Kwame Kilpatrick was referred to as the young, “hip-hop” mayor of Detroit and the youngest in the history of that city to be elected to office. At the age of 31, he was full of enthusiasm, energy and had plans to help Detroit become a great ci
Kwame Kilpatrick was referred to as the young, “hip-hop” mayor of Detroit and the youngest in the history of that city to be elected to office. At the age of 31, he was full of enthusiasm, energy and had plans to help Detroit become a great city.
Unfortunately, some of his choices and decisions eventually derailed his agenda. Kilpatrick now walks the redemption road still possibly facing black clouds on the horizon.
“While I was mayor of the city of Detroit,” said Kilpatrick, “all I wanted to do was do well for the city. I know that my reckless behavior was a big disappointment to my family, friends and the people of the city. But now I am in the process of coming back.”
Kilpatrick has faced a storm of controversies including a civil lawsuit, and perjury and obstruction of justice charges that resulted from an affair with his former chief of staff, Christine Beatty.
But he has been very contrite and wants to return to his former standing as a well-respected family man after having fallen from grace.
In 2008, a romantic affair he was having with his chief of staff was exposed via a series of text messages which the prosecutors used to buttress their case that ended Kilpatrick’s political ambitions and landed him in jail. That year, Kilpatrick pled guilty to the charges and, as part of his plea deal, resigned office and served a four-month jail term.
However, he used the time constructively and said afterward, “I called that experience a purification process.”
And now, along with Bishop T. D. Jakes, senior pastor of Potter’s House church in Dallas, Kilpatrick is undergoing intensive spiritual counseling with the purpose of producing a new Kwame Kilpatrick. He remarked that his down time was a time of self-reflection which he utilized to address his wrongs and search his spirit and Bishop Jakes has been mentoring him and helping in re-building his faith. “My first priority was to reconnect with my family and I think I’ve done that in a major way,” said Kilpatrick. “My wife and I are closer than we’ve ever been, my children have their father back and that is the main thing.”
Kilpatrick said he continues to forge onward.
“The information that I’ve gained, the knowledge that I’ve gained,” said Kilpatrick, “the experience that I’ve had, has made me a better person, made me a better man, a better father, and it’s also going to make me a better leader in the future.”
He has a new position as an account executive at a medical software company and he hopes to help the community in this way by dealing with issues and awareness relative to health care.
“Now, I work for a health information technology company,” said Kilpatrick. “I’m learning that business and I think it’s an emerging field, trying to really establish health care in underserved communities around the country.”
The road to redemption may be somewhat bumpy and Kilpatrick has had to live under the microscope of the court, but has been willing to meet all of his financial obligations related to restitution. For the moment his life is an open book and in terms of his rehabilitation, it will certainly pay multiple dividends in his future, which at present looks promising.
Kilpatrick doesn’t see any politics in his future, but he did comment on President Barack Obama. “I think the meteoric rise of Barack Obama has been one of those being-at-the-right-place, at-the-right-time, anointings for this country,” he said. “I think that he has been phenomenal at his job … how he has handled himself has been phenomenal…I think for the last, particularly, eight months, what we’ve been seeing is one of the best presidential executives that we’ll see in our lifetime.” And as a former chief executive himself, Kilpatrick said he can relate to Obama and the many changes he has gone through, from being a legislator to being the first Black president. Special to the NNPA from the Los Angeles Sentinel
Copyright 2010 NNPA.
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