Papa Joe Bradford

Waverly Central High School

Class of 1979

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Papa Joe Bradford - Class of 1979 - Waverly Central High School

First Name	Papa Joe
Last Name	Bradford
Graduation Year	Class of 1979
Gender	Male
Hometown	Nashville, Tennessee
Relationship Status	Married
About Me	"“Papa Joe” Bradford was born in Nashville, TN and grew up in great poverty in a small town west of the city. Before he was born, his father and mother separated and eventually divorced. As a child, Joe was no stranger to adversity in life… growing up without a father, living in poverty and one of a few black students at an all-white school. At the age of 8, he almost died from a poisonous snakebite. Despite these struggles, he excelled in music, martial arts and academics. He graduated high school with a full college scholarship to study engineering and computer science. However, his ambition got the best of him when he used his hacking skills to steal from a bank. This led to a sentence in a maximum-security prison where he was often forced to fight for his life. Soon after his release, Joe was diagnosed with an aggressive kidney disease that rendered him permanently disabled. Unable to make a living, he moved to the projects. But there, Joe’s life took on a surprising new meaning. The fatherless and oppressed children in the neighborhood won his heart. Today, “Papa Joe” leads a diverse team of volunteers, carrying aid and the message of hope to inner city children and families. Years ago, Joe and his wife Denise met a little deaf girl who would end up igniting their hearts with a fire of love for poor children. Due to financial challenges stemming from Joe’s kidney disease, Joe and Denise moved next door to a deaf girl in a poor, inner-city community. One morning, the girl stood on Joe and Denise’s porch just staring in through their front door, and she wouldn’t leave. Denise came to the door and gave her a piece of candy. The girl left but came back later with her brothers and sisters to whom Denise also gave candy. The next morning more kids on the street came with this same little girl to get candy. Within a week, Joe and Denise learned that around 50 children lived on their street. At first they came for candy, but it was apparent the children needed much more. With whatever Joe and Denise could obtain, they began to help these children with necessities, school work and emotional challenges. One Saturday morning, Joe and Denise were in one of Nashville’s poorest inner-city communities training a choir of children for an upcoming performance at the famous Ryman Auditorium. The children, as usual, were very hungry and had to be fed before rehearsal. While eating, a little girl with a swollen eye approached him. Just nine years of age, she was frightened and in pain having been hit with the fist of her angry, drug-addicted mother. After comforting her and praying, Joe sat momentarily alone to rest. The little sister of the battered child came up to Joe and said “Will you be my daddy?” Before he could answer, another little girl around 7 years of age came to Joe and asked the same question, “Will you be my daddy?” Child after child continued to flock around him asking this very same question, “Will you be my daddy?” Joe embraced them all, trying his best to fight back tears. That day he became “Papa Joe.” Today, Papa Joe is committed to uniting with others to show love – active love that changes the lives of children who are terribly at ris...(read more)