Teacher, activist inspires

The name Darryl Tukufu is familiar to some of you, but for those born in the 1980s and 1990s, I want to introduce you to a man who has had an impact in Youngstown as well as in Memphis, Tenn., and he continues doing great work in the black community.
Tukufu, who has a doctorate in sociology from the University of Akron and a doctorate in ministry from Jacksonville Theological Seminary, was born and reared in Cleveland.
His mother, Bernice Starks, lives in Liberty, and his father, Estus Barham, lives in Fort Wayne, Ind. Tukufu spent nearly every summer through the 10th grade in Youngstown. Additionally, he lived full time in the city from 1972 to 1976.
"I definitely credit Youngstown for starting me on my way -- graduating from Youngstown State University and [getting] my first real professional job at the Youngstown Area Urban League," said Tukufu, who also is an ordained minister.
He listed as his mentors Dr. Frank Costa, and the late Hugh Frost Sr. and Clarence Barnes, a former YAUL executive director.
Community leader
Tukufu, whom I met in the mid-70s, had jobs as the YAUL's deputy director and equal opportunity officer for the former Youngstown Hometown Plan.
He was involved with the Black Motivation Task Force Committee, where he served as second vice president of the Youngstown chapter; he was on the Ohio Inter-faith Poverty Coalition; was co-founder and first president of the Youngstown Sickle Cell Anemia Foundation; and was a member of the Youngstown Black Political Assembly.
He also was an organizer of the Harambee Coalition here and served as director of its Simba Boot dancers, a division of the Harambee Dance Troupe.
But there's more.
He served as an assistant professor at Memphis State University and taught Pan African Studies at Kent State University and African American Studies at Northeastern University in Boston.
He was a member of the steering committee for the Jesse Jackson for President campaign committee in the 1980s. He has served as president of the Portland, Ore., and Nashville, Tenn., urban leagues, and is currently president and chief executive officer of the Memphis Urban League.
New job in Memphis
Tukufu begins another chapter in his career in July, when he becomes associate professor of urban studies and executive director of the Intercultural Dialog Council at Crichton College in Memphis.
Crichton is a nondenominational Christian liberal arts college founded in 1941.
He will lead the development of a new program in urban studies, with the first courses being offered in the fall semester.
"One of my life passions is teaching, so this opportunity to combine a faculty position with my urban ministry experience and my desire to help people better their lives is a dream come true for me," Tukufu said in a news release announcing his affiliation with Crichton.
The release says the dialog council is designed to help students, faculty, staff and supporters embrace the multicultural diversity of the Crichton campus as well as the city of Memphis.
Community challenges
I recently asked Tukufu what are some of the challenges facing the black community in the 21st century.
He listed these: Wealth accumulation, expanding economic development opportunities, improving educational proficiency and securing adequate housing.
He said these are essentially the same challenges black people have been trying to overcome in the last century.
"We oftentimes obtain jobs but not wealth accumulation," he said. "We need to get more involved in developing our own business activities."
He has written three books, including "Nubian Elegance Rare and Divine: A Guide for High-Achieving African-American Students."
He and his wife, Myra, have two sons and three granddaughters. Tukufu said his last visit to Youngstown was last summer with one of his sons.
Kudos to another person with Youngstown roots for his latest academic achievement at Crichton. It should remind us all that hard work, a dedication to God and family, and a will to succeed will take you far in life.
ebrown@vindy.com