Wendell Jones Leadership Institute

I was so honored to be able to sponsor and deliver our state’s Order of the Silver Crescent to Dr. Teresa Bufford this weekend. This award is one of our state’s highest honors given to those who have lived a life of service. If you know Dr. Bufford and was not able to witness the presentation at her church this past Sunday, reach out and congratulate her.

“…everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger;” -James‬ ‭1‬:‭19‬ ‭

This one verse of scripture can save you so much trouble in life, on social media and in your relationships. It takes a great deal of self-control (which is a fruit of the Spirit) and a great deal of maturity (a byproduct of wisdom - read Proverbs 8 and Proverbs 4:7 - obtained over time). Much love.

Making rejection work for you.

As you mature, you learn that rejection is not a “call to arms” where you decide to trade blows with someone who, of their own free will, decided that they did not want to be connected to you. That’s exhausting folks and you need your energy in this tough life. Maturity demands that you learn to not be so reactive but reflective and you start asking yourself some tough questions, starting with the most uncomfortable one:

1. Do I really “need” this person to continue the plans God has shown me? (Exploring this question will cause you to humble YOURSELF as you discover that we all are replaceable - even you - and it’s a privilege to build with others.)

2. Was this rejection an indication that I need to change something about me - here’s the key - to be able to better achieve the vision that God gave me (notice I didn’t say “to win over” the person that’s rejecting you)? Keep the main thing the main thing - fulfilling the will of God for YOUR life.

3. Am I mature enough to use this rejection as a lesson that will make me better and more determined/obedient instead of the typical tendency to use rejection as a reason to withdraw and play small?

Some of life’s lessons come wrapped in barb wire and broken glass, meaning they are painful, but the key is having the maturity to search for the life changing lessons in those moments. They are in there - I promise.

“It is the glory of God to conceal a matter but it is the glory of kings to search out a matter.” Proverbs 25:2

“Depression means you need deep rest from the character you've been playing in the world.” - Jim Carrey

My prayer for you this morning is that you retire the character you’ve been playing (I know you’re tired of pretending) and start with self-acceptance. Tell yourself the truth and accept where you really are today. THEN begin the process/journey of becoming who God keeps showing you that you can become (that’s the definition of righteousness btw). As you grow, let your growth attract the right people and push away the wrong people. Guard your heart as you vet the new people showing up and allow yourself to grieve as some folks walk away. But never stop taking steps towards the person God showed you that you are. Don’t surrender or sabotage your growth because it’s taking you somewhere amazing. As always, I’m rooting for you.

One of the best ways to keep you in the loop with what’s going on at the state house and locally is through my newsletter. All you have to do is shoot us a quick email and put “newsletter” in the subject line. Send to:

[email protected]

Today, we brought together the Minority Business Accelerator programs from Greenville, Columbia, and Charleston in Charleston to network and grow the number of minority-owned businesses in South Carolina. These businesses are making a big difference in their communities by creating jobs and providing important goods and services. I’m honored to be their instructor!

Yesterday was a great day at the State House. My “babies” came to see me. Members of our teen ministry at Changing Your Mind Ministries came to tour the State House and check out where I disappear for most of the week. Thank you Michelle Johnson for coordinating this visit and thank you to the other adults who took a day off from work to bring them to Columbia. You are making lasting impressions and I hope we all are inspiring them to serve at greater levels.

Left Greenville’s minority business accelerator students and drove to Columbia to teach this great group of entrepreneurs. We have so many up and coming businesses that are going to do great things for their families and their communities.

Sitting here like a proud teacher watching my students present to their fellow cohorts and their financial experts in the Minority Business Accelerator class in Greenville.

The Speaker asked me to be a member of our AI committee to sit in on several meetings so that we can intelligently come up with laws that protect our citizens from deceptive AI. Let me tell you…these conversations can keep you up at night. For example, AI can literally create fake zoom calls showing images of people you know and having a full conversation that feeds you false information. Read that again. These are the critical issues we should be discussing as opposed to some of the petty things that take up far too much time.

I absolutely love teaching minority entrepreneurs throughout this state because small businesses are the backbone of our state’s economy AND minority owned businesses stabilize minority communities. Every time we stabilize ANY community, we stabilize the community at large. EVERYBODY wins!!!

Just left a great meeting with Upstate Circle of Friends as we brought together various partners to look for better ways to advocate for veterans throughout District 25 and Greenville County. 

A bill to help our teachers.

My focus continues to be on education, jobs and housing because I strongly believe improvement in these areas bring the greatest uplift to my district and districts like mine. We all also know three things to be true:

1. Housing is very expensive
2. Our teachers are underpaid
3. The future of our children depends on our ability to recruit and retain great teachers

With these in mind, I created bill H5206 which will allow schools with surplus land to build affordable housing on their campus. This housing will be offered first to teachers and staff within their school district and then to others in need of affordable housing. Given that our state realizes that it isn’t paying teachers enough yet, this would be a great form of assistance while we continue to fight to give them more pay. What are your thoughts?

Happy Monday and it’s campaign season. I need your support. Any donation of any size will be appreciated. Click the link below. Thank you!!

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Dear leader….

*You must learn to live while fear whispers discouragement in your ear.

*You must build out in the open where critics and enemies can see and attempt to sabotage.

*You must be open to consider the criticisms while not becoming addicted to the praise.

*You must defend the vision from those who claim to know the way while humbly exposing the vision to the advice of those who already display the fruit you hope to display.

*You must be more committed to the benefits the vision will bring to those you’re called to…much more than any recognition you may receive.

*Lastly, you must believe that God chose the right one - you.

I’m rooting for you because we need you. We need you to inspire the sleeping giant in others. Stay the course!

You can give yourself grace without giving yourself a pass. We can deal with ourselves without becoming our own enemy.

Here in Charleston kicking off our Minority Business Accelerator program. Greenville and Columbia have also started. Small businesses are essential in stabilizing our communities this is why I support them through my business and my advocacy as a state legislator.

Policy matters because it affects - advances and/or protects - the largest number of people at one time. I’m going to start sharing the bills I’ve written and how they will impact our communities, if passed.

H3964 - Provides tax credits to large corporations who give enough business to small businesses that causes the small business to have to hire more people on a full time basis to fulfill the contract. The tax credits are tied to the number of new employees hired on a full time basis.

Why this helps us: Every community is stabilized by the strength of its small businesses (ex. Black Wall Street, Little Havana, Chinatown, etc.). Small businesses create economic strength that then create generational wealth, employment opportunities for their community and leads to ownership of the properties within that community - both business and residential. Ownership and economic strength created political strength because you can’t control what you don’t own. This is why you see so many people who come to America first focus on establishing their communities based group economics - they build businesses that turn into communities.

For every community you stabilize in Greenville County, you strengthen the entire county. We all win!!This bill will help our small businesses grow faster and do all of the above.

Tesla is building a car parts distribution center in Fountain Inn. They haven’t announced how many or what kinds of jobs will be created yet. I will share that info when I learn it.

Electric car company Tesla to open distribution center in Greenville. What you need to know. Tesla will open its doors for a regional distribution center in Fountain Inn, representing a major investment in operations in South Carolina.

There were people who had plans FOR you that you weren’t even aware of but once it becomes clear that you aren’t headed in the direction that they planned FOR you, the true nature of the relationship will be revealed. Disappointing? Yep. Painful? Yes. But needed? Absolutely for the sake of maturity. As you mature, you will stop wasting time and emotions by labeling people as enemies and haters but you’ll learn to simply reposition them in your life. All people are useful and valuable but their proximity to you is always subject to change. If you go ahead and accept this, you’ll still get the most out of life and contribute the most to the lives of others.

The word “no” will reveal people’s heart. Such a small word that can turn friends into enemies and support into opposition. But it’s a word that needs to be said from time to time to maintain your own integrity.

I had a wonderful time being the keynote for the brothers the Gamma Gamma Lambda chapter of Alpha Phi Alphi fraternity. They are truly committed to building “the beloved community.”

The recent bill I proposed that will allow religious institutions to build affordable housing on their property continues to gain attention throughout the state. Session starts next week and I will be calling on you all to help me push it over the finish line.

Proposed bill offers a solution to South Carolina’s affordable housing crisis A South Carolina lawmaker has prefiled a bill that will help to alleviate the affordable housing crisis.

What has your representative done in his first year when most freshmen are instructed to just sit back and learn?

Your representative is making an impact even in his freshman year:

* Four bills under consideration

* H 4544 - allows religious institutions to build tax exempt affordable housing on their property to help reduce our housing shortage.

* H 4334 - makes it a statewide policy to set aside a percentage of affordable housing in all major developments AND it provides an educational component that helps residents become certified so that they can earn enough to afford market rate rents.

* H 4015 - restricts the amount that landlords can charge on rental application fees which has been crippling those looking for a place to live.

* H 3964 - provides tax incentives to corporations who give our small businesses large enough contracts that will require our businesses to hire more people from the community. (Black Wall Street concept).

* The creation of a nonprofit, the District 25 Social Network, that focuses on the three major things that will uplift our communities: education, jobs and housing. In the first phase, we have worked on:

* Bringing more GED programs to the District by working with local organizations such as District 25 Social Club, United Ministries and the Greenville County School District. From GEDs to certification to higher paying jobs is the game plan.

* I’ve met with major employers in the District to plan upcoming job fairs and to encourage them to hire from within the District.

* Working with one national developer and two local developers to strategize on developing more multi family, affordable housing neighborhoods.

* We are also adding food insecurity to our top areas of focus in 2024.

* I’ve also been appointed by the Speaker of the House to the committee created to study the effects of AI on our state. This will be critical for our community because AI can threaten many of our jobs.

* I was also able to secure in excess of $80,000 for Upstate Circle of Friends to complete its medical wing that will serve Belle Meade and surrounding areas.

We’ve conducted several town hall meetings in 2023 and emailed several newsletters, fulfilling our promises to keep the District informed. We’ve campaigned on both a policy and grassroots effort to uplift the District, and as you read above, promises have been kept. BUT we have so much more work to do. I need your vote. I need your support. I need your suggestions. We are RECLAIMING our District. We will REBUILD our District. And we will teach our children to REPEAT the same.