The Long Way Home: I Mastered Atlanta, Now I Am Focused On North Charleston
- OKEEBA JUBALO
- Sep 29
- 4 min read
Updated: Nov 10
For nearly thirty years, my family and I lived in Atlanta, only visiting Charleston for a week each summer. When my wife first suggested moving back a few years ago, I can honestly say I wasn't completely sold.
To be transparent, I was hesitant about uprooting my life. I knew that returning to Charleston would mean committing to building an arts scene from the ground up. After decades of investing in my brand and movements in Atlanta, I realized I would be starting over from ground zero. It wasn't that Charleston lacked artists or Black businesses, but to achieve my vision, they needed to move at a specific pace—a pace I was prepared to set.
Sadly, Charleston has birthed incredible talent over the centuries, much of which never returned to help move our culture forward. In our community, we've grown accustomed to fragmented versions of "support." Support is a verb, and it takes a consistent, collective effort to spark a real movement. Having built successful brands and movements in Atlanta, I knew the resources, relationships, timing, patience, strategies, and consistency needed to navigate this transition successfully.
Six years ago, I began to seriously look at Charleston and focus on what I could bring to the table. I knew my vision and execution could ignite the needed changes within North Charleston. It's easy to complain about what's wrong with a city; it’s much harder to power the needed, positive change.
A Leap of Faith: The Journey Home
In the summer of 2021, my wife and her parents came to scout our temporary landing spot, which ended up being downtown Charleston. This centralized location allowed us to look for land to build our home in North Charleston. Downtown felt like a world away from where I grew up.
That September, we sold our home in Atlanta, and in October 2021, we completed the move. Calling it a leap of faith would be an understatement. I had begun preparing my Atlanta team in 2020, and now, the plays were in motion. Yet, I wasn't nervous; after all, this is my home turf. I was born in Charleston and raised in North Charleston, right on Ashley Phosphate Road.
Fast forward to November 2021, when we began looking at commercial properties for our first gallery in North Charleston. Immediately, I was met with discouraging voices. Family, friends, and even random people told me the same thing: start downtown, not in North Charleston. They cited crime, drugs, violence, and a perceived lack of culture, understanding, and support. I heard every reason why I should avoid the community that raised me.
My father, Jessie Brown, is buried in Sunset Memorial Gardens on Ashley Phosphate Road. I played with the Northwood Bulldogs. My family still lives here. Why would I not give those who poured into me the opportunity to experience the man I've become?
I constantly read stories about gun violence, low morale, and lost lives in North Charleston. There is a desperation in the eyes of too many in our community. We have to reimagine every aspect of this city, and becoming the needed change is the only way forward.
Leading from the Front
I understand that North Charleston’s leadership sectors need a new level of thinking and inspiration. The power of The Arts and entrepreneurship can create the positive shift our community desperately needs. This will require a collective effort from those with like minds and diverse skills. We have work to do as a collective. You can’t drill holes in one side of the ship and expect the entire vessel to stay afloat; we have to work together with leaders who understand how to keep the ship whole.
In December 2021, we chose Ten Mile as the destination for our gallery and office in North Charleston. It was a powerful starting point that helped us give life to my beloved, yet recessed, North Charleston.
To truly impact a community, inspiration must be accessible to those who need it most. My professional accomplishments in Atlanta and beyond mean very little if I can't make my home a better place. Why go through everything I went through over the last thirty years only to stay away from home?
I was raised in North Charleston, and now, my vision is to help raise North Charleston to become the epicenter of arts and culture within South Carolina. I see the long road ahead clearly—no delusions and no fear. Leaders lead from the front, and over the last four years since returning home, I have made it clear that I am here to stay.
Our cultural programming, art exhibitions, music concerts, and school programs have set a powerful tone for who I am and what I am about. As we move into the second year of the Global Art Fair, held in partnership with the North Charleston Office of Cultural Affairs, I am confident that coming home was the right decision.
Now is the time, and we must continue to be the change that is needed within our community. I am warmed up now and looking forward to leading us into a prosperous 2026. North Charleston is my home, and my level of commitment is strong.
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