Astonishing, tear-jerking, and thought provoking! The Janitor’s Sons is a chilling and extraordinary inside look at urban life in America, and its suburban contrast. Gregory Collier tells the incredible true story of two brothers raised amongst the broad spectrum of social classes in Detroit, Michigan, and its posh suburbs. It is a story of agony and ecstasy, crime and punishment, and choices that can impact one’s entire life. Somewhere in America is a young black male capable of becoming president of the United States, or anything he desires. However, in an era when a college education is more important than ever, he might not graduate from high school. With The Janitor’s Sons, Gregory Collier draws a line in the sand and declares, “black males must not fail in school or in life — America is too important!” The Janitor's Sons is part of The Collier Project to help young black males achieve at high levels. However, anyone who reads this book will be inspired and benefit. In fact, The Janitor’s Sons is a road map to success. If black males fail to improve upon many negative trends, America is in jeopardy. We are all in this together; we are inextricably linked! God help us all! —Gregory Collier

1. 21 Quotes
From
The
Janitor’s
Sons

2. The Janitor’s Sons is a chilling and
extraordinary inside look at urban life
in America, and its suburban contrast.
Gregory Collier tells the incredible true
story of two brothers raised amongst
the broad spectrum of social classes in
Detroit, Michigan, and its posh
suburbs. It’s a story of crime and
punishment, agony and ecstasy, and
choices that can impact one’s entire
life.
Gregory Collier
About The Janitor’s Sons
JanitorsSons.com

3. “As the picture fades to black, so too
have our lives moved further apart.
I chose one path; you chose
another. Our silhouettes will
ultimately disappear, leaving just
a blur. Yet our stories will last
forever, chiseled in the stone wall
of destiny. I have a hammer, a
chisel, and blisters on my hands. I
am weary, but I am proud ― I’m
carving my destiny in stone. You
must carve yours too; everyone
must!”
― Gregory Collier

5. “Unless it’s judgment day, babies will be
born, and people will die. Someone will fall
in love; other relationships will shatter.
Someone will make money; others will lose
everything — among the many things in the
world that happen every day. And even
though the Devil will tempt me, God’s
righteousness always prevails — and so too
must I prevail.”
― Gregory Collier

6. “The less money I waste, the more
money I’ll have, and the better I’m able
to capitalize on opportunities and
invest for the future.”
― Gregory Collier

7. “Far too many young people in
America aspire to be thugs, and
there are far too many victims of
gun violence!”
― Gregory Collier

8. On the Shoulders of the Souls of My Heroes
“I stand on the shoulders of the souls of the tens of
millions of Africans who never had the opportunity
to educate themselves. It is because of the great
Africans, many whose names are not known, and
individual stories may never be told, that I strive to
achieve despite the obstacles in my path. The deaths
of my heroes from the middle passage bound in
chains, through centuries of hardship, would be in
vain if I did not constantly educate myself, strive to
achieve, help others, and make the world a better
place.”
— Gregory Collier

9. “DO NOT DARE take for granted the lives
of the tens of millions of Africans who died
in the middle passage, endured
unimaginable hardships, and built the
foundation of the world’s wealth, without
compensation for their labor, or the dignity
that all humans deserve.”
― Gregory Collier

10. “Acquire as much
knowledge as you can
on all subjects, and
never stop learning.
This will separate you
from the pretenders —
there are a lot of
pretenders out there.”
― Gregory Collier

11. “Don’t worry about your competition, make them
worry about you. Don’t worry about what others are
saying about you, what they’re doing, or their level of
success. Don’t worry at all. Trepidation is a
roadblock to success.”
― Gregory Collier

12. “Follow your dreams, don’t listen to
unconstructive criticism, don’t live
within the parameters of mediocrity
defined by others, and success will
stare you right in the face—go grab it!”
― Gregory Collier

13. “Our destiny is not determined by where we
were born, whom we were born to, or how we
are labeled by others. Destiny is what one
chisels in stone with sweat and tears, through
hell and high water — what will survive when
everything else fades. I chose my destiny. It
was not predetermined on the day of my
birth, nor was my father’s or my brother’s, for
that matter. And you must choose your
destiny, for better or for worse.”
― Gregory Collier

14. “Schleprock is dead; his real name was
Calvin. He’d be in his late forties today
if he were still alive — but death by an
assassin’s bullet is the fate of many
thugs.”
― Gregory Collier

15. “My ancestors were brought to America
in chains —packed in the tiny cargo
hold of a ship. By divine intervention,
at least one of them survived the
treacherous voyage across the Atlantic
Ocean. Because of the struggles my
ancestors endured, I am alive today.
Because of their struggles, I thrive
today.”
― Gregory Collier

16. “There are four kinds of men:
Those who succeed with the help of their father
Those who succeed despite their father
Those who fail despite their father, and
Those who fail because of their father”
— Gregory Collier

17. “I’m a janitor’s son, or so it’s been certified. But I’m a
son first, and now a father to a son who must chisel
his own destiny in stone. Through hell and high
water he must go at times, fighting on with sweat on
his brow and tears in his eyes. I can guide him and
bestow knowledge, but he must use it wisely and
make good decisions. I can surround him with high
achievers — but he controls his destiny, not me, nor
the people he meets. I can’t chisel the rock for him,
as much as I’d like to — he must go it alone — his
destiny in stone.”
― Gregory Collier

18. “Network and build
alliances. Some
people will avoid you,
some will work
against you. Stay
positive. In the
future, your
detractors will watch
as outsiders as you
stand in the winner’s
circle with your
allies.”
― Gregory Collier

19. “One difference between a drug dealer
and a corporate executive is that a drug
dealer must have a “street” education. A
corporate executive must typically have a
college education plus work experience.
Another difference is corporate
executives often retire to places like
Palm Beach, Florida. Drug dealers retire
to jail, if they live to retire at all.”
― Gregory Collier

20. “Though the chains that bound my
ancestors were removed, new chains
have formed: economic ones. Those
who are educated hold the tools to
break the chains that bind them. This is
today’s reality.”
― Gregory Collier

21. “Many athletes refer to education as something
to fall back on if their athletic careers don’t
work out. Don’t follow their lead. Education is
not something to fall back on; education is a
tool with which to uplift yourself to higher
levels of achievement.”
― Gregory Collier

22. “Ghetto economics dominates the lives of many
people. In fact, it dominates the spending habits of
many local and national governments. Alas, the
world has embraced ghetto economics — now much
of the world finds itself in peril. Please take my
words to heart for your own good: save and invest for
the future — and never spend more money than you
earn.”
― Gregory Collier

23. “In a world where black men are too often
criticized, vilified, demonized and written off
as incompetent, overly aggressive, overtly
promiscuous, abundantly tattooed hustlers,
players, gangsters and no-good pimps, it’s
refreshing to see the success of my
colleagues. But this success comes as no
surprise to me. I would only have been
surprised had my colleagues been failures.”
― Gregory Collier

24. JanitorsSons.com