Malik Sekou
Encyclopedia
Malik Sekou, Ph.D.
, (born January 8, 1964 St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands) is a United States Virgin Islander
academic, author
and political scientist. He is a professor
and chairman of the Department of history
, social science and political science
at the University of the Virgin Islands
. Sekou was chosen by Independent gubernatorial candidate Kenneth Mapp
as his running mate
for Lieutenant Governor of the United States Virgin Islands
in the 2010 gubernatorial election
.
in Saint Thomas by Guillermo and Rosita Cyntje. His three younger siblings were raised in Brooklyn
, New York
. Sekou attended Kirwan Terrace Elementary School and Wayne Aspinall Junior High, which is now called Addelitta Cancryn Junior High School. He graduated from Charlotte Amalie High School in Charlotte Amalie
in 1981.
Sekou served in the United States Navy
beginning in September 1981. He was a member of the erations Specialists in the US Voge 1047, before being honorably discharged in 1984. He returned to the United States Virgin Islands after his honorable discharge, where he began pursuing a bachelor's dgree at the University of the Virgin Islands. He also joined the Virgin Islands Fire Service.
Sekou received a bachelor's degree
in social science from the University of the Virgin Islands
in 1989. He obtained both his master's degree
and doctorate
in political science
from the University of Delaware
.
at the University of the Virgin Islands
for twelve years, as of 2010. He has written extensively on topics pertaining to the Virgin Islands and the Caribbean
, including law enforcement
, the cost of living in the Virgin Islands, immigration
and Cuba
. He has previously worked as a researcher and analyst for the Legislature of the Virgin Islands
. Additionally, Sekou is known as a political consultant
.
Sekou has been elected to the Virgin Islands Board of Education. He has unsuccessfully run for the Legislature of the Virgin Islands
twice.
.
Ph.D.
A Ph.D. is a Doctor of Philosophy, an academic degree.Ph.D. may also refer to:* Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*Piled Higher and Deeper, a web comic strip*PhD: Phantasy Degree, a Korean comic series* PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
, (born January 8, 1964 St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands) is a United States Virgin Islander
United States Virgin Islands
The Virgin Islands of the United States are a group of islands in the Caribbean that are an insular area of the United States. The islands are geographically part of the Virgin Islands archipelago and are located in the Leeward Islands of the Lesser Antilles.The U.S...
academic, author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
and political scientist. He is a professor
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
and chairman of the Department of history
History
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
, social science and political science
Political science
Political Science is a social science discipline concerned with the study of the state, government and politics. Aristotle defined it as the study of the state. It deals extensively with the theory and practice of politics, and the analysis of political systems and political behavior...
at the University of the Virgin Islands
University of the Virgin Islands
The University of the Virgin Islands is a public university located in the United States Virgin Islands.-Academics:The university has five academic divisions: Business, Education, Humanities and Social Sciences, Nursing, and Science and Mathematics. UVI offers several graduate degree programs and...
. Sekou was chosen by Independent gubernatorial candidate Kenneth Mapp
Kenneth Mapp
Kenneth E. Mapp is a United States Virgin Islanders politician. A former Virgin Islands Senator, Mapp served as the Lieutenant Governor of the United States Virgin Islands from 1995 until 1999. Most recently, Mapp was an independent candidate for Governor of the U.S...
as his running mate
Running mate
A running mate is a person running together with another person on a joint ticket during an election. The term is most often used in reference to the person in the subordinate position but can also properly be used when referring to both candidates, such as "Michael Dukakis and Lloyd Bentsen were...
for Lieutenant Governor of the United States Virgin Islands
Lieutenant Governor of the United States Virgin Islands
The following is a list of Lieutenant Governors of the United States Virgin Islands.*David Earle Maas - Republican...
in the 2010 gubernatorial election
United States Virgin Islands gubernatorial election, 2010
The United States Virgin Islands gubernatorial election of 2010 was held on November 2, 2010, and won by incumbent Democratic Governor John de Jongh...
.
Early life
Malik Sekou was born on January 8, 1964, on Saint Thomas, United States Virgin Islands, to Wally and Margaret Whitehead. He has one older brother, Tony Wally Whitehead, and three younger siblings, Sylvia, Kankan and Marvin. Malik and his older brother were raised in foster careFoster care
Foster care is the term used for a system in which a minor who has been made a ward is placed in the private home of a state certified caregiver referred to as a "foster parent"....
in Saint Thomas by Guillermo and Rosita Cyntje. His three younger siblings were raised in Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. Sekou attended Kirwan Terrace Elementary School and Wayne Aspinall Junior High, which is now called Addelitta Cancryn Junior High School. He graduated from Charlotte Amalie High School in Charlotte Amalie
Charlotte Amalie
Charlotte Amalie may refer to:*Charlotte Amalie of Hesse-Kassel , a queen-consort of Denmark and Norway*Charlotte Amalie, United States Virgin Islands, the capital city, which was named after the queen-consort...
in 1981.
Sekou served in the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
beginning in September 1981. He was a member of the erations Specialists in the US Voge 1047, before being honorably discharged in 1984. He returned to the United States Virgin Islands after his honorable discharge, where he began pursuing a bachelor's dgree at the University of the Virgin Islands. He also joined the Virgin Islands Fire Service.
Sekou received a bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
in social science from the University of the Virgin Islands
University of the Virgin Islands
The University of the Virgin Islands is a public university located in the United States Virgin Islands.-Academics:The university has five academic divisions: Business, Education, Humanities and Social Sciences, Nursing, and Science and Mathematics. UVI offers several graduate degree programs and...
in 1989. He obtained both his master's degree
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
and doctorate
Doctorate
A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder to teach in a specific field, A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder...
in political science
Political science
Political Science is a social science discipline concerned with the study of the state, government and politics. Aristotle defined it as the study of the state. It deals extensively with the theory and practice of politics, and the analysis of political systems and political behavior...
from the University of Delaware
University of Delaware
The university is organized into seven colleges:* College of Agriculture and Natural Resources* College of Arts and Sciences* Alfred Lerner College of Business and Economics* College of Earth, Ocean and Environment* College of Education and Human Development...
.
Career
Sekou has worked as a professorProfessor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
at the University of the Virgin Islands
University of the Virgin Islands
The University of the Virgin Islands is a public university located in the United States Virgin Islands.-Academics:The university has five academic divisions: Business, Education, Humanities and Social Sciences, Nursing, and Science and Mathematics. UVI offers several graduate degree programs and...
for twelve years, as of 2010. He has written extensively on topics pertaining to the Virgin Islands and the Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
, including law enforcement
Law enforcement agency
In North American English, a law enforcement agency is a government agency responsible for the enforcement of the laws.Outside North America, such organizations are called police services. In North America, some of these services are called police while others have other names In North American...
, the cost of living in the Virgin Islands, immigration
Immigration
Immigration is the act of foreigners passing or coming into a country for the purpose of permanent residence...
and Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
. He has previously worked as a researcher and analyst for the Legislature of the Virgin Islands
Legislature of the Virgin Islands
The Legislature of the Virgin Islands is the territorial legislature of the United States Virgin Islands. The legislative branch of the unincorporated U.S. territory is unicameral, with a single house consisting of 15 senators, elected to two-year terms without term limits. The territorial...
. Additionally, Sekou is known as a political consultant
Consultant
A consultant is a professional who provides professional or expert advice in a particular area such as management, accountancy, the environment, entertainment, technology, law , human resources, marketing, emergency management, food production, medicine, finance, life management, economics, public...
.
Sekou has been elected to the Virgin Islands Board of Education. He has unsuccessfully run for the Legislature of the Virgin Islands
Legislature of the Virgin Islands
The Legislature of the Virgin Islands is the territorial legislature of the United States Virgin Islands. The legislative branch of the unincorporated U.S. territory is unicameral, with a single house consisting of 15 senators, elected to two-year terms without term limits. The territorial...
twice.
2010 Candidacy for Lt. Governor
In July 2010, gubernatorial candidate Kenneth Mapp's Search Committee recommended Sekou as his running mate for Lieutenant Governor in the 2010 gubernatorial electionUnited States Virgin Islands gubernatorial election, 2010
The United States Virgin Islands gubernatorial election of 2010 was held on November 2, 2010, and won by incumbent Democratic Governor John de Jongh...
.