Kenneth Crum advocates for community

Kenneth Crum, a Greenville native with over 30 years in the corporate travel industry, has significantly contributed to his community through his role as Chairman of the Board for the Butler County Concern Citizens, a community advocacy group focused on local youth.

“Our goal from the beginning was to be led and guided by God to address and advocate for the people of Butler County and their needs,” Crum said. “But we’ve done so much more since then.”

Crum’s journey began in Greenville, where he excelled in academics and sports. He was president of his junior and senior classes and captain of the basketball and football teams.

His achievements earned him a football scholarship to Tuskegee University, where he became the starting quarterback and graduated with a degree in business administration. In 2017, Crum was inducted into the Tuskegee University Athletic Hall of Fame.

After college, Crum returned to Greenville to support his mother Dorothy, following the death of his father, Jimmy Crum, Butler County’s first black county commissioner. This sense of duty has been a constant in Crum’s life.

Under Crum’s leadership, Concern Citizens has initiated several impactful projects. The group feeds the elderly and organizes outings for local youth. One notable achievement is the creation of a community youth garden, where local youth grow and distribute crops free of charge within the community.

“We took a group of young people to the Alabama State Teaching Garden in Montgomery. They were all so interested that we decided we should do something like that at home,” Crum said. “Annie Jean Simmons-Mann donated some land that was just trees and weeds. Now we have the garden and the Annie Jean Simmons-Mann Garden of Stillness with benches and a fountain.”

Crum is also heavily involved in programs marketed as “All-Male Youth Summits.” The summits aim to empower and inspire young men in the community by addressing their concerns and struggles.

“It’s up to all of us to reach our youth,” Crum said. “That’s what we’re trying to do—to show our young men that there are strong male figures in the community that care about them.”

Crum acknowledges the community’s challenges but emphasizes not writing off struggling young men. “

They say the tree is known by the fruit it bears, so we have culpability for our youth’s actions,” Crum said. “They all have greatness in them but sometimes due to circumstances, they have things that need to be overcome.”

Crum’s personal accomplishments include raising his two children. His son, Brandon Price Crum, is an attorney with the Serious Law Group and recently opened a new practice in the Atlanta Metro area. His daughter, Nealy McGee Crum, who holds degrees from Spelman and Wake Forest University, works in an administrative role within the same firm.

“Growing up, my father valued education and always stressed the importance of studying and having pride in the work you produce,” Brandon said. “He was just really involved. If anything was going on, he was there.”

Brandon highlighted his father’s commitment to the community, particularly his focus on youth mentorship.

“Anything he does, he puts in a lot of passion,” Brandon said. “He wants to see Greenville thrive and he doesn’t want to see anyone left behind. He wants to make sure every child has a voice and is able to reach their potential.”

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