King Crush Thursday - The Interviews

David W. Brown has owned or managed five advertising/public relations firms throughout his 30+ career in Philadelphia. His most successful venture was BrownPartners, – which operated from 2002 – 2011 – and became one of the most decorated minority-owned ad agencies in the history of Philadelphia’s advertising industry. The company won almost every award in the field including three Pepperpots from the Philadelphia Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA); a Gold Addy from the Philadelphia Advertising Club; and a Mosaic Award from the American Advertising Federation.

Brown has the distinction of being the only person to have served over his career as both the President of the Public Relations Society of America’s (PRSA) Philadelphia chapter and the Philadelphia Advertising Club. He is also the only living African American inducted into the Philadelphia Public Relations Association (PPRA) Hall of Fame.  With the Ad Club’s Movers and Shakers Pinnacle Award, Brown is the only African American to be selected for Hall of Fame honors by both Philadelphia’s largest advertising and public relations organizations. 

In 2016, he was recipient of PRSA’s National David Ferguson Award for Outstanding Contributions Education and is the first African American to be so honored. He is also the recipient of the 2016 Ofield Dukes Educator Award conferred by the National Black Public Relations Society (NBPRS) recognizing the best African Americans in the public relations industry that are making positive contributions in the community. It was named after the legendary African American practitioner who worked with music icon Stevie Wonder to make Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday a national holiday. Professor Brown is the first Philadelphia practitioner to be selected. 

He serves as Founder/Managing Director of CommonSoul Communications – a non-profit that provides strategic marketing services to other mission-focused organizations. He was named a “Champion of Change” by the Obama Administration for his communications work around empowering non-profits to make a difference in the communities they serve. In 2018, Brown was recognized for his service to the community in being selected for the Harris Wofford Active Citizenship Award – given to one Philadelphian or organization a year by the Philadelphia Martin Luther King Day of Service Committee which operates the largest single day of service in the country.

Brown is the Diversity Advisor to the Office of the Dean at Temple University’s Klein College of Media and Communication where he has pursued level work in the PhD Media and Communication program. An ordained Reverend in the United Methodist Church, Brown is also a frequent contributor to the PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER and WHYY in which he has been featured extensively on a range of urban issues.

Mark Prince was born and raised in Washington, DC and a proud 3rd generation graduate of Howard University. Mark is married to Karen Prince (whom he met at Howard) for 14+ years, with a beautiful 12 yr old daughter, McKenzie.vMark has maintained an international footprint as a top tier musician and recording artist for the last 25 years. Touring and recording with some of the world’s greatest artists of many genres including Jeff Lorber, Jennifer Holliday, Freddy Cole, Bobby Lyle, Fertile Ground, Steve Coleman, MeShell Ndegeocello, Ruth Naomi Floyd and many others.

Mark has been a teacher and clinician in the Washington, DC area (and beyond) for over 20 years, and is co-founder of the Jazz and Contemporary Service at The Washington National Cathedral.

Mark is a lover of life, and believes that music is among the most powerful healing forces known to man.  

Sharif El-Mekki  is the Founder and CEO of the Center for Black Educator Development . The Center exists to ensure there will be equity in the recruiting, training, hiring, and retention of quality educators that reflect the cultural backgrounds and share common socio-political interests of the students they serve. The Center is developing a nationally relevant model to measurably increase teacher diversity and support Black educators through four pillars: Professional Learning , Pipeline , Policies , and Pedagogy . So far, the Center has developed ongoing and direct professional learning, mentoring, and coaching opportunities for Black teachers and other educators serving students of color.

The Center also carries forth the freedom or liberation school legacy by hosting Freedom School sites that incorporates research-based curricula and exposes high school and college students to the teaching profession to help fuel a pipeline of Black educators.

Prior to founding the Center, El-Mekki served as a nationally recognized principal and U.S. Department of Education Principal Ambassador Fellow. His school, Mastery Charter Shoemaker , was recognized by President Obama and Oprah Winfrey, and was awarded the prestigious EPIC award for three consecutive years as being amongst the top three schools in the country for accelerating students’ achievement levels. The Shoemaker Campus was also recognized as one of the top ten middle school and top ten high schools in the state of Pennsylvania for accelerating the achievement levels of African-American students.

In 2014, El-Mekki founded The Fellowship – Black Male Educators for Social Justice , an organization dedicated to recruiting, retaining, and developing Black male teachers. El-Mekki blogs on Phillys7thWard , is a member of the 8 Black Hands podcast and serves on several boards and committees focused on educational and racial justice.

Dr. Oscar Holmes IV is the founder of WHConsulting Firm, LLC and creator and host of Diversity Matters podcast which premiered in 2020. Additionally, he is the Associate Dean of Undergraduate Programs, an Associate Professor of Management and the Rutgers University Student Executive (RUSE) Director at Rutgers School of Business-Camden where he has taught executive education, graduate, and undergraduate courses in Leadership and Managing Human Capital, Organizational Behavior, Conflict Management and Negotiation, and Crisis Management.  He is a 2023-2024 American Council on Education (ACE) Fellow completing his fellowship at the University of Delaware. His research examines how leaders can maximize productivity and well-being through fostering more inclusive environments and has been published in several top-tier management journals and books. He earned a Ph.D. and M.A. in Management from The University of Alabama, M.L.A. from The University of Richmond and a B.S. with honors from Virginia Commonwealth University. He is also a 2006 alum of Stanford University's Graduate School of Business Summer Institute in General Management.  While on sabbatical in fall 2016, he was a Visiting Research Professor of Management at the LeBow College of Business at Drexel University and a Research Fellow at the University of Pretoria (South Africa). He is a resident expert for Psychology Today (PT) and hosts his own PT column entitled, “Beyond the Cubicle: Managing Human Capital.” He has won numerous awards for his leadership, scholarship, and teaching such as being named one of Philadelphia Business Journal's 40 Under 40 and Diversity Leaders in Business honorees, one of Diversity MBA Top 100 Under 50 Emerging and Executive Leaders, Philadelphia Tribune Top 10 Under 40 Most Influential African Americans to Watch, and won a Rutgers University Leaders in Faculty Diversity Award in 2020, one of Poets & Quants 40 Under 40 Best Business School Professors in the world, and won the Mid-Atlantic Association of College of Business Administration Innovation in Teaching Award and the New Jersey Policy Research Organization Foundation Bright Idea Research Award in 2018 and 2020. Also in 2018, he created and hosts, Beyond The Mill, a live Diversity Dialogues Talk Show at Rutgers-Camden. In addition to his scholarship being covered in various news outlets, he is a highly sought-after speaker, organizational consultant, and has made a number of media appearances that include Huffington Post Live, TEDx, television, and radio interviews. 

Dr. G. Preston Wilson, Jr. is the Director of the Fisk Jubilee Singers®.

A native of Durham, North Carolina, Dr. Wilson returns to Fisk University with a deep-rooted connection to the Fisk Jubilee Singers®. He was a member of the ensemble under the tutelage of the late Dr. Paul T. Kwami. Dr. Wilson earned his Bachelor of Science in Music Education from Fisk University in Nashville, Tennessee, in 2010. During his time at Fisk, the renowned Grammy award-winning ensemble was honored with the National Medal of the Arts, the highest artistic accolade in the nation, presented by President George Bush.

Subsequently, Dr. Wilson pursued his Master of Music in Choral Music Education at Bowling Green State University, where he was named the Presidential Graduate Scholar. His academic journey culminated with a Ph.D. in Music Education from the University of Missouri, where his dissertation titled “Successful Urban Elementary Music Educator: A Phenomenological Investigation” delved into the experiences of urban music teachers in elementary schools.

Dr. Wilson brings exceptional expertise in choral conducting and boasts a remarkable record in music education. His publications in prestigious journals such as TEMPO, the official magazine of the New Jersey Music Educators Association, and contributions to books like “A Music Pedagogy for Our Time: Conversation and Critique” and “If Colors Could be Heard, They’d Paint Wondrous Tunes: Narratives about Music Education, Race, Ethnicity, and Identity” highlight his scholarly contributions. Additionally, Dr. Wilson has presented his research at international conferences, including the Feminist Theory and Music Conference at the University of Guelph, Canada, the International Society for the Sociology of Music Education at the University of Veracruz, and the BLACK Critical Media Literacy Conference: Action! Awareness! Advocacy! in the African Diaspora.

James Wright has nearly 20 years of experience in neighborhood planning, economic and real estate development, and galvanizing multiple stakeholders to leverage community assets, specifically business corridors. James holds an MBA in Urban Economic Development from Eastern University. He was recognized as a 2016 Rising Star by the Philadelphia Association of Community Development Corporations. Prior to PECCDC, James handled real estate development at New Kensington Community Development Corporation.  He has served on the boards of Mighty Writers and the West Philly Tool Library. He currently serves on the board for Philadelphia Association of Community Development Corporations.

Michael Robinson, M.S., is an award-winning corporate executive, Human Resources professional, and university administrator. He serves as a senior pastor of an urban ministry in North Philadelphia, PA, and is a columnist for a weekly regional newspaper in Philadelphia.  He has empowered and launched thousands towards achieving their life goals!

Lamar Smith is a former health inspector who saw an opportunity to follow his passion & build a legacy that will influence the world positively and set up a future for those he loves. He loves Glenside & the people that live there; he works dawn till dusk everyday in order to build a business that focuses on inspiring the youth & the community with authentic taste & a warm welcome that makes you feel like you're at home every time you walk through Dreams' doors. Lamar founded Dreams over 6 years ago and ever since Dreams has employed many of the Glenside youth and helped build the foundation for their futures going into other work opportunities. Lamar is proud to see them all as young adults now knowing that he's influenced their lives in such a positive way. The most powerful example of this is Khenan himself, who began working with Lamar 2 years into business. Khenan began as a cashier at Dreams, & after studying business under Lamar's wing, became a co-owner. This is the message of Dreams. Get a Taste of Your Dreams. https://dreamsicecream.com/  

James E. Dupree has been a practicing fine artist in the city of Philadelphia for over five decades. With exhibitions and residencies of national and international scope, Dupree has created a legacy within the world of Fine Arts and Culture. His mediums include but are not limited to painting, mixed media, and sculpture. With 35 different series of work reflecting the life of a contemporary African American Artist, Dupree’s art treads the line between politics, culture, and fine art. Dupree’s work is represented within the collections of public institutions, corporate, and private collectors, including; The Philadelphia Museum of Art, The Petrucci Family Foundation, The Schomburg Center, and The African American Museums of both LA and Pennsylvania. 

Dupree holds a BFA from the Columbus College of Art and Design, and an MFA from the University of Pennsylvania, where he received ‘Living Legend’ status. He attended the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Art, and the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture in Maine, and was a resident at the Studio Museum in Harlem. Dupree continued his involvement with arts education and went on to teach at various Universities, Art Centers, and Fine Art Schools, such as; PAFA, Crewe and Alsager College of England, Fleisher Art Memorial, PAFA, and University of Pennsylvania. 

Currently, James Dupree owns and operates two Contemporary Fine Art Galleries where he  represents a diverse group of National and International Fine Artists. Dupree Gallery Philadelphia, which has been in operation since 1982 is located at 703 South 6th St. in Philadelphia, PA. The newest location of Dupree Gallery is situated along the Delaware River in the vibrant small town of Lambertville NJ, at 10 N Union St.

Dr. Jay Fluellen is a Philadelphia born musician known as a composer, college professor, educator, accompanist, pianist, singer, and organist/choir director. He is highly sought after as both a composer and a pianist. He has a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from Temple University in the field of Music Composition. In addition, Dr. Fluellen has  his K-12 Music Pennsylvania State certification from Eastern University. Dr. Fluellen is currently currently Concert Band and Jazz Ensemble Director at CAPA, the Philadelphia High School for Creative and Performing Arts, having served for over a decade as the music technology specialist and co-choir teacher with Ms. Patricia Betcher at Northeast High School in the School District of Philadelphia. Since January 1997, he has been a co-minister of music, with Waltier Blocker, at the historic African Episcopal Church of St. Thomas, where he directs the Chancel Choir, plays pipe organ, piano and keyboard. 

Dr. Fluellen has taught college level courses in the fields of music composition, written and aural theory, music history, piano, and conducting at the following institutions; Morgan State University, Lincoln University, Montgomery County Community College, University of the Arts, and Community College of Philadelphia. He has taught jazz and classical piano as well as music theory at the Settlement School of Music. He has been commissioned by various performers and institutions, including; the Mann Center for the Performing Arts, Philadelphia's LiveConnections, Teya Sepinuck and Theater of Witness, the Bucks County Choral Society, the Philadelphia Jazz Project, Orchestra 2001, Opera Company of Philadelphia, Network for New Music, Relâche and Philadelphia's Singing City Choir,  among others. His most recent commission by the Main Line Symphony, Mass for the Light Becoming, was premiered in 2024 to great acclaim.