Stop Stuff Q&A with Akhenaton Mikell, Community Leader

SNM, Esq.
Aug 28, 2017
2 min read

Akhenton, pronounced "Ock-knot-tun" is named after an Egyptian Pharoah who was husband to Queen Nefertiti.

Akhenton Mikell, is a family man, well known and well liked by all and a recognized community leader in the City of Brotherly Love, Philadelphia.

He's the kind of guy who spreads the word about good news, gets others involved and marches side by side with others in his community to stand up for what's right.

I recently sat down with Akhenton to get his views on life, the world and Stopping Stuff.

How would you describe yourself to the world?

I describe myself as a modern day Pharaoh (King) who seeks to change the world for the better.

I'm self-motivated and a leader in my community. I lead by example.

What are you most passionate about and why?

I'm most passionate about family and togetherness which, often, translates to thriving and loving communities.

What have you personally overcome and what advice would you give to others experiencing the same thing?

As a young man growing up in West Philadelphia, I faced and overcame many obstacles from drug and gang violence, to overt racism, to police brutality. I witnessed the tragic MOVE bombing in May of 1985.

Philadelphia is often referred to as a "city of neighborhoods" due to the segregation based on ethnicity and race. The segregated communities have contributed to much of the racism that I've encountered.

What do you think we need to stop and why?

It is my belief that not too much has changed in over the past thirty something years with regards to the rampant drug activity, police brutality, and racism that I've mentioned.

The drug problem has continued to transcend generations from the crack cocaine era of the 80's and 90's to the opioid and heroin epidemics of today.

The violence has continued to present day from of the shooting of an unarmed man by a Philadelphia police officer back in May 2016 to ongoing gang violence.

These are the things we need to put our attention, time and efforts on to stop.

What can we do to make the world a better place?

We can make the world a better place by continuing to educate ourselves and our families to combat these issues.

We also need to stop allowing greedy and corrupt politicians to skate into important offices without accountability.

What words of encouragement would you give to others?

I encourage my fellow man to stand tall, chins up, chest out, and be vigilant in the fight to stop injustice whether affected directly or in-directly impacted.