00:30
Kamal Bell Highlight
Connect to a high purpose of trying to change what we see wrong in our society.
About Kamal
- I grew up in Durham, North Carolina, where I personally experienced the contrasts between predominantly Black and predominantly white educational spaces.
- I decided I wanted to go to an HBCU for college and chose North Carolina A&T.
- At North Carolina A&T, I majored in agricultural education and became president of the Black History Club.
- I started recognizing the disparities in food access near historically Black colleges like North Carolina A&T and envisioned farming as a way to combat food deserts.
- My wife and I started Unity Farms, selling dehydrated fruit, before renaming it Sankofa Farms to honor African heritage and history.
- Despite USDA challenges and systemic racism, I secured land and established Sankofa Farms as a hub for agriculture and education.
- I also created a gardening program while teaching in public schools that inspired at-risk students but ultimately left due to systemic limitations.
- At Sankofa, I combine STEM education with farming, mentoring students in beekeeping, drone operation, and sustainable agriculture.