Elder J.B. Brockman: Brewing Better Politics at the Kappa Koffeehouse – Episode 66 cover art

Elder J.B. Brockman: Brewing Better Politics at the Kappa Koffeehouse – Episode 66

Elder J.B. Brockman: Brewing Better Politics at the Kappa Koffeehouse – Episode 66

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 If you’ve ever walked into a political event bracing yourself for fireworks, name-calling, or that awkward feeling of “Why did I come to this?”, you’re not alone.Most of us have been conditioned to believe that politics has to be ugly. That campaigns are supposed to be mud fights. That candidates win by tearing each other down. That regular citizens like you and me are supposed to just pick a side, yell at the TV, and share a few spicy memes.But what if politics could feel different?What if you could walk into a room, sit down with your neighbors, listen to candidates calmly explain their vision, ask your own questions, and walk out feeling more hopeful and better informed—not exhausted and angry?That’s exactly what Elder J.B. Brockman and the Conyers-Covington Alumni Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. are trying to do with the Kappa Koffeehouse Town Hall forums.In Episode 66 of The Town Square Podcast, I sat down with Elder J.B. Brockman, Chairman of the Political and Civic Action Committee (PCAC) for the Conyers-Covington Alumni Chapter (CCAC) of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. We talked about his personal journey in ministry, his 45-year commitment to Kappa Alpha Psi, and the powerful, nonpartisan civic work their chapter is doing in Rockdale and Newton counties.Most of all, we talked about what it looks like to bring people together in that “messy middle” where real conversations, real learning, and real solutions can actually happen.Meet Elder J.B. Brockman: Minister, Mentor, “Boots on the Ground”Anytime someone walks into the studio with the title “Elder” on their name tag, you know you’re in for a deeper conversation. For Elder Brockman, “Elder” isn’t a nickname. It’s not a cute moniker or fraternity title. It’s a calling.He shared that while he was baptized as a young man, he fully committed his life to Jesus Christ in 1986. A few years later, in 1989, he answered the call to ministry. By 1993, he was a licensed and ordained minister. And in August of 2023, he was ordained as an elder in his church.Elder Brockman serves at Victorious Life Church in Conyers, tucked just off Highway 138, behind the post office and not far from the old movie theater. In that role, he doesn’t just “sit on the front row.” He carries significant pastoral responsibility:Providing spiritual leadership and guidanceTeaching and praying for membersOffering pastoral care and supportHelping resolve disputesAssisting the pastor with assigned dutiesOfficiating homegoings and funeralsLeading an altar team that prays for people during altar calls each SundayIn other words, when Elder Brockman walks into a room—whether it’s a church sanctuary or a civic town hall—he’s thinking like a shepherd. He wants people to feel safe, heard, and cared for. That pastoral heart would become a defining feature of the way he leads in civic spaces, too.From Benedict College to a Lifelong BrotherhoodLong before “Elder” came before his name, young J.B. was a college student at Benedict College, a small HBCU in Columbia, South Carolina.Picture a campus buzzing with activity. Among the athletes, student government leaders, and scholars, there was a group of young men who caught his eye—not because they were throwing the biggest parties, but because of their service and leadership.They were members of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc.“I saw these young men on campus that were doing community service. They were leaders in athletics, in student government, and they were achievers in their academics. They were well-respected gentlemen, always doing things to help students around the campus.”He was drawn in by their charisma, their respect in the community, and their clear commitment to something bigger than themselves. He thought, “I think I could lend my little talents to that organization and see what we can do together as a team.”That’s how his journey into Kappa Alpha Psi began—spring of 1980—and he’s been walking with that brotherhood ever since.The fraternity’s motto is: “Achievement in every field of human endeavor.”That line grabbed him. These weren’t just social guys wearing letters. They were achievers—men who wanted to make an impact wherever they went.And for Elder Brockman, that idea of achievement with purpose became a through-line in his life: in ministry, in brotherhood, and in civic engagement.What Makes Black Greek Life Different? (Hint: It Doesn’t End at Graduation.)One of the things we unpacked together in this conversation is how Black Greek-letter organizations—the fraternities and sororities often associated with HBCUs—operate differently than many people assume.A lot of folks think of fraternities and sororities as four-year college experiences that end at graduation. You get your photos, your memories, maybe a few stories you can’t tell in public, and you move on.But in organizations like Kappa ...
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