So Singleton asks everyone to stand, to find “someone who doesn’t look like you,” to give that person a hug and declare “I love you.”
He knows it might be awkward for many, but the statistical odds are in his favor. Nearly 5 percent of U.S. adults are coping with depression; around 11 percent are dealing with forms of anxiety, according to government statistics.
He was one of them. On June 17, 2015, when he was 18 years old, he received a phone call informing him about a shooting at Emanuel AME Church, where his mother, Sharonda Coleman-Singleton, was an assistant pastor involved in Wednesday night Bible study.
His father, who struggled with alcoholism, was not around much, so it was Chris who was forced to grow up fast and care for his two younger siblings. He took his responsibility very seriously.
“I was pretending to be Superman,” he said.
Read it all from the local paper.
From P&C: Chris Singleton draws on Emanuel AME tragedy to share lessons of hope and empowerment https://t.co/w8Kv4Ta1Mh #chsnews
— Sam Tyson (@SamInteractive) June 17, 2021