I am writing because I want to bear witness against the dark. I want to push back against the night. I want to tell of love that cancels hate, of life that conquers death, of spirit that triumphs over murder. I want to tell the story of Joseph Boison, a 55-year-old Ghanaian, who lived, laughed and loved his way into the hearts of many of his customers at the Shell Mart on Vernon Street.

Before I tell you that he was murdered Friday night in cold blood, I want to tell you how he loved. Before I tell you he was shot twice while making coffee, and before you ask me “what did they get?” I want to tell you what Joseph gave, what kind of life he lived when he was among us, what kind of dreams he had.

Joseph Boison, nicknamed “Peace” because of the loving spirit that flowed out of Him, was born July 8, 1954, in Saltpond, Ghana, a coastal city. His father was a policeman and a soccer player. His mother was a stay-at-home mom. Joseph was the middle child, with an older sister and a younger brother, Charles. Married with a wife and child who live in Italy, he was a provider and caretaker all his life, for his brother, his family, and others.

Joseph was, simply put, “a good, good man,” his local friend, Comfort Tidwell, said. His family went to church, but the Christian religion “took hold” of him and shaped his life. “What you saw in Joseph was not just Joseph”, she said. “It was God smiling through him to bless all “

Before I tell you Joseph was a good student, or that he attended a technical school in Ghana, or that he taught in Nigeria or that he lived once in Italy, I want to tell you that he loved America, a land of his dreams, and had a life here he cherished and wished for others. His wish for others is best expressed in one of the shining goals of his life, cut short by a gunman and two bullets.

Joseph had an adopted child in Ghana that he dreamed of bringing to America. While on a visit several years ago, Joseph was alerted by a cousin who worked at the local hospital, that a baby was left in a basket at the hospital door, abandoned by his mother. Joseph adopted the child and was making plans to bring the child to America. He regularly sent money to Ghana from his job as a convenient store clerk, to make this dream come true.

Family, friends, co-workers, college students, and neighborhood folks are coming together tonight at 12:30 a.m. at the Shell Mart at 505 Vernon St. for a 10-minute ceremony in which we light candles against the darkness. At the hour in which a murder took place, we gather to reclaim a street corner, for life.