Ricky Lee guides adult students in their career choices at Lawson State Community College. His own career path has been multifaceted: from his start as a local television cameraman and editor, to becoming a photographer and editor at BET (Black Entertainment Television), to earning a law degree, to serving in an executive position at Miles College and working as a top aide in the Birmingham mayor’s office.

But career success wasn’t something enjoyed by Lee’s father and his grandfather.

Lee’s grandfather, born in the 19^th century, was the offspring of a white man and a Black woman, but his light skin allowed him to “pass” as white. His business thrived until word got out that he was not what he appeared to be.

In contrast, as a Black man, Lee’s father, from childhood and throughout his life, never enjoyed the opportunities that were afforded whites in what was then the deeply segregated South.

For Lee, viewing the world through his own eyes, and through the experiences of his father and grandfather, there’s one overwhelming truth that he hopes all people will someday realize: “We are all in this together.”

Learn more about Lee’s family story in the video below.

Alabama educator Ricky Lee shares his family’s story of race relations in the South from Alabama News Center on Vimeo.