Darnelle of Wakanda

Darnelle Williams was born a raised in the city of San Diego, at a young age his mother became a single parent.  In an effort to create a better life for the both of them, they moved to Los Angeles in the 80’s.   Although, they lived at or below the poverty line, Darnelle’s mother always managed to make sure her son was well taken care of.  She continuously reinforced that hard work and a good education and never giving up is the key to success.  Like many single parents, Darnelle’s mother  had very little savings and as result of being laid off from work Darnelle and his mother found themselves homeless and sleeping in a car.

 

Regardless of the situation, Darnelle missed no school.  In the mornings his mother would find a gas station to bath him in and he would eat breakfast at local diners, anything left over his mother would eat.  During the day she would look for work, and when she made a little more they would stay in a cheap Motel for a day or two.  Because money was so tight, toys and clothing came from the dumpsters of the neighborhood thrift stores.  This lifestyle lasted about two years and finally they moved back to San Diego where his mother found steady work and an apartment, life was returning to normal.

 

These time were difficult, but they made Darnelle tough and appreciative of the current life he has.  Darnelle began working at the age of 15, he went onto graduate from high school and then attended college where he studied to become a paralegal.   At times, he had three jobs concurrently because he enjoyed making money.  In 1996 he entered the insurance industry as a customer service representative and 23 years later he now works for a large insurance carrier and manages his own department.  He’s a spouse, a son, a brother, an uncle and homeowner and by definition has found the American dream by continuing to hard work, continuing education and never giving up.

In 2013 Darnelle joined the Imperial Court of San Diego and although he was fairly new, he ran for Empress 42 in 2014 and won.  After a year of service and a success reign, he stepped down in 2015 but more importantly he never stepped away.  Darnelle immediately joined the board and remains an active member of the Imperial Court to this day.