Columbus’ Kwesi Kambon: Born to Serve
By Kristopher Jackson
Photo by Ira Graham
For Kwesi Kambon, service is not a slogan. It is the thread running through his life, from a childhood on Columbus’ east side to decades of work in schools, mentoring and community leadership.
Kambon grew up in Windsor Terrace, the second oldest of five. His father was absent, but the neighborhood stepped in. “Had it not been for Black men who mentored me, I wouldn’t have made it,” he said. “Even without a dad at home, I felt blessed.”
At East High School, he was elected student council president in 1971. Principal Jack Gibbs told students they could do anything. Kambon believed him. “That experience showed me I could lead and serve at the same time,” he said.
Ten colleges accepted him, including Cornell and Notre Dame. A missed deadline cost him Cornell, but Northwestern University offered a full scholarship. There he led For Members Only, the Black student group, and legally changed his name from James Cook to Kwesi Kambon — “conquering strength of the people.”
After graduating, he returned to Columbus and joined Columbus City Schools. He moved from communications to equity and multicultural education at a time when few districts used those words. He created the African American Advisory Council to ensure leaders had regular dialogue with school officials and helped recruit more than 100 Black teachers in a single year, a milestone still remembered.
Mentorship became central to his work. At Champion Middle School, he and community leaders worked with boys considered troublemakers. One of them, Deshaun Sensible, later became a teacher. “We turned those boys around,” Kambon said. “That’s the power of mentoring — I know because it saved me.”
His reach grew beyond classrooms. He now serves as vice president of Friends of Metro Parks. The COVID-19 pandemic drew him outdoors, where he noticed how few African Americans were present. “We’re paying for these spaces with our tax dollars,” he said. “We should be using them.” Today he pushes to connect Black residents with nature and environmental leadership.
Wellness became personal. Several years ago, facing diabetes and extra weight, he changed his diet, began exercising and reversed his diagnosis. Now he speaks often about self-care. “We can’t fight the battles ahead if we’re running on empty,” he said.
Alongside him for 39 years has been his wife, Tommisena. The couple never had children but have dozens of young people who call them mom and dad. “She’s been there through everything,” Kambon said. “The work I’ve done wouldn’t have been possible without her support.”
Kambon credits mentors like Gibbs, Clifford Tyree and Ed Willis for believing in him when he doubted himself. “They saw potential I couldn’t see,” he said. “The only way I can thank them is by serving.”
Asked to sum himself up in three words, Kambon didn’t hesitate: “Here to serve.”