Edward Russell, Jr. (Smitty), talked with us about his mother's involvement in ensuring that he received the appropriate lessons from his father that would support him as he entered manhood,  though they were divorced and had separate homes.  Smitty encourages us to normalize saying "I Love You" to our loved ones more often.  He credits his mother's journey during her final moments as pivotal to the healing that took place with his family. Those moments among many others were influential in how he approached the next chapters of his life. Smitty is very involved in his community. Some of his work includes his outreach projects through his non-profit organization Brothas Raising Up His (Bruh).