Taylor Prince Boyd Jr.

I was born on April 21, 1972—exactly ten years after my grandparents, Louis Boyd and Dorothy "Madea" Boyd, arrived in New York City on April 21, 1962, during the historic Reverse Freedom Riders migration from New Orleans.

That date is more than my birthday.
It is my family's legacy.

The photograph above this story is one of my most treasured memories. It captures me with my baby sister, Dorothy Talina C. Boyd, who was lovingly named after our grandmother, Dorothy Boyd. We lost Talina in 2003, far too soon. My dad the following year. Earlier in my life, I also lost my older sister, Brenda, in 1976, and my mother, Evelyn Boyd, in 1977.

Those losses shaped me, but they never defined me.
Although I never had the opportunity to know my father's family in New Orleans personally, I grew up surrounded by the love, guidance, and faith of my maternal grandparents. They taught me the importance of humility, perseverance, and living according to the teachings of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Years later, I returned to New Jersey, where life moved with a pace and intensity that reminded me of the courage my father's family must have carried as they left the segregated South in search of opportunity and dignity.

Today, every brand I create honors that journey.
Through LAYBAX SWAGGZ DESIGN LLC, LOUIE BZ, BOUGEEZ ROSE, GATORROCKS, and CHESSMEN, I am building more than products. I am preserving history, celebrating resilience, and creating a legacy that future generations can wear with pride.

Because I believe a sneaker can be more than fashion.
It can become a historical record.