father coach club Archives - Rolling Out

Father’s F1rst joined a seat at the table to speak with Black fathers hosted by Osei The Dark Secret, the conversation was with professionals and regular men who are fathers. Mawuli Davis and Marvin Arrington, Jr both high-profile lawyers in Atlanta, Georgia. Former Atlanta Falcon Professional NFL, Chuck Smith, and father of Father’s F1rst CEO,…

Television and radio personality, Dr. Rashad Richey and author of The New Norm, Keith A. Lewis, Jr. teamed up for Father’s Day to bring conversations to local barbershops about fatherhood and family. They also paid for haircuts and provided free copies of Lewis’s book to barbers and patrons. According to Tony The Pro Barber, it’s…

Terry Skywalker is part owner of the popular underground entertainment series, Bonfire ATL. Born Terry Walker, he is the husband of Bryce Walker and father of 7-year-old Kabry. Walker, who has a doctorate in business administration with a concentration in international business, established himself as a force within the entertainment industry in the late ’90s…

After another man who looked like the ones I admire was lynched for the world to see, my heart shattered. I tearfully drafted a text to the Black men in my life and pressed send. The sentiments that came flooding back were unexpected, heartbreaking and yet assuring. I got a rare glimpse into their quiet…

J. Wyndal Gordon was born in Washington, D.C., and raised Maryland. He graduated from Morgan State University and the University of Baltimore School of Law. Gordon is a well-respected trial attorney practitioner who represents individuals and small businesses in litigation matters throughout Maryland and D.C. federal courts. He also is a proud member of several…

Rolling out’s Father Coach Club series spotlights incredible dads such as Alex Benson on their journey through fatherhood. We share their success stories as Black men and fathers in America. Benson is the owner of Born to Compete, one of the premier youth sports media company outlets in the country. Benson graduated from Fort Valley…

Chef Aleem is the owner of Plated Pleasures Catering & Event Planning. He was born and raised in Washington, D.C., where his passion for preparing food was birthed in his mother’s kitchen. After relocating to Atlanta, he received formal training from Le Cordon Bleu. Aleem has attained apprenticeships and international travel with a culinary training…

Lawrence Smith is a southwest Atlanta native and a graduate of Georgia State University with a bachelor’s degree in marketing and master’s in sports management. He currently works for the New York City Department of Education as a pre-K program evaluator for schools across New York City. He previously worked for Democracy Prep Charter High…

Cole Parker is a self-proclaimed “manly feminist” who has a passion for women’s wellness and safety. Fueled by that passion, he and his brother Christopher founded Divas in Defense, which provides interactive and hands-on training services to women and girls. Parker spoke with rolling out about what he has learned about toxic masculinity from his…

Adrian Franks and his son (Photo Provided)Adrian Franks is an artist, designer and UX creative director at iX, the experience design division of IBM Global Business Services. The Brooklyn, New York resident has to his credit productions for some of the world’s biggest brands, including Toyota, Coca-Cola, AT&T, Bank of America, Ford, and more. When…

Cyrus Walker Alexander III, a graduate of Catawba College, is a remarkable father and grandfather. Through everything he does, he aims to inspire and influence youth to be the best they can be. Having survived prostate cancer, Alexander is grateful for his family, his health and the life experiences that got him to where he…

Calvin “DJ Infamous” Donald is one of Atlanta’s most sought-after deejays. The Lansing, Michigan, native and Alabama Agricultural & Mechanical University graduate, began deejaying at the age of 11 and has since become known globally for his skills as a radio personality, his mixtape collaborations, and as a Ludacris’ official tour DJ. He has also…

Christopher B. Stokes is an accomplished entrepreneur who has made a name for himself in the music industry with the discovery of such stars as Brandy, Immature, B2K, Jhene Aiko, Sevyn Streeter, Omarion, Marques Houston and more. He is a Los Angeles native who has been immersed in the music business since the age of…

Wayne Overstreet is the owner and CEO of Overstreet Production & Post, an Atlanta-based post-production house specializing in video and audio editing, graphics, 3-D animation and more. With more than 17 years of experience in film, movies and television, Overstreet is no stranger to hard work in the office or at home. He is the…

Michael Glover began his career in the food industry with the McDonald’s Corporation. He took full advantage of the opportunities for further training, mostly on the job, but with highly qualified members of staff from the McDonald’s corporation. Success in business and the challenge to rise above the life of the streets in order to…

Charles Jenkins is a pastor and an award-winning songwriter and producer. The Chicago native was previously the senior pastor of Fellowship Missionary Baptist Church. Jenkins discusses faith and fatherhood with rolling out. What legacy are you leaving for your children and the children of your community? The opening phrase of Proverbs 13:22 says, “A good…

Kevin Anthony Johnson, known as “Coach KJ,” hails from the SouthSide of Chicago, and he’s all about building courageous leaders. He’s been teaching and coaching leaders for over 20 years. He serves on the board of 826CHI, a non-profit creative writing center dedicated to amplifying the voices of Chicago youth. He’s an author, speaker and…

Germar Reed is the Principle Analytics Consultant at District Analyst LLC, a data analytics consulting firm based out of Washington, DC. In addition, he is a Senior Manager of Data Science and Analytics Advisory Services at Merkle Inc., where he leads a team of analytics consultants in supporting high-tech clients in Latin America. He is…

Markwei Boye, J.D. is the owner and CEO of Smart Business Tax Solutions, PLLC since 2000. A highly respected tax professional, Boye is a licensed financial advisor and lawyer whose broad expertise ranges from IRS Tax representation, small business tax solutions to estate planning for individuals and companies. Boye holds a bachelor’s of science degree…

Kevin Sharpley is a director and producer who has created a range of work that includes film, television, documentary, commercial, music video, multimedia, and video production. Sharpley is a graduate of the University of Miami and Miami Dade College. He was inducted into the Miami Dade College Alumni Hall of Fame in 2014. He is…