We had the good fortune of connecting with Devin Green and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Devin, what are you inspired by?
I don’t use this lightly but I am inspired by my culture. After traveling all over the world playing pro basketball for so long I truly got to see first hand how influential the African American culture is to the world and that made me proud. That in itself made me want to dive deeper into the origins of a lot of different staples in our community in regards to music, fashion and sports. Also to make matters even better I live in a hot bed of creativity here in Atlanta. I often time refer to Atlanta as the “promise land” for African Americans in the United States. Even though I am not originally from here, I’ve been here for nine years and it never seems to amaze me of how unapologetically Black individuals are. I love it! I’m inspired daily by our Rich Heritage in this city and this country.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I am the founder of the Rich Heritage Foundation and the Rich Heritage Classic. These concepts are my purpose in life. We are a grass roots 501(c)(3) non-profit organization based out of Atlanta. Our mission is to provide financial resources, technology, initiatives, and guidance to under – represented students, aged 11 – 24, considering the rich academic and cultural promises found at Historically Black Colleges and Universities. In our efforts we hope to preserve the past of HBCUs, pass on the legacy so it is not forgotten, and use the history of excellence, strength and resilience as a beacon of light to shape the future of HBCUs. Our unique differentiation is that we plan to use basketball as our vehicle and also a bridge to bring impact to our community. The Rich Heritage Classic is much more than a singular event. It’s an experiential platform dedicated to celebrating the tradition, honoring the legacy, and funding the future of HBCU basketball. Me and my team developed the Rich Heritage Classic (RHC) because we believe with the proper funding, HBCUs can recruit and retain top talent, and HBCUs and the black community can reap the rewards for years to come. The RHC is a means to provide enthusiasm, exposure, connection and community regarding HBCU athletics. It is a vehicle to fund programming of the Rich Heritage Foundation. I am a retired professional basketball player of fifteen years. The way basketball has affected my life is absolutely unfathomed and I want to use the game I love so dearly to do the same for my culture and communities all over the world. My road was the road less traveled in the athletic world. I am one of few that was able to attend an HBCU and go on to play at the highest level, the NBA. I am truly proud of that because I had the opportunity to go to Power 5 universities. I chose to believe in myself, my God given talent and Hampton University to put me in the best possible place to accomplish my goals and it was hard to beat the odds! But, through my faith and having a great support system that allowed me to lock in mentally, physically and spiritually. One of the biggest lessons that I’ve learned from all my experiences in life is learn when it is time to isolate and sacrifice. It hurts to have to cut yourself off from family, friends and loved ones but the real people will understand because they’ve too had to do the same at some point in their lives in order to level up. In regards to me and my brand/purpose I just want people to know me and my team are dedicated to invoking change and providing innovative solutions for HBCUs and student – athletes.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I think one of the most wonderful characteristics about the city of Atlanta is its approach to normalizing black business and the African American culture. You can’t deny its presence here and I love that! Me and my friends enjoy eateries, music and an occasional tasting of beer, wine and spirits. Fresh off the plane on a Friday I would definitely head up 85 North right to Louisiana Bistreaux (East Point Location) for some New Orleans style cuisine to fuel up for the afternoon, then after that we would hit 20 East to enjoy some nice brewed beer at Hippin’ Hops in the East Village. I’m pushing 40 so I definitely would need a nap after lol! We would reconvene and pop up at Social House on Auburn Ave. for some great music, food, drinks and laughter. I love being around innovative black minds and Social House definitely provides that type of atmosphere. We all know Atlanta is all about brunch so that would be priority. One of my favorite Saturday afternoon vibes in the city is Bar Vegan at Ponce City Market. After that I would head over to the Hendrixx Lounge, I love the outdoor patio option when the weather is fitting. For an OG Sunday is all about decompressing and one place I love to do that is on the east belt line. I literally spend whole days over there enjoying the scooters and the people, I would drag my friends along for that experience for sure. Monday I would take them up Buford Highway to take part in some Nigerian cuisine at Little Lagos. I’m starting to get into cigars from time to time so we would probably drive down to Virginia Highlands and hit up Highland Cigar Bar after. I pride myself in touching all parts of the city to get the holistic experience of Atlanta so Tuesday would be all about The Battery. There are so many wonderful restaurants including the likes of PH’East and a variety of other places to provide a great source of entertainment. Now, depending on what time of the year it was Wednesday and Thursday we would definitely have to hit up some professional games either Hawks, Skyhawks (G-League), Falcons, Dream, United. I didn’t mention the Braves because I’m an Ohio native and the 95′ Braves were responsible for the demise of my championship bound Cleveland Indians (Guardians.) So, yes I’m hating! I don’t like the Braves. We also have the new addition of the OTE Stadium in Midtown Atlanta at Atlantic Station. After any of those games it would have to be Rock Steady in West Midtown for the post experience. I’m all about Health & Wellness so Friday morning would be exploring some of my favorite health food markets which are Sevananda in Little Five Points and Your Lady Vitamin Shop in the Old Fourth Ward. On the way the back to the airport we would have to hit Slutty Vegan on Edgewood to get “Slutty Fied” to end out the week in ATL. A place to watch out for in the near future is Bar 44 out in Marietta off Canton Rd. It’s a headache for those who live on the North West side of the city to battle traffic coming into the city all time and this will be a nice location to chill and be around positivity without having to take that trip. Another place to look out for in regards to health and wellness is The Healing Environment in Smyrna. I hope all that read this enjoy the recommendations.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I most definitely have way too many people to shoutout throughout the course of my journey and I pray they know exactly who they are because my support system means everything to me. They constantly challenge me to grow as a person in so many ways. Shout out to the squad! Now, to the question, lol! I would have to thank God, my mother, my siblings , my God parents and Hampton University. I’m just thankful for my experiences with all my loved ones because they continue help shape me into the man that I am today.

Website: richheritageclassic.com

Instagram: @richheritagclassic

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/devin-green-34609190/

Other: Personal IG @officialdevingreen

Image Credits
-The image with me and the four other young men should be credited to the NBA (@nba) -The image with me in the backpack was taking by the NBPA (@nbpa) -The image with me talking to the young ladies should be credited to Martin Luther King HS (@mlkinghs) -The image with me in the black and white jacket should be credited to the Classic For Columbus (@classicforcolumbus -The image with me in the hat (A) should be credited to EJ Ferrer (@dynasty.ej) and H3 Collection (@h3collection) -The image with me in the tank top is @hamptonuniversity and should be credited to EJ Ferrer. -The image with me at the Washington Wizards arena should be credited to Are You Authentic (@areyouauthentic) Rich Heritage Classic (@richheritageclassic) Washington Wizards (@washwizards) and the Jr. NBA (@jrnba) -The image with me and the young me in brown and yellow should be credited to Beechcroft HS (#beechcroft)

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