ORLANDO, Fla. – It’s not every day that you literally interview a local legend.
This week on Black Men Sundays host Corie Murray returns to his February 2022 interview with Rev. Dr. Randolph Bracy Jr back – famous and remembered as a father, pastor, church planter, civil rights activist, educator, leader and more – who sadly passed away earlier this month on Father’s Day at the age of 79.
What a 77-year-old Bracy brought to the Black Men Sundays table in 2022 was some of what you’d expect, including advice on building generational wealth and whatnot, but he also described inspirational encounters with a wealthy colleague . Familiar characters or two, for example when he visited the tomb of dr Mary McLeod Bethune as an academically struggling teenager.
According to Bracy, Bethune and her namesake’s institution saved his life.
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“I wanted to be a doctor. Well, you know, at that time there were only two HBCUs with medical schools. That was Meharry and Howard. So I would be the doctor who would turn the world upside down. If you’re listening to me, and please don’t be offended if I say this, I’ve always had a good self-image, but I got kicked out of school and they told me I wasn’t cut out for college, so I did I tried to reapply for FAMU, but FAMU didn’t accept me,” he said. “…I passed the grave site on campus of Bethune Cookman when they had the grave of Mary McLeod Bethune and what is so powerful, something electrical magnetized into my personality and it was a place that made me feel gave.” As a personality, it restored who I was as a person. Some people might say I was very confident in my position, others might say I was cocky but I had been completely incapacitated but then Bethune was a place that made my self-esteem, that hubris if you will restored.”
A Duval County native who served as president of the Orange County NAACP and founded the New Covenant Baptist Church of Orlando, he later served as principal of Bethune’s School of Religion.
It was one of the many legacies he would leave behind in his mortal transition his church formulated it.
Bracy was thrilled as he described what it meant for his two children – State Senator Randolph Bracy III and State Representative LaVon Bracy Davis – to become politicians to make a difference.
“If you’re talking about levers of power, thank God you know, ‘What’s Rev. Bracy thinking?’ That could be on the first lips of every congressman, man, or mayor: “What’s Rev. Bracy thinking?” Luckily I have a wife who keeps me quiet and all that, but one of our goals was, something to effect. Some of you may remember that there used to be a show on TV called Dynasty. Corie made a statement earlier. My son goes by my name, my daughter goes by my wife’s name, which is very unusual, but you know what? It’s about leaving a legacy. I told you earlier that I’m 77, I’ll be 78, okay? The Lord has blessed me and you know what? I want to leave a legacy for the generation to come that when I’m dead and gone, they’re going to say, ‘Gosh, did you see what they did?’ And as a black man, I’m really excited for the generations to come to leave a legacy.”
Bracy is survived by his wife, Dr. LaVon Wright Bracy, and their children.
Hear the full interview and more here Season 2, Episode 29 of “Black Men Sundays”.
Black men on Sundays talks about building generational wealth. Check out each episode in the media player below.
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