This photo shows my dear friend Jerry Burns holding his three month-old granddaughter Sarah during Saturday's deeply moving "Sudan United for Peace" concert. I always see Jerry and his family at The Concert of Colors, metro Detroit's diversity festival...and with good reason. In the way he has chosen to live his life, Jerry Burns exemplifies cultural and racial diversity as few people ever have.

In the 1980s Jerry spent years in Niger as a Peace Corps volunteer. After returning to Detroit he got his nursing degree and found himself drawn to work with the victims of the escalating AIDS/HIV epidemic. Jerry soon became an expert in the compassionate medical treatment of such patients and, in addition to his ongoing work in the wards at a Detroit city hospital, he was called upon to speak at international AIDS/HIV conferences. As if this weren't enough service to humanity, ten years ago Jerry, a single man, began taking refugee boys from war-torn countries like the Sudan, Iraq, Nigeria and Sri Lanka into his home as foster children. Jerry's family now includes dozens of men, their Significant Others, and two precious granddaughters, Jessica and Sarah. Last night Jerry introduced us to his newest son who had just arrived from Burma 24 hours before.

Who says one person can't make a difference!