Edward McRae moved to St. Petersburg from Tampa in 1928 and opened the McRae Fulford funeral home on Fifth Avenue South. He founded the Cee Jays, a men's organization dedicated to improving conditions for African Americans.

He was involved in founding the Odd Brothers Cluf, a men's religious group with members representing the different African American churches. The Odd Brothers Club provided churches with another vehicle through which they could work to improve conditions for African Americans.