More Than A Coach: Levelle Moton Is A Role Model

RALEIGH, NC – The term role model is echoed through the voices in every community across the country. The value system that determines a role model in Durham reflects its understanding of hard work, perseverance, and a sense of community improvement.  One would find it difficult to discover anyone who would not find North Carolina Central University (NCCU) men’s basketball Coach Levelle Moton to be a role model worthy of admiration from children as well as adults. 

The man is now a leader of the community but he did not arrive there by luck, instead, his life’s path enabled him to accumulate the qualities he expresses every day as a role model. Moton has given back to the community in many ways: the Velle Cares Foundation which salutes single mothers, Back to School community day at the Raleigh Boys and Girls Club, and the recently launched Raleigh Raised Development Group. 

Velle Cares Foundation

Levelle Moton grew up in a rough southeast Raleigh neighborhood with his single mother, Hattie McDougald, his brother, Earl Moton, and his grandmother, Mattie, who lived nearby. To honor his mother, Coach Moton started the Velle Cares Foundation in 2016 to help families in at-risk situations.

Velle Cares Foundation is a 501(c)3 nonprofit whose mission is to serve & assist community-based organizations that promote health, education, & life skills for children and families from impoverished communities. 

The Velle Cares Foundation provides an annual event – Single Mother’s Salute. Each year, the Velle Cares Foundation honors and celebrates over 150 single mothers across the Triangle community.

The event was created to show appreciation for the struggles, challenges, and difficulties associated with being a single mother. Being the product of a single mother himself, Levelle presents awards of courage, strength, perseverance, and also a Single Mother Of The Year Award (named after his mother Hattie McDougald). The night is filled with photos, red carpet, food, games, spa treatments, gift bags, vacations, and many other exciting giveaways.

Back to School Community Day

Each year, Levelle Moton hosts his annual “Back To School Community Day Event” along with NBA star PJ Tucker at the Raleigh Boys & Girls Club. The event serves over 700 kids and families each year by providing them with book bags, school supplies, giveaways, and entertainment.

The number one step towards academic excellence is making sure students have the proper resources and this community day covers just that.

This event provides a holistic approach for families and local community leaders to attend and be actively involved. As a product of the Boys & Girls Club, Levelle has donated his time and efforts to create a platform of success for the next generation.

Raleigh Raised Development Group

Raleigh Raised Development (RRD) has well-established roots in the Raleigh, NC community. LeVelle Moton is a product of southeast Raleigh’s Lane St. and while he has since moved, his focus has remained on helping his community in any way that he can.

The company, founded by Moton, Terrell Midgett, and Clarence Mann, is a new construction company specializing in commercial and residential properties. Clarence Mann, Manager of Vistabution, LLC, is a local minority-owned Raleigh-based general contracting business providing environmental remediation, right-of-way acquisition & consulting, and development response services to state, municipal, city, and government agencies. Terrell Midgett is co-owner of Management Professionals, Inc., a facilities and maintenance company in Raleigh. 

The RRD partnership developed as a result of growing up in the Southeast Raleigh Black community and the desire to shine a light on the under-representation of the Black community in local development efforts.

Moton and his partners, along with other community stakeholders, have teamed up with the Downtown South project team to develop approximately 135-acre stadium and apartment complex centered around the South Saunders/ I-40 interchange in Raleigh. Under Moton’s leadership, they have joined forces with the project team to guarantee significant participation of local minority businesses throughout the entire development, beginning with the contracts and construction of the District.

The impact of the massive project on local neighborhoods has been a sore spot since the project was first announced in 2008. It is a question of what gentrification will do to the residents of Southeast Raleigh. The Downtown South project team, through a robust community engagement process, has consistently heard from community members that local minority participation is at the core of the project. 

“RRD collectively, and I personally, am excited to help shape and champion the local participation and workforce development of this district. The community of South Raleigh will benefit greatly from a project of this magnitude.  The endless possibilities of economic growth and career opportunities is long overdue and will continue to persevere for generations long after,” said Moton.

In December 2019, Moton was recognized for his dedication to basketball and the Lane Street Mini Park when the Raleigh City Council voted to rename the park “LeVelle Moton Park” in a unanimous 8-0 decision.

Lane Street Mini Park is located four blocks away from the governor’s mansion in downtown Raleigh. Moton attended nearby Enloe High School, before taking his game to Durham, becoming a star for NCCU, where he is No. 3 on the program’s all-time scoring list. Since being named the Eagles head coach in 2009, NCCU has recorded just one losing season, four MEAC championships, and five postseason appearances.

Even with all his accolades and awards, Coach Moton acknowledges that God blessed him with the perfect wife.  He further explains that her strength and understanding have been a powerful source for him as he pursues his passions.

The next time you hear the coach of NCCU echoed through the aisles of the grocery store, or a father utter his name in his living room, you can rest assured the voices are speaking with an air of admiration and respect as they mention the legendary basketball coach, philanthropist, and developer.  As people all across the region look for positive role models for their children, it is with clear voices that many people are proudly saying the name…Coach Levelle Moton.