The newly established Kennesaw State University Colony of Omega Delta Phi Fraternity, Inc. closed out Black History Month with their sophomore rendition of Leadership in Black. Leadership in Black first came to be last year when the founding line was still an interest group and looking to establish the colony at the Georgia campus.
The KSU colony is the first entity in the Peach State; the brothers at Kennesaw have long been working to bring quality programming to their campus and to the brotherhood, courtesy of COVID-19 containment efforts. Last year’s inaugural edition of Leadership in Black saw the interest group bringing notable leaders to campus to share their stories with the campus community. Last year, the event was held over two days and was broken up into two areas of focus: Corporate World and Academia and Military and Law. This year, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the series was retooled as a virtual symposium which increased the reach of the potential audience.
The KSU Knights wanted to highlight successful Black leaders making a difference in their community as well as to share testimony as to the power of higher education and pursuing one’s dreams. Leadership in Black“ presented a unique opportunity to host an event in celebration of Black History Month, held in the month of February. The Leadership in Black series was a main feature on the Kennesaw State University’s Black History Month celebration.
This year, the Knights of KSU brought three visionary heavyweights whose leadership and expertise in their respective fields make them Black Leaders to keep an eye out for.
Dr. Deborah Cureton was one of the three panelists for this year’s event: she has previously served as Campus Executive Officer and Dean Emerita of University of Wisconsin, Richland. She previously served as a Professor and Associate Dean of Academic and Student Affairs at the University of South Carolina, Lancaster. Cureton received both her Bachelors and Masters degree from the University of South Carolina in Columbia, SC and her PhD in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Wisconsin, Madison. Dr. Cureton was the first full time Black professor at the University of South Carolina and a founding member of the American Association of Blacks in Higher Education. Throughout her illustrious career in Higher Education and Student Affairs, Dr. Cureton has paved the way for African Americans in the discipline of student services, higher education administration.
Maurice Simpkins, a former NFL football player and now philanthropist and President of a minority and woman owned Higher Education IT consulting company, AASimpkins, inspires and motivates the youth to pursue their dreams, ‘from broken pieces to masterpieces”. Mr. Simpkins is an alumni of Coastal Carolina University and he serves his community in many ways, specifically focusing on increasing interest in STEM fields such as robotics and coding. Mr. Simpkin’s experience in the National Football League and his passion for STEM, philanthropy, and entrepreneurship make him a Black leader worth watching and taking notes from.
The final panelist of the Leadership in Black series for 2021 is Flynn D. Broady Jr, District Attorney of Cobb County in Georgia. Mr. Broady earned his law degree from Seton Hall University and is a retired Army servicemen, his tenure in the military lasted 26 years. After he retired from the Army, he moved to the state of Georgia. Broady began his career in the Solicitor General’s office where he excelled and reaffirmed his passion for serving. He then took a job with the Veteran’s Court office where he assisted fellow veterans who had gotten into trouble with the law and were looking to get their affairs in order. He then returned to the Solicitor General’s office where he was tasked with prosecuting cases in the DUI court. Mr Broady Jr. has traversed the complexities of law school and the armed forces, all which prepared him for his stint as an elected official. He was elected as District Attorney of Cobb County, GA in November of 2020.
These three figureheads have excelled in their careers and have shown true Leadership in their efforts to serve, empower, and to pave the way for others to follow in their footsteps. Their exemplary resumes and feats are proof that they indeed do live up to the matra of “Leadership in Black”.
