Building a Brighter Future

With a family lineage that goes back more than 200 years in Winston-Salem, Ray Robinson is about as homegrown as it gets. Pushing his family’s legacy forward is always at the forefront of his mind, especially in terms of building a better future for his wife, Glasher, and his two daughters, Lauren and Logan.

“It’s incredible to walk in the footsteps and be in the places where your ancestors have lived. There’s a rich camaraderie among Winston-Salem’s African American community that’s like no other place. It’s a living history that we create each day,” said Ray.

“I’ve been blessed enough to be a part of that heritage through my great-grandfather, who owned a grocery store in East Winston, and my grandmother, who was a registered nurse for 50 years at Baptist Hospital—they each helped care for an entire generation of African Americans.”

Continuing his family’s legacy, Ray has provided care for his community throughout his career in the nonprofit sector and healthcare administration. And as an advisory board member and Bass Society donor to the Black Philanthropy Initiative, he embraces the power of collective giving and community-led change.

“Being able to help support what BPI does and being connected to the who, what, and when of Black philanthropy in Winston-Salem is indispensable. I hope that 200 years from now, somebody looks back and says that Winston-Salem is a better place to live because of the contributions we’re making today through BPI.”