Readers often tell me, E-Woods,, I mess heavy with reading your stories bro because you find subjects that are the REALEST.
I try, I try to be impossibly honest like this story on Reshanda Gray who was a star at Washington Prep and is now in the WNBA for LA Sparks.
She’s an angel on earth for her always mentoring kids and for fighting for noble causes like colon cancer the disease that tragically took her father’s life.
Reshanda’s long time boyfriend Daville Ross earns my utmost respect as that awesome on-the-super-grind kind of dude who reminds me of Nipsy Hussle.
Daville is constantly trying to educate others on how to start a business. He has many biz patents and a dope clothing line.
I want to buy all of his stuff, especially this hoodie with a swag silver chain around the neck: FYE all day long.
Daville? He’s the kind of real one you meet rarely in this world.
He’s constantly supporting his woman Reshanda, calling her his boo, and vice versa.
Reshanda was let go by the NY Liberty and it was Daville who was there for her. Reshanda was telling interviewers not too long ago that her boo had her back and she always has his back. What else can we ask for in this world?
Daville encouraged Reshanda to open her hair salon, Gray Gray Salon, in south central LA, Peep the amazing story on the salon:
Click here for LA Sentinel article on Reshanda's No Gray Areas foundation and her Gray Gray Salon
As illustrated in the LA Sentinel article, Reshanda is known for her tireless No Gray Areas at risk youth empowerment non-profit program. I’m buying the shirt to raise funds for kids, will you?
Reshanda is super dope at doing hair; no one else in the W can do it better than her.
A couple years ago every time I used to call Reshanda when she was overseas playing pro ball, she’d pick up the phone and say, “Reshanda’s beauty salon”, even though she didn’t own one at the time.
She lit up a big ol’ smile on my face to hear her voice and now that she really owns a salon, my smile is twice as BIG.
Reshanda is always trying to help “lil sis sisters” from the hood, trying to help them be their own come up, like our girl Rayah Marshall of Lynwood. But R-Gray, she reaches the lives of thousands of kids.
She and Olin Simplis, her ever dope, dope pro trainer, go to schools and speak on the importance of hard work, being classy, believing in one’s self. It’s breathtaking what and how they do.
Why is Daville the man to me? Dude tried to help me see how I could make more bread, he spent an hour explaining how to monetize my story writing. I already get paid enough from teaching lil kids but Daville is a tour de force, always encouraging people he meets to level themselves up. It’s his gift in this world fasho!
That’s why I broke off a SLAM jersey for Reshanda, and Daville some gear too from our informal mentor group Study, Learn, And Mentor (S.L.A.M.) that I dedicated to legendary SLAM Mag writer Scoop Jackson in 2005.
Over the years I have called upon the Mt. Rushmore of mentors in LA: Baron Davis, Olin Simplis, Pooh Jeter, Keion Kindred, Bobby Brown to help kids from LA and they have never let me down.
Simply put, when I say Daville’s and Reshanda’s name, I have as much respect for them as any of our SLAM mentors I just mentioned. 100.
This story? It isn’t the only Reshanda Gray feature I will write on her. We’re set to publish an in depth feature on her life and times that will come after she’s done with the WNBA playoffs.
Ok, ready for the deep, deep part of this story, why I truly love these 2 people? They’re not just my peeps, they care for many others.
E-Woods, I was raised to be an atheist. I know most are given the gift of religion, I wasn’t and that was a terrible experience for me because I wanted to believe, with all my heart I wanted to. But no one ever showed me the way as a youngster.
I was lost as a kid, just wanting to believe in God, as did a community of others that had some spiritual belief. I was sad, alone, disconnected, and only wanted to believe. But never being taken to church or given any direction from my folks on how to process religion, how could I be spiritual?
I make no judgment on people who are atheist, we should all believe what we want to. Some want to follow the Koran, the Jewish faith, possibly reincarnation. I dunno how you were raised, but me? I had nothing that mattered.
I just remember feeling empty and I had this fear that when I would die, when I closed my eyes for the last time, I’d fall into the vast darkness of nothingness. No heaven, no pearly gates. I’m not trying to depress you the reader, I just want to be real, to share how it feels to want connectedness, religion.
I found religion in my 20’s a lil, 30 and 40s a lil more but I have never felt more connected spiritually than the time both Daville and Reshanda were truly, completely, utterly there for me on the worst day of my life.
When my dad passed a few months ago they both reached out to call me over the phone, showed the most grace I’ve ever felt, as they asked if they could pray with me. Is it all coming together for you the reader yet, how deep this story is?
What makes Daville great at starting successful businesses and great at being an in uplifting spirit in others’ lives is because his brand, and Reshanda’s brand, is healing, being there for others.
It’s not just that Reshanda is a terrific rebounder, defensive anchor, scorer, that glue- girl on teams she’s played for. It’s not just her elite b-ball skill, it’s her elite love of God, of people, of Jesus. That is her brand.
She is there for people, like Daville is there for people. Feel me? How powerful is that?
Reshanda told me on that darkest of days I was having, I was crying all day, it felt like she was holding my hand the whole time as she said to me, “Lord Jesus bless this man Erik Woods in his time of need. Shower him with care, fill his heart with peace, support him in his time of need.”
My breath exited my lungs. Reshanda was more than my fav baller in the W, she was there for me, she even called me again 2 weeks later when it was Father’s Day. Why? Because she is too real, too real to the game of life, to her friends and to all people.
I remember a lil while back when Reshanda wasn’t on a WNBA team a while back, she was cut from the Liberty. I prayed for her and told her that right around the corner there were better days coming. I told her, trust me girl.
Daville, of course he also prayed for her, she his boo, he her boo. Their cute affection is so vibrant and uplifting and I’ve never seen 2 people out to help so many. It’s breathtaking, their way of being.
From me never knowing how to pray as a kid to now, after experiencing all the moments of grace, it was from Reshanda and Daville I felt the most spiritual. I am inspired to pray on the phone with other people now, if they want me to.
So from that boy I was with no religion, imagine trying to tie your shoes without hands, imagine trying to speak without a tongue, or lips. That’s how I felt as a boy trying to pray.
But oh how I’ve come out of my caterpillar stage. Those 2 gave me wings to fly, those 2 are the epitome of what Kendrick Lamar says in To Pimp a Butterfly, “They will never leave the hood, it will never leave them, it lives in their heart for all time”, and how dope is that?
So now you see this is a deep story, maybe most writers wouldn’t tell it this way. But I hear and listen to people I write about. I let them tell me their dreams. Because I have love for them, I try to be real, real to all people I write about. I try to help in this cold hearted world we all live in.
My point, Reshanda, me, Daville, and all us SLAM mentors, we will be there for kids from the hood. I taught at 36th/Vermont in the mid 90’s when R-Gray was so young. My goal is to make each Nubian King, Queen feel empowered to attempt to engage a world class education, to better themselves, to help better the next generation.
That is what Daville Ross is all about, helping others believe in themselves, start a biz plan. Even though he’s from the ATL, he’s doing big things in LA. He and Reshanda Gray, they make the cutest couple you could ever meet.
I hope everyone supports them, as they are 2 real to the game, 2 real ones on this mission to help others. Please see Reshanda’s non-profit program, feel her amazing journey:
Who have these 2 transformed? Countless people, and I can say personally for myself, they have transformed my life, your humble writer and educator, the ever thankful, E-Woods. 100.
