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"Our
children are not our future, they are our present."
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-Kwesi
Ronald E. Harris
Kwesi Ronald E. Harris
Servant Leader
Kwesi Ronald E. Harris, a servant leader guided
by SPIRIT, is a spiritually empowered inspirational
speaker who stresses that positive growth and
development occurs when one engages in discovering,
recovering and celebrating “SANKOFA” which is a
process of cultural reclamation, directly impacting
on ones life, behavior, self worth and social
interactions.
A native of Chicago, IL, and graduate of
Simeon High School
and
Central
State University, Ohio,
Brother Harris is currently the Administration Program
Director of the Prevention Department at The Bobby
E. Wright Comprehensive Behavioral Health Center,
Inc. As a consultant and presenter he has provided
lectures, keynote addresses, workshops, seminars and
trainings in the areas of cultural reclamation,
alcohol tobacco and other drugs prevention, life
skills, character development, relationships,
violence prevention, conflict resolution, Rites of
Passage and Kwanzaa to youth, parents, educators and
churches. Brother Harris is also a member of
Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity,Inc.,
initiated into the
Delta Zeta Chapter
in 1979.
A
national leader and health advocate, Brother Harris along
with the office of the Illinois Attorney General ,
Grassroots organizations, national and local hip-hop
organizations, local public health advocates and
over 30 other state Attorneys’ General brought down KOOL
cigarette’s House of Menthol in 2004. KOOL, which was then
manufactured by Brown & Williamson Tobacco Company,
sponsored a nationwide DJ competition exploiting hip hop,
African American culture to get young people to smoke.
Under his leadership and strategic initiative, Mr. Harris,
members of the National African American Tobacco Prevention
Network (NAATPN) and the Attorney Generals from Illinois,
New York and Maryland, respectfully sued Brown & Williamson
Tobacco Company and won. “We led a campaign across the
nation known as FightKOOL and it became one of the nation’s
most memorable teachable moments. Urban youth, their
parents, communities, elected officials, and so many more
maximized their potential, used their power to organize,
fight back, and most importantly became leaders” says
Harris. He also served on the strategic planning and
steering committee of smoke-free Illinois, Cook County, and
Chicago which outcome was three successful clean indoor air
campaigns. Brother Harris was noted for his energy and
passion to address health concerns as well as his ability to
mobilize grassroots efforts particularly among youths.
 Brother Harris is a contributing author of ‘Hip
Hop Hypocrisy: When Lies Sound Like the Truth
’, Alfred Coach Powell’s publication exposing how a variety
of industries misuse hip hop to attract the most vulnerable
of consumers - our youth. He has also authored Prevention
First of Illinois, ‘Seven
Principles Promoting Drug
Free Communities’. Mr. Harris has been featured in literally hundreds of local,
national and international publications and has made regular
appearances on
WVON 1690, Chicago Access and on national news affiliates across the nation. He has
also been featured in major news publications, including
Chicago Defender,
Chicago Tribune, New York
Times, Atlanta Journal-Constitution and Chicago Sun Times.
Brother Harris was also featured in Jet Magazine's article
‘Can
Parents Monitor Their Children's Entertainment’.
Click
here to read more of
Brother Kwesi's credentials. To read the full article 'Can
Parents Monitor Their Children's Entertainment', as
originally seen in Jet Magazine, click
here.
The
Adinkra symbol ADINKRAHENE, seen above
is the symbol of greatness, charisma and leadership. To
learn more about the Adinkra symbols and their meaning,
click
here.
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