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Those situations include his childhood in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, with a painting called “Wagon,” which depicts himself as a child with a bright red wagon.

Carroll recalled the words his mom said to him that day, after he got in trouble for misbehaving.

“My responsibility is to prepare you for most of what the world is about to hand you,” his mother said. “None of that preparation includes allowing you to take shortcuts and be slick.”

Carroll said the words stuck with him.

Another painting depicts a time while playing professional basketball, when he traveled to meet with Palestinian and Israeli children and “bring them together under basketball.”

While Carroll said he knew the sport alone would not solve deeply embedded historical issues, “for a moment we all gathered together” for a traditional meal.

“This is about our shared humanity,” Carroll said.

Carroll carriea the concept of shared humanity beyond the canvas. The proceeds from his books and artist speaking fees all go to nonprofits like the ACLU and the Georgia Innocence Project, dedicated to exonerating innocent people in prison.

“It adds a fun element to it, that I’m doing good work and perhaps helping people,” Carroll said.

Carroll joined the calendar for Roswell Roots, the city’s monthlong celebration of Black History Month after his friend Mike Harris told him about the event.

Harris was previously the president of the Friends of Mimosa Hall and Gardens, a nonprofit dedicated to preserving the hall and promoting its use. The organization invited Carroll to be the first artist on display in the historic home.

“I’m glad they invited me, but I honestly may have invited myself and they just said yes,” Carroll said with a chuckle.

Carroll said it’s good to “get out and see people” because he works from home, and he was glad to do it for Roswell Roots.

“When you read what each person is doing, poetry or music or performance, it’s all such a rich experience,” Carroll said.