{"id":169106,"date":"2026-02-25T20:25:17","date_gmt":"2026-02-25T20:25:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/169106\/"},"modified":"2026-02-25T20:25:17","modified_gmt":"2026-02-25T20:25:17","slug":"miami-activist-ijamyn-gray-builds-opportunity-for-at-risk-youth-through-paid-work-and-mentorship-next-generation-of-dreamers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/169106\/","title":{"rendered":"Miami activist Ijamyn Gray builds opportunity for at-risk youth through paid work and mentorship | Next Generation of Dreamers"},"content":{"rendered":"

A quarter century ago, Ijamyn Gray was sent to state prison on charges tied to drugs and firearms. It was part of a cycle that derailed his early life in Coconut Grove, but would later inform his mission to build opportunity for others.<\/p>\n

Gray estimates he has raised more than $300,000 since 2021 to support Encouraging Dreamers Breaking Barriers<\/a>, the youth-employment initiative he founded in 2017 after Hurricane Irma displaced his family.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The program has served more than 1,500 young people across Miami-Dade County, offering paid work, mentoring and real-world exposure to entrepreneurship.<\/p>\n

\"Dreamers<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Youth with Dreamers Breaking Barriers washing police cars.<\/p>\n

(Ijamyn Gray)<\/p>\n

Gray was born and raised in the Grove. Both parents were in and out of prison. As a child, he hustled alongside his two siblings, washing windows and parking cars. Boxing became an early outlet for discipline and travel.<\/p>\n

\u201cI thought I was going to be a professional boxer,\u201d Gray said. \u201cBut my dream was to become a doctor. I thought I was going to be the first person to cure AIDS.\u201d<\/p>\n

As a teenager, however, Gray was drawn into the street life.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat eye candy they gave us\u2026drugs\u2026guns,\u201d he said, \u201cwe thought that meant something.\u201d<\/p>\n

In 1999 and the early 2000s, he faced multiple arrests and convictions, including felony battery, firearm possession, and drug charges.<\/p>\n

\"Gray<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Ijamyn Gray with members of Dreamers Breaking Barriers.<\/p>\n

(Ijamyn Gray)<\/p>\n

After his release, he continued to struggle. But then his first son, Ijamyn Jr., was born in 2010.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I was able to have my son, I said I would leave everything alone,\u201d Gray said. \u201cI would get me a job. I would get on the right track.\u201d<\/p>\n

That commitment deepened in 2017 after Hurricane Irma severely damaged his family home on Charles Terrace. Ijamyn and his seven-year-old son checked into a shelter run by Chapman Partnership<\/a>. The experience, he said, reshaped his perspective on opportunity and responsibility.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt your bottom, the only way you can do is look up,\u201d Gray said. \u201cThat\u2019s where Encouraging Dreamers Breaking Barriers came from. It\u2019s a second-chance youth escape program where we hire troubled youth.\u201d<\/p>\n

What began with basketball games and informal mentorship grew into a structured employment program built around a mobile car wash. But Gray stresses the work is about more than washing cars; it’s about teaching responsibility, financial literacy, teamwork, and self-worth.<\/p>\n

Gray said then-Miami Mayor Francis Suarez reviewed his business plan and supported the initiative\u2019s launch, giving him the opportunity to turn the concept into a working program.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not just money, it\u2019s about changing their whole mindsets,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

The initiative targets youth roughly between 13 and 24 years old. It focuses on those who face barriers to traditional employment because of previous trouble or a lack of a stable job history.<\/p>\n

Last year alone, Encouraging Dreamers employed 50 young people for its summer program, giving each a $1,000 stipend to help with purchasing school clothes and other essentials.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis car wash is really just a stepping stone into the real world,\u201d Gray said.<\/p>\n

Encouraging Dreamers Breaking Barriers cleans cars for Miami-Dade County Fire Rescue, Opa-locka Police and Jackson Health System, among others.<\/p>\n

Through Encouraging Dreamers, participants have traveled to national car wash conventions in Tennessee, Houston, and Las Vegas, experiences Gray says expanded their sense of possibility.<\/p>\n

\u201cThese people are talking about millions and billions of dollars,\u201d he said. \u201cJust experiencing that changed those kids\u2019 lives.\u201d<\/p>\n

Some participants have gone on to college. Others have used the program as a launchpad into stable work and career goals.\u00a0<\/p>\n

In 2023, Gray ran for Miami mayor, pitching himself as a voice for the voiceless and advocating for housing affordability, youth empowerment and more. His bid ended after he suffered a rare, life-threatening infection at the beach. The condition required painful procedures and an ongoing recovery.<\/p>\n

Despite limited mobility, Gray remains active in daily operations.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve learned how to be persistent and consistent, even from my bed,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n