Kenya Strickland always knew she wanted to make a difference in this world, but for a while was unsure what that difference would be. However, she did know that whatever it was would benefit the people who look like her. From an early age, Kenya was exposed to black history through literature. Her mother was intentional about providing her with African-American books, black dolls, and exposing her to events centered around black culture. From this, Kenya learned about black people’s resilience as a group and realized that one of the main tactics of that resilience was rooted in education and community.
Attending FAMU provided Kenya an opportunity to delve deeper into black history and really hone in on the importance of community and education. She was so inspired by what she was learning that she ended up changing her major from Broadcast Journalism to African-American Studies. Kenya’s original plan was to become a professor of African-American Studies, which she thought would be how she made a difference. As life progressed, however, she took a different path and eventually became a teacher in Central Florida. As an educator, she noticed how black children and teachers were still facing disparities within the school system. This inspired her to start her nonprofit, Strickland Educational Services, so that she could do her part to mitigate this disparity. Through this passion project, Kenya hopes to make a sustainable impact in black communities by helping these communities realize that emphasizing education and working together on a collective mission can be the key to empowering her community and unlocking everyone’s potential. She now realizes that founding and leading Strickland Educational Services is how she will make a difference in this world. Kenya is honored to carry on the work and to celebrate the legacy of those who came before her.