Episode #44 feat. Bernard Kinsey
In this episode, Eric sits down with philanthropist, entrepreneur and patron of the arts… Bernard Kinsey. They discuss his early life; having been raised in a middle class family in West Palm Beach, Florida. The loving environment that fostered him and instilled in him strong values. His experience of growing-up in a segregated state, attending Florida A&M University and meeting his beloved wife Shirley. His illustrious career in the corporate world, followed by his entrepreneurial ventures… to eventually retiring and devoting his energies to his philanthropic efforts and building the Kinsey Collection. They explore how he developed an interest in uncovering the story of African Americans, his passion for spotlighting the African American culture and the role that they have played in making American what it is today. His dedication to honoring the African American heroes along with their stories and his mission to change the narrative, reshape how we think about and remove the “cataracts” that blind us from seeing and understanding American history in its entirety… in hopes that this will inspire respectful, level-eyed conversation. They delve into the many facets of his collection; that ranges from two and three dimensional art, to photography, rare books, records, artifacts and more that document the African American experience from the 16th century until the present. Sourcing the material that tells how this story came about. How his son Khalil has taken an active role in stewarding the collection and what’s in story for the Kinsey collection in the future...!
Guest Bio: Bernard Kinsey is a Los Angeles philanthropist and entrepreneur with a passion for African American history and art of the 19th and 20th centuries. He and his wife, Shirley, have been called "one of the most admired and respected couples in Los Angeles." They are known for espousing two life principles, “To whom much is given much is required" and live “A life of no regrets”. The couple have one son, Khalil, who is the general manager and curator of The Kinsey African American Art and History Collection and foundation.
Born and raised in West Palm Beach, Florida, Bernard Kinsey's father is the late Mr. U.B. Kinsey who became one of the first African American principals of a public school in Palm Beach County, Florida. Following in his family's tradition, he attended Florida A&M University. There, he met his wife Shirley. After graduating from Florida A&M University in 1967, he was hired as the first African American sales representative for Humble Oil Company, then a part of the Exxon Corporation. The job brought Kinsey and his wife to South Central Los Angeles. Kinsey was immediately successful and quickly became Humble Oil's number one sales representative. In 1971, Kinsey left Humble Oil to join Xerox Corporation as a field service manager. Again, he proved to be highly successful and within his first nine months rose to number one. During that same year, Kinsey and a group of African American Xerox employees protested the promotion of a less qualified white employee over an African American with supervisory experience and a college degree. Xerox promoted the African American employee. This action resulted in the creation of the Xerox Black Employees Organization, which Kinsey co-founded. Kinsey became a vice president of Xerox within ten years. Kinsey also worked to create a program for bringing African Americans and other minorities into the company and training them for jobs with opportunities for advancement.
In 1991, Kinsey left Xerox and in 1992, he became the chief operating officer and co-chairman of Rebuild Los Angeles (RLA), under Peter Ueberroth. RLA's mission was to bring jobs, economic opportunities and pride to the area that had been devastated by the 1992 Los Angeles riots. While leading the revitalization efforts, Kinsey succeeded in generating more than $380 million dollars in investments for inner city Los Angeles. Kinsey also worked to bring grocery stores, loan funds, pharmacies, hardware stores, and other retail outlets to the community.
The Kinsey African American Art & History Collection: is one of the largest private collections of artifacts tracing African-American history. It includes sculptures, paintings, and documents with rich historical value. Among their treasures are rarities such as a letter written by Malcolm X to Alex Haley two years before the 1965 assassination of Malcolm X.
The Kinsey Collection travels the globe as an award-winning museum exhibition – lead by the stewardship of Bernard, Shirley, and Khalil Kinsey. The exhibition celebrates the achievements and contributions of black Americans from before the formation of the United States to present times.
