“In the church, no one ridiculed me because I was more effeminate or didn’t like the things boys usually like,” he said. He was thrilled whenever he was invited to escort the pastor to the altar. On Sunday mornings, he wore white gloves to pass out church bulletins to the faithful. He was 8 when his grandmother taught him the church term for those praiseful cries and movements: “Getting happy.” Instead, every Sunday, no excuses, his Jamaican grandma took him to service.ĭressed in the boys’ uniform of black pants and white shirt, he would sit in the pews and watch the parishioners, the women especially, shout and move their bodies. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)Ībram’s parents’ relationship didn’t last long, and his mother soon stopped going to Greater New Mount.
Lawrence helped maintain religion in Abram's life. Muriel Lawrence, 83, stands outside her Chicago home with her grandson, Don Abram, 26, on March 7, 2021.
