KAPPA AUTHORS
Thibeaux's Compass Provides Insights on Leadership
A s a young man growing up in Oakland, CA Brent was exposed to greatness in Kappa men. Men like the Oakland Mayor, Elihu Harris of the Gamma Alpha Chapter of U.C. Berkeley.
as diverse but trained him to be strong in his life and be a great example. He felt a responsibility to represent his people with greatness. As a youth, putting a Kappa Jer- sey on was pride. Brent would give his all
Thibeaux coached the Team Cali base- ball team in an effort to address African Americans’ rich history in baseball. The goal was to give young minority men the opportunity to see beyond the local fields where they live. This would be accomplished by taking them on a tour to experience black colleges and play in the Metropolitan Junior Baseball League (MJBL) Championships in Richmond, VA, and Sanford, FL. Brother Thibeaux’s public sector work includes working on the Park and Recreation Board of Direc- tors for the Antioch Park and Recreation. Additionally, he served on the board of the RBI baseball league. He was a recipient of the Black Coaches Association Awards. He has dedicated his life to motivating African American youth and guiding them to lead successful lives. The Compass is for 21 st century youth encountering the social ills of our world and a guidepost for young men to navigate the terrains of our world and become strong leaders. Brother Thibeaux is a motivational speaker and is the CEO of BMT Enterprises LLC. He believes Legacy is the creed of every Kappa man.
to the Kappa baseball program and become one of the strongest in the Oakland Babe Ruth League. He helped the team go to the first Oakland Babe Ruth League Championship. The mentorship of his coach Huey Malone, was critical. Brother Huey was an initiate of the greater Beta Nupes and a 30-year employee of Chevron. Mentors were and still are vital to navigating a city in the middle of a drug war. Oak-
Brother Elihu was the second Black mayor of Oakland. Brent A. Thibeaux (Berkeley (CA) AL 2005) was considered to be a Kappa kid; traveling to Konklaves and Western Province meetings with his father Stephen Mc- Clendon. Witnessing the achievement of the 27 th Grand Polemarch Robert L. Harris, Esq. was magical in Brother Thibeaux's young eyes. Being in the room with Grand Polemarch Thomas L. Bradley and
Johnnie Cochran are other highlights he remembers from his younger years. These experiences and many others inspired Brent to become a member of Kappa Alpha Psi and make a difference in his community. Brent now reaches back to inspire other young black men to encour- age them to become great leaders and giants. Brent played in the Kappa Baseball League which gave him a solid foundation of life skills and perseverance. The Kappa League in Oakland was coached by Ralph Grant, a brother who was initiated in Gamma Alpha. Brother Grant was a CPA by trade. However, he spent countless hours pouring into the youth in West Oak- land. The area was infiltrated with drugs and violence in the 1980s. This was also the founding home of the Black Panthers Huey P. Newton and Bobby Seale. The Compass represents experiences that our young black men and guide right youth need. In a world of ever-present co- vert and overt racism, the tools of success are very important. The book tells of how a young man navigated schools that were not
land was home to one of the biggest drug dealers of all times and some of the most senseless violence of young black men murdered for a narcotic. The Compass book was birthed out of a young man’s pas- sion to escape these streets. In the pursuit of that accomplishment, he attended historically black colleges such as Prairie View and Grambling State University. He was able to score a football scholarship with Prairie View and this was life chang- ing. History and legacy are very impor- tant to Brother Thibeaux. The Compass discusses his journey as the Metropolitan Junior Baseball League Commissioner, coaching a baseball team with his father Brother Stephen McClendon 1970 Junior Grand Vice Polemarch and 1968 Gamma Alpha initiate. His father coached many youth for the Kappa Baseball League in the Oakland Babe Ruth that produced members such as Fox Sports anchor Kirk Morrison. Brother Kirk went on to attend San Diego State University and is a Delta Epsilon initiate. After returning from college, Brother
Brent Thibeaux
Publishing achievement for 105 years
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