Meet Donovan E.C. Bethea | Student, Advocate, Community Leader

We had the good fortune of connecting with Donovan E.C. Bethea and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Donovan, is there something that you feel is most responsible for your success?
Faith. I believe that all things take a process of believing in yourself before they can become fruitful. Everything requires a foundation and requires a team of support and all of these things to make it work but before any of that can truly become functional I think that you have to believe in yourself and believe in your product enough to where others don’t have to question it they just know off your faith. I think oftentimes people get wrapped up in the marketing and public eye of things but I think so many times if we believed in ourselves as much as we advertised for ourselves that it will speak in such great capacity towards what we are trying to accomplish.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Growing up I was often sent home weekly reports for my excessive talking in class. As a child this kind of bothered me because most of the time I felt like what I was saying was important. But I went through a phase where I understood that my words needed to have action behind them as well. I began to formulate a response to things that were happening to my community that I felt just weren’t fear as I developed this sentence for talking back in an effective way through Middle School I was able to find my voice. When I arrived at Apex Friendship High School I was able to create initiatives to create safe spaces for students of color/LGBTQ+ students, as well as leading people within my community to show up in places such as Downtown Raleigh to march for causes that are important to us.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Black Friday Market in Downtown Raleigh

North Carolina A&T State University

Greensboro Sit-In Counter Museum

Some Things to Bragg About in Fayetville, NC

North Carolina Central University

Dames Chicken & Waffles (my favorite is Cary but there are locations in Durham and Greensboro as well)

Pullen Park, Womble Park, Kelly Road Park

The Dankery in Durham, NC

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
The amazing community of Raleigh, North Carolina, and individuals such as my former Principal Matt Wight, Apex Mayor Jacques Gilbert, my teachers, my friends, and my family.

The support of the Black Male Initiative and staff/faculty at the Willie A. Deese College of Business and Economics at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University

The amazing community at GlobalMindED led by Carol Carter along with the guidance of my mentor Mr. Kenneth Epps.

A book that has truly changed my mindset and life is The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz

And my matriarch, Geraldine Fullmore but to me GiGi. Her encouragement and passion for education have empowered me to never stop learning.

Website: donovanbethea.com

Instagram: @donovanbethea

Linkedin: Donovan E.C. Bethea (https://www.linkedin.com/in/donovan-bethea/)