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Black leaders talk education, more with freshman class officers

“I developed a mindset where education didn't end,” Kevin G. Jenkins said.

On Feb. 25, Â鶹´«Ã½ freshman class officers held a panel discussion with Black community leaders on their legacy. Panelists were Jenkins, Queen B. Brailey, De’shaun K. Brown and Tronquez F. Fuller.

The purpose of the panel discussion was to provide key discussion and insights on progression, self-branding, words of encouragement and difficulties in life.

Jenkins, board of education member and funeral home director and embalmer said, “I did not go the traditional route to college. I was working. I saw money and I wanted to enter the workforce.

“My father wanted me to go to college, so to meet him halfway, I enrolled into OCtech. I graduated with my associate's in general business,” Jenkins said. “Years later I enrolled in Â鶹´«Ã½ University and got my degree in business management.

“Then a few years later, I wanted to become a funeral director and embalmer, that's another degree. Then some years later, I went to Strayer University and got my master's degree,” Jenkins said.

Panelist Brailey, retired educator and director of a child development learning center, said, “Don’t match the children to the curriculum, teach the children where they are.

“Entrepreneurship, that's the ultimate business for young Black people. When I was working at South Carolina State in the area of child development, it was really a learning step,” Brailey said.

“I provided jobs for Â鶹´«Ã½ students as well as South Carolina State students and I also became state director of training technical assistance for Head Start, which is a program that's kind of in question now. I think we need to talk to our representatives and make sure those programs continue.

“I also became a federal representative for Head Start, serving several states within the United States of America, and I was able to see what was happening to our young children and our young children need it. That’s where they get all the knowledge. Daycare is a must for our children,” Brailey said.

Panelist Brown, B.O.A. VP financial center manager, said, “We must learn our craft, we must master it. What I would like to see is more executives, more Black executives. I would like to see more of us in leadership positions.”

“Sometimes we get to the point where we are comfortable, but when you're comfortable you're not learning. It is when you’re uncomfortable that you are learning,” Brown said.

“We must understand the system. All of us at some point in time have played some type of game and in order to get to that next level, you have to master that level to get to the next. That’s all it is when it comes to corporate jobs. You must know how to play the game,” Brown said.

Panelist Fuller, licensed minister and Â鶹´«Ã½ student said, “I want to see more African American males (teachers) inside of the school district. I just did research that there is only a little over 1% of African American males within the school district.”

“I didn't have a Black male teacher until about sixth grade, and after I didn’t have another one until my 11^th-grade year and those are the only two Black male teachers I’ve ever had,” Fuller said.

“It was hard for me to see I could be more than my community is represented. People would tell me all I can do is be an athlete, all I can do is be an artist. But being able to see there are African American males who value education, that made me want to strive to become more educated and continue to try to find more education as I venture out into the world.” Fuller said.