The New York Times - USA (2020-08-09)

2 MB THE NEW YORK TIMES, SUNDAY, AUGUST 9, 2020

Being promoted to chief executive of

Harlem Children’s Zone in the middle of a

pandemic didn’t feel like bad timing to

Kwame Owusu-Kesse. Instead, he said, “it

made me think more about our purpose

and possibilities.” Since its start in 1970,

the nonprofit has worked toward break-

ing the cycle of intergenerational poverty

with a lifelong approach, and a strong

focus on education. Mr. Owusu-Kesse

brings personal experience to the job.

“My family had most of the same chal-

lenges our Harlem Children’s Zone chil-

dren face — poverty, teen pregnancy, high

school dropouts,” said the 36-year-old,

who grew up in Worcester, Mass. When

he was a toddler, his mother met a nun at

a local bingo game. “The nun fell in love

with her and put me on an education

pipeline,” he said. “Education changed

my life.” Currently, Mr. Owusu-Kesse is

focusing on helping schools navigate

Covid-19 as they attempt to reopen. He

lives in Harlem with his wife, Erin Car-

penter, 35, the founder of the hosiery

brand Nude Barre, and their 22-month-

old daughter, Mikel, whose nickname is

Chocolate Muffin.TAMMY La GORCE

GAME PLANI open my eyes at 5:30, and 5:30

to 7 is the time for me to go through my

emails, get centered and come up with a

plan for the day. Then I have the first shift

with Mikel. That starts with me waking her

up, then singing to her and reading a book

together. I’ll get her dressed and play with

her in her room with puzzles and blocks be-

fore breakfast.

PANDEMIC POTTY TRAININGOne of the worst

decisions we’ve made is trying to potty train

a toddler during quarantine. After she eats

we’ll say to her, “Hey, Mikel, do you need to

use the potty?” We bring her into the bath-

room and have an iPad ready with some of

her favorite songs on it, like “The Wheels on

the Bus” and “Old MacDonald Had a Farm.”

She’s obsessed with “Baby Shark,” but

we’re trying to wean her off that. If she ends

up using the potty, she’s overjoyed, she’s

jumping up and down.

BRUNCH, TO GOBefore the workday starts,

Erin and I have brunch. It’s a Sunday tradi-

tion. For now, we do takeout. The Edge is

No. 1 for us. We love the food.

BUSINESSBy about 11:30, I’m upstairs dig-

ging into work. More often than not, that

starts with a phone call to Geoff Canada,

who founded Harlem Children’s Zone and is

still president. Those calls can go on for

hours. They’re general guidance and men-

torship. Right now we’re talking about miti-

gating the risks of school reopenings in ad-

dition to a new institute we’re launching at

Harlem Children’s Zone. The William Julius

Wilson Institute is in many ways the hub of

our national work and our Covid-19 re-

sponse. After I talk to Geoff I’ll have a con-

versation with Jazmine Lewis, who’s our

managing director. We’ll go through strat-

egy, then I’ll send out emails to other staff. I

try to be in continuous contact so they’ll

know our latest and greatest reopening

strategies.

DRIVEAt 4, we get Mikel up from her nap. We

either go for a family walk or a drive that

can last for two hours. Last Sunday, we

drove to Brooklyn and did a virtual wave to

a friend. Typically we drive around Manhat-

tan to see how empty it is. The ride is scenic,

and it’s a way for Mikel to experience us in a

different environment. When we get home,

we’ll watch “Sesame Street.”

PREP WORKAfter Mikel goes to bed, I’m able

to get some more work done, like preparing

for the TED Talk I just gave on Black mental

health or zeroing in on speaking engage-

ments I have in the coming week.

SHOWTIMEMy wife and I pick our favorite

meal from Jennie’s Kitchen and have that

Sunday nights. It’s been a lifesaver during

quarantine. Then we’ll watch “The Chi” on

Showtime and, if she puts peer pressure on

me, another show, like “Billions.” At about

11, I’ll get the trash together, put it outside

and say good night.

SUNDAY ROUTINE

KWAME OWUSU-KESSE

Of Harlem, Uplift and ‘Baby Shark’

PHOTOGRAPHS BY GABRIELA BHASKAR FOR THE NEW YORK TIMES

Sunday Routine readers can follow Kwame

Owusu-Kesse on Twitter @MrKwameOK.

A C.E.O.’s hyperfocus on

children, including his

own daughter.

ERIN CARPENTER

Sign up for the newsletter

nytimes.com/themorning

The Morning

Makesenseofthe

news,everyday,with

DavidLeonhardt.