The Gregorys Have Dedicated Themselves To Uplifting The Black Community

President Obama has recognized John and Pamela Gregory for making positive changes in the Black community. The married couple are cofounders of several organizations: The National Center for Urban Solutions, The National African American Male Wellness Agency, Academy for Urban Scholars, and NCUS TEC. They began working together 30 years ago, with zero funding and no real guidelines as to how to accomplish their goals. And yet to date, the Gregorys have raised millions in funding, helped over 50,000 families, and provided employment opportunities for more than 10,000 people of color.

African-American men are more likely to die of chronic diseases than their white counterparts. The Gregorys established the National African American Male Wellness Agency in 2004 in order to empower men of color to understand that through prevention, they can live longer. The awareness campaign is the largest wellness initiative of its kind in Ohio, having provided free health screenings to tens of thousands. It has expanded nationally to Atlanta, GA, Charlotte, NC, Indianapolis, IN, New Orleans, LA, Renton, WA and Washington, DC.

In addition to providing testing, the Agency supports Black men in the areas of fatherhood, mental health, financial wellness, mentorship, and physical wellness with the intention of extending life expectancy. A recent “UpLift Her” initiative expanded the scope of the nonprofit to promote health and wellness among women of color by providing them with health education and resources.

The National Center for Urban Solutions, also founded by the Gregorys, has helped thousands of Black men and women remove themselves from public assistance through workforce training and employment opportunities. The Academy for Urban Scholars has assisted hundreds of urban youth in obtaining high school diplomas.

NCUS TEC was birthed out of the need to provide technology credentialing for African-Americans. Blacks in America are often overlooked for tech jobs because they lack the skills needed. NCUS TEC aims to make sure that Black people are equipped to participate in this technological revolution.

In the midst of this journey of growing their four businesses, John Gregory lost his sight and battled cancer twice. The couple had to come together even more powerfully in order to accomplish their goals. They persevered in the face of fear and relied on their community for support.

Pamela Gregory serves as the CFO for the National Center for Urban Solutions, African American Male Wellness Agency, Academy for Urban Scholars, and NCUS TEC. “Everything that we do is rooted in service,” she says. “Helping others is in my DNA. I know that by serving people, I am honoring God. That’s the north star that guides me and everything else just falls into place.”

Because she is pursuing her passion, Gregory says that her work never really feels like work. She loves empowering people to take ownership of their lives. “Our Black-owned companies actively work towards giving back to Black people. If nobody else is going to take care of us, we have to be the ones to do it. And it’s not just about giving out hand-outs. It's about giving people tools so that they can be independent and take care of themselves. We offer education, health and wellness services, and workforce training. We designed our organizations to be a resource for people who want to take ownership of their own destiny.”

Securing funding is one the biggest battles that the Gregorys face. That and believing in themselves even when others don’t. “In the beginning, we had to fund our projects with our own personal assets and prove ourselves against all the doubters,” Pamela Gregory says. “We stayed within our means and started small. When we had begun delivering results, we applied for grants from foundations.”

“Life goes fast,” Gregory says. “I try my best to enjoy the good and remember that the not-so-good is only temporary. I want to make sure that everyone has the tools and knowledge to build their community so that they can survive whatever life throws at them. Most importantly, I want people to know that you have to believe in yourself. Believing in yourself is the best thing you can do.”