Raised in the town of Denmark, South Carolina, Bakari T. Sellers
is a product of the proverb, “it takes a village to raise a child.”
Growing up the son of Dr. and Mrs. Cleveland Sellers, Bakari has
always been involved in local community activity. Education being a
top priority, Bakari graduated from the South Carolina public
school system, and then proceeded to Morehouse College where he
earned a Bachelor of Arts degree. He earned his juris doctorate
from the University Of South Carolina School Of Law.
Bakari began his journey in the realm of politics by working for
United States Congressman James Clyburn, Atlanta Mayor Shirley
Franklin, and the Southeastern Regional Director of the NAACP.
While at Morehouse College, Bakari was elected Student Government
Association President and, by virtue of his position, served on the
College's Board of Trustees. These experiences have inspired him to
engage in “not politics, but public service.”
Bakari’s grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Cleveland L. Sellers Sr. and
the Rev. and Mrs. E.W. Williamson ensured that he be grounded in
faith while remaining steadfast in his convictions. Rev.
Williamson, a Baptist minister, and Mrs. Ruby Williamson, a retired
school teacher, now reside in Memphis, Tennessee. The late
Cleveland Sellers Sr., a well respected local businessman, and Mrs.
Pauline Sellers, a nutritionist at the Denmark Area Trade Center
(now Denmark Technical College), were pillars of the Denmark
community for over 75 years.
There is no doubt that Bakari's passion for both education and
activism have been instilled through his family lineage. His
mother, Gwendolyn Sellers, has been in higher education over 20
years, while his father, Dr. Cleveland Sellers has been a champion
for civil rights in South Carolina and served as the Director
of African American Studies at the University of South
Carolina. He is now the President of Voorhees College, in
Denmark, South Carolina.
With the strong moral and ethical grounding of his grandparents,
the never ending thirst for education of his mother, and the
undying passion for equal opportunity of his father, Bakari has
returned to South Carolina. He hopes to continue the Sellers’
legacy of walking in faith, while creating change that benefits all
persons – no matter race, color, or creed.
At the age of 27 Bakari is an associate at the Strom Law Firm and
represents District 90 (Bamberg, Barnwell and Orangeburg County) in
the South Carolina General Assembly.
RSVP: Required. CLICK HERE to register for this event!!
Date: Thursday, February 9, 2012
Time: 7 - 11 p.m.
Location: DAC Ballroom 416, Queens
Campus
More Information
Nashia Whittenburg
whittenn@stjohns.edu