Duvalier J. Malone ’08 spearheads Southwest Youth Legend Ball in Natchez
Alcorn alumnus Duvalier J. Malone is actively involved in organizing the Southwest Mississippi Youth Legend Ball that will take place on March 30, at 7:00 p.m. at the Natchez Community Center. The Ball will acknowledge 150 students from across the southwest Mississippi area. Students will be honored in the arts, science, English, social studies, math, business, technology, sports, dance and music. This will be a night to help encourage and challenge students from small poor communities to continue to dream big while striving for their goals in life. The theme of this event is a quote by Eleanor Roosevelt “The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dream.”
“At the Ball, 11th and 12th grade students will have a chance to connect with leaders from all over the state of Mississippi and abroad for networking and inspiration,” said Malone. “They will be encouraged to attend college and become productive citizens within their community.”
“I wanted to thank my home church – New Hope M.B. Church – for partnering with me and helping me accomplish my vision of Southwest Mississippi Youth’s Legend Ball.
Besides Malone, several distinguished Alcornites will participate in the event including Percy Norwood Jr.’68, president of the ASU National Alumni Association, and Kimberly Morgan ’07, former Miss Mississippi.
A Fayette, Mississippi native, Malone said, “Growing up, I always knew that my future work would be to help improve small rural communities.”
During his junior and senior years at Jefferson County High School, Malone was the president of Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) and a member of Beta National Honor Society and the Student Government Association. “When I was in the 11th grade, I was honored with the Southwest Mississippi Youth Leadership Award and given the opportunity to visit Washington, D.C. This visit to the national capital opened my eyes and I realized how important it is to take an active part in my community and government affairs.”
Malone graduated from Alcorn in 2008 with a bachelor’s degree in political science/ pre-law. He continued his studies at Jackson State University where he received a master’s degree in public policy and administration in 2009, and another master’s in political science in 2011. Additionally, he has done post graduate work at Belhaven University.
Malone currently works at the Department of Veterans’ Affairs in Jackson, Mississippi. He is a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Incorporated, NAACP, Young Professionals of Jackson, Toastmaster of Jackson, Association of Political Science, and Association of Public Administrators. He is an active member of Youth Council, Congressional Leadership Council 2008, American Political Science Association, American Society for Public Administration, Jackson State University School of Public Policy & Administration Toastmaster, National Association of Professional Organizers, and Mississippi Political Science Association. He has served as a student board member for the Jefferson Comprehensive Health Center from 2004-2008 as well as on numerous outreach projects for New Hope M. B. Church during hurricane Katrina.
Malone has also done research on direct recording electronic (DRE) voting machines in Mississippi and the effects it has had on the state of Mississippi. He will be launching his own radio show in the fall of 2012 called “Growth Talk” where he will be discussing health, finance, education, and providing life changing advice for the betterment of society. Malone believes in impacting the community one person at a time. In 2008, he founded the Dream 2 Succeed Foundation to provide leadership training and development for youth. Since its inception, more than 1,000 young people have participated in the foundation’s Youth to Leaders training workshops and conferences. Recently, Malone established Duvalier Malone Enterprise which is dedicated to supporting human rights and related empowerment issues.
