Bakari Sellers headlines Tri-County Technical College Men of Color luncheon. What to know.

Travis Jacque Rose, Anderson Independent Mail
·2 min read
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Former South Carolina Representative, civil rights activist and attorney Bakari Sellers spoke at Tri-County Technical College’s fifth annual Men of Color luncheon presented by South State Bank on Thursday, Nov. 2, at the Anderson Civic Center.

The luncheon was part of the college’s Men of Color initiative.

Dr. Jackie Bradley, Dean of TCTC Business and Public Services Division and chair of TCTC’s Men of Color initiative said the initiative aims to educate, motivate, inspire and empower students of color.

“Through this luncheon, we hope to empower male students of color by cultivating and showcasing leadership skills and developing intentional practices to achieve success," Bradley said.

Sellers is also a CNN Political Analyst and has been an attorney with the Strom Law Firm, L.L.C. in Columbia since 2007.

He oversees the firm's Strategic Communication and Public Affairs team and the DEI Consulting practice.

Former State Rep. Bakari Sellers, right, also a New York Times Bestselling author, civil rights activist, attorney and entrepreneur with WSPA television reporter Jamarcus Gaston listen to a speech during the 5th annual Tri-County Technical College Men of Color Luncheon at the Civic Center of Anderson, S.C. Thursday, November 2, 2023. Selllers spoke on stage about his life, aiming to educate, motivate, inspire, and empower the 200 area middle to high school students of color, and show them opportunities at Tri-County Technical College.

He is also the host of The Bakari Sellers Podcast which airs two times a week on the Ringer Podcast Network.

Sellers discussed his career and life with WSPA's Jamarcus Gaston. Early on in his career, he became involved in politics. His political career began in 2006. When he was elected to the South Carolina legislature 90th district as the country's youngest African American legislator at 22.

Now, he wants to inspire other young people to follow their dreams.

"Young people are the leaders of right now. They are going to make some mistakes but so did you all," Sellers said.

Sellers uses social media to spread his message of empowerment and hope.

"I've been on Twitter since 2010, and I've had good and bad moments. Donald Trump blocked me for a tweet, and I've had a tweet with over one hundred million impressions," he said.

Sellers also gave advice for young men looking to forge their own path to success.

"Leadership is lonely. Sometimes when you chart your own course, you have to realize that it's lonely," he said.

Sellers encouraged young African American men to take care of their mental health.

"Talk to someone and learn how to love yourself," he said.

This article originally appeared on Anderson Independent Mail: Bakari Sellers at Tri-County Technical College event in Anderson SC