Monday, January 14, 2019

Distinguished Gentleman of the Month: Leland Brown


Leland Brown III
Albert C. Yates Fellow
Graduate Assistant
MS Sports Administration- University of Cincinnati
Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc.
c/o 2019
IG: Lelandb3
Facebook: Leland Brown

1 1.    What does "Distinguished Gentleman" mean to you?
On the surface, the question, “what does Distinguished Gentleman mean to me” seems to be straightforward question. However, I believe this question is a bit denser than it leads to be. I believe the answer to this question is three-fold. In order to understand what I believe Distinguished Gentleman means, it is important to unpack both words themselves. First, distinguished. Distinguished is a relative word that identifies the success of someone commanding respect and this is where relativity comes in. Anyone can be distinguished! Regardless of your profession, the material property someone has accumulated, or accolades/recognition received, being distinguished is about succeeding to your own understanding, goals, and personal attainment. Being distinguished isn’t about comparing yourself to others, it is about achieving the self-made goals and commanding respect because of your personality, kinder spirit, and beautiful perspective you have to offer this world. Next, gentleman. Gentleman, the word gentle is a synonym of kind, cheerful, compassionate, and benevolent. Being a gentleman, is about caring, being kind, and combating the urge to be problematic in a world filled with hate, chaos, and oppression. Being a gentleman isn’t simply about chivalry (although that is important also). Being a gentleman is about caring enough to combat and address the characteristics we possess that feed into the plights of toxic masculinity, male-privilege, homophobia, and all the systems of privilege we benefit from as men. When we put the two words distinguished and gentleman together a beautiful idea is birthed. The notion of a Distinguished Gentleman comes from the combination of self-achievement + addressing the world’s problems. I believe being a distinguished gentleman is about achieving goals that change the world. Being a distinguished gentleman is about setting goals that impact the world around us. I know this was a long answer but as a nerd of linguistics, this is what I think!   


2. What is your brand and how did you get started? (If you do not have a brand, you could talk about moves you’ve made to make a difference in your community, job/career, etc. and how it has helped you)

This is a tricky question, as I often think of branding from an outside perspective. I would like to believe my brand is a personal brand is founded in three core values of advocacy, seeking diverse opportunities, and impacting lives! I am currently exercising these values at the University of Cincinnati where I am using my research to combat the gender and racial inequities within the world of collegiate sport. However, my journey began 8 years ago at Bethel College in Kansas. I traded in the euphoric gleefulness of the Gulf Coast for the beautiful flint hills of Kansas. While in college, I experienced a range of experiences both negative and positive. Being transparent, I experienced a lot of emotional distress due to frequent race-based trauma and culture shock. However, in order benefit and learn from my experiences I became a leader on campus.  I took initiative in grassroots advocacy efforts on campus, I joined choir, tried out for plays, and became active on campus. It was here, at Bethel College where my core values were founded. I graduated Bethel a literary studies and communications secondary education majoring, opera singing, and football playing Black male who set out to change the world in the realm of diversity and inclusion. After college, I was hired at the University of Colorado Boulder, where I worked in admissions for access or underserved and underrepresented population of students. After a year and a half I moved to Cincinnati to work in the Office of Ethnic Programs and Services where my responsibilities included coordinating, developing, & executing new and existing programs for Identity based initiatives here on campus as well as, serve as a resource to help advise, build relationships, and assist in retention and academic success through collaborative efforts with other Student Affairs Departments and Academic Colleges. While working at UC I was awarded as the Unsung Hero of the year which is a student-voted award that goes to Black staff and faculty members who have made heroic impacts on black identity, culture, and community at UC. In addition, I was also recognized as an awardee for the Cincinnati 30 Under 30 Award. These professional moves and my dedication to the values of advocacy and impacting lives finding justice is what has gotten me to wear I am as a graduate fellow, researcher, instructor, football recruiter, and now a recent hire with the NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) working in Diversity and Inclusion. 

3.  What is your dream goal and how do you plan on achieving it?
My dream goal is to obtain my PhD and either become the Chief Diversity Officer of an athletic department or the President of a university. I plan on achieving this by obtaining my PhD with 10 years after beginning my career within collegiate athletics. I have already achieved my goal of entering the world of college athletics via working for one of the best organizations in the world, the NCAA!

4.   Name a moment that you feel helped shape you into the young man that you are today.
I believe one of the pivotal moments in my life that shaped me into the young man that I am today is traveling throughout Europe to sing! We traveled through Germany, Poland, and the Netherlands and before this trip I had never left the US. This trip gave me a global perspective. The trip gave me hope for the Black body in its entirety. This trip helped me see the world had more to offer and this gave me the motivation to come back to America and change the communities I was and continue to be a part of.

5.  Name a person (dead or alive) that you look up to & why?
A person that I look up to is a woman by the name of Denise Krase. Now imagine having the soul of an angel, smile of purity, heart of gold, and the compassion that mirrors the life of Leigh Anne Tuohy (the inspiration behind Blindside). I had the pleasure of being first introduced to Denise Krase during my first year of college by way of the Host Parent program for incoming students. This is a program for out-of-state students who are new to Kansas. Denise Krase was my host parent and I was extremely lucky. I look up to Denise Krase because she welcomed me and continues to welcome students from all over the United States to help them succeed in a world unlike their norm. When I was sick she was there, when I needed support she was there, when I needed to vent she was there. I look up to her because I believe she lives by the verse of Romans 15:7 Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God. She treated me like her own son, and for that, I am forever grateful. I look up to her because she is compassionate, graceful, and an amazing woman!

6. When it comes to being a man, what do you feel should be the three core values that a gentleman should uphold?
I believe that being a man often equates to outdated ideology that harms young men and men all over the world. Young men often hear that being a man is about not expressing themselves, being tough, and always powering through but that leads to emotionally unstable adult men who become incapable of dealing with their emotions. I believe the three core values that gentlemen should uphold is compassion, always looking to seek diverse opportunities, and always paying it forward!

7.     What is a quote that live by and how do you live up to it?
A quote that I live by is:
“Become your own Pencil”
The pencil is a very important tool that plays a pivotal role in educational development, yet its symbolism is most important. There are five things that the pencil teaches us, and I carry these teachings closely. I live up to this quote by keeping this parable close.

-You cannot be anything unless held in someone’s hand.
The pencil teaches us that we need community, a village, and people around us who care. The pencil teaches us we cannot be anything unless people are willing to pour into us.
      -The most important part of us is on the inside.
Just as the pencil, the most important part of us is on the inside. Our hearts, minds, and souls are the most important parts of our being.
       - Always make your mark.
Self-explanatory, make your name known and leave a positive legacy no matter where you go.
            -You can change and right most wrongs.
The pencil has an eraser and you have choices. If you make a mistake, we have the choice to apologize and do right by those we have wronged.    
      -You will go through painful sharpening experiences in life, but they are only to make us better.
We will go through things, but they are to make us better. Because problems will present themselves and we must get through them. 

8. Piece of advice that you would give to young men of color who do not believe in themselves or lack role models?
The major piece of advice I would give young men of color who lack mentorship or role models is to look everywhere. We often believe that role models must be grandiose, materialistically successful, and/or popular. However, role models can be found everywhere. Role models are people who teach us the necessities of life. They are everywhere, custodians, librarians, community members. If they aren’t close enough to you reach out to someone who knows them. Lastly, if you don’t have a role model and need one, find me on IG, text me, call, I am willing to help any young men.


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