TJJS - Ep.48 - Best of JJ - A Reconnecting with my friend and high school buddy, Jack Brayboy. Businessman, Sports Broadcaster and NATIVE CHARLOTTEAN!

On this edition of #TJJS, a reconnecting and conversation with Charlotte’s and Garinger High School’s own… Jack Brayboy!  

After a stellar career in the sports broadcasting business in Philly, He’s come back to the CLT and is doing great things in business and the community. 

He started Brayboy Communications and sparked the development of our High School’s charitable Foundation...The Garinger Education Foundation. Lots of fun!

Contact Him at:
@CLTSmallBusinessSpotlight

@JackBrayboy

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jack-brayboy-b317914/

http://brayboycommunications.com/

Follow JJ: Facebook, Twitter and Instagram!  The Jeff Johnson Show. Real. Genuine. Authentic. Jeff!

What the Jeff Johnson Show “IS” and “IS NOT”:

IT IS NOT:

• It’s not a news show, but we learn stuff.
• It’s not a sports show, but Garinger beats Independence all the time and we love the game.
• It’s not an “artsy” show, but local artists/performers are always in the house.
• This is not a food show, but I love livermush!(‘Nuff Said”) So, we'll be talking about food a lot!

IT IS:

• It is a Labour of Love for myself and my Hometown.
• It is a show about you and me and finding out why the Charlotte/Metrolina region is a great place to be!
• It is a show that I get to introduce you folks I grew up with who influenced me in my life. (I got some "Very Unique" friends y'all so this should be interesting!)
• It is a show that I share some of the many talented friends I’ve met along the way.  (I got some "Very Unique" friends y'all so this should be interesting!)
• It is a show that works your emotions. (“...Laughing and Crying, you know it’s the same release..”)

Follow JJ: Facebook, Twitter and Instagram!  The Jeff Johnson Show. Real. Genuine. Authentic. Jeff!

Transcript

Best of JJ - Ep 48 - Jack Brayboy

[00:00:00] JJ: [00:00:00] It's the Jeff Johnson show brought to you by OTE@ofthisearthglobal.com of this earth global.com clothing connection, OTE

[00:00:27] Greetings, or as we say it right here in the South, Hey y'all Hey, what time it is? It's time for another edition of the Jeff Johnson show a real, genuine, authentic podcast where I get to reconnect with the people and places and events of my hometown area. Charlotte, North Carolina, on today's show. I'm going to reconnect and have a great conversation with Charlotte and Garinger high school's own Jack Bray boy.

[00:00:54] After a stellar career in the sports broadcasting industry in Philly, he's come back to the [00:01:00] CLT and is doing great things in business and the community. He started Bray boy communication and Spartan, the development of our wonderful high school. Those Garinger Wildcats, their charitable foundation, the Garinger education foundation.

[00:01:14] A lot of fun with Jack Bray boy on the Jeff Johnson show. Jack Bray, boy, it is an honor. And a privilege to have you on my show. How you doing my friend? 

[00:01:25] Jack Brayboy: [00:01:25] I can't complain Jeff Johnson. I want you to know before I forget that the guys they hear you're loyal listeners and anybody else, just, what you hear is what Jeff Johnson has always been.

[00:01:41] As soon as the asset's positive, you know? Energy like the Energizer bunny, but he's got to plug into Jeff Johnson. That's how, that's how crazy this guy is. Trust me. Y'all are in good hands down there in hot lap, 

[00:02:00] [00:02:00] JJ: [00:02:00] man. Jack, thank you. You so much for that. Cause folk don't know man about us jet. Yeah. We go back a long way and folk, we're gonna, we're going to learn all about this gentleman right here, because I'm gonna tell ya.

[00:02:12] He is a true Charlotte, Jim. He is a native son and he has been there. He's gone away. He's come back and we're going to talk a little bit about all the great things that he did, but Jack, you're the same thing, man. I remember y'all Jackie and I met each other. When we went to Greece. Eringer high school. Uh, he was a year in front of me.

[00:02:38] And we played football all together. Uh, we knew everybody together. We were on student council together. And, and I'm going to tell you that, that experience of getting to know this gentleman, getting to know his family. Was one of the best things for me. Cause I just, I just moved into that area. I didn't know a lot of people at Garinger, [00:03:00] but man, I got to know you guys, man.

[00:03:02] What do you remember about some of those days now? Don't 

[00:03:06] Jack Brayboy: [00:03:06] the first thing that comes to mind is that we were still in, I don't want to say the throws, but yeah, I think it's comfortable to say that the whole desegregation experiment, uh, I mean it started, well, you know, I went, I started. All Garinger in 76, but the whole desegregation, the forced desegregation force blessing, all of that, uh, started back around 71, 72, uh, when I was in seventh grade, but we were still, you know, the folks had gotten to know different cultures and, and, you know, I mean, Charlotte is a very.

[00:03:43] Segregated city. And to some degree had gone back to that, get into that later. But as far as the school situation was concerned, you know, we had gotten to the point where we, uh, understood how, uh, you know, white folks acted and worked and, [00:04:00] and played and all that stuff. And we, um, and they got to know the same for us.

[00:04:05] So I think by the time we got to high school, to some degree, there was still a lot of that, you know, racial. No anxiety going on, but we were able to mitigate it. So, because we, because for me personally, we had been in it for a little while. Right. So, um, I, I want to say that, you know, Like through athletics and things like that.

[00:04:28] And again, you were there to see all this and then our work in student government and all that sort of stuff. We were able to make some, some light yes. And, and bridge some of those gaps. And, you know, you still had the naysayers out there in terms of, you know, you had black folk who didn't like the fact that you and me and folks like us were.

[00:04:47] We're we're bridging that gap and, you know, we call it heat from that end. And then, you know, we call it heat from the other side. It's like, you know what y'all trying to do. Yeah, exactly. Exactly. So there was a lot of that going on, but I'm grateful for [00:05:00] that entire experience. There's no doubt about it.

[00:05:02] JJ: [00:05:02] Yeah. I'm the same way. I mean, you know, and I'm getting ready to throw out some names right here, but one of them, I'm just going to say, Nan Abel. 

[00:05:11] Jack Brayboy: [00:05:11] Yeah. Yeah. The gym 

[00:05:14] JJ: [00:05:14] T tell, tell, tell these folks about Nan. 

[00:05:16] Jack Brayboy: [00:05:16] Well, Nan was like the, she was like the mother hand of everybody. She didn't have any children of her own.

[00:05:22] She lived down to South Carolina on a beautiful plot of land down there, but she, um, she was all that you could ask for in terms of somebody who supported us, who did the things that were necessary to, you know, again, she had a very even, you know, she was very even keel, very, very laid back, but very purposeful and both directions she used to give up.

[00:05:42] And she was just one of those folks that, you know, you could always go and talk to where she'd put your, you know, put her arms around you and, and just, you know, she just understood what, um, what high school students needed at that certain point. And I think she was able to kind of morph into, you know, whoever it was, you [00:06:00] know, everybody wasn't one size fit, all.

[00:06:02] She was able to temper, uh, you know, her, her gifts and her, her give back, you know, depending upon who the person was. Um, but she was definitely one of my favorite favorites. When I think of guarantor's she's going to be at the very top of the list. 

[00:06:17] JJ: [00:06:17] J people I'm going to describe ms. Abel, ms. Abel weighed about a hundred.

[00:06:21] Was she a hundred pounds? Maybe 102. 

[00:06:23] Jack Brayboy: [00:06:23] Yeah. With a bag of rocks in her pocket. Yeah. 

[00:06:26] JJ: [00:06:26] Lbs the wire glasses. She was a white lady, short hair and prim and proper, I would say. And she didn't let us get by with nada. 

[00:06:38] Jack Brayboy: [00:06:38] No, no,

[00:06:43] she wasn't. She wasn't coming at you. She was just straighten you out. 

[00:06:47] JJ: [00:06:47] Exactly. She was like, you know, for me, Jack, it was always, I know how good you are. Do you know how good you are? Well then sure, 

[00:07:00] [00:06:59] Jack Brayboy: [00:06:59] exactly. 

[00:07:01] JJ: [00:07:01] We did show her. Oh, no 

[00:07:04] Jack Brayboy: [00:07:04] doubt. No doubt we should. We showed her a little bit of everything.

[00:07:11] Nope, no doubt about that. And you know, and there were some folks who, you know, were, I would, I would, I would send a guest. We were less of a handful than some of the other folks, but that's high school. You know, we had, I think at the time we were either like, you know, we certainly were in the top five, if not in the top two or three, in terms of the overall, you know, 

[00:07:30] JJ: [00:07:30] Yeah, I think we were the largest high school in North Carolina, 

[00:07:33] Jack Brayboy: [00:07:33] Jack.

[00:07:34] Yeah, exactly. Yeah, exactly. Right. Yeah. Certainly in terms of population, you know, it was like over 2000 kids. 

[00:07:42] JJ: [00:07:42] Yes. That's a handful. And Jack, it's amazing to me with all the wonderful things that we did, our, our relationships with our friends, the athletics that we, that we have because, you know, we had the rivalries, Garinger independence, Garinger with Charlotte.

[00:07:56] I mean, all that stuff. It was a wonderful experience for [00:08:00] all of us. How things now with you, my friend, who is the you're the chairman of the Garinger education foundation, correct? 

[00:08:12] Jack Brayboy: [00:08:12] Right, correct. And, um, I'll try to give you the cliff notes version of this. It was back in 2014, 2015, by. Uh, the class of like 63 and 64.

[00:08:24] And mind you, when I say 63 and 64, there were no minorities of any going, going into our school. So these are all, you know, the hard, uh, you know, blue blood, white quote blank, put it point blank who, um, had decided they were going to have their class or unit. And they decided they wanted to do something for the school.

[00:08:46] And the primary thing they, they started out doing was, um, Creating a monument for all of the Derringer grads, a lot of homework, their classmates who have been killed in action in Vietnam and you know, another war [00:09:00] time conflict. And after that, they said, you know, not only this create a monument, but let's establish scholarships in their names.

[00:09:08] So what they did was they actually raised a bunch of money and they gave out, uh, I think there's a number at that time was 14 scholarships in honor, and memory of their fallen classmates. And from that started, that started the gadget education foundation. And fast forward to today, we've given out over $700,000 in scholarships to Garinger grit, which is, have been some of the most gratifying work that I've done.

[00:09:38] Uh, all of the, um, The board members and the folks who part or foundation are all volunteers. We, none of us are getting paid. And literally, I think the number is like 97 or 98% of all the money we get goes directly to the students. You know, we're not paying anybody. Yeah. All the work gets done by us. And.

[00:09:57] Let me tell you, we had our first [00:10:00] graduating class, I want to say it was 2018. And just to see the matriculation of those kids and we had a dinner for them, cause it was our first graduating class. And I think we invited back, I think it was like 11 or 12 actually showed up to a dinner that we had and just to see, and if we gave them each a chance to, you know, talk about, you know, at functions is very, um, The impact of the foundation and the money, we were able to give them.

[00:10:23] And again, we're talking about it for the first group, there was like $2,500 a piece, and that's a nice chunk of change. You know, even in this day and age, that goes a long way. And if they stayed in school, that college was renewed over time. So, uh, they were, I mean, just sincerely appreciative of the, the helping hand that we gave them along the way.

[00:10:46] Of course, we couldn't do anything once they got in, but we just told them as long as you all do the right thing and stay focused and stay in, we'll keep, you know, we'll keep, you know, sending you a couple of dollars to help you out with this thing. And there's definitely, there's no borders, no better [00:11:00] experience.

[00:11:02] Those folks walk across the stage. And I had an opportunity to a dry at graduation to speak on behalf of the foundation. And it's to take those folk hands, not only did the recipients of the scholarship, but the entire class, the graduating classes last few years, I've had the opportunity to stand there and shake your hand.

[00:11:20] You know, when in school they look like one thing, the record of Buster knucklehead.

[00:11:27] Yeah. But when they dress off and they put on their, their cap and down like, wow, I just saw you the other day looking like, you know, Two times the fun. And now, you know, you all dress up and walk across and said, yes ma'am and yet it was just, it's just a very gratifying experience, 

[00:11:45] JJ: [00:11:45] you know, first folks, let me just tell you, go, if you want to find out more about the Garinger education  foundation it'sGaringerr education  foundation.org,Garingerr education foundation.org, and a [00:12:00] great website.

[00:12:00] They got all this stuff going on, but Jack, you know, at one time Garinger was kind of falling into. I don't know that kind of trap, some people weren't going, people were, were doing. Was that one of the main reasons this thing got started? 

[00:12:13] Jack Brayboy: [00:12:13] Well, in part, yes. And what happened is, uh, you know, over time, just like everything else, the, uh, There was a, there was no bore, you know, forced, forced desegregation.

[00:12:25] So everybody who goes to Garrett or pretty much lived near damages and entire neighborhoods, the, uh, the demographics, you know, the diversity, you know, demographic thing to, um, what was pretty much a, a, like a middle class, you know, predominantly white area in it, around character. The one that was a lower income, you know, a lot of a Hispanic population and a lower income black folk.

[00:12:53] And. The dynamic change and risk that chain, uh, some instances of crime [00:13:00] and, and, you know, shootings and football and all that, which had nothing to do. You know, these are folks who just show it off and create problems. You know, 95% of the instances themselves had nothing to do with Darin, the students, staff, faculty, anything of that nature.

[00:13:17] But of course we see it on the news and it's on the front page of the newspaper. That just creates this entire stigma. It's like, why would you ever want to go there? You know? And also because of that, the great point yeah. Average and all that sort of stuff, you know, most of the students on free or reduced price lunches and breakfast and all that sort of stuff.

[00:13:37] So it just kind of created a dark cloud over the school. So I guarantee you part of the impetus to do all that with a note that these students need, need the help more than anybody. And also to do a reframe the image of what Garinger is all about. 

[00:13:53] JJ: [00:13:53] Well, Jack man, you guys have done an incredible job. And, um, if, you know, if there are any Garinger alumni listening [00:14:00] to this, please check out the website and see all the great things that Jack and his team and everybody is doing because.

[00:14:07] Y'all have made some really good inroads. Hey Jack, listen, I'm going to take a quick break and then we're going to come back and we're going to talk about you, your gray boy communications and your commitment to the community. Okay. No problem. You got it. We'll be back in justice. Second floor of a Jeff Johnson show.

[00:14:25] Don't you dare go in there where 

[00:14:27] Jack Brayboy: [00:14:27] y'all. 

[00:14:30] JJ: [00:14:30] Hey everybody. This is Jeff Johnson with an important message from the CDC about the Corona virus, you know, with the Corona virus, still spreading people at higher risk, they got to take extra precautions. You are at higher risk. If you're over 65. Or if you have any serious underlying medical conditions like chronic lung disease, heart disease, diabetes, or if you're going through cancer treatment, if you're at higher risk, it is essential that you take extra [00:15:00] care for protect yourself.

[00:15:01] Stay six feet away from other people. I know it can be tough sometimes better yet. Why don't you just stay at home? You can read, you can listen. You know, it's very important that you've taken this situation. Seriously. My visit Corona virus die gov for the latest information from the CDC. Yes. Corona virus.gov for the latest information that Jeff Johnson show cares about.

[00:15:26] You.

[00:15:50] now welcome back to the Jeff Johnson show and I've got one of my childhood friends. With me, Jack Bray, boy, I'm [00:16:00] a community minded guy that I looked up to, uh, when I got to Garinger high school and just have known for a long time. And we're going to talk a little bit now about his business, but first off, we're going to talk about, you know, get you and I, Jack we're in media.

[00:16:20] I mean, we were in the media business together. Um yep. You know, give me, give us a little bit of a background on how you got started in media. Cause you got started at SOC, just like I did. 

[00:16:33] Jack Brayboy: [00:16:33] That's right. That's right. Yeah. Well, I came right out of a, I majored in broadcast Carolina, university of North Carolina.

[00:16:46] JJ: [00:16:46] I went to Appalachian state university. So 

[00:16:49] Jack Brayboy: [00:16:49] that's one of those other schools.

[00:16:56] But anyway, I majored in timing with [00:17:00] the major was called radio TV, bullshit pictures, but essentially it was a broadcast journalism. And I got lucky and got a, got a job at a local ABC affiliate ad. Like you at WWF TV here at Charlotte. And I was there for a couple of years, basically, uh, kind of hired as a glorified intern and worked my way on the air and started producing the, uh, weekend moves.

[00:17:22] And then, uh, I went to Philadelphia. At the ABC affiliate in Philadelphia. And, uh, while I was there, I was, uh, I got into sports. So I was a sports producer, a reporter anchor the whole time. And I was there for 23 years. So, you know, my background from day one has been, you know, I've, I pretty much, I'm wondering the lucky ones who got to do exactly what it is they wanted to do, you know, coming out of college and actually was able to make a career out of it.

[00:17:50] And, uh, Moved back home in 2005 and in 2010 started mine. Uh, bro media, basically it's video production. [00:18:00] Company. And, uh, actually my company is me, you know, we have, you know, my whole, my, my plan was to, uh, you know, get enough work, to be able to build it out and hire people. And, you know, maybe my dream was to have a staff of like, say five to eight people where, you know, we were just doing, you know, production big and small, but, uh, you know, God has a plan and that's so far that plan hadn't, you know, he's like, You know, your time maybe will come.

[00:18:26] Maybe it won't, but you just gotta deal with it, bro. Yes. 

[00:18:30] JJ: [00:18:30] You got to get out of there. 

[00:18:32] Jack Brayboy: [00:18:32] Yeah. Yeah. You keep doing it. But, uh, I'm lucky enough. I've been able to keep afloat and, you know, had a, I've had a lot of, uh, you know, major clients, you know, in terms of corporations and, and healthcare facilities here in town, as well as I do a lot of work for nonprofits and foundations.

[00:18:49] And I like to say that my, my, my forte is storytelling. Uh, you know, being able to sit down and talk to folks and capture who they are and what they're all about and, [00:19:00] uh, turn it into something nice in terms of a video production that kind of sums up their life and their work and who they are as people.

[00:19:08] And, um, it's, it's really nice. I mean, not every time I pull the camera out the bag, it's like, I'm getting ready to write a new book. You know, I'm getting ready to create something that hopefully, uh, hopefully it's engaging, but also with formative and, uh, you know, entertaining if necessary. Yeah, I've been very blessed to be able to do all that.

[00:19:25] JJ: [00:19:25] And, and folks, let me just tell you the significance of, of Jack leaving the Charlotte market, going to the Philadelphia market. I think now, okay. I might be a little off here, Jack, but at the time Charlotte was in the thirties, I think in terms of market, 

[00:19:42] Jack Brayboy: [00:19:42] market size. Right. 

[00:19:43] JJ: [00:19:43] It was the real deal because they were in the top five, 

[00:19:47] Jack Brayboy: [00:19:47] I think, right.

[00:19:48] Philly was number four in there yet. Yeah. And I was very lucky. Cause you know, at the end of most people aspire to get there at some point in their career want go [00:20:00] because big market means bigger exposure and certainly a lot less, I mean, a lot more in terms of that paycheck, you know, at age 20, I guess I was 22, you know, I got called, you know, I wasn't looking for a job, actually.

[00:20:12] They found me. So, um, I was very, very lucky to be able to, you know, Fast track my, what was my, my dream all along, you know, I got very lucky. I was able to do that at an early age and stuck around for a long time. Fuck around for a long time. 

[00:20:27] JJ: [00:20:27] I'm going to tell you, you know, Yeah. I can't remember what that a little formula was, but it comes from preparation and knowing what you're doing.

[00:20:36] And one of the things that I know about you, because I've, I've worked with you. I've partied with you. I've been around you, is that you are a man of the community. You are a, you are a people magnet, dude. You talk about me being all that nonsense, right? You're the same way. And Jack, why is that important to you and what you do that sense of community, [00:21:00] that sense of connection?

[00:21:02] Jack Brayboy: [00:21:02] Well, I think, you know, I've never really thought about it, but for me, it's just caught her way. You know, it's just, it's just nature's course, you know, you, if you, if you see your problem, you know, if you see something, you just can't sit there and talk about it, you need to be proactive in terms of trying to, you know, so like even with the high school stuff, I mean, you know, there's an issue there that needed to be addressed and we can either sit around and complain about it or we can actually do something about it.

[00:21:32] And, you know, and I, and I see things in and around Charlotte and Charlotte is, you know, it has grown like gang boxes, you know, but it still has, you know, it has its issues. And the only those issues get solved are by the people who are actually on the ground. And, you know, it's like riding over a pothole.

[00:21:52] Every day. Well, why don't you eventually call somebody and ask them to fix the pothole? 

[00:21:57] JJ: [00:21:57] You gotta get better. It's gotta get done, 

[00:22:00] [00:21:59] Jack Brayboy: [00:21:59] got to get done. And you know, I mean, I'm, I'm, I'm a fly on an elephant in terms of population and all, all that sort of stuff. But you know, a lot of fliers, you know, a lot of light, you know, you get a lot of hands on the ground and everybody brings unique skillset to certain situations.

[00:22:15] Well, I have mine, you know, if I, if I add it to a bunch of other folks, Then, you know, then you cook them would get, so that's always been, my approach is like, you know, whatever it is you can do, it's just in a general sense to anybody or anybody, you know, any of your lists. If there's something you can do, just do it, you know, otherwise, if you just, if you just did the rocket planning about where this is, No, this ain't right, or that ain't right.

[00:22:40] Well, look at yourself in the mirror and say, well, what have I done to you? Part of the problem, but part of the solution, there's no gray area. Are you working on it or working in it? You know, 

[00:22:51] JJ: [00:22:51] let me tell y'all folks right now. I remember having these discussions in our student council meeting with Jack and George Fullwood and chip [00:23:00] Saunders.

[00:23:00] And we would talk about this stuff back in the day and, and Jack, here's the thing that, that. Now, here you are back in Charlotte. We grew up on the West side. You know, Charlotte has changed so much. I mean, you know, and I haven't even mentioned, you know, your wonderful family, your mom and your dad, you know, dr.

[00:23:22] Bray boy, when he was know boy Jim, and all these stuff over Johnson, Smith university. But, but you've seen a lot now you've come back into it. What are you, what are your thoughts about where Charlotte is moving? 

[00:23:37] Jack Brayboy: [00:23:37] Well, Charlotte has, you know, it's funny when you go around town and you meet people and you know, so where are you from?

[00:23:45] Oh, I'm from Charlotte. They look at you funny. It's like, we don't run. We don't run into anybody. Who's from Charlotte. They're everybody, you know, it's from somewhere else. A lot of that had to do with the, uh, the, the, the business infrastructure here. You know, there are a lot of fortune [00:24:00] 500 company. It's one of the largest and certainly one of the largest banking centers.

[00:24:05] Once you get past New York, probably on the early on the East coast and certainly in the top, you know, top of the list in terms of the whole country. So that's what a lot of people in town for Charlotte is still trying to figure out what it is. You know, I mean, it kind of went from that sort of, you know, it's Atlanta life.

[00:24:25] It's the way I like to call 

[00:24:27] JJ: [00:24:27] you better. Believe 

[00:24:28] Jack Brayboy: [00:24:28] it. Yup. That's that's that's that's that basically sums it up. You know, Atlanta was always, you know, even when we were growing up, you know, we really wanted to party, you know, we had to go down to Atlanta, you know, cause there was nothing going on, you know, you could roll up the sidewalk at five o'clock and nobody would get, nobody would get hurt, you know, Cannonball through the middle of town and you wouldn't hit them.

[00:24:48] Right. So that's much different now, you know, there's a lot of that going on. It's been an, a big influx of, uh, Oh of the next generation, [00:25:00] so to speak, you know, who were in here. And, uh, it's, there's a lot of gentrification going on in Charlotte. Uh, you know, and it's, it's turned into a unique place, but I feel if somebody had to ask me, well, what is Charlotte or who is Charlotte or whatever the case may be.

[00:25:17] I couldn't come up with a definitive answer in terms of style culture. You know, it's, it's there. What there's I can't define it. If that makes sense. 

[00:25:29] JJ: [00:25:29] That makes total sense. And again, for folks that know Charlotte, like we know Charlotte, don't sit back, do something, let people know who you are, where you're out there.

[00:25:40] Um, I, you know, it's amazing when I come home, I see all these places that I used to know, and some of them are gone. Some of them are still hanging out like chicken coop, right. Between two big old, um, Whatever those big high rises, right. Between here and a little chicken coop. You know what I mean? Mr. C's on [00:26:00] Betty's Ford road.

[00:26:01] I mean, we got Jack. I mean, I got, there's so many things that we could talk about all the, of course the social changes that are going on in the area, different things like that. Yeah. But do you see positive things coming for Charlotte? Do you see positive things for the West side? Do you see positive things for Garinger talk about that a little bit.

[00:26:22] Jack Brayboy: [00:26:22] Right? Well, uh, within the last few years, and you know, much to our dismay, Charlotte was ranked 50th out of 15, you know, major cities or whatever in the, in the country. In terms of, uh, opportunity, particularly economic doctors. So they've done a real deep dive. I mean, all the, you know, a lot of in the, in the big buildings downtown, and certainly the politicians, city, government, and a lot of the philanthropic organizations downstairs, you know, where we've got to correct this.

[00:26:51] Cause we can't, we can't continue to have this, you know, uh, I think a lot of, at least from my perspective has to do with education and [00:27:00] the fact that again, No, there's no more desegregation. So school folks schooling and all that sort of stuff, they stay in their neighborhoods and stay in their bubble.

[00:27:09] Therefore they don't get the opportunity to mix and mingle and see what the other folks are all about. And that goes both ways. So I think a lot of it stems from that. What, uh, if the problems are being addressed, for sure. You know, again, the achievement gap and education, economic opportunity gap. Um, Folks are trying to, you know, you can't throw money at everything.

[00:27:32] You know, money is not the it's not going to solve all the problems, but you need to empower people and show them how and give them a leg up in terms of how they can build and own their own empowerment. So to speak. I think that has been, that has, that has we had a dress and I think the Charlotte in, in many ways, It's moving in the right direction, but just like everything else, [00:28:00] you know, it's just going to take time because it didn't get this way overnight and it's not gonna change overnight 

[00:28:05] JJ: [00:28:05] 100% Jack real quick.

[00:28:07] Give us the Garinger foundation website and your business's website, if you can. 

[00:28:13] Jack Brayboy: [00:28:13] Sure. Uh, well, my website is gray boy communications. My last name is spelled B as in boy, R A Y B O Y communications.com. And the Garinger education website is a Garinger education. Garinger's spelled G A R I N G E R education foundation.org.

[00:28:36] And we also, with regards to that real quick, we also just established a, uh, a endowment within like a couple of months. Uh, we got up to over a hundred thousand dollars and, uh, right, right with that. So. No, it's moving, it's moving. It's really moving and I'm, and I'm happy to give that report. And the fact that we're going to continue to move forward is [00:29:00] certainly a blessing.

[00:29:02] JJ: [00:29:02] You know, I called you and I told you I'm gonna get back involved. Cause y'all, I, you know, I'm gonna, I'm gonna brag on Jack and myself a little bit. We're we're in the Garinger hall of fame, Jack.

[00:29:15] Jack Brayboy: [00:29:15] Yeah, that might be the only one I did. I'm good with that 

[00:29:23] JJ: [00:29:23] to Jack and I am good with connecting back with you, my friend, and I'm looking forward to keeping the, our relationship going and anything I can do, you know, I'm going to get back in touch, but thank you for taking the time to talk to me. Okay. 

[00:29:37] Jack Brayboy: [00:29:37] I appreciate it, JJ, and you take care of yourself and all the folks down there, you got a good man on the other end of this microphone, stay warm, stay close to him.

[00:29:46] He's going to take you in the right direction. 

[00:29:48] JJ: [00:29:48] And I appreciate Jack man, have a great day. 

[00:29:50] Jack Brayboy: [00:29:50] You too. Thanks. You 

[00:29:53] JJ: [00:29:53] know, I really enjoy interviewing folks and that was a very enjoyable interview for me. And [00:30:00] now folks, here's something to think about. Have you ever asked the question of why should I give back now, keep in mind that most people find themselves in need at some point in their lives.

[00:30:12] So today you may be the person with the ability to help, but tomorrow you may be the recipient of someone else's volunteer effort. Even now you might be on both sides of the service cycle. Maybe you are a tutor for someone who can't read wild last month, the volunteer ambulance rushed you to the emergency room, whatever side of the cycle you're on.

[00:30:34] You can make a difference. What do you have to give? Thank you so much for being a part of the show this week. We've got a great show coming up next week. So make sure you join me for another edition of the Jeff Johnson show a real genuine, authentic podcast from me to you. Have a great day. It's the Jeff Johnson show brought to you [00:31:00] by ote@ofthisearthglobal.com of this earth.

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