My Story:
Since I was a kid, I have been a conscious thinker and a self-starter, unknowingly the foundation of an entrepreneur and an activist. I fell in love with entrepreneurialism and networking over thirty years ago. In 1991, I started Joe's Limousine Service, and the following year, I hosted my first business networking event, "Jazz After Hours," at the DeLafayette Restaurant. Jazz After Hours made it to the rooftop of the infamous Prince Charles Hotel in downtown Fayetteville, featuring the great Malachi Sharpe. In the mid-1990s, I made my mark in the nightclub and promotions business. Me and my partner, Craig Davis, respectfully go down in history for having one of the biggest and era-changing nightclubs in the Southeast, The Red Roper. 

In 2002, my life changed when my daughter came to live with me. That same year, I hosted my first Black History Quiz Bowl. The black history quiz bowl allowed Fayetteville and surrounding city students to learn and match wits for cash and prizes.

In 2004, inspired by raising my daughter as a single dad, I started GOTDAD, a non-profit organization that advocated for dads and their families. Under GOTDAD, I continued the annual Black History Quiz Bowl and other community events. 

In February 2013, the Fayetteville Observer (Saturday Extra) did a cover story on the future and new direction of the black history quiz bowl. (Cover page | Page 1 | Page 2) 

In February 2016, The Fayetteville Observer (Saturday Extra) did a full-page story on the addition of our new subject categories: Business, Economics, Political, and Civic facts. (Fayetteville Observer article)

The Black History Quiz Bowl became a yearly community event and received recognition from Fayetteville mayors, the NC governor, and consistent community news coverage from the Fayetteville Observer. The greatest joy of the quiz bowl was kids saying, "They still remember black history facts they learned from participating." 

“Ride 2 Freedom” made history:
In February 2011, I organized the "Ride to Freedom" convoy. Following the Black History Quiz Bowl, we recognized African-American veterans with an escorted convoy to the Airborne & Special Operations Museum, courtesy of The Cumberland County Sheriff's Office motorcade. The following February, to commemorate and celebrate the returning soldiers from the "War on Iraq," we made the convoy inclusive.

MSNBC's Rachel Maddow Show took notice of this act of inclusivity. The "Ride 2 Freedom" convoy made national news and history, as Fayetteville became the second city in America to honor the soldiers with a homecoming. (Rachel Maddow clip)

President Obama publicly commended Fayetteville, North Carolina, for the valiant initiative to honor our American soldiers. 

Special appreciation to Sheriff Ennis W. Wright and the Cumberland County Sheriff's Office for their years of escorting "Ride 2 Freedom" convoys.

Follow my Journey:
Take a moment to read my community events spanning over 30 years. And to think, I am just getting started.

Sincerly,
Joe McGee