Vincent Robinson stopped at Antonio's in Dalton, Georgia, during his travels from Atlanta to Chicago by wheelchair. 

DALTON, Ga. — Vincent Robinson said when he heard “a voice” last year telling him to travel from Atlanta to Chicago by wheelchair, not only did he ignore it, but he was afraid to tell anyone.

“I thought people would think I’m crazy,” said Robinson, 44, who is traveling nearly 800 miles to bring awareness to the problems of violence. Robinson, who rolled through Dalton, Georgia, last week, said he honestly didn’t want to go to Chicago — a city that has seen a great deal of turmoil and loss linked to gun violence in recent years.

“Vincent the flesh had a war going on within myself, but God said ‘You’re going.’” 

Robinson left from the Georgia state Capitol on Sept. 27, pushing down U.S. Highway 41. Sheila Powell of Calhoun, Georgia, was driving the route when she saw Robinson rolling down the road. His uncle, Freddy Handspike, was following close behind in a black van.

“I saw them again when I came back and made a U-turn,” Powell said. 

Powell’s son-in-law owns Antonio’s, a local restaurant, and Powell told Robinson and Handspike to meet her at the restaurant and she would buy them a meal. 

“I think it’s great what he’s doing and I’m going to be praying for him all the way,” she said. “Policemen have stopped and patted him on the back and congratulated him.”

Violence is a topic that is not foreign to Robinson. He said he’s lived a life of violence, shot at the age of 16 because of it, and violence resulted in Robinson becoming wheelchair-bound.

He said on Nov. 6, 1992, he was shot at the age of 20 in Atlanta. The shooting left him in a coma from that day until January 1993.

While in the coma, Robinson said, he developed a gangrene infection and, as a result, his legs were amputated. The shooter was recently released from prison after serving almost 18 years, according to Robinson.

Robinson admits after the shooting, he continued on a path of violence. 

“I was a product of my environment,” he said. “I was into drugs and women…you name it, I was into it.”

He said it wasn’t until 2004 that he completely left his life of crime. He said it was the love for his four kids that stopped him.

“After dropping my kids off at the park and going around the corner to make a drug sale, something hit me one day,” Robinson said.

He said all the kids were aware of his lifestyle, but it was his 6-year-old son who brought it to his attention. 

“At that point I told them daddy won’t do that anymore,” Robinson recalls. “I haven’t touched anything since then.”

Since then, Robinson — now a motivational speaker — said he’s made it his mission to speak out against violence. On this trip, Handspike said he decided to drive behind Robinson to make sure he isn’t hit by a car.

“I love him to death,” he said. “I’ll do anything for him, and didn’t want him to be out here alone.”

The initial plan was to push 50 miles a day and get to Chicago in 15 days. But Robinson said he’s being “delayed” by people. 

“I’ve been meeting so many nice people along the way,” he said. “They come up hugging me and wanting to talk. It’s like they want to feel this energy I have.” 

One of those people is Larry Andrews of Cartersville, Georgia. Andrews and his family were headed to church last Sunday when Robinson passed by his home. 

“He literally rolled by my house, I saw him and the wheelchair, then I saw the ‘Stop the violence’ sign on the back of the van,” Andrews said. “My wife and I decided to stop and fellowship with them.”

The family also had Sunday dinner with them at a local park, and Andrews covered motel stays and meals while Robinson was in Georgia, helping them to the Tennessee line.

“We are one America and it’s not about the color of your skin,” Andrews said. “It’s about what’s in your heart.”

The push hasn’t been easy. Robinson said his arms get sore and develop knots. A family member suggested he push some of the way and ride in the van some to give his body rest, but Robinson refuses.

“That defeats the point,” Robinson said. “I’m sacrificing my body, soul, spirit and everything because I want people to know I’m doing this for them.”  

He said he’s willing to sacrifice everything to bring awareness to what’s going on with violence.

“I think my mission is to not only get to Chicago, but to also help people along the way,” he said.

Cobb writes for the Dalton, Georgia Daily Citizen.