Titans of Black History: Drew, Randolph and Marshall.

In honor of Black History Month, we take a deeper look at three extraordinary Black men whose leadership, discipline, and courage reshaped America — and helped make our own professional journeys possible.

In this episode of Raw & Refined, we reflect on the legacies of:
•Charles Drew — pioneering surgeon and architect of modern blood banking, who challenged discriminatory medical policies with both brilliance and principle.
•A. Philip Randolph — founder of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters and strategic force behind labor and civil rights advancements through organized power and disciplined leadership.
•Thurgood Marshall — NAACP litigator turned Supreme Court Justice, whose strategic victories, including Brown v. Board of Education, dismantled legal segregation and transformed constitutional law.

But this conversation goes beyond history.

John reflects on what it means to practice medicine as a Black physician in a system that once segregated blood.
Greg examines the weight and responsibility of leading organized labor in today’s climate.
Rich discusses Thurgood Marshall’s legacy, and he explores the transition from courtroom advocacy to institutional leadership, and what it means to carry forward the mantle of legal excellence and accountability.

This is a conversation about stewardship. About pressure. About institutional power. About whether we are building something that will outlive us.

Black history is not about nostalgia. It is about responsibility.

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What does strength actually look like—and who gets to decide?
This episode of Raw & Refined begins with a moment that sparked outsized reactions: Caleb Williams, quarterback for the Chicago Bears, wearing painted fingernails to honor his mother. For some fans, it was a non-issue. For others, it became a referendum on masculinity.
But the deeper question isn’t about fingernails—it’s about the rules we’ve inherited around manhood.
Despite being one of the most athletic players on the field his entire life, enduring relentless pressure in his rookie season, and adapting into one of the league’s least-sacked quarterbacks through intelligence and escapability, Williams has still faced criticism that has little to do with football performance.
That pattern isn’t new.
We connect Williams’ experience to LeBron James, a generational athlete whose durability, dominance, and longevity are unmatched—yet who has long been labeled “soft” for his emotional visibility, leadership style, and willingness to express himself beyond the game.
From there, the conversation widens.
We explore how masculinity is policed differently across race, why Black men—especially elite athletes—are often required to prove toughness while suppressing expression, and how power changes the standards entirely. The discussion also examines the hyper-masculine archetype often associated with conservative white American culture and how exaggerated performances of strength—seen prominently in figures like Donald Trump—are frequently rewarded rather than questioned.
Ultimately, this episode isn’t about deciding what masculinity should be. It’s about asking why only certain expressions are allowed—and what it costs men to live inside those limits.
A candid, reflective conversation about sports, race, power, and the freedom to define strength on your own terms.

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Before the careers and credentials, John, Greg, and Rich were learning discipline and service in quieter ways.

In this episode of Raw and Refined, they reflect on their high school years (1984–1986), when they balanced sports, academics, and service work—from fast food and tutoring to student journalism and yearbook production.

Framed by a biblical reflection on quiet service, the conversation explores humility, unseen work, race, and how early experiences shaped the men and leaders they would later become.

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Think investing and retirement planning aren’t for people making under $60K? Think again.
In this episode of Raw & Refined, Rich, John, and Greg sit down with financial planner Anthony Williams to break down stocks, bonds, and first-time investing in plain language. We talk budgeting, retirement planning, and realistic money moves for everyday working folks—no hype, no judgment, just practical financial literacy you can actually use.

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The three Brothers talk about how loneliness affects our physical and mental health, why so many of us — especially Black men — struggle to connect, and how finding purpose can help pull us back toward meaning and community. This episode is brought to you by Holver Travel - www.holvertravel.com

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This episode is brought to you by Holver Travel

John and Rich discuss the importance of shutting it down. They explore what true rest looks like — and how Black men can unlearn the grind mentality. This episode is brought to you by Holver Travel www.holvertravel.com

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You can check out the video of this episode on our YouTube channel.

This episode is brought to you by Holver Travel

John and Rich talk about high blood pressure, stress, what Brothers need to know about hypertension and ways to mitigate their blood pressure issues. They talked about the silent epidemic, how stress and culture drive hypertension, taking ownership of our health, and healing the whole person (spirit, physical, emotional and mental).
Brought to you by Holver Travel - www.holvertravel.com

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This episode is brought to you by Holver Travel

Mentorship and success: Guiding the Next Generation of Black Men. In this two-topic episode, the three Brothers discuss mentoring the next generation of Black men, and then they switch gears slightly to discuss whether college is the golden ticket to success for young Black men as it was once perceived to be in the past.

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The Brothers are taking a short summer break from their usual format, but didn’t want to go quiet, so they put together this asynchronous episode all about summer fun, summer travel, and taking full advantage of all that your local hometown has to offer. As always this episode is brought to you by www.holvertravel.com, Your Passport to Paradise!

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This episode was envisioned before the Special Father’s Day message, but we didn’t have the time to do it justice before Father’s Day! Join the three Brothers as they discuss their experiences growing up with or without a father, and the different paths to fatherhood they’ve experienced. The chat is a juxtaposition of the different experiences they’ve had despite being so close to each other. They walked parallel paths but ended up in the same place. This episode is brought to you by Holver Travel. Get that concierge level service from www.holvertravel.com

Thank you from Raw and Refined. Please like, comment, subscribe and share with men who might benefit from this episode or this podcast!

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This episode is brought to you by Holver Travel