By Derrick Brown (follow on Twitter @dbrowndbrown)
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The Life and Legacy of Captain Kuykendall: A Balanced Reflection) (682 Words)
By Derrick Brown (Join Our Mailing List!)
Dear Hannah,
There is some “hero” in every
villain.
There is some “villain” in every hero.
In your lifetime, you will see countless people hailed as heroes … or villains … before the full story has been told.
Captain Kuykendall is one of those figures.
His life and influence evoke passion, division, and powerful lessons.
What I will share today is not a “verdict” (an assignment of “innocence” or “guilt”) … rather, it is a framework for understanding … the strengths, the dangers, and the “wisdom earned through lessons LEarned (#WETLL)” … even when we may fundamentally disagree.
Who He Was (and Became)
Captain Kuykendall rose to national prominence at a young age. He founded Turning Point USA, organized youth campaigns, and became a recognizable voice in American conservative politics. He spoke boldly about liberty, traditional values, individual responsibility, and a return to what he portrayed as foundational principles of America. Many young people looked to him as a "standard bearer".
He was charismatic … he was able to inspire people who felt overlooked or left behind. He built a movement. He had access to power. He became a media figure, often adopting provocative stances to engage audiences. His speeches, media appearances, and digital presence reached beyond campuses and into broader public debates.
Strengths and Influence
- Energizing Youth
The Captain showed that young people can care about big ideas. He made political engagement feel urgent, meaningful, and possible. That energy, when channeled well, can be a force for good … especially when the voices of young people have been marginalized.
- Clarity of Message
One of his strengths was a clear set of values … even if you disagreed with them. He valued freedom, responsibility, and tradition. In a world of rhetorical noise, this kind of clarity is rare.
- Platform Building
He built an organizational and media infrastructure … of schools, conferences, and campus chapters. These networks multiplied his reach and influence. That’s a lesson … ideas don’t live in vacuum … they need vessels to help them "travel" (organizations, media, movements).
Critiques and Warnings
- Polarization & Overreach
His style often favored "confrontation" over "bridge building". In a divided society, that amplifies conflict. At times, nuance and listening became casualties of rhetorical zeal.
- Simplicity Over Complexity
"Big" problems … like culture, inequality, and systemic bias … cannot always be solved with slogans or oversimplified frameworks. When complex issues are “oversimplified”, people get “steamrolled”, “hoodwinked”, and “bamboozled”.
- Identity and Power Dynamics
As a young White man in conservative spaces, The Captain exploited privilege and narrative power. His critics argue that his platform sometimes sidelined voices of women, people of color, or marginalized communities. Here is a sobering truth … influence often accompanies unearned benefit … that is important to acknowledge.
- Legacy Over Substance
Public movements can drift into “cults of personality”. When the man overshadows the mission, the cause becomes fragile. What happens when the founder falters? Systems ought to outlast one person.
Wisdom Earned Through Lessons LEarned (#WETLL)
- Love the idea, but question
the presenter.
Be attracted to good ideas, but do not worship people. Evaluate character, contradictions, context, subtext, and nuance.
- Value complexity.
When someone offers "oversimplified" answers, selah (pause and think). Many of life’s hardest questions have “layered” answers.
- Use your voice.
You don’t have to wait for permission to think, to speak, or to challenge. But when you speak, lead with empathy, humility, and curiosity.
- Hold space for grace.
People make mistakes. Some damage can be repaired. Discern when to debate, when to forgive, when to walk away.
- Know that legacy is more
than applause.
The people whose lives change quietly decades later … because of wisdom earned through lessons LEarned (#WETLL) ... leave legacies that are more powerful than viral media moments.
Captain Kuykendall’s life and passing will be interpreted in many ways. Some will lionize him. Some will condemn him. But for you … my daughter … mi gente … I want you to carry a compass … clarity tempered with humility, passion bound with discretion, and a constant courage to narrate your own story rather than lean entirely on theirs.
That is a legacy worth seeking.
(The "Follow The Leader (changED - Volume 2)" Audio and Video Album / Mixtape is also available at TeachersPayTeachers.com)
(The "changED (Volume 1)" Audio and Video Album / Mixtape is also available at TeachersPayTeachers.com)
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I am a “standup storyteller.”
I fuse rap, spoken word (poetry), oration (traditional public speaking), singing, and teaching into messages of hope, healing, and change that I write, direct, and produce to help people who help people.
Everything must change - and stay changED.
Tradition begins and ends with change.
Change begins with me and the renewing of my mind ... then continues through efforts to effect small-group discipleship (equipping others to equip others) with audiences that respect and embrace mentoring, mediation, and problem solving as tools of change.
I am the product of my mentoring relationships, peacemaking (and peacekeeping), and problem-solving ability.
My education began when I finished school.
After school, I enrolled in a lifelong curriculum that includes classes in ministry, entrepreneurship, stewardship, literacy, numeracy, language, self-identity, self-expression, and analysis / synthesis.
My projects execute a ministry that has evolved from wisdom earned through lessons learned.
I want to share this wisdom to build teams of "triple threat" fellows - mentors, mediators, and problem solvers.
We will collaborate in simple, powerful ways that allow us to help people who help people.
I now know that power is work done efficiently (with wise and skillful use of resources, interests, communication, and expertise).
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