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photo by steed media service
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Atlanta Technical College
When queried about what drives him, father, student and activist Larry
Alford refers to an old adage his grandmother told him when he was
younger; “It’s all right to give out, but never give up on anything.”
Today, the Meriwether, Ga., native lives and dies by those very words,
which have led him on a path to culinary arts, but even more powerful
is Alford’s never-ending fight to build a stronger, healthier African
American community.
This year has already been one to remember for Alford. He is Atlanta
Technical College’s “Student of the Year,” and he was recently named
“Solo Warrior of the Year” by the Judge Mablean Ephriam Foundation,
which is a national honor awarded to a father who demonstrates the best
in positive fatherhood. Alford is the adoptive father of 2-year-old
Janiyah and 3-year-old Jonathan. The average mortal would be happy to
take home such honors, but for Alford, the importance of his actions
goes beyond the hardware. “I’ve gotten a lot of praise and a lot of
accolades, but the thing is, I’m just doing what I feel is right,” says
Alford. “Regardless of how much people may praise you for it, as long
as you’ve made the life of someone else a little bit easier — I think
that’s my goal [with] every person that I come across.”
Alford’s day usually start at 5 a.m., when he readies his kids for
school before heading to his classes at 8 a.m. Alford is also chairman
of the Southwest Coalition of Concerned Citizens and is involved in
several other community organizations. So after a slew of community
meetings and extracurricular activities for school, Alford makes it to
his home at about 9 p.m. In December, Alford will receive a degree in
culinary arts from Atlanta Technical College along with a degree in
computer information systems and accounting from DeVry University.
Alford chose culinary arts because he has dreams of opening a
restaurant in southwest Atlanta that will offer healthier cuisine than
the typical Southern fare. And if all goes according to plan, he will
also pursue political aspirations in the city of Atlanta.
“It’s not enough to sit on the sideline and wait for things to happen,”
says Alford of why he chooses to gear his talents towards helping the
community. “You have to actively engage yourself and be part [of the]
change. A lot of times we sit back and wait for another person to do
something or initiate, when it only takes the power of one to get
things going.” – gavin p. godfrey
