Black Salvage Spotlight: Ke'Shawn Forbes

A couple of months ago, we ran a piece on the relevance of historically black colleges and universities. With all the disproportionately negative press these schools receive, it’s important that positives stories, like the one I am about to bring you, get out. With that said; I present to you our first ever Black Salvage Spotlight- allow me to introduce to Mr. Ke’Shawn Forbes.

Here’s a snapshot of Forbes- He’s a junior, majoring in Social Work at Morgan State University in Baltimore, MD, and currently has a 3.1 grade point average. Outside his studies he mentors, tutors and serves as a host for different university events. Did I mention he’s in school on a “full ride” through academic scholarships.

Forbes has a nickname, “Flexxa”, which is Caribbean, he tells the Black Salvage. “down there you get a nickname for what your good at. It comes from flexibility and being multiple places at once- and being a people magnet.”

People magnet is an understatement, given that Forbes just won the election for 2008-2009 Mr. Morgan, “It hasn’t even hit me yet. It probably will at the inauguration but I’m still surprised.” Forbes has spent the last several weeks campaigning for the prestigious role alone- no one else bothered running against him. “I had no competition” he said. “I was the only one at the interest meeting.” And that Forbes didn’t run against anyone certainly does not take anything away from his victory; just to begin the process, He needed to collect 800 signatures- and received well over 900. He also mentioned that even with no competition, he wanted people to vote for him anyway, because, as he puts it, “I owe [them] something. [Their] vote means I owe a great term.”

Votes and numbers aside, it’s not popularity alone that has put Forbes where he is. In all actuality, Forbes’ sociability as well as hard work have propelled him to his current position. “Things just eventually come to me. Good opportunities come from hard work. Sociability is my passion.”

Getting to know people is something Forbes has long taken seriously through his collegiate career. “I got to know administration and even the person who puts drinks in the vending machine. . . don’t take for granted what people do.” And Forbes’ love of those around him has given him another admirable quality- a genuine concern for those at risk for suicide. Forbes told the Black Salvage he always asks people ‘[are] you good?’ or ‘you alright?’. “They’ll come back to me later”, he went on, “and tell me it cheered them up or they appreciated me taking time out to speak to them.” In my own experience, it’s seldom that a younger person actively tries to pursue those at risk for suicide or those with low self esteem. Forbes’ genuinely altruistic nature is surely a rarity.

As my conversation with Forbes continued, we discussed his post-graduation plans. As already mentioned, Forbes is a social work major. He expressed interest in continuing mentoring and serving as a guidance counselor at either a middle or high school, but wouldn’t mind remaining at Morgan and added, “I’ll be where the Lord puts me.”

Another point of conversation with Forbes was of his thoughts on Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. “It’s influential to see a positive black man,” he said. Forbes was also in attendance several weeks ago at the 1st Mariner Arena for to see Barack Obama speak. He also added that “Obama has proven himself and will work for all people” but also that whoever ends up winning must build America back up.

Even more influential than Obama is Forbes’ mother, who remains at home in New York as head nurse at Brooklyn’s Brookdale Hospital. She has served for more than 20 years and is on the verge of her retirement. “I wouldn’t be here without her.” He also reminisced on not being able to afford college at one point and his mom letting him know that he might possibly have to come back home. Forbes told her he would take care of it, ended up on a full scholarship. A testament to his mother’s hard work is the fact that he is apart of a family of “go-getters”. His younger sister is attending Temple University and his older brother, whom Forbes says makes school look easy, is currently in Columbia's law program.

By the end of my conversation with Forbes, I realized that I wasn’t talking to a “successful black man” but rather, “a successful man”. In my opinion, he’s only at the beginning of a life long career being of great service to those around him. Mr. Morgan, Ke’Shawn Forbes, will represent Morgan State University later this year at the HBCU Pageant in Missouri. "Morgan State students are going to remember the 08-09 school year," Forbes said in closing.

-Prodigy Maestro

(You do not have to be a member of Blogger to comment. Choose 'other' or 'anonymous' when your identification is asked for.)