James E. Davis was born on April 3, 1962 to James and Thelma Davis. He spent his early childhood in the Bedford-Stuyvesant area of Brooklyn, then after a brief move to Long Island, his family returned to Brooklyn where they lived in Crown Heights. As a young man growing up in Brooklyn, many influences shaped James' life. His father was a New York City Corrections Officer and his mother was a registered nurse. He was raised in the church and grew up in a rich, culturally diverse African-American, West Indian and Jewish community. In high school, James excelled in academics and sports. He earned his Bachelor's degree from Pace University, where he majored in Social Science and Youth Agency Administration. James is currently working on his Ph.D. in Sociology. In 1983, an incident involving James and two New York City police officers left an indelible mark on James' life. One morning, he was in front of his house sitting in his mother's car. Suddenly, two white police offi...