Kindergarten bullies stealing her lunch shaped Brianna Kennedy

Brianna Kennedy is among a long line of people who had an experience with a “bully” as a child. But Kennedy’s response, then and now, is truly unique and earned her a scholarship in the process.

Growing up, the items in Brianna Kennedy’s pink lunchbox had all the makings of a nutritious meal.

What she didn’t know then, is that these lunches would also provide a very valuable lesson that would shape the rest of her life.

You see, for a period the delicious peanut butter or ham sandwiches, along with crackers and cheese and Jell-O, didn’t reach Kennedy’s stomach.

Kennedy attended kindergarten. And she experienced her first encounter with a bully. Her tormentors would tear down the lunchbox and the scarf and all that was in it, daily.

Kennedy’s experience at the now-closed Southfield Public School took place in the early 2000s. The lesson Kennedy learned, however, helps explain why she is literally wise beyond her years today. And she is excited to share her wisdom and energy in a variety of ways that enrich multiple communities, including serving as a mentor for the nonprofit, Detroit-based WISE (Women Inspiring Supporting and Empowering) Mentoring Program.

“I didn’t realize it at first, but that lunchtime experience (at Fred D. Leonhard Elementary School) was the beginning of the common thread that connects who I am today as someone who always wants to give back; I always want to help, not only in my community, but in other communities as well,” said the now 27-year-old Kennedy.

All thanks to the ruined lunches. And her mother. Shiree Kennedy immediately put an end to the lunch dilemma once it was brought to her attention by sending her daughter to school with two lunches for an extended period of time.

“I complained about the boy stealing my lunch, and my mom explained that he took my food because he didn’t have food at home,” Kennedy revealed. “My mother would always give it to me as an adult, and she explained that the boy was a foster child and was the smallest child in his household and it gave me at a young age to look out for people who can’t speak for themselves.

Kennedy spoke Wednesday morning, a week before she is scheduled to begin a graduate program in liberal studies at the University of Michigan-Flint. Part of her college expenses are being paid for by a scholarship she received from Community Choice Credit Union, which chose Kennedy because of her past history of “giving big” to others and future plans to “create positive change in her community.” Given Kennedy’s restorative DNA, it really came as no surprise that instead of describing the adventures she’ll be diving into on a new campus, she preferred to talk about vision board parties, money management programs, and other events she’ll participate in off-campus with mentees from the WISE Mentoring Program, which brings together and enriches teenage girls from across the metropolitan area, including the east and west sides of Detroit.

“I graduated from (Birmingham) Marian, a predominantly white (all-girls) school. So the WISE program connects me more with young women who look like me. And every time I meet a new mentee, I can’t wait to ask : ‘What do you want to do?’ “What are your interests?” Kennedy explained. “And from there it’s about learning that if you put your passion into something and make connections, life will work with you.

“I am also completely transparent that a path does not have to be linear. Some people can go straight through school, but others, like me, took a break. So I can talk to the young women about what education looks like when you’re an adult, and the importance of staying focused on finding a way to achieve your goals and dreams.”

Through her graduate program, Kennedy, who earned a bachelor’s degree in kinesiology at the University of Michigan’s Ann Arbor campus, will study the effects of gentrification over the past four decades on “black and brown youth sports.” On Wednesday, Kennedy brought the topic to life from a social and economic standpoint by referencing the important role that organizations like Detroit PAL and the Motor City Track Club have historically played in producing outstanding athletes, while contributing to neighborhood stability at an affordable cost for families .

“The Olympians have to start somewhere,” Kennedy says, adding that she applies lessons learned growing up through karate, track and field and golf to virtually everything she does today. “As Detroit’s population changes, will there be families priced out of youth sports? That’s a very important issue to me and I want to be a voice for youth because I know how much sports have meant to my life.”

And if Kennedy says she will be a voice for black and brown families in the youth sports arena, it’s a good bet it will be done with the same forceful and enthusiastic way she has approached other assignments that have been important to her, including to chair a caregiver summit for a national non-profit organization; helping the University of Michigan Office of University Advancement raise awareness of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) efforts; tutoring incoming college students; teaching golf to kids from Detroit and Southfield and more.

Then there’s the work Kennedy has done with the Michigan Parent Teacher Association’s Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Outreach Team, which can best explain how the proud daughter of Shiree and Brian Kennedy—and big sister to Brian Jr. – never sees obstacles when it comes to making a difference in all the spaces she occupies.

“No, I’m not a teacher and I’m not a student, I’m just someone who cares about education and I want to make sure it’s fair and accessible to everyone,” said Kennedy, who since 2020 has used her Michigan PTA affiliation to advocate for increased physical activity for children in school, and free breakfast and lunch, which will once again be an option for all Michigan public school students regardless of income in the 2024-25 school year. “And I am someone who takes care of my neighbors, friends and society. It is so important to build community wherever you go and work with people who have similar values and goals. You are not alone and you cannot make change alone.”

Scott Talley is a native Detroiter, a proud product of Detroit Public Schools, and a lifelong lover of Detroit culture in its various forms. In his second tour with the Free Press, which he grew up reading as a child, he is excited and humbled to cover the city’s neighborhoods and the many interesting people who define its diverse communities. Contact him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter @STalleyfreep. Read more of Scott’s stories at www.freep.com/mosaic/detroit-is/. Please help us develop good community-focused journalism by become a subscriber.