Group of influential Columbus natives reunite in their hometown
Four members of the Junior Kappa Club recreate a picture from 1990, and share how the club affected their lives.
COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – 34 years ago a group of teens and young adults in Columbus set out to improve their community.
They did this by fostering leadership and taking part in community outreach whenever possible.
That group was the Junior Kappa Club, comprised of Eron Stringer, Kabir Karriem, Kent Alexander, Tracy Harris, Chris Merriwether, and Kenny Verdell.
Many things have changed since then, but the spirit of the club still lives on in its’ former members.
One of the club’s advisers, Kent Alexander, described the mission of the club.
“Just community support,” Alexander said. “At the time, we were just looking to get out and figure out how can we help our community. And that was the main reason why we came together.”
One of the former Junior Kappa Club members, Christopher Merriwether, said the group held him accountable as a young person.
“I hold this group in high esteem because when we were a part of this group you did not want to end up on the wrong side of the tracks,” Merriwether said. “So I think this group held me accountable. You know, to stay on the straight and narrow. And not veer too far to the left, or the right, but just keep it right on the line. To accomplish the goals that we had set forth as far as being successful and being a great citizen.”
Alexander shared one of his fondest memories from that time.
“When these guys, they was 14, 15, 16 years old and our first visit to the nursing home, it was a shock,” Alexander said. “And we provided gift baskets and meals to the nursing home. So that’s the one thing that sticks out. Is just being given back to our community because we all love the community that we grew up in, and we still come back to this community today.”
Members of the club went on to lead successful lives such as being a State House Representative and owning a large company.
Merriwether said his younger self would be proud of him today.
“I would like to think so,” Merriwether said. “Yeah the younger me would be proud of of who I am now. I had the blueprint to become who I am. With the guidance of our mentors, you know, of family members who had come before me also mentors. Even in this program that we were a part of with Kent Alexander and Tracy Harris. You know, they kind of set the standard of this is what you should aspire to be. So I was fortunate and blessed enough to have the support system to obtain and achieve those goals.”
Alexander said he is proud of the men the club members grew up to be.
“You know, proud is an understatement,” Alexander said. “Yeah, I’m super proud, super proud of these guys. These guys, they went on have great careers. They have great families. They’re doing great things in their communities. So the legacy lived on. It passed on to them and now they’re doing the same thing that we did 35 years ago with younger groups in their areas.”
Mayor Keith Gaskin took the original picture in 1990 when he was a photojournalist for the Commercial Dispatch.
He also took the recreation 34 years later.
