know me, or can even tell from my articles, the plight of the small folk touches my heartstrings in a different way.

In a prestigious profession like mine, I’ve seen people stricken with ego and lose touch with others. I never wanted to be like that. My first lawyer job was working as a staff attorney handling evictions. Saving people from losing their homes at all costs was life-changing. I had a special connection because, a year prior, I was in most of those people’s shoes—a broke guy trying to cross that bar at all costs!

When people put their literal lives in your hands, you’re given a different level of responsibility. Knowing they don’t have the knowledge or tools to fight for themselves, yet they entrust you to fight their battles—it's something I could never take for granted.

One of my main driving factors in blazing this path to wealth is to help people, and not just in talking points—literal helping. I will create housing programs that will help students so they won’t have to worry about such things while in school. I will buy city blocks that will have transitional houses, where people can live for a year while receiving a monthly stipend. The goal is to get them financially literate and give them a jumpstart, to move out on their own and continue stability for their families. I will have galleries where up-and-coming artists can have showcases like million-dollar artists.

I will continue to be the hope for the hopeless and the voice for the voiceless. The light that shines for those in the dark. The current that powers the circuit of hope. The bridge from failure to success and the ladder from disbelief to faith. I am now and always forever, the symbol of peace!

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