Still On My Journey (Sample)

Envision Publications Presents
Still
on
My Journey
A True Testimony
By: Fredrick Sledge
iv

Fredrick Sledge
Copyright © 2019 Fredrick Sledge
TXu 2-154-470
Published 2020
All right reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form, or by
any means without prior consent of the author and publisher as a collective,
except brief quotes used in reviews.
ISBN-9798664177886
Book Production: Crystell Publications
You’re the Publisher, We’re Your Legs
We Help You Self Publish Your Book
BOP E-mail ONLY – cleva@crystalstell.com
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Website: www.crystellpublications.com
(405) 414-3991
Printed in the USA
ii

Still On My Journey
Printed in the USA
Special thanks to Greg Mathis for the artistic sketching associated with original
cover concept.
iii

Dedication
To the ones that believe in self, and in their Supreme Being.
iv

Acknowledgements
First, I would like to pay homage to the heroic men and women
that paved the way. To my editors, Alyssa Hemphill and co-editor,
Gabriel Andrews, thanks for your hard work. Thanks to Crystal Perkins
Publications and her team for the awesome graphic work. Mr. Greg
Mathis for the original cover concept.
Thanks to the Justice Fighters, who has been a part of my legal
team over the years. To Destiny Dobbins, thanks for helping me to
spread the word with the sharing of my testimony.
Thanks to my immediate family and closest friends. To my mother
Minnie Spann, thank you for sharing your agape love and supporting me
since day one. A special shout out to my cousin Angela Maxwell-
Dobbins for believing in my vision and for helping me to bring it into
existence. To my Aunt Rosie Maxwell, thanks for never leaving us
behind when we were on our way to church.
Much respect to the younger generation and remember to never
give up on yourself. To all of my comrades in the struggle you mean
more to me than you will ever know. I wish all of you prosperity and a
safe journey in life.
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Fredrick Sledge
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Dedication ………………………………………………………… iv
Acknowledgement ............................................................................ v
Forward ........................................................................................... viii
Introduction ....................................................................................... ix
CHAPTER ONE
Childhood .......................................................................................... 1
New Neighborhood ........................................................................... 3
CHAPTER TWO
Teenage Years ................................................................................... 5
School Days ....................................................................................... 9
Education Trickery............................................................................ 11
Test Time .......................................................................................... 13
Joy Riding ......................................................................................... 15
Grandmother’s Advice ..................................................................... 17
Juvenile Detention Sorrow ............................................................... 18
CHAPTER THREE
Change of Scene ............................................................................... 25
Breaking Point .................................................................................. 39
Unsuccessful Plot ............................................................................. 35
Not Meant to Be ............................................................................... 40
Amour of Protection ......................................................................... 42
On the Corner ................................................................................... 48
Caught off Guard .............................................................................. 52
Crossing Over ................................................................................... 58
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Still On My Journey
CHAPTER FOUR
Under Arrest ……………………………………....………...…. 63
Confession of Sin ........................................................................ 68
Young Incarcerated ..................................................................... 74
First Appearance ......................................................................... 76
Love Thy Enemy ........................................................................ 83
Judge Not by My Peers ................................................................ 89
Shadow of Death ........................................................................ 96
Mentor ....................................................................................... 100
Retested ..................................................................................... 105
Promise Made ............................................................................ 109
An Opinion and Not a Fact ........................................................ 113
Reflection of Life …................................................................... 117
Promise Kept .............................................................................. 131
CHAPTER FIVE
A New Beginning ....................................................................... 137
Cap and Gown ........................................................................... 140
Service ....................................................................................... 145
Making a Difference ................................................................... 149
Evil Within ................................................................................. 154
Brighter Future ........................................................................... 158
Hands On .................................................................................. 161
Inside Reunion ........................................................................... 165
Trade for Life ..................................................................... 168
A Journey Prayer ........................................................................ 172
Epilogue .................................................................................... 174
vii

Forward
Think about where you want to be in your life. We all have
challenges that we must face. What are the challenges that you
face? How are you dealing with those challenges? What plan do
you have in mind to overcome the challenges? The answers are
not that simple. Nothing comes to mind because you probably
have given up on the challenges. I will assure you that the power
within self is enough to take on any challenge. So, it is time to
believe in yourself and stop looking outside of self. My challenge
to you is to read this book and learn from my experience. I have
been challenged in more ways than one. My biggest challenge will
be for me to make a difference in your life. There is no
impediment that has the power to stop your progress.
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Still On My Journey
Introduction
The names of people mentioned in this autobiography
were changed to protect their interest. I have made a conscious
decision to change my life. I believe that you do not have to be
overly religious or religious to believe in a higher power. The ones
that do not believe in something outside of themselves could
possibly believe in the inner self. I believe that the entity within
self will never lead you astray if you trust and believe. The
adversity that plagued my early teenage years, has prepared me for
the future. Education remains a high priority because it prepares
you for success. Faith makes the journey easy to travel because I
am not alone. I believe that faith without work is dead, and where
there is no vision, the people will perish. I learned from my past
mistakes, so that I won’t make the same mistakes in the future.
The willingness to change means that you have to be
willing to make positive choices. Over the years, I have learned
that to better understand where my life is headed, I had to go back
to where it begins. The turning point in my life came at a young
age, but I did not adhere to the many warning signs. So, I
ventured off further down the wrong path. No one should have
to travel the path that I have taken. Going through hell to become
a better person is not easy. Nevertheless, I realize that there is no
greater good then that which can be seen in humanity. As I walk
along my spiritual journey, you will witness from my experience,
that it is God who leads the way.
ix

Mentor
Three months before arriving to death row, Frederico
celebrated his twentieth birthday. He is one of the youngest men
on Tennessee’s death row. The cell is much bigger than the one
in the county jail. It is the size of a full bathroom. When
walking through the door of the cell, there is a walk-in shower
on the right side. The metal toilet has a sink that is connected
above it and sits on the left side of the shower. Death row has a
level system. The system is designed to monitor the inmate’s
behavior. It is divided into three parts. C-level, B-level, and A-
level. When an inmate arrives on death row, he is placed on C-
level. While on C-Level, the inmate must be placed in
handcuffs and shackles any time he leaves the cell. The
movement is restricted, and the inmate only receives an hour of
recreation. That means the remaining twenty-three hours are
spent inside of the cell. Everyone has a chance to move up from
one level to the next level. Frederico is on C-level because he
has to start from the bottom to the top.
The inmates on death row do not call him by the name,
Frederico. Most of the inmates call him, Freddie, Fred, and
Youngster. Frederico looks through the long window in the
center of the cell door. The window is two and half feet long.
He notices that there are a couple of inmates sitting at the table.
The inmates are having recreation on the inside of the pod.
Some of the inmates are eating their meal that has been served
because it is dinner time. The guard yelled, “Group meal!”.
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Still On My Journey
Then he went around to different cells and started unlocking the
doors. The guard let a certain number of inmates out of their
cell. Frederico stands at the window and observes several more
inmates who are playing board games. All of the inmates are on
A-level. When an inmate reaches A-level, he no longer has to
be placed in handcuffs or shackles. The inmates are free to roam
and mingle with one another.
Frederico counts about nine inmates out in the center of the
pod. The in-house rules will only allow fifteen inmates out of
their cells at one time. Frederico locks eyes with an older fellow
across the pod. The old head seems to be cool and laid back. He
stands there with his arms folded one over the other one.
Frederico calls for him. “Hey old head, let me speak with
you for a minute.” The older fellow walks towards the cell. He
stands about six feet and two inches tall. His hair is slick to the
back and it is twisted in a ponytail. The curling gel in his hair is
glossing. The older fellow looks like an old pimp. He walks
with a limp.
“What up youngster?” The old heads in the county jail had
told him to ask for a jail house lawyer.
“I need to talk to anyone that knows anything about the law.”
The older fellow turns around and points his finger. Frederico
can see another older guy sitting at the table all alone.
“Well you need to holler at Harvey.” Harvey flips through a
stack of paper one after the other one as paper flies everywhere.
The older fellow turns his head back around and faces
Frederico. “By the way, youngsters. What is your name?” The
conversion changed his mind mindset and now it is time for a
name change.
“You can call me Fred if you like.”
11

Fredrick Sledge
“What do they call you?”
The old fellow’s eyes are black and shine like crystals.
“Everybody calls me Big Tee.” Big Tee turns back around and
yells for Harvey. “Harvey come on over here, for a minute.”
Harvey does not flinch and keeps his head down. He has a
piece of paper in his right hand. Harvey scans the paper with his
finger as he reads. Finally, he lifts his head, and stares around
the pod, as if he is lost. Harvey rises out of his seat. He stretches
his arms up in the air and takes off in the direction of the cell.
Big Tee struts on past Harvey with his arms swinging from left
to right. His style is straight out of the seventy’s movie Super
Fly. The only thing missing is his butterfly collar, bell bottom
pants, and them two-inch stacks.
Harvey is at the cell door. “Talk to me, because I got to get
back to what I am doing.”
Fred wastes no time. “I need some help with the law.”
Harvey leans back like the matrix. “You need some help,
huh?”
Fred second guesses his decision. Maybe inquiring about a
jail house lawyer was not the right thing to do. “Yes, I need
help. And Big Tee suggested that I talk to you. He said that you
could help me out.”
Harvey looks furious with his eyebrow pointed upward. Fred
hopes that he has not upset him. Harvey has a hot cup of
steaming coffee in his right hand. He raises the cup up to his
mouth and slurps on the coffee like it is his last sip.
“Youngster! How old are you?”
“I am twenty years old!” Fred has no problem with revealing
his age. Harvey is surprised. “You are twenty! So, can you
12

Still On My Journey
read?”
Fred believes that it is a trick question. “Yes, I can read.”
Harvey is all over him and seizes on every opportunity to
make his point. “Youngster you listen here, your brain is young
and fresh. You should be able to read and comprehend, just like
that.” Harvey snaps his fingers and continues to talk. “I
remember being your age and my brain was clicking like a
clock. Now I am older, so my brain is not functioning as fast as
it used to be” Harvey uses himself as an example, as he offers
good advice. “How much time do you have youngster?”
Fred thought that this would never be asked of him. “I was
given a sentence of death.”
For the second time, Harvey is taken aback. “Are you
serious?”
Fred does not see it as a joke. “Yes, I am serious.”
Harvey is on a roll and will not let up on him. “Guess what
youngster? We all have a sentence of death, welcome to death
row. I cannot tend to your case. If I spend all my time on your
case, I may lose my life, trying to help you, so you have to help
yourself.”
Harvey’s point is well taken, and he makes plenty of sense.
Fred believes that God has given him the ability to do for self.
Jennie has stressed over and over again to him that faith without
work is dead. Harvey has given him much needed confidence
“Youngster, when you receive your transcript from the court
let me know. If you read something that you do not understand,
I will interpret it for you, but I cannot devote all of my time to
you, and lose my life in the process. I hope that you have an
understanding that your life depends on you.”
Fred’s willingness to learn the law burns within his soul.
13

Fredrick Sledge
“Yes, I do understand.”
Harvey is hyped up as his head rocks back and forth.
“Youngster, I have one last thing to say. If you are here on
death row, your trial attorney must have been incompetent.”
Harvey slowly backs away from the cell door. He takes the
last sip of his coffee and has nothing else to say.
Fred struggles with his new environment and cannot seem
to adapt. Leroy’s performance at trial failed below the standard
of a competent attorney. His defense that it was an accident did
not correspond with the lesser included offense of seconddegree
murder. Harvey said it best. “You have to help yourself.”
Harvey recommended him to contact his trial lawyer. Fred took
Harvey’s advice and wrote Leroy a letter. One line on the letter
simply reads, Leroy you are fired. Fred had already contacted
another attorney who specializes in capital cases. The attorney
agreed to seek an appointment so that he could represent his
case. After a motion was filed, the appellate court appointed
Billy Reddick and Boe Stevens. Fred winds up with two
lawyers out of the same law firm. Boe is a Harvard School of
Law graduate and is extremely smart. He is a laid-back attorney
who lets his work do the talking for him. Billy is an expert in
capital cases, and an advocate for equal rights. He has a true
passion for justice.
Billy stands six feet tall. His glossy long pearl white hair is
kept tied in a ponytail. His dressy attire is not like the typical
courtroom attorney. He wears Levi jeans with scuffed up
cowboy boots. Billy has no genuine compassion for Fred’s trial
attorney. He believes that Leroy should not be practicing law.
The strategy that Leroy used at the trial is the main reason why
Fred sits on death row. The confession of sin expressed remorse
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Still On My Journey
and proved the murder to be an accident. Leroy did the opposite
and argued second degree murder, but he should have requested
for the approximated lesser included offense. Fred thought that
he would receive the same deal as Skinny and Goldie. The both
of them received twenty years and will be eligible for parole in
less than five years. The fingers pointed in Fred’s direction have
casted the blame on him. It is not right, because he’s not the bad
guy. Skinny and Goldie share the same responsibility because
four fingers are pointed back at them. Fred reads law all day and
night. It keeps him preoccupied and his mind off of death row.
Harvey is not afraid to speak his mind. He is there to assist Fred
whenever he is in need. Harvey has become a good friend and
wise figure in Fred’s life. Big Tee keeps him grounded and is
his voice of reason. The mentors that Fred never had growing
up, were both found on death row.
Retested
A guard is at the cell door. “Fred, are you going to school?”
Fred looks through the long window in the center of the door.
He motions his head up and down. Fred enrolled in school six
weeks ago. Fred imagines that in this moment, some of you
may be wondering the same thing. Death row has a volunteer
GED class. Despite a death sentence, any inmates that choose to
better themselves are given the opportunity to pursue an
education. Sarcastically speaking, no one wants to die with
ignorance. This may not explain why there are only four
inmates enrolled in the GED class. Most of the inmates do not
care about obtaining a GED. There is no need for an education
when you are scheduled to die at any moment, but Fred has a
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Fredrick Sledge
different view. He believes that God has given him a second
chance to take the GED test. Due to his good behavior, he is A-
level. Now that he is able to move around more freely, the
schoolhouse is one his destinations. The last time that he took
the GED test was back in the year 1989. Fred was attending
Olive Branch High School. He passed the pretest and was set to
take the main GED exam. When the day came for him to take
the test, he had a change of mind. He brushed Reggie and
Gappy off with a lame excuse. Instead of a GED, Fred wanted
to graduate high school. He was upset with the decision that he
made. It was too late to turn back. He had already told his
childhood friends to go ahead and to take the test without him.
It was a big mistake.
The classroom is half empty and the teacher is bored to
death. His name is Tray Anderson. Fred and the four other
classmates have to relearn the basics. The other four students
are unmotivated and not interested in obtaining their GED. At
the end of the day, the guard yells, “school is over for the day.”
That is the only thing that the other students look forward to
hearing. Fred will not give Mr. Anderson any wiggle room. He
has question after question, because he really wants to obtain
his GED. Nevertheless, Mr. Anderson is over at the table
playing dominos with another student. From time to time the
classroom is like a joke. The students sit around and talk about
everything. None of the sidebar discussion has anything to do
with schoolwork. Mr. Anderson is semi-retired, so he does not
care a bit. The pretest for the GED exam sits atop his desk while
he continues to slam dominos on the table. Fred has waited on
this opportunity for six years or more. He begins to wonder as
he says, “I must be patient, because patience is a virtue.”
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Still On My Journey
Finally, the game of dominos comes to an end. Mr. Anderson
walks towards his desk. Fred sits in the back of the classroom
where no one can disturb him. The act of learning has no effect
on the other students because none of them care.
One of the students lets his voice be heard. “I just want my
seventeen cents an hour; they can have their education.”
Everyone who attends school or has a job is paid a small
wage. It is called state draw. At the end of the month, the
pennies add up. The money is placed in the inmate’s trust fund
account. There are inmates that depend solely on state draw
because it is their only source of income. The few dollars are
used for the purchase of personal hygiene and food products. It
makes no sense to the average person on the outside looking in,
but the grim reality is that some students would much rather
have the pennies and not the education. Nevertheless, on death
row it makes all the sense in the world because everyone is
awaiting death. A GED diploma cannot stop a scheduled
execution.
Mr. Anderson makes his way around the classroom with
the test in his hand. Fred has not learned one single thing from
him. He had to relearn and teach himself the basics on his own.
Mr. Anderson hands him the pretest exam. Fred is as ready as
he can be. The first test is the reading test. Fred has done plenty
of reading, thanks to Harvey. The stacks of legal papers are
scattered everywhere in the cell. Fred is up all-night reading law
cases and learning the rules of the court. The time has been
divided to complete each test. Fred has thirty to forty minutes to
get the best result. He has not been doing that well in math. The
last test that Fred has to take is the two-part math exam. Mr.
Anderson spends all of his time playing card games and
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Fredrick Sledge
dominos. Overall, he has provided little assistance, so Fred
struggles with the math test. There are no comparisons between
the law books and the math books. The adding, subtracting,
multiplying, and dividing is easy. The algebra portion of the test
is a challenge. He has to find the unknown number and it has
caused his brain to freeze. Overall, he breezes right on through
the GED simulated test like he did back in the year 1989.
Mr. Anderson is the proctor and he glances down at his
watch. “Time is up.” Fred filled in the last bubble on the sheet
of paper. He does not feel confident about the answers that he
just selected. Anxiety is something real especially when you
have to wait on your fate to be decided. At least he is not back
on trial and having to reface the death penalty. Whatever the
test results prove to be should not be that difficult to handle.
There are only three students that took the test. The noise level
in the classroom is down to silence. Mr. Anderson has an
announcement to make. “I am done grading the test and all of
you have done well.”
Fred believes that he has passed the GED simulated test and
is now ready to take the main GED exam. This will make the
second time that he has passed the simulated test. Mr. Anderson
walks in his direction with the results in his hands, but he has
not made the announcement of who passed or failed the test.
Fred thinks he has passed the test until the results are sat atop
his desk. He misses the passing score by two points. The math
test score needed to be a little bit higher. Fred will have a
chance to retake the GED simulating test in the near future. He
cannot rely on Mr. Anderson, so he will do his best to prepare
on his own.
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Still On My Journey
Promise Made
An unforgettable day happened in 1997. The summer heat
is dangerous and there is a heat advisory alert. As a warning,
everyone needs to stay hydrated and drink plenty of water. Fred
is outside on the rec yard. Skinny and Goldie are set to be
released on parole at the end of next year. The six and half years
do not compare to a sentence of death. Fred has been on death
row for nearly four years. Big Tee called him out on the
basketball court. Big Tee wants Fred to play a game of
basketball with him and Harvey. Fred is known for putting on a
show. The long-range jumpers and the backward dumps are a
part of his game. To be honest, the highlight footage should be
shown on ESPN. Every time that Fred slams on his opponent,
Big Tee and Harvey get so hyped up! Fred has game, and he
uses basketball as a pastime.
There are three men on each team. Six games have been
played back to back. Fred and his teammates are on the sideline
to take a much-needed break. The temperature is around ninetyfive
degrees, but the humidity feels like it is 105 degrees. Fred
stares up at the clear blue sky while he looks through the
chicken fence style-cage. The wire cage has a cross diamond
design pattern which makes it hard for anyone to visibly see the
inside of the cage. Fred is able to see out of the cage with
perfect visibility. He can see the cars on the parking lot coming
and going. The grass outside of the cage is about twelve inches
away. Fred sticks his middle finger through the diamond-shaped
hole and tries to touch the grass. Like many attempts in the past,
he has no luck in reaching the grass. For the last two months, he
has stuck every finger except his thumb through the cage. It is
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Fredrick Sledge
not like any of his fingers are too short, but there is a barrel
between him and the grass. A concrete slab is at the bottom of
the cage, and on the outside of the cage. So, when he put one of
his fingers through the cage, he can only touch the concrete.
The green grass sits right in front of the one-foot slab of
concrete. Whoever built the cage must have known that the
grass could not grow through concrete. There are no cracks in
the concrete, so Fred has no early chance in touching the grass.
As he tries over and over, again it is heart-wrenching to see.
Fred turns away from the cage and walks away. He initiates a
conversation with Harvey who seems to be taking a coffee
break. The sweat is pouring down Harvey’s face as if he has
jumped out of a pool of water. The sun is unmercifully hot, and
no one is spared from this summer heat wave. Harvey has his
back up against the cage with his favorite cup in his hand. The
water cooler is on the right side of him. Harvey takes a sip of
his warm coffee. He slurps every swallow of it like it is a
Starbucks special. Fred looks over at Harvey and sees that he
has lost his mind. He asks Harvey a reasonable question out of
concern.
“Why won’t you drink some of that cold water out of the
cooler?” Fred asked.
Harvey never drinks water out of the cooler whether it is a
hot or cold day. “I do not need any water, I am straight.”
Fred shakes his head at him. “You are going to pass out
drinking that coffee.”
Harvey takes another sip from his cup of coffee while the top
of his head drips with sweat. His shirt and pants are now
drenched with sweat. Fred says not another word and turns back
around towards the cage. He focuses his attention to the parking
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Still On My Journey
lot. Unexpectedly, a voice speaks out in a frantic manner.
“Hold-hold!” Big Tee reaches out both of his arms and
catches Harvey in the nick of time.
Harvey is lying downward in his arms and his face is six
inches away from touching the pavement. The heat has
overtaken him.
Fred rushes back over to check on him. “Are you okay?”
Harvey catches his breath and his eyes reopened. “Damn that
was a close call!” Harvey looks around and his eyes roll back
into his head. He tries to sit up and begins to hallucinate.
“Where am I?” Out of nowhere, like a spring chicken he leaps
straight up onto his feet. “What happened?”
Harvey cuts a new path across the concrete pavement. He
rushes toward the water cooler and bends over. Harvey has his
head underneath the spigot on the cooler. His head faces the sky
with his mouth open as wide as a hippo. He guzzles down as
much water as he can. After he has a belly full of water, he lets
out a howl. Harvey can be a real character. At times he even
growls like a dog. Fred looks back at him with a smile on his
face. Now that he knows that Harvey will be okay, he makes his
way back to the same spot. The best view on the rec yard is the
parking lot with freshly cut green grass.
After Harvey’s near-death experience, the game is over.
Fred and the rest of the inmates form a circle. This is a typical
day on the rec yard, and everyone begins to reminisce about
times past. Each one of them recaptures their childhood and
talks about their regrets in life. Life has to a lot to offer, but you
have to be willing to give. Fred excuses himself away from the
circle. He wants to spend the last few minutes on the rec yard to
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Fredrick Sledge
himself. His inner self has something to say. Nobody can hear
the voice but him. His inner voice is loud and commanding.
Son, you are going to be released, and you will do no more than
eight years on death row. The only thing that I ask for you to do
is to tell your story and be a witness. Fred listens in silence
before he finally speaks.
“I will Lord. I will.” While he stands alone in a trance, he
looks down at the grass.
Unexpectedly, Fred has an out-of-body experience. He is
lying on his back in the grass outside of the cage. Then, he rolls
around playfully in the grass like he had done when he was a
child. After his spirit reconnects with his body, Fred interlocks
eyes with Harvey. His inner voice has one last thing to say. Son,
now let everyone know what I just told you!
It takes discipline to be obedient. Immediately, without
missing a beat, Fred tells the news to all that will listen. “I am
leaving death row!”
Harvey fired back, “What?”
Fred does not stutter. “You heard me; I am leaving death
row.”
Harvey caught on pretty quick. He has known Fred long
enough to know not to doubt him. “I know that you are going to
leave here, and get off of death row, as long as you keep on
doing what you have been doing.”
Big Tee stands a foot away as he overheard the conversation.
He was ear hustling the whole time. Big Tee cannot hold it in,
and finally speaks his peace. “That’s right Freddie. As long as
you keep that attitude and faith, it will happen.” Big Tee and
Harvey form a two-man circle around Fred.
He stands in the center of them both with his hands down to
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Still On My Journey
his side. “I want the both of you to listen to me and listen to me
real good. God just told me that I will spend no more than eight
years, on death row.”
Fred has center stage at this point, but a spectator on the
sideline had been paying close attention to the conversation. His
name is Sam.
Sam couldn’t wait to jump into the conversation with
negativity. “Fred, we said that we were leaving death row, but
thirteen years later, we are still here in the same place.”
Fred ignores Sam’s venomous feedback. “Okay Sam, you
will see. When you look up, I will be gone.”
The sound of keys can be heard. The guard is on his way
down the walkway. Fred thinks to himself, Right on time. The
guard unlocks the door to the cage. “Rec time is over,” the
guard said. Fred did not wait on any of the fellows to follow
him. He sprints out of the cage with a grin from ear to ear.
23

REFLECTION OF JOURNEY
In life, we all have different paths to travel. Along our journey,
some of us will cross paths. The way we treat each other should
be met with compassion. I firmly believe that acts of kindness
and love are the essence of true humanity. It would be wise of
you to take life step by step, and never rush. Eventually, you
will find success if you defeat failure by working hard. While
you continue on your way, keep one thing in mind. Do not ever
forget where your journey started, unless you know where it
will end.
24

Author Notes
I wrote this book in third person so that readers would have a
better view. I want everyone to stand witness to what I stood
witness to, which is God’s love and mercy. Most importantly,
no weapons that have been formed against me will prosper. I
have been inside of a place referred to as hell on earth for a
period of twenty-nine years and counting. The place is known to
many as a workhouse, prison, penitentiary, institution,
correctional facility, penal farm, or whatever name people
choose to give it. The separation from family and friends is the
structural design. In spite of the struggle and hardship that it has
caused in my life, I remain optimistic. Throughout my journey,
I have traveled a narrow path and have crossed many paths with
other souls. Nevertheless, some souls are lost and are looking to
be found. Many other souls are waiting to be saved. I believe
that one day good will overshadow that which is evil.
Everything that I have spoken about regarding my journey can
be substantiated by the pleadings that are found in the
voluminous trial transcript/record. If all else fails, and you do
not believe, let God be my witness. This is my side of the story.
This is a true testimony. Now is the time.
25

Fredrick Sledge
COMING SOON
Part one and part two of Thirty-One Brand New Original
Quotes will be available soon. The quotes have never been
released, and you will be the first to have your own copy. The
quotes are inspirational, and each quote has a meaning of its
own. The insight that you will receive from the books will help
you to see past your current circumstance and think outside of
the box. The single quotes are followed with an uplifting
message. The food for thought will help guide you through your
daily life. The topics will cover relationships, love, unity, selfdetermination,
success, and many other lessons that will help
you better understand your experience.
26

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Fredrick Sledge, a native of Mississippi is
on an extraordinary journey. He is the
middle son of two brothers. In his early
childhood, he grew up in a single parent
household. He was raised by his mother
and his belated grandmother. The path in
his life took a turn for the worse and he
winded up in prison. He was incarcerated
at the age of eighteen years old. He was
one of the youngest to ever be housed on
Tennessee’s death row. But the harsh
sentence and uncertain future did not deter
his faith in a higher power. He is a servant
and faithful believer.
Whether it has been directly or indirectly, he deeply apologizes
to all the people who he hurt in life. While he accepts the
responsibility for his past transgression, he has also made peace with
his creator. He has transformed his mind and is now a changed man.
A lot has changed in his life and the death sentence was reduced to a
life sentence with the possibility of parole. He spends his time wisely
by giving back to the community. He founded the youth organization,
Youth United Movement (Y.U.M.). He has written several
unpublished books: collection of poetry titled Enslaved Poet, an
autobiography title Who’s to Blame, a collection of essays title
Vanderbilt Divinity School: Collection of Notes and Essays, short
stories title Life’s Endeavors, a catalog of rhymes/songs title Never
Touched the Mic, and a book of inspirational quotes title Thirty One
Brand New Original Quotes.
27

Fredrick Sledge
To order additional copies:
visit Amazon.com
https://www.envisionmefree.com
A journey will take you down many different paths in life. The story of
turning his life around is truly inspirational. The act of deed, forgiveness,
and redemption sheds light on the human spirit. His faith was tested to
see if he would be faithful. He obeyed the commandment and now
shares his testimony of a promise kept. The truth reveals that nothing is
impossible, and he is a true testament to the FACT that, with GOD, all
things are possible.
Please forward all written correspondence to:
Fredrick Sledge
P.O. Box 1789
Olive Branch, MS 38654
Fredvision09@gmail.com
28

Still On My Journey
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