Not an Anomaly: Recent Episodes
Not an Anomaly
Not an Anomaly, is a website that recognizes, applauds, and highlights Black male trailblazers who have uniquely used their talents to positively impact communities within their respective fields. These men are diverse in how they demonstrate excellence, but all exemplify a commitment to empowering their communities.
If someone asked me to name someone who is a jack of all trades… Derek would be one of the first people to come to mind. Whether it's project management, strategic planning, relationship building, storytelling, or even leadership development, Derek has you covered. During his time at Duke University, the Durham Hometown hero held various leadership and advocacy roles including but not limited to Duke Student Government Vice President of Durham & Regional Affairs, Member of the Duke Board of Trustees Institutional Advancement Committee, Intern in Public Affairs at the US Department of Justice, Intern at the Department Scheduling & Advance at THE White House during the Obama Administration, and last but certainly not least, held the highly coveted positions of Team Manager for the Duke Basketball Team & Men’s National Basketball Team during the 2014 Fiba World Cup. Following his time in college, Derek has gone on to spread his wisdom and desire to lead in a multitude of ways such as working in the area of Strategic Initiatives and Operations for the Obama Foundation, to writing the children’s book, Jimmy for the City, which, “not only strives to teach children about local politics, but also amplifies the messages Derek teaches in his speeches to students around the world: believe in your dreams, rise above obstacles, create opportunities for others, and most of all, communicate your authentic feelings to the world,” to currently being the Chief of Staff for Microsoft Teams.
Mr. Jones is a dynamic speaker and voice for the voiceless. After graduating from the University of Texas at Tyler, the acclaimed TEDx Speaker and Bestselling author of Process would go on to realize the importance and impact of using his voice, and his story, to aid others in their respective journeys. On top of assisting first-time authors to develop their content to prepare to get published while in the role of Executive Vice-President at Publish Me Now University, Mr. Jones used his entrepreneurial spirit to spearhead two podcasts in Speak Your Success, which aims to, “empower students and millennials to Speak their success, believe in their greatness and create the lifestyle of their dreams,” and the Beyond The Ball Podcast which, “assists student-athletes through their transitions of life with tangible success strategies.” When not on the mic, Mr. Jones is in front of an audience on various college campuses such as Vanderbilt, University of Arkansas, and Southern Illinois University as part of his Speaking Platform Jonathan Jones Speaks.
Mr. Lee came out of college with his Masters in Social Studies from Georgia State with a mission to educate the youth — specifically students in high-need schools while being a Corps Member for Teach for America. His educational philanthropic efforts continued to impact the lives of more students through the many roles Lee filled while teaching for Atlanta Public Schools for ten years. From leading the Social Studies Department to, “improve student success on standardized tests” to managing his school’s expansion of the AP Program to supporting the school through service on many different boards such as the Local School Council and the School Governance Board, Allen Lee’s record has shown his passion to improve the learning environment for all his students. Upon leaving the APS sector following his creation and installation of AP Curriculum and a 100% pass rate on the US History Test for his cohort of students, Allen transitioned his service efforts to the role of Senior Public Programs and Education Manager at the esteemed Center for Civil and Human Rights where he helped Manage Public and Educational Departments and develop budgets and programming including panel discussion Jemele Hill, Nate Boyer, and Tommy Smith at the facility. Currently, Allen Lee serves as the Associate Director of the Office of Multicultural Affairs at Emory School of Medicine and continues to serve as a beacon of service to the field of education.
Mr. West is a modern day renaissance man whose talents include being an American educator and multi-discipline performance artist, author, hip hop recording artist, poet, activist, and youth advocate. He has been featured in many documentaries about hip hop culture, in addition to his books, he is widely anthologized, and has produced nine hip hop albums along with being interviewed on Newsweek and the New York Times. From winning awards like the ‘2013 Esteem Award’, to being selected as one of 31 LGBT Icons by LGBT History Month, Mr. West has made his name as a quite an inspirational spectacle in society and an important figure who I am blessed to have with me today.
Mark Anthony Neal is currently the Chair of the Department of African & African American Studies and the founding director of the Center for Arts, Digital Culture and Entrepreneurship (CADCE) at Duke University where he offers courses on Black Masculinity, Popular Culture, and Digital Humanities, including signature courses on Michael Jackson & the Black Performance Tradition, and The History of Hip-Hop, which he co-teaches with Grammy Award Winning producer 9th Wonder (Patrick Douthit). Along with co-directing the Duke Council on Race and Ethnicity, Dr. Neale is an avid writer and also the co-editor of That’s the Joint: The Hip-Hop Studies Reader and the host of the hit video webcast Left of Black, which is produced in collaboration with the John Hope Franklin Center at Duke. Being around someone who is a jack of all trades is honor so thank you for being here with me today Dr. Neale.
Richard Hardon is an Enterprise Software Pre-Sales Executive with 15+ years of experience with major companies of the likes of AT&T, Equifax, IBM, Oracle, and Salesforce to name a few. A dual degree graduate in electrical engineering and computer science from the prestigious Duke University, Mr. Hardon headed for the hard-knock workforce fully prepared to handle whatever task was ahead. From being the lead Pre-Sales Resource, delivering more than $1.2 Million Dollars in ACV (110% of Target FY 2016) at Salesforce.com, to achieving $2.85 Million Dollars in revenue for FY2015 as the Principal Sales Consultant at Oracle, Mr. Hardon soon found as he would call it, “his superpower: understanding and assessing businesses to streamline processes and achieve more profitable outcomes.” What greater outcome could come from his work than sharing his knowledge to help others refine their craft? Enter PowerBuilders, a development and training company, started by Richard and his brother Chuck, that has provided knowledge about entrepreneurial teachings, including marketing, customer acquisition and retention, cash flow management, asset accumulation and focused follow up to thousands of individuals countrywide.
Mr. Priester is currently the Deputy Superintendent for Operations of the Richmond County School District in Georgia. Formerly the principal of Miller Grove High School in DeKalb County, Mr. Priester has had a career with heavy involvement in working to better the school environment for children. Aside from being responsible for Athletics, School Climate & Tribunals, Communications & Community Engagement, Maintenance & Facilities, School Safety & Security, and Transportation in his current job as Deputy Superintendent, Mr. Priester still makes time to be an active role model and a great image for students at his school. His former position as Principal serves as a signal for African American males that there is potential to be successful in the field of education; especially since black men only account for 3.2 percent of all public school principals according to Jeffrey Solochek of the Tampa Bay Times. Consistently working to better the education environment for students is something that I applaud and am sure each and every one of those students find amazing.
Corey G. Johnson is a Tampa Bay Times investigative reporter with a focus on accountability journalism in governmental and private agencies. A native of Atlanta, Corey is a co-founder of the Ida B. Wells Society for Investigative Reporting, whose mission is to increase the ranks, retention, and profile of reporters and editors of color in the field of investigative reporting, and a graduate of a prestigious HBCU in Florida A&M University. From being a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in 2012 because of his reporting on deficient school earthquake safety in California to uncovering the injustice in California prisons that had female inmates sterilized without approval, Corey has been a hidden leader in today’s society within his field: making him the perfect person to sit down and get to know.
James M. Bailey can easily be considered a modern day renaissance man. An entrepreneur, a caring philanthropist, and an overall great leader, Mr. Bailey is a cornerstone in this generation of new leaders growing Atlanta. A graduate from the University of Georgia and currently the President and CEO of (RCIE) Russell Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Bailey is driven to continue the work of the late Herman J. Russell by continuing to create and develop areas allowing for Black innovation. By living by his personal motto, “Build As We Climb,” in his community, Mr. Bailey has been able to garner the attention of 3 U.S. Presidents as well as be honored at the White House, in 2012, as a “Champion of Change: Following in the Footsteps of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.” Along with a myriad of accolades and honors from being named to both the Atlanta Business Chronicle and Georgia Trend Magazine’s “40 Under 40 Best and Brightest Leaders of the Future” to receiving the Whitney M. Young National Community Service Medallion, Mr. Bailey has already cemented his legacy in Atlanta as an agent of change.