Memphian Yolanda R. Kight exemplifies a ‘servant’s heart’ approach as she lobbies for Shelby County Circuit Court Judge post

DECISION 2018: MAKING HEADLINE NEWS IN-DEPTH FEATURE ON YOLANDA ROCHELLE KIGHT

Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain. (1 Corinthians 15:58 ESV)

To grasp a thorough concept of Yolanda R. Kight is one who can be appropriately described as a true survivor of arguably some of life’s greatest hurdles, pause for a moment, if you will, and become enlighten about her assortment of personal testimonies.

“There have been many forces working against me to undermine where God has been taking me,” Kight said during an exclusive weekend interview with Making Headline News.

For the record, it all started somewhere in inner city Memphis — North Memphis to technical — where Kight was born to an unwed teenage mother and resided with her grandmother.

“We called her ‘mama’ because most of our mothers in my family were young and our grandmother was like our mama,” Kight recalled.

All things considered, Kight, like many of her peers, was a typical youngster who was destined to make the most out of life in the inner city, often jumping a fence during the summer months for free lunch at nearby Lester Community Center, routinely engaging in a variety of childhood neighborhood activities before the street lights caught her.

Still, even while diligently staying in a child’s place while being raised in a Christian environment where attending church was mandatory, it seemed that various forms of challenges had arose and thrust Kight in harm’s way, a trend by which she didn’t merely deserve, much less warrant.

So how to explain and make sense of why Kight was victimized by sexual assault and molestation as a minor by multiple men, not to mention having endured an abusive relationship, all while functioning as a single parent to three young girls as a law school student who was armed with so much promise?

To acquire a somewhat full understanding, try becoming empowered of how she has managed to blossom into the true survivor for which she is widely known.

“I didn’t come from a family of people who had gone to college or had obtained great fortune or success,” Kight explained. “But I was blessed to have friend who I met in junior high school whose family instilled in her to seek higher education and so I basically followed what she did.”

Much to her delight, Kight steadfastly stuck with that junior high school confidant in such a way that, to her credit, she not only has enjoyed sustained success through education, but she’s made a name for herself in the process.

And, if things go her way on the campaign trail in the coming months, Kight, a native Memphian will ceremoniously assume yet another commendable label to go along with the true survivor one.

A proud graduate of Memphis Hamilton High, Kight, 47, is a candidate for Shelby County Circuit Court Judge, Division 9, a political post she’s hoping to win following her previous unsuccessful, nail-biting loss in her quest for Shelby County Clerk.

Early voting begins July 13 and ends July 28. The general election is August 2.

For Kight, that she is vying for Circuit Court Judge is especially ideal for a time such as now, in large part because of the wealth of experience she’s garnered in her current position as a Magistrate Judge.

Amongst Kight’s notable responsibilities is overseeing cases centered on dealing mostly with domestic abuse, sexual assault, stalking, drugs, and other criminal matters.

“In this position, it has become even more transparent than before that we have issues with justice in our legal system,” Kight said.

Interestingly, Kight said long before she sensed she would delve off into the political arena, she was birthed with the notable vision of becoming a driving force in the community as a way to make it a better place for “my children and grandson.” she emphasized.

“Even before running for office, I began doing things in my practice to restore hope and reconciliation to those persons I touched in my practice,” Kight said.

Now, she stressed, is the appropriate time to take her servant’s heart approach outside of her credible practice.

What better place to take it than to Shelby County Circuit Court, Division 9?

“I never had the sense that I wanted to necessarily run for office, though I had one person to tell me that God told them that my grace was in politics, and other persons prophesied that I would hold certain political positions,” Kight said.

For what it’s worth, she certainly possesses the educational credentials to run for such a commendable political seat.

After enrolling at the historic Clark Atlanta University, where she became a lifetime member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated in Fall 1989, Kight transferred to LeMoyne-Owen College, where she eventually earn a Bachelor’s of Business Administration with a concentration in Management.

In addition, she acquired a Legal Assistant Certificate in Paralegal Studies from University College at the University of Memphis, during which she was named Most Outstanding Paralegal.

Interesting, in 1998, Kight had the opportunity to meet prominent Judge Bernice Bouie Donald, who presently serves as a Federal Judge for the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit.

According to Kight, it was Donald who encouraged her mightily to broaden her horizon in the judicial industry, a development that had ultimately inspired her to earn a law degree from University of Memphis’ historic Cecil C. Humphrey’s School of Law just four years later.

The rest, as they say, was history.

“It wasn’t until I had my children and the idea that (other lives) now relied on me to make everything okay that the notion that ‘Failure was not an option’ took hold and I was determined to make life better for them,” Kight, who’s currently pursing a degree from Memphis Theological Seminary. “That determination to make life better for them, undergirded with the faith I learned through my mother who found God and made sure that we got to know God by attending church, Sunday school, vacation bible school, etc., is what helped me to keep going despite feeling like giving up sometimes feeling overwhelmed.”

Given the immeasurable strides she’s made — particularly from those days of growing up in the inner city, to jumping fences for free lunch, to conquering being molested and physically abused, to achieving educational excellence — Kight is especially hopeful that the citizens of Shelby County will take into account her servant’s heart approach when they take to the polls in the foreseeable future.

“A win for Yolanda Rochelle Kight is a win for the citizens of Shelby County,” Kight said. “And it will represent a shift in this community toward a community that is concerned about the needs of all members of this community by ensuring that all members of our community are afforded justice that is not based on race, socio-economic background, or status.”

A MAKING HEADLINE NEWS “DID YOU KNOW?”

Did you know that Memphian Yolanda R. Kight is involved in a variety of community-based organizations, most notably:

The Northwest Shelby County Rotary Club

A lifetime member of Alpha Kappa Alpha, Incorporated

The National Coalition of 100 Black Women and,

The Co-Program Chair of Precious Pearls of Frayser?

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Andre Johnson is the Founder and Publisher of Making Headline News. A 2000 graduate of the University of Memphis School of Journalism and a former reporter of sports for the Memphis Commercial Appeal newspaper, Johnson covers the NBA Southwest Division from Dallas, Texas. To reach Johnson, call him at 901-690-6587 or send email to andre@makingheadlinenews.com or makingheadlinenews@gmail.com. Also, follow him on Twitter @AJ_Journalist.