100 Black Men of Greater Cleveland Inc. Real Men Magazine January 2023 Issue

COVER STORY

LAYING THE FOUNDATION FOR THE FUTUTRE

By James W. Wade III Editor

The 100 Black Men of Greater Cleveland, Inc. we have a new Chairman starting January 1, 2024; Gregory Lockhart is now Chairman-Elect and is a driving force in the Cleveland Chapter with his participation and interventive ideas. Knowing he has many great qualities of a good leader because he is a great communicator and an excellent listener. He always allows time for others to speak. Greg is from East Cleveland and clearly understands the organization’s vision and shares it with the people involved in the part of planning he is communicating to. Kicking off the year, Real Men Magazine wanted to spend some time with Greg and wanted some individuals who may not know him to get to know who he is.

RM: Tell us about your career

Well, which one? I look at it from the perspective of the career I am currently experiencing and the one I retired from. During the pandemic, I retired from my first career in September 2020. I worked on the streets of Northeast Ohio and beyond, covering the news as a photojournalist for hometown television stations WEWS TV5, WKYC TV 3, and WJW TV 8 for 38 years. For the most part, it was a rewarding experience where many days, the story or stories I covered, transplanted me into someone else’s World, where I got a bird’s eye view of their situation and was engulfed by their joy, pain, or often, tragic loss. It was challenging initially, but it motivated me to get more community involvement.

There were many assignments I won’t soon forget, including traveling to Kosovo on a Red Cross humanitarian mission, to Haiti for the Cleveland Playboy bunny who started an orphanage, to Centennial Park for the bombing in Atlanta during the 1996 Summer Olympics and covering several Presidents and Presidential candidates on their visits to Northeast Ohio. There were many more too

numerous to name, but because I’m such a huge sports fan, I’ll end with a few from that genre. I had the pleasure of covering Ohio State in the Rose Bowl, the disappointment of the Indian’s loss when they had it won, the Florida Marlins at their park in the 1997 World Series, covering the World Series loss to the Cubs in 2016, the Cavs getting swept in 2007 in the NBA Championship by the Spurs in San Antonio. I will always cherish experiencing the city’s euphoria while covering the Cavs NBA Championship win and parade in 2016.

But the stories that made the most significant impact on me were many where ordinary people showed extraordinary resolve, resilience, and determination to overcome incredible life obstacles. My current career is - doing what I want when I want to. The freedom to choose what I will do on any given day, instead of being told what to do, is liberating. It allows you to grow, explore, prioritize, and much more. You can focus your time, talent, and resources on what matters most. I strive every day to do just that.

RM: What High School did you attend, and did you play sports?

I played baseball, basketball, and football. The East Cleveland Chiefs, a football organization, still creating incredible opportunities for young boys today, was where I got my start in football. Many of those kids I played with as a peewee are still my friends today. The coaches were dedicated men who helped guide and mold us into good football players and human beings. There is no doubt coaching is a compelling form of mentoring. There were many talented athletes from our neighborhood, and most of them played at Shaw High School, which was the neighborhood school, while some of us attended other schools, including St. Joes’’s, St. Ed’s, Chanel, and Cathedral Latin, where I attended and played football.

RM: How did you get involved with the 100 Black Men?

I witnessed the 100 Black Men of Greater

Cleveland, Inc. from afar. One of the members of my church at the time, and a mentor for my wife, the late Norma Singleton, mentioned the 100 to me because her husband, Julius, was a founding member and thought the organization might be a good fit for me. At the time, I was researching starting a non-profit of my own, focusing on telling positive stories in the black community. Because I was still working, I decided to focus my energies on the 100 instead of creating something from scratch that would require something I needed to have - a great deal of time. The reason I joined the 100 and have been involved to various degrees for so long is the same today as it was back in 2003 when I joined. And that is to be a mentor and source of support while positively impacting the lives of young African Americans as they navigate the complex, unique challenges in their lives.

RM: Share your thoughts about the Four for the Future programs

The Four For the Future pillars are Mentoring, Education, Health and Wellness, and Economic Development, derived from the 100 Black Men of America, Inc., areas of focus. We are one of

over one hundred chapters within the United States and abroad that devise programming, events, workshops, and more to keep our communities informed and engaged in making the future brighter for the current and next generations. All four components are essential to the survival and success of the community and the families, businesses, and individuals that comprise it. While each of them speaks to a concern, access to healthy foods and health disparities within Health and Wellness, jobs, entrepreneurial opportunities, and financial literacy within Economic Development, Mentoring and Education are the two areas where we have a laser focus with the goal of intellectual development, which will help our mentees make better decisions in all aspects of their lives. As we examine our programming, we want to impact more young people as we bring on new mentors, expand the different ways we reach our mentees, including meeting them where they are, and strengthen our partnerships and collaborations, as we explore and establish new ones.

RM: Tell us some memorable moments you saw in the 100.

When you volunteer your time in an organization to try and make a difference, the most memorable moments are when you see a distinction being made. Over the years, I have had the pleasure of seeing many young people grow and mature. There is an incredible feeling when you know your support to a young person benefits them. When a kid experiences success, no matter what form it takes, it is essential for the mentor to applaud the mentee for that accomplishment and to take a moment and acknowledge it. One of the most unforgettable experiences I have witnessed is the sight of so many young African American boys at our National Convention. It is incredible to see hundreds of mentees with their mentors, family, and support systems gathered together in one location, dressed in clothing, displaying their local chapter logos, and representing their city and community. And see them compete, interact with one another, and attend sessions designed especially for their benefit and enjoyment, motivates them to work harder to reach their goals. I must add, with last year being the 25th anniversary of our chapter beginning, celebrating our history with members who have contributed and given of themselves over the years, along with reliving precious

moments through photographs, memorabilia, conversations, and gatherings, has been incredibly rewarding.

RM: For some youth, mentoring is the motivating factor that helps them see new life possibilities. It exposes them to successful men and women they may never encounter in their formative years. Please share how we can better our efforts in this area of mentoring.

Mentoring is a two-way relationship built on trust, where consistency, commitment, and accountability are paramount. We talk a lot about our motto, “What They See Is What They’ll Be,” because we know it’s essential to show what’s possible well before we talk about it. We take a considerable responsibility very seriously to be an example to our youth and let them see through us that anything is possible. So, how do you make any relationship better? You have to put in the time, be a good listener, be willing to compromise, and, most importantly, put in the work that’s needed to make it successful. I know many members of the 100, including myself, get just as much, if not more, from the mentee/mentor relationship as the young person does.

RM: Tell us a little about how you enjoy your free time and hobbies.

The older I get, the more precious my time becomes. Although I am retired, on any given day, there still is a decision to make about what I have to do, need to do, and want to do. However, unless it is a family emergency, scheduled appointment, or self-imposed deadline, I don’t “have” to do anything. So, my time is divided among the things that interest me, challenge me, and create a sense of fulfillment. I am a lifelong learner, so I always seek to learn new things and increase my understanding of things I know. I love being outside when the weather is good, so I enjoy attempting to play golf. I still like storytelling via video production, so I continue producing various projects I choose to work on. I have

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always been fond of live music, theatre, and the arts in general, and I look forward to traveling adventures with my wife, Theresa, and I, will embark on in the future.

RM: Share your enjoyment sharing at Wade Park tutoring our youth.

I enjoy working with our mentees in all the ways we do. The tutoring/reading program at Wade Park Elementary is rewarding because you can see the progress students are making literally from week to week. We have mentors working with the same students for the school year so that you can connect with the students in their school environment. The students look forward to it because it takes them out of their routine for an hour once a week and gives them something different to look forward to. We usually end the session with some hands-on science experiment that 100 member Dr. Ernest Smoot conducts.

RM: Who has inspired you in life?

I’m inspired by life itself. Every day is a new

opportunity to be inspired and to be an inspiration to others. Also, if we look through a more open and inviting lens, we may see things we never saw and realize that inspiration can and does come from unexpected people and places. I look forward to the change of seasons, especially leaving winter as we enter spring. It is refreshing to see the rebirth that spring provides, with grass growing, flowers blooming, and temperatures rising. Spring is a reminder that you can always begin again and that what was once dormant can come alive, whether it’s an idea, relationship, opportunity, or anything else. That is inspiring.

RM: Share some things about your life and family.

Recently, I shared a birthday dinner with my brother, and among other questions, he asked me this, have you had any regrets in your life? I thought for a minute or so and replied, no, not really, except for maybe not exploring some other interests in broadcasting at the beginning of my career. Instead, I thought about how I

met my future wife, Theresa, at Kent State University, got married years later, and have been married for 34 years. What a blessing she has been to me. I thought about my dad, who passed away in 2015 at the age of 83, and my mom, Miss Bobbie, who is still with us, and how they taught my brother Lorenzo and me that family (both immediate and extended) is the most important thing one can have and that you should cherish each other and the time you spend together. They preached that it takes a village to raise a community and that it is our responsibility to participate and do our part. So, I have always wanted to live a life that made the people I love and the people who love me proud of me. I want to pay tribute to my ancestors who sacrificed for me and others so that we could have more opportunities and pathways to be successful. And that is why I’m trying my best to build on their legacy through my life and the mission of the 100 Black Men of Greater Cleveland, Inc.

The future for the 100 Black Men of Greater Cleveland, Inc. seems brighter with Greg Lockhart, who appears ready to step into the Chairman role and implement some of his ideas with the organization.