{"@context":"http://iiif.io/api/presentation/3/context.json","id":"https://saaacam.aviaryplatform.com/iiif/3775t3hh0h/manifest","type":"Manifest","label":{"en":["Dr. Kenneth Kemp Interview"]},"logo":"https://d9jk7wjtjpu5g.cloudfront.net/organizations/logo_images/000/000/571/original/full-color_2x.png?1735841768","metadata":[{"label":{"en":["Publisher"]},"value":{"en":["The African American Network TV (TAAN TV)"]}},{"label":{"en":["Description"]},"value":{"en":["\u003cp\u003eCritical care doctor and pastor of Antioch Missionary Baptist Church discusses the local impact of the church through its community programs and events. He talks about the role of Antioch in the face of gentrification, past religious figures of San Antonio, what it means to invest in young people, as well as his path to medicine and ministry.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e"]}},{"label":{"en":["Rights Statement"]},"value":{"en":["\u003cp\u003eAll materials are for noncommercial educational or research uses only. Please contact SAAACAM for any questions regarding usage rights.\u003c/p\u003e"]}},{"label":{"en":["Date"]},"value":{"en":["created"]}},{"label":{"en":["Type"]},"value":{"en":["Interview"]}},{"label":{"en":["Format"]},"value":{"en":["MP4"]}},{"label":{"en":["Keyword"]},"value":{"en":["Antioch Missionary Baptist Church, Antioch Christian Academy, Gentrification, Community Programs, Claude Black, Rev. J.J. Rector, Rev. E. Thurman Walker, Community Engagement, Ministry, 300 Voices in 300 Days"]}},{"label":{"en":["Subject"]},"value":{"en":["Ministry (topical term)","Civil Rights (topical term)","Community Engagement (topical term)"]}},{"label":{"en":["Language"]},"value":{"en":["English (primary)"]}},{"label":{"en":["Access Ss"]},"value":{"en":["access_public"]}}],"summary":{"en":["\u003cp\u003eCritical care doctor and pastor of Antioch Missionary Baptist Church discusses the local impact of the church through its community programs and events. He talks about the role of Antioch in the face of gentrification, past religious figures of San Antonio, what it means to invest in young people, as well as his path to medicine and ministry.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e"]},"requiredStatement":{"label":{"en":["Attribution"]},"value":{"en":["\u003cp\u003eAll materials are for noncommercial educational or research uses only. Please contact SAAACAM for any questions regarding usage rights.\u003c/p\u003e"]}},"provider":[{"id":"https://saaacam.aviaryplatform.com/aboutus","type":"Agent","label":{"en":["San Antonio African American Community Archive and Museum"]},"homepage":[{"id":"https://saaacam.aviaryplatform.com/","type":"Text","label":{"en":["San Antonio African American Community Archive and Museum"]},"format":"text/html"}],"logo":[{"id":"https://d9jk7wjtjpu5g.cloudfront.net/organizations/logo_images/000/000/571/original/full-color_2x.png?1735841768","type":"Image"}]}],"thumbnail":[{"id":"https://d9jk7wjtjpu5g.cloudfront.net/collection_resource_files/thumbnails/000/239/675/small/300VoicesLTCollectionPastorKennethKemp.mp4_1713980191.jpg?1713980196","type":"Image","format":"image/jpeg"}],"items":[{"id":"https://saaacam.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2808/collection_resources/127816/file/239675","type":"Canvas","label":{"en":["Media File 1 of 1 - 300_Voices_LT_Collection_Pastor_Kenneth_Kemp.mp4"]},"duration":1249.216,"width":640,"height":360,"thumbnail":[{"id":"https://d9jk7wjtjpu5g.cloudfront.net/collection_resource_files/thumbnails/000/239/675/small/300VoicesLTCollectionPastorKennethKemp.mp4_1713980191.jpg?1713980196","type":"Image","format":"image/jpeg"}],"items":[{"id":"https://saaacam.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2808/collection_resources/127816/file/239675/content/1","type":"AnnotationPage","items":[{"id":"https://saaacam.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2808/collection_resources/127816/file/239675/content/1/annotation/1","type":"Annotation","motivation":"painting","body":{"id":"https://aviary-p-saaacam.s3.wasabisys.com/collection_resource_files/resource_files/000/239/675/original/300_Voices_LT_Collection_Pastor_Kenneth_Kemp.mp4?1713980176","type":"Video","format":"video/mp4","duration":1249.216,"width":640,"height":360},"target":"https://saaacam.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2808/collection_resources/127816/file/239675","metadata":[]}]}],"annotations":[{"id":"https://saaacam.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2808/collection_resources/127816/file/239675/transcript/66578","type":"AnnotationPage","label":{"en":["Kenneth Kemp Transcript [Transcript]"]},"items":[{"id":"https://saaacam.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2808/collection_resources/127816/file/239675/transcript/66578/annotation/1","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Transcript\r\nFor\r\nKenneth Kemp\r\n11/17/2017\r\n\r\n\r\nTyrone Darden  0:00  \r\nWelcome to another episode of 300 Voices in 300 Days. I'm your host, Tyrone Darden. This is TAAN TV, the African American network. We have one of our 300 voices with us. He is a very, very prominent member of our community in several facets, but we're gonna let him give us the quick sixty- thirty to sixty second spiel on his introduction. But without further ado, Dr. Kenneth Kemp.\r\n\r\n\r\nKenneth Kemp  0:24  \r\nOh, hello, thank you so much. I'm Kenneth Kemp, as you've mentioned. I’m the pastor of the Antioch Missionary Baptist Church and I also happen to be a pulmonary and critical care doctor.\r\n\r\n\r\nTyrone Darden  0:37  \r\nYes sir. That was- that was quick. And like he said, he covered a lot. So let's talk about the faith-based aspect of- of your daily walk. So Antioch Baptist Church is one of the historic churches in our- in our community, the African American community, one of the most known churches. And then over the years, at least in my thirty-eight years, Antioch has done a lot for the African American community in regards to services, in regards to programs, in regards to outreach. If you could share with our viewers Antioch’s role, past, present, and hopefully in the future.\r\n\r\n\r\nKenneth Kemp  1:14  \r\nWell Antioch, as you point out, has always been a community-based church. We feel that part of our ministry is to make sure that we are involved in ministry that matters in our community, in our- in our homes, as well as our church. And so, in the past, we've been involved with things like the Antioch Village, which was constructed for persons who were meeting challenges in getting residences in the city of San Antonio. We've been involved in spring break activities, so bringing all of the kids from all over the city to kind of keep kids off the streets during the very critical times, particularly spring break. Youth United Against Drugs and Gangs is another organization that we were involved in. We've been involved in education, with the Antioch Christian Academy, and on and on and on. Those are things we’ve done in the past. What we're doing presently: we are involved in feeding the hungry, as well as periodically checking HIV status of persons in our community. We're still integrally involved in promoting education, promoting health and wellness. So a myriad of things that we try- we try to do.\r\n\r\n\r\nTyrone Darden  2:34  \r\nExcellent. And- and so Antioch has done so much for our community over the years, and is doing a lot. But if- anyone who's familiar with where Antioch is, it’s on Walters Street–in the area that we call the Wheatley Courts area–and it's changing.\r\n\r\n\r\nKenneth Kemp  2:50\r\nYes–\r\n\r\n\r\nTyrone Darden  2:50\r\nIt's changing–\r\n\r\n\r\nKenneth Kemp  2:51\r\n–absolutely. \r\n\r\n\r\nTyrone Darden  2:51\r\n–and- and with these changes, the faith-based community–specifically Antioch and all the surrounding faith based entities–are going to have to play a critical role, not only in welcoming the people back that were there, but also the new people that are coming. But even more importantly, sustaining the growth and sustaining the rehabilitation and the new and the fresh paint that's there. How do you see, as a leader in that community, Antioch and other faith-based communities kind of supporting those positive efforts around the church?\r\n\r\n\r\nKenneth Kemp  3:29  \r\nWell, first of all, w- we are involved in an area that could very well be considered an area of gentrification. So that- there are a number of new residences being built with, of course, the aid of the city and federal government. The United Way is involved in some of that, as well. We're in the middle of the- of the Promise Zone. And so with that, there are numerous changes occurring in our- in our community. We recognize that we have to be a stabilizing force to provide spiritual awareness and spiritual growth and nurturing in that environment. Now, we're not going anywhere. We've made up our minds that we’ve- we’ve staked our place out on the East Side of San Antonio and we're not planning on going anywhere, but we do want to be- adapt, we want to adapt to the changes in our community. We do want to make sure that with the changes, persons who have been displaced or pushed out, that they are welcome back in when and if those opportunities avail themselves. And- and we all have to, hopefully, adjust so that we can provide educational services, as well as perhaps even childcare services, and, of course as always, spiritual services. \r\n\r\n\r\nTyrone Darden  5:10  \r\nYes, sir. Yes, sir. And all those things are, like you said, crucial for the community to sustain the growth. And- and even with gentrification, some people are gonna look at it as a negative thing, others as a positive thing. At the end of the day, if it's coming, we want to be a part of the conversation. We have to have our stake there, we have to have our opposition as well. So I think that's a beautiful thing, to see Antioch has been there, is there, and continues to be there in support of the growth in our community. With that being said, so there's- there's so much that is going on. I mean, we can talk about so much, we can talk about Antioch’s role in professional sports. And- and we can talk about the role that Antioch and past leaders and you yourself have played in- in– not necessarily politics, specifically, but in how politics affect our community. Wi- With all of that, over the years–and I know you've- you've- you're a student of our community, you're a student of our culture–who were some of those- those trendsetters, some of those forefathers, some of those people that came before, obviously, before me, but before you too, that set the tone? And- and is there a difference today in how we operate culturally, with politics, with business and things like that, from your vantage point?\r\n\r\n\r\nKenneth Kemp  6:34  \r\nOkay, so when we talk about politics in the church, sometimes it causes a little bit of angst for some people because they say, “Well, the church shouldn't be in politics.” But we believe that Jesus was a political figure.\r\n\r\n\r\nTyrone Darden  6:49\r\nI agree. \r\n\r\n\r\nKenneth Kemp  6:50\r\nAnd- and he was involved in making sure that the community was- was being receptive to the needs of the people. And so we are- are vitally involved in socio-political issues, not because we're trying to interject ourselves in that conversation, but simply because we are who we are. And we don't want to have- have our people, our culture, our traditions, being overlooked, to become invisible, you know. We- we’re seeking to- to not be that- be in that kind of position. So when we think of the faith-based community involved in- in politics, historically, you have to talk about Claude Black. Of course, Reverend Claude Black, who was pastor of Mount Zion First Baptist, was integrally involved in advancing socio-political issues from an African American perspective in this city. He served on the city council as Mayor Pro Tem. I think anybody who's been in San Antonio for any length of time, that is your age or my age, we've heard about Claude Black. And so he is a great model to- to look to. And then, of course, Reverend Dr. E. Thurman Walker, who was pastor of the- of the Antioch church before- before me. And we know of some of the great things he did, in- including starting the Community of Churches for Social Action. He was in- integral in starting the Youth United Against Drugs and Gangs. Just today, I was involved in conversation with city and county officials concerning the Wheatley Heights Sports Complex, which he was integral in getting started and brought to our community. So those are some of the leaders–of course, I could go on and on and on. We should include in that conversation, J.J. Rector. J.J. Rector, in a- in a different way, impacted our community. A tremendous preacher, a tremendous singer who embraced people who would not normally be considered church folk, and would bring them in to- to the church and nurture them and help them grow and- and expand their horizons. And that kind of nature of Antioch still permeates: the idea of- of reaching out to the lost, or forlorn, the overlooked. We still do that. And that's a legacy of J.J. Rector.\r\n\r\n\r\nTyrone Darden  9:31  \r\nAnd- and you right. The legacy is- is one of the things that we can put our finger on and say, “This is what what- what allows us to say, you know, this person didn't just live, you know, he lived for others and- and these were the contributions. And we can look at Pastor Rector and- and Pastor Black and so many others. And even us, you know, those of you watching us, and even us here, sitting here, we’ll have a legacy one day that we have to think about, you know. Not what- [unintelligible] what- not what did we do, but what did we do for others? Transition a little bit: So, uh… all my preacher friends, I call ‘em doctor. I guess that’s just something I say or something we say, but you're literally a real doctor, a medical doctor. I'm sure you can tell so many stories. But from a different standpoint, I think it's- it’s something key that maybe our viewers maybe want to hear. In 2017, a lot of the young people–however you consider young, school age, college age, or even upwards to forty–aren't pursuing those professional careers like lawyer, like doctor, teacher, engineer, architect, or even the vocational careers, like a plumber, pipe fitter, um… HVAC. Whatever those situations are, it seems like we're, you know, in a mode for arts, entertainment, things like that. From your vantage point–because you, as a pastor, you deal cradle to grave, and you've had the opportunity to put your hands on- on these young people and their families–i- is there a disconnect from how it was and how it is? And if it's- and if so, what is it?\r\n\r\n\r\nKenneth Kemp  11:20  \r\nWell, that's a tough question. I do believe that sometimes our children and young adults become frustrated with- with the system, with- with delayed gratification, with obtaining education and training. And so sometimes they get away from that and try something that's maybe- that's perceived to be easier. Prime example would be a young man who has great potential, but he decides he wants to be a rapper. Okay, he wants to be Jay Z, but there are only a few Jay Z's out there. Actually, there's only one.\r\n\r\n\r\nTyrone Darden  11:57\r\nYeah, there’s one.\r\n\r\n\r\nKenneth Kemp  11:59\r\nAnd you may not make it as a rapper. Or often I'll speak to little kids when we're bringing them into the church and they've been- when they've been baptized and we're introducing them to the church family, and I ask them, “What do you want to do when you grow up?” And they'll often say, “Well, I want to be- I want to be a basketball player. I want to be a football player.” Because that's what they see and that’s what is attractive to them. And I'll ask them all, “Well, what if you don't become a basketball player? You know, it's a lot of great athletes that never become professional athletes. So wh- what else might you want to do if you weren’t an athlete?” I had one young- one young lady said, “Well, if I didn't make it as a basketball player, I’d just practice harder.” \r\n\r\n\r\n[mutual laughter]\r\n\r\n\r\nKenneth Kemp  12:49\r\nBut the reality is, not everyone's gonna make it in the arts and entertainment field. So what we have to do is encourage our young people to continue to stay in school, to continue to do well in school, and then to have a perspective that's beyond what might be a small world, in their- in their minds at that time. We have to get them to understand that there's more, and- and you can do more, and you can achieve. That's a constant thing that I say to our young folks, “You can do this.” \r\n\r\n\r\nTyrone Darden  13:23\r\nYou can do this.\r\n\r\n\r\nKenneth Kemp  13:24\r\n“Others have done it, you can too.” \r\n\r\n\r\nTyrone Darden  13:25\r\nYou can too. \r\n\r\n\r\nKenneth Kemp  13:26\r\n“So you have to buckle down and get to it, but you can do it.”\r\n\r\n\r\nTyrone Darden  13:30  \r\nYou can do it. And I- I like that. You can do this. Others have done it, and you can too. I- I think that’s- that's something that we all can remember and- and kind of live by, whatever our goals and aspirations are, if someone else has done it, you can too. And guess what, if no one else has do- done it, you can be the first one so somebody else can say, “He did it, so I can too.” I- I think that's a- a phenomenal and profound way of thinking about accomplishing your goals. So on the other side of it, how did you- what was your route to getting that- both sides of the- both facets of it? Well, I know part of it is military. And so you got your military piece, you have your- you’re a doctor as well, but then also the faith-based piece. How does- how did all that come together? Was there some inspirations, were there something- some, you know, some- some models in front of you? How did you get here?\r\n\r\n\r\nKenneth Kemp  14:24  \r\nThat's a great question because I didn't have any models for what I'm doing now.It just, you know, the Lord directed it, so then it turned out like it did. But I grew up in a very devout family. My mother and father took us to church on a regular basis. So I- I learned to be a young man growing up as a boy in the church. And so, being a part of the church was- was and continues to be part of who I am. Well, along the way, I was blessed to do well academically, and there were some people who invested in me. Some teachers, some counselors, some principals who said, “You got something, and we want to help you get to where you need to be.” My parents didn't go to college. I had no aunts or uncles that had finished college. So- and I grew up in a very small town, so I saw no African American doctors. But I had people who invested in me, that's the key. Somebody said, “You can do it.” And- and we'll help you get there. And so with those persons who invested in me, I was able to go on to college. I left high school a year early ‘cause I went to a very small school, in a very small community. And at the eleventh grade–in fact, my superintendent wanted me to leave at the tenth grade–but at the eleventh grade, when my mother was okay with it, I went ahead and applied for an early admission to college, went to the University of Arkansas Pine Bluff. And then while there, I thought I was gonna be a lawyer. I was- I was gonna go in speech or dramatic arts or something like that. I had a gift for speaking and acting, and so I thought that's what I would do. But after a semester of doing that, I realized that's really not who I am. And I had been studying the sciences, and I just decided that I was gonna- I was gonna major in biology, thinking I would either go into research science, or I would go into medicine. I had a great mentor, Dr. William MacArthur, who's resting with the Lord now. But Dr. MacArthur helped me and encouraged me to apply to medical school. I didn't think I was gonna be a doctor, not a medical doctor. I didn’t- that wasn't something I thought about going to college. But after he helped me, I thought, “Well, okay, let's try this.” And I got accepted. I was in ROTC, and so I got a d- a deferment while I went to medical school. And when I finished medical school, I went into the military. And that background of having been in the church, having developed in the church, stayed in me. So even while I was doing residency and doing my thing in the military, I had to find a church. And the church I found in San Antonio, was the Antioch Missionary Baptist Church under J.J. Rector, at the time. E. Thurman Walker was a youth minister. And after about three years, I finally acknowledged the call that the Lord had on my life to be a preacher. I- I remember very well, I said to the congregation, I chose medicine, I chose the mili- military, but God chose me. And so I went ahead and I worked on that, with the help of people who invested in me: J.J. Rector, E. Thurman Walker. They put their arms around me, and I guess the rest is- is history.\r\n\r\n\r\nTyrone Darden  18:14\r\nThe rest is history.\r\n\r\n\r\nKenneth Kemp  18:15\r\nThe Lord worked it out.\r\n\r\n\r\nTyrone Darden  18:16  \r\nYes, sir. And- and that’s- that's a great way to kind of close out that piece of it. Because for those who don't know, the- the purpose, the goal of 300 Voices in 300 Days is- is to share with the community–and then the community is global, with the internet and technology–the many accomplishments that African Americans have made, are making, and will make, not only in this community in San Antonio, but around the globe. And- and so the question I ask for you, in your own words–and I know you don't have a problem giving them–why do you feel like it's important for our story to be shared?\r\n\r\n\r\nKenneth Kemp  18:58  \r\nWow. I believe it's extremely important for our story to be shared because our children coming after us need to be able to see the possibilities that- that are before them. Not only that, but all of- of our community, all of the state of Texas, and the nation of the United States, all of those persons need to know that people of color have done some amazing things, and we cannot simply disregard them. We have to be sure that the story is told. Now that's- that's an American story, it's not an African American story. It's an American story. And those persons who have worked hard, served their family, served their God, left a legacy, those persons need to be lifted up as models for our- for our children, for our community.\r\n\r\n\r\nTyrone Darden  20:05  \r\nWell, it’s been a joy sitting and talking to you, doctor. Literally, doctor. Antioch is a great, great, great place, and all the different organizations birthed out of Antioch serve the community well. I know you didn't start ‘em and I know you won't end ‘em, but serving right now, I want to say the community is thankful and just keep doing what you're doing, doctor.\r\n\r\n\r\nKenneth Kemp  20:27  \r\nWell, bless you. Thank you for allowing me to come and share.\r\n\r\n\r\nTyrone Darden  20:31  \r\nYes sir. With that being said, hope you guys have enjoyed this. I- I definitely have. This has been one of our 300 Voices over 300 Days. Tune in to TAAN TV, the African American Network. I'm your host Tyrone Darden. Hope to see you again.\r\n\r\n\r\nTranscribed by https://otter.ai","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://saaacam.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2808/collection_resources/127816/file/239675#t=0.0,1249.216"}]}]}]}