photo by steed media service

As a child growing up in Bronx, N.Y., Jon Gray envisioned a future where he’d become a modern-day Malcolm X or Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. But after the crime-ridden streets lured him into a life of drug dealing and corruption, the 22-year-old found himself straying from his childhood dreams. It was during a stint in prison that Gray realized it was time to get his life back on track. “After I got locked up, I felt like I had too much potential to be there. When I saw who was with me in the cell, I knew I was too smart for [prison],” he recalls.

Gray decided to make some changes in his life and aspired to launch his own legitimate business. Upon his release, he immersed himself in learning as much about the clothing business as possible, even enrolling in New York’s famed Fashion Institute of Technology. The result of his hard work is an eco-friendly T-shirt line that has met with much success.

Since launching, Gray’s garments have been picked up by several high-end retailers and he’s currently in negotiations with larger retailers such as Fred Segal and Bergdorf Goodman to possibly carry his line.

Getting into the fashion industry isn’t the only change in Gray’s life. He’s also set his sights on giving back to his community by mentoring eighth graders as a part of the Saving Our Sons program. Gray says it was important to reach out to youth because he understands what they’re going through.

“I could help them because they can relate to me. I’m young and speak the same language they speak,” he explains. “But hopefully when they see how I’m doing now, they [will] realize [that success is] feasible.” -ivory m. jones

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