Remembering Charles W. "Chuck" Cherry, II, Esq.

Get the Point!

This past weekend I lost a mentor and good friend upon the transition of Attorney Charles W. “Chuck” Cherry, II, a perspicacious Brother who died just weeks shy of his 67th birthday.

I must begin by acknowledging that Chuck Cherry was the living embodiment of a Renaissance man as he wore the hats of family man, Morehouse Man, author, lawyer, philosopher, newspaper publisher, and marketing executive—and wore them well!

As I wrote on Facebook shortly after learning of his untimely passing, one of my very first writing jobs after law school was granted to me by Cherry, my Big Morehouse Brother and fellow University of Florida College of Law alumnus, who took a very active interest in my development as an editorial writer after reading several of my pieces in the Capital Outlook newspaper that was published by another mentor, the late Roosevelt Wilson.

Cherry, the scion of a legendary Black newspaper, radio network, and politically active family, told me that my own passion for writing, which was then an intellectual release from the daily law grind, was more than welcome in the pages of the Florida Courier, the Black newspaper that his family founded which circulated across the Sunshine State during a time when most Black newspapers were locally owned and focused.

Not long after my tenure as a writer at the Courier began, I was retained as counsel in what would become known as the Kappa Hazing case in 2006. This particular case found five brilliant young members of the Alpha Xi Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi at Florida A&M University charged under the state's then new Chad Meredith Felony Hazing Act—and facing five years imprisonment per man as a result.

While the Courier joined a press corps from across the world that covered the proceedings, after two of the five Brothers were convicted (the sentences were later overturned on appeal), I was blessed to chat off record with Brother Cherry, a former prosecutor and long-time member of the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, about hazing in general, the Kappa case specifically, and the long term impact that the worldwide scrutiny would have on Black Greek Lettered Organizations. For those reasons and many other reasons, I will remain grateful to Brother Cherry for the rest of my own life.

Hobbs circa ‘06-’07 during the second trial of five of my Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Brothers in Leon County, Florida. The following week Brother Charles Cherry’s editorial in the Florida Courier was entitled “Kappa’s Wood No Longer Good,” which was an homage to the very real threat of imprisonment that young fraters and sorors across the state were facing…

This past Monday, Morehouse College (and the Morehouse Alumni Association) paid tribute to Cherry, a proud member of the Class of ‘78, with the following encomium:

In Memoriam: Journalist and Morehouse alumnus Charles "Chuck" Cherry II, Esq., MBA '78 passed away on Saturday, July 15, at 66.

Chuck Cherry II was a fierce champion of the Black press and a relentless warrior for social justice. As publisher of the Daytona Times and the Florida Courier, he dedicated decades to steering the editorial operations to ensure that the voices and stories of the Black community were heard and amplified.

Chuck was an exemplary leader at Morehouse, serving as Basileus of the Psi Chapter of #OmegaPsiPhi Fraternity, Inc., Student Government Association representative, and an accomplished four-year track letterman in high jump.

Finishing his B.A. degree in journalism in 1978, Chuck continued his academic pursuits, earning both his M.B.A. and J.D. degrees from the University of Florida in 1982. Admitted to the Florida Bar in December 1983, Chuck Cherry served as a Fort Lauderdale city and South Florida state prosecutor, practicing law for 21 years before returning to journalism and newspaper publishing upon the passing of his father, Charles W. Cherry Sr.

Not only was he a dedicated attorney and publisher, but Chuck Cherry was also an accomplished author. His book, "Excellence Without Excuse: The Black Student's Guide to Academic Excellence" published in 1994, became a valuable resource in college-preparation classes and seminars. In 2016, he co-wrote "Fighting through the Fear" with his Morehouse College roommate and Omega Psi Phi Fraternity brother, C. David Moody, Jr '78.

In 2019, Chuck founded 623 Management, Inc., an ad agency with the mission to develop and disseminate messaging tailored to resonate with Black America, with a particular focus on understanding and reaching Florida's Black population through comprehensive marketing strategies.

Chuck Cherry's legacy lives on through his children, daughter Chayla Cherry (Spelman' 22) and son, a current Morehouse student, Charles W. Cherry III '26, as well as his former wife, Lisa Rogers Cherry, brother Dr. Glenn Cherry, sister Cassandra Cherry Kittles, and many in-laws and relatives.

I am proud to acknowledge that this blog is an outgrowth of Black newspapers like the Florida Courier that have reported on events worldwide—while keeping the unapologetically Black perspective about the pertinent people, places, and events of our age front and center.

Photos of Chayla Cherry, Charles Cherry III, Lisa Rogers Cherry, and a host of mourners during yesterday's natural burial service in Gainesville, Florida courtesy Morehouse Brother C. David Moody…

To that end, as Brother Cherry's loss is one that will not be easily assuaged in my heart, I humbly extend my sincerest prayers to my cousin, Lisa Rogers Cherry, and the brilliant children that she and Chuck bore—Chayla and “Sir” Charles—now and always! ❤️ 💜 ❤️