Black, White, and Gray All Over: A Black Man’s Odyssey in Life and Law Enforcement

A Black Man's Odyssey in Life and Law Enforcement

“We need the books that affect us like a disaster, that grieve us deeply, like the death of someone we loved more than ourselves, like being banished into forests far from everyone, like a suicide. A book must be the axe for the frozen sea inside us.” — Franz Kafka —

Author Frederick Douglass Reynolds

Fred Reynolds, as you’ll learn in his book, is the son of poor sharecroppers from rural Virginia. He associated with the Errol Flynn gang in Detroit, was himself a criminal, a victim of racism, a Marine Corps infantryman, and then, when he ran through his savings…homeless. Not homeless, doing drugs, and begging on the streets. But homeless, working two jobs, and sleeping in cars and all-night movie theaters, unable to earn enough to house, clothe, and feed his growing family.

For thirty-two years he served as a cop and detective in Compton, CA—a.k.a. “The Hub City,” because of its central location with boundaries defined by the 105, 110, 710, and 405 freeways.

"If Fred Reynolds's memoir Black, White and Gray All Over was just about being a cop in Compton, California, dealing with gangs, murders, officers killed in the line of duty, and the politics that drives it all, it would be worth the read. This book goes deeper, into what it means to be a man, more particularly a Black man, and to overcome every obstacle along the way to redemption. Don't miss this one!"

#1 Bestselling Author J.J. Hebert

Author Frederick Douglass Reynolds

From shootouts and robberies to riding in cars with pimps and prostitutes, Frederick Reynolds’ early manhood experiences in Detroit, Michigan in the 1960s foretold a future on the wrong side of the prison bars. Frederick grew up a creative and sensitive child but found himself lured down the same path as many Black youth in that era. No one would have guessed he would have a future as a cop in one of the most dangerous cities in America in the 1980s—Compton, California. From recruit to detective, Frederick experienced a successful career marked by commendations and awards. The traumatic and highly demanding nature of the work, however, took its toll on both his family and personal life—something Frederick was able to conquer but only after years of distress and regret.

“I have reached the conclusion that those who have physical courage also have moral courage. Physical courage is a great test.” — Oriana Fallaci