Today we’d like to introduce you to Jay Stroud.
Jay, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I was born in 1980 in a small yet densely populated urban city outside of Philadelphia, Chester, PA. The city, mostly African-American, served as a community for hard-working, mostly blue-collar families. Rocked hard by the loss of industry to the north east region during the great depression the city struggled to maintain its economic stability. I have very vivid memories of the community and the struggles of the city as it was dealt a second blow by the rise of the crack/cocaine era. My parents were ages 16 and 17 at the time of my birth. Both of them from families with high morals and values were determined to raise me in a way that I would not succumb to the perils of that community. It was my experiences and what I saw, even at a very young age, and Chester that made me desire, even as a young boy, to want to help change the conditions of urban living for African-Americans in this country.
Individually, they were both determined to set the example of how to be successful despite where we came from and how to do it keeping values intact. Never married, my parents separated as a couple shortly after my birthday. By the early 90s both parents had moved me to northern Delaware just across the Pennsylvania border, still in the greater Philadelphia metro.
My father went on to pursue a career in the banking industry while my mother later married pursued as a career as a chemist. In 1995, we were living in Richmond, VaWhile my stepfather, a sailor in the Navy and stationed in Norfolk Virginia and my mother attended law school at the University of Richmond. She went on to be a patent attorney and serve as senior counsel for two major technology and manufacturing companies.
It was during the mid 90s stretch of three years living in Richmond Virginia where I began to struggle as a teen to stay out of trouble. While I run to the environment of Chester Pennsylvania I was still attracted to spending my time and unfruitful places doing less than great things. It was the summers of 9 and 596 where I ran the streets with friends, committing petty crimes and underage drinking to say the least of our activities.
While not completely Aware of my lifestyle my mother clearly felt an urgency to read direct my path. One day we attended Sunday service at Quioccassin Baptist church in Richmond where an announcement was made asking for teams to come to the next NAACP youth council meeting. I was not interested but my mother urged me to go. Little did I know that this would be a major turning point for the rest of my life.
The meeting was led by youth advisor, Drusilla Bridgeforth. I remain quiet for several meetings, some because of this interest and son because I was awestruck being in the presence of young African-American teens who were not troublemakers yet still considered “very cool.”
Slowly I became more and more involved in by the following year I was voted vice president of the hu slowly I became more and more involved in by the following year I was voted vice president of the used counsel and youth council and I was president the following year. Being involved in activities such as voter registration, protests and marching, community service and fun-filled youth activities developed in me and undying appetite for service. It was through this involvement where I developed an absolute passion to serve the African-American community and my surrounding community in general to make the lives of others in those around me better. I went to and to serve on committees at the state level and was a member of the national political action committee under the direction of now Pastor Jamal Bryant (then President if the NAACP National Youth and College’s Division), and then chair of the board of directors, Mrylie Evers-Williams.
I continued this passion for service into my collegiate experience at North Carolina Central University in Durham North Carolina. In college, I went on to serve as the president of the College chapter of the NAACP, The student government association executive board as the Chief Justice of the student judicial court. It was at that time when I got my first introduction to radio as cohost in music programmer for a show on it was at that time when I got my first introduction to radio as cohost in music programmer for a show on AudioNet Campus Access Radio.
Another major part of my experience at NCCU Was my involvement in the Sound Machine Marching Band where I played the tuba for three years. It was in band practice where I met my college sweetheart, Denita. At the time, she was a freshman from Charlotte North Carolina and was quite the active student herself. In addition to the marching band, she also was a star photographer for the yearbook and Campus Echo student newspaper.
After we both graduated from college our relationship continues to flourish. Between her finishing undergrad and prior to going to graduate school, we spent a year caring on a long-distance relationship living in separate cities in North Carolina. It was at that time, unknown to Denita, And certainly without her approval where I became involved with another woman. While the involvement was certainly very limited I ended all involvement in contact with the woman after two years. A little over a year after ending that involvement I became engaged to Denita and we made plans to be married and start a family. It was at that time where the other woman stopped and brutally murdered Denita. Tragically, I never told Denita of my involvement with the other woman.
As one could imagine, Denita’s family was devastated as were the families of all parties involved. It was a major shock and devastation to the communities around us; the university community, friends, classmates coworkers and the public in general. In addition to my personal grief from losing the love of my life, I was now faced with the public discourse and embarrassment from my poor and selfish decisions. From that point forward while I had a core of emotional supporters, The world at large hair come to know me not by my character or personality, but by the outcome and consequences of a poor and selfish set of decisions. It was the living definition of one’s “ reputation preceding them.”
I chose not to have a pity party or to seek consolation. While I certainly struggled with guilt for several years I also maturely viewed it all as consequences to my actions. I never felt guilty for the murder itself as it was a despicable act of which I had no knowledge or part of, but I had to except the fact that it was due to my decisions that these women’s lives had overlapped. I also excepted that while I experienced several years of being treated unfairly because people often responded to what they knew about me, read about me or heard about me rather than experiencing me, that it was all a part of the consequences of what I had done. Often times we do small things or even big things with minimal to no consequences and never appreciate the possibility of the greater consequences of these actions and decisions.
I later was blessed to find love again and marry and my wife, Crystal and I made a beautiful family. However, For years, I’ve experienced being unable to get jobs or even have my attempts to volunteer my services except it because of how people felt about what had happened. There were times when employers flat out directly told me that because of what happened to Denita and they refused to hire me. While Certainly felt personal I understood that I could not take it personally. Often discouraged I constantly had to re-encourage myself to focus on opportunities to serve people as best as I would be allowed.
It was when I started my professional financial services practice that I was able to spread my wings into service again. The deal I made with God was that if I take care of and nurture the needs of his people while servicing them that He would then in turn, service my needs to provide a living for myself and my family. It was here where I was able to start to live out my dream of being able to make an impact on the economic conditions of African-Americans in America. However small it may be, I am working hard to do my part.
However, my appetite for service was not completely fed. I felt the need to be more personal and to really share myself with people. Eventually, I was able to begin the path of doing just that with my work in the men’s ministry at the Rayof Hope church in Decatur, Georgia. Activity in this ministry leads to me joining an outreach ministry where once per month we serve food and take turns each month delivering a featured word of God in sermon format to men, women and families in need of food at a volunteer kitchen next to a homeless shelter. It was here I was able to be transparent about my personal struggles and gross spiritually and emotionally concerning format to help free others spiritually and emotionally.
Stepping out on faith in doing these things encouraged me to except more opportunities for service. I eventually became active in the NAACP again through a local chapter in the eastern greater Atlanta metro. It was through this involvement where I formed relationships with community leaders and local politicians.
These relationships produced an opportunity to do radio again. I partnered with two other people and we were all set with a start date to have a community activism driven radio show. And in the final moments, my partners backed out because they had expiring political career and felt it was damaging to their reputation to be associated with me.
Again devastated, A loving friend had some hard but loving words of encouragement. They encouraged me to live up to and abide by a large tattoo on my arm which reads, “Liberation.” The encouraging instruction was to no longer live in fear of my truth rather than to embrace my truth and tell my truth on the mountain tops. The good, the bad and the ugly. Two on my truth and be proud of myself in spite of my truth. Rather than living in fear of those bringing up my truth, be strong enough to share mushrooms and use it to free others regardless of what people have to say about it and how they react to it.
The encouraging instruction was to no longer live in fear of my truth rather than to embrace my truth and tell my truth on the mountain tops. The good, the bad and the ugly. Too on my truth and be proud of myself in spite of my truth. Rather than living in fear of those bringing up my truth, be strong enough to share mushrooms and use it to free others regardless of what people have to say about it and how they react to it.
It was when I committed to this mindset that God sent me a blessing in the form of fellow church members, author, Ashley Cochran and career project manager, Tiffany B. Glenn. Standing in full agreement of my truth mindset, together the three of us formed TRUTH: NO CHASER, A multi media company which produces an on air radio show and podcast that focuses on stories of redemption and inspiration for others. It is real talk for real people. Whether it our a reflection of current events or a guest in sharing their testimony, we embrace a no chaser style on providing Rall transparent truth so that people can get fed what they need spiritually and emotionally to truly free themselves and live as they were created to as individuals.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
It certainly has not been a smooth road. As I was once told, the greater the goal, the greater the opposition. We have to overcome naysayers and reminders of our past all the time. But I have men technical issues and everything else you could think of to slow down production. Yet we continued and were successful. The unique struggle to what we try to achieve is that unlike many other products or services, the enticing part about us is not what you see on the outside. Rather the inside so-to-speak. Whether one is committing to trust me and coaching them financially for building the trust relationship required to support or be a part of TNC, The desire to commit to engaging with us is based on relationship, trust and character. Things that one cannot put on the outside and make shiny and attractive. Things that have to be experienced rather than seen.
Please tell us about Truth: No Chaser.
We specialize in transparency. Prior to having any other guest on the show the three owners of TNC each took the “Hot seat” And shared our individual stories. We were strong, emotional yet clear and transparent with the intent and trusting that our strength to persevere with three others, even those quietly watching and supporting. Unlike many other shows we share ourselves so that others can be strengthened and sharing themselves In an effort to strengthen others. We do this by setting the stage for the guest to control the narrative for themselves. Often times people are diss swayed from sharing themselves or being transparent because others take their words and control the narrative. Rather than us locking people into a set structured interview, we set the stage for them to take over and make it their show so that they can reach others as best as they feel to reach people. I had been offered many interviews by major news outlets and large networks. I had always turned down there offer is for me to “Share my side of the story.” I was never interested in selling my side of the story rather I always only wanted to tell the truth regardless of how it made me look. But the narrative would it be to three others it would be for their show and to provide drama and sensationalism to drive ratings. This is why I felt comfortable with Voyage being The absolute very first publication to share my story. Because I trusted in voyages intent to truly inspire others and to allow me to set the narrative so that the focus can remain on inspiring others.
I hold much to the same uniqueness with my financial services practice. I do not tell or impose on people what they should do. Rather I hear and learn the goals and learn what is comfortable for them and coach them in GuideOn informed them on solutions and concepts to achieve their desired end. It’s always the clients narrative and not mine. Much like with TNC; it’s always the guests narrative and not ours.
If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
Because there was a loss of life in my story, I certainly would have made decisions to not even lead down that path. But even if that were not presentable and most certainly would have been more strong and determined being confident in sharing my story to three others regardless of what those people who choose to be angry or ridicule think or feel. There are people to be freed and I’ve Learned when we are not weary in well doing God says blessings to help complete the mission.
Contact Info:
- Website: thetruthnochaser.com
- Phone: (404)319-5106
- Email: thetruthnochaser@gmail.com
- Instagram: @truth_no_chaser and @sower_of_seeds
Image Credit:
Marcus Goodman (Marx Photos)
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