Interview Series: Young, Gifted and Fresh-Micah Griffin

"True self-discovery is a lifelong journey, successfully mastered by those with tenacious drive and who are unafraid of failure." -Stacy Robinson

The people featured in this Young, Gifted and Fresh interview series are not necessarily what most people would consider to be accomplished, because the majority of society equates a sizable bank account as the only measurement of notable success. Instead, they are featured because they have veered from the beaten path and decided to take the road less traveled.  

Life is a journey is as clichéd a phrase as one could imagine, but sometimes there is profound truth in simplicity. Life's journey is complex, and a formidable burden, especially when there are no guarantees having not been born with a silver spoon. The Young, Gifted and Fresh that are featured are in the process of making their own way and living out their dreams.  

This series is one that I hope will be ongoing and ever evolving. For now, let me start with a few entrepreneurs, educators, stylists, and a nonprofit founder. They all have one thing in common; they have discovered their purpose and are chasing their dreams. Tune in every Monday over the course of the next few weeks as I introduce a few people worthy of the title, Young, Gifted and Fresh. 

Micah Griffin 

Micah Griffin has already achieved great success in a area that is close to his heart-helping people.  He is a continuous learner who is seeking a doctoral degree, a nonprofit founder and an instructor at his alma mater, Livingstone College. Did I mention he's not even 30-years-old yet?

Where does the name Heal Our People come from? 

The name Heal Our People Inc.  just came to me one night while I was reading, its almost as if God planted the name in my spirit. I wanted to create something that was all encompassing and truly expressed what this organization would be focused on- healing. With all the disparities that exist in the minority community, I felt it was well past time for us to “heal” ourselves as a collective unit internally and not rely on outside support, which often times is inadequate. The ideology that healing must happen from within lead to the notion of Healing Our People.

What inspires you to be socially conscious?

The world around me, people I come in contact with on a daily basis. As an African-American man we are often times faced with many challenges from accessing health services to being properly trained on fatherhood. I wanted to create an organization that addresses these needs and create a set of programs where minority men can be fully equipped to be the great providers God intended.

Who/what are some of your motivators? 

I’m my biggest critic, my fiancé is always telling me to not be so hard on myself, but I feel this organization is such a necessity and the mission is so important to the people we’re working with; I have to motivate myself to stay focused. Also, the great men of color that came before me, I sometimes feel obligated to carry on the work they first pursued.

Who had the biggest impact on you wanting to start a non-profit organization?

I can’t recall a single person that directly impacted me to start HOP.INC. I just saw a need in the community I was working in, and felt the strong desire to bring awareness and directly impact the lives of underserved minority men.

Who is your target audience?

Our mission is to directly improve the lives of minority men, more specifically minority men of color. We have however received support from a diverse group of people and organizations. Woodforest Bank, YMCA, and Head Start have all played an equally important role in helping us fulfill our mission.

What are some of the things discussed at an event like the 1st Annual Men's Day Luncheon held earlier this year?

At the Men’s Day Luncheon, we wanted to create an environment where we could celebrate minority men and establish a standard in their lives. We honored the late Mr. Curtis Douglas, a phenomenal man with many achievements in North Carolina law enforcement. We also honored 8 fathers who went above and beyond to ensure they were positive influences in their children’s lives. Our keynote speaker Atrayus Goode stressed the importance of dedication and commitment to being a positive influence in the community and in the home.

 

Tell me about the Minority Men's Health Fair.

Our Minority Men’s Health Fair is a collaboration we made with the local YMCA in Salisbury, NC to bring free screenings, education, and fitness initiatives to the community. We’ve partnered with several community health and human service organizations to provide a variety of services. We’ll have chiropractic screenings, child support information, blood pressure and cholesterol testing, fitness sessions, and mental health assessments just to name a few.

What are the long-term goals for your brand?

The long-term vision is to create a national organization that operates in a plethora of states. Also to establish local chapters that focus on specific campaigns to aid in eliminating the disparities that exists within the minority male population. We want to be a non-profit organization that participates in research that assists in creating policy at the state and national level. HOP.INC will partner with HBCU’s to bring our educational success agenda to campuses across the country and truly embrace the notion of “taking a village to raise a child”

What is the most important message you are hoping to convey?

That everyone can do something, no matter how small you may think your impact is the effect can be monumental. Also, the time of simply talking with no action has passed. In order to truly heal our people we must come together on common ground and create real solutions and programs to build up a generation of strong men.

 

What do you want the Faith and Stars readers to know about Micah Griffin? 

I’m dedicated to fulfilling the mission of HOP.INC and my passion is what drives me to succeed. God has equipped me to fulfill His purpose, and I’m just enjoying the drive!

It is so refreshing to find a young man humble and motivated to change peoples’ lives for the better. Heal Our People Inc. has the blueprint to bring about a much needed change in our society through a simple premise-education. Micah believes that through education people can be equipped with the tools needed to dissolve stereotypes, and achieve success in their homes and communities. In a world where self-centered thinking is praised and congratulated, Micah has decided to focus on the needs of the community in hopes to prosper underserved minority men. The media would like you to believe that minority men, Black men in particular, are baby producing machines with no intention of actively participating in fatherhood, and who are worthy of incessant, unjustified police brutality. I am extremely proud of Micah who is actively dispelling every negative stereotype associated with Black men. I personally can’t think of a person more suitable for the job than a young, Christian, educated, Black man.

Contact Info:

micah@healourpeople.org

IG: @healourpeopleinc

facebook.com/healourpeople

Twitter: @healourpeople

 

Tune in next Monday for the interview with the dream chaser, author, and educator, Dr. Jackie Walker.

If you or someone you know would like to be a part of the interview series, Young, Gifted and Fresh, contact me at stacysfaithandstars@gmail.com

Click here to read the previous interview with Shaunita Sykes.
Click here to read the previous interview with Shayla Courtney.
Click here to read the previous interview with Nicole Richardson.