JAN Board Member Feature: Ray McCants III
Ray McCants III didn’t grow up in Mississippi. Like many who arrive in Jackson for one reason and stay for another, what began as a temporary move eventually turned into something deeper.
“I was born and raised in Detroit,” he says with a laugh, explaining the Michigan area code on his phone.
His journey to Mississippi began with an opportunity. McCants earned an academic scholarship to attend Jackson State University, where he also joined the baseball program as a preferred walk-on.
After graduating, McCants returned briefly to Detroit, but Jackson wasn’t finished with him yet. A graduate assistantship opportunity opened up at Jackson State, and the chance to attend graduate school tuition-free was too good to pass up. He packed his bags once again and returned south.
This second chapter is what rooted him in the community.
“As an outsider coming into Jackson, I was able to see the possible opportunities for the city of Jackson.”McCants says. “The people of Jackson,” he continues. “That’s what really got me connected.”
Once he began building relationships with local entrepreneurs, creatives and community leaders, McCants discovered something powerful: opportunity to bring the city together. Jackson, he realized, is a city where ideas can still take shape and where people are willing to help one another grow.
“The more you know,” he explains, “the more you fall in love with the city.”
For McCants, Jackson isn’t just where he lives. It’s where he has chosen to build. Today, McCants lives near Jackson State University in Ward 5; a part of town rich with culture and neighborhood flavor. The area sits close to landmarks like the Jackson Zoo and small businesses that give the community its character.
He is excited to participate as a board member for the Jackson Association of Neighborhoods for many reasons. The main one being an opportunity to work with city leaders in an effort to help modernize Jackson, keep a forward on the younger generations and what they will want out of their Jackson experience and build a sustainable city.
At just 31 years old, he has already worn multiple entrepreneurial hats. Today, he works with R3M Marketing Group, a full-service marketing firm that helps individuals, nonprofits, corporations and even municipalities tell their stories more effectively.
Beyond business, McCants is deeply optimistic about Jackson’s future, especially the role young creatives will play in shaping it.
“My expectation for Jackson,” he says, “is that it becomes a place where creatives can thrive.”
He points to the city’s growing arts and music communities as evidence that something special is already happening. “There’s so much talent here,” McCants says. “And as our generation moves into leadership and decision-making roles, I think you’ll see the city lean more towards creativity.”
In his vision, Jackson’s future will be shaped by artists, entrepreneurs, storytellers and all the people who see the city not as something to escape, but as something to build.
In many ways, McCants represents a return on the investment Jackson and Jackson State University made in him. He is living proof that when a community pours in, leaders rise up.