Today we’d like to introduce you to Todd Dean.
Todd, before we jump into specific questions about the organization, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I came home from Tennessee State in 2016, not knowing what I was going to do. Me and some of my friends from our hometown (Cartersville) started a toy drive in 2015 but decided we wanted to do more to impact our community. That’s how the Circle of Advancement was formed. They trusted me to lead as the President and Co-founder. Our journey doing this is a true testament to our friendship. They seen passion and purpose in me when I needed it most. It’s great to have people who believe in you. Now, we let the kids know we believe in them through our Toy Drive, Back Pack Drive (Summer Sendoff), and our Dean-Hill after school program. I take pride in a leader amongst my peers and the kids here. So I didn’t stop with Circle of Advancement, I mentor through Cartersville City Schools, coach rec league sports and I sit on board of directors for Summer Hill Foundation and Tranquility House Domestic Violence Shelter. I also host a monthly called “For The Culture” where black men, young and old, bring their community concerns to the forefront, we discuss them and find a healthy solution for our community. About six months ago, I joined the Lavette Group, which is the only independent black-owned insurance company in Bartow County, and I have to shout them out because they represent this county with integrity and have served, educated, and gave back to this community for years.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
The road has been quite bumpy. One of my favorite poems is Don’t Quit, and the last two lines are “So Stick To The Fight When You’re Hardest Hit. It’s when things seem worst that you must not quit.” I recited that for a while because early on, I struggled with being a leader. I had to learn how to truly lead, which requires following and how to communicate better with my peers. On top of that being young in spaces where you represent millennials but also Black people. They want your voice in the room for representation, but I had trouble getting people to listen until we proved ourselves. People didn’t take me (US) seriously until things started happening, and we were doing it on our own.
Please tell us about the organization.
The Circle of Advancement focuses on our youth. We have an event called the Toy-Drive Mixer in December, where we have helped almost 150-175 families since 2015 by providing full Christmases for them. We host a backpack drive, also called “The Summer Sendoff,” where we supply fully loaded bookbags for K-12 in the Summer Hill community. Each year we give 200 plus bookbags away. The Dean-Hill after school program is what I am most proud of. In Cartersville, high school kids in alternative schools go home at 11 am. To me, that was a huge problem. You can’t send the “so called” troubled kids back on the street at 11 am with no supervision. So, we started the program, and we tutor them in their classes, but we also have license therapists come by and help them work through some of the traumas they deal with. We help them prepare for college, and if college isn’t an option, we’re helping them find good jobs in our community (Shaw, Toyo Tires).
We bring people in for them to then be able to talk and ask questions. We cover every base because these kids have been written off, and they’ll tell you that. We have come a long way, and I’m happy to announce our first high school graduate from the program and we’re working on getting him to the next level. Our Motto is the roots of education are bitter, but the fruit is sweet by Aristotle, but that goes with everything in life, it’s tough at first, but if you put the time in, the reward is sweet. I want to mention “For the Culture” also because this has become a safe haven for black men to open up and talk about anything. It’s beautiful and powerful. Nothing sets me apart from anyone else. I believe In the helping and uplifting people. That’s how I was raised. My great grandmother uses to house homeless people because she saw a need. I’m just helping fill the needs I see.
If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
I don’t know if I would do anything differently, but I wish I found myself earlier because, for a while, I didn’t know who I really was and the favor God showed me.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.lavettegroup.com
- Phone: 678-777-7718
- Email: thecircleofadvancement@gmail.com tdean@lavettegroup.com
- Instagram: @thecircleofadvancement
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CircleoAdvancement
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