The Graylin Grant
The Grayling Grant Mutual Aid Fund
The Blackyard Collective has established a mutual aid fund in Graylin’s honor that will go directly towards providing financial assistance to Black queer and trans people on the path to recovery.
The Blackyard Collective is a registered 501(c)(3) organization (Federal Tax ID # 88-3641425) and all donations are tax deductible to the extent allowable by law.
Graylin Ryan Chapman, the youngest son to Kathleen Cash and Robert Chapman, Jr. was born on February 22, 1981, in Charleston, SC. From the very beginning, Ryan, as he was affectionately known to his relatives, was full of life, joy, and had one of the biggest hearts known among his community.
Ryan’s educational pursuits began in the Charleston County School District. When the family moved north of the city of Charleston, he enrolled in schools in the Dorchester County School District, eventually graduating from Summerville High School in 1999 where he played bass drum in the marching band. He matriculated at Winthrop University in Rock Hill, SC before serving in the Army National Guard where received an honorable discharge.
Like no other, Ryan possessed a spirit of adventure. He could not and would not be limited on how much life he could see or experience. In the early 2000’s, he left the comfort of his native Charleston, SC and moved to the city of Charlotte, NC. He would soon go on to make his final residence in the bustling Big Apple, New York City.
Over the years, “Graylin,” as he was known in the professional world, developed a penchant for retail store management. His knack for organization and leadership paved the way for him rise to major heights in companies like Bed, Bath, and Beyond, Brooklyn Industries, Macy’s (NYC), and his last place of employment Crate & Barrel. His devotion to elevating retail spaces was a remarkable talent with which he continued to elevate. At the time of his passing, he was studying Human Resources Management.
Ryan leaves to cherish the memory of his life: his loving parents, Kathleen Cash (N. Charleston, SC) and Robert Chapman, Jr.(N. Charleston, SC); his brothers Robert Chapman III (East Orange, NJ) and Ebon C. Chapman (N. Charleston, SC); one niece, Diamond Chapman; one goddaughter, Jurnee Simone Brown; his paternal grandmother, Mildred Chapman; maternal aunts and uncle: Naomi Collins, Verbenna Brown, and Eddie Cash; paternal aunts and uncle: Deborah Walker, Millicent Woods, Deborah Washington, and Darrell Chapman; a host of cousins and his friend and mentor Michael Crumpler; second family: Lisa Torres & Jose Torres, and many other friends and colleagues near and far from around the world.