February 27, 2025

Black leadership is about legacy, resilience, and the ability to create lasting change. Few embody this as powerfully as Kamilia K. Landrum, the youngest and only the second woman to serve as Executive Director of the Detroit Branch NAACP, the largest NAACP branch in the nation. With deep roots in Detroit’s civil rights community, Kamilia has been a champion for civic engagement, voter rights, and social justice, ensuring that the NAACP remains a force for progress.

Her leadership journey began long before she stepped into this historic role. From Florida A&M University (FAMU) to her work at the helm of Detroit’s civic movement, Kamilia has demonstrated the power of perseverance and strategic leadership. A 2016 New Leaders Council (NLC) Detroit alum, she continues to mentor and uplift emerging leaders, emphasizing the importance of timing, sacrifice, and persistence in leadership. In this conversation, Kamilia shares her journey, lessons learned, and how she’s shaping the future of Black leadership.

You are the youngest person to serve as Executive Director of the Detroit Branch NAACP. What does that milestone mean to you personally and for the future of Black leadership?

At the age of the 30, I accepted the awesome yet very heavy responsibility of serving as Executive Director of the largest NAACP Branch in the country. Not only was I the youngest, but also the second woman to hold the post. While I grew up in the Branch as President of the Detroit NAACP Youth Council, I always thought becoming the Executive Director would be the “final promotion” of my career and not the “kick-off” of my leadership lessons in action.

In a world where many people are constantly changing jobs and figuring out their passions, I was blessed to have a different journey that allowed me to grow right where my roots were planted. This major leadership move by such a large organization proved that Black leaders can pass the baton to the next generation, and that millennials and younger generations can hold the mantle of organizations that have endured the test of time for over 100 years.

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You’ve been involved in leadership roles since your time at Florida A&M University (FAMU). How did those early experiences prepare you for the work you do today?

While at FAMU I served as a Student Senator where I chaired the Activity and Service Fee Budget Committee and Treasurer of the Beta Alpha Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. Both opportunities exposed me to budgeting and fundraising at a much deeper level than I’d ever known. While at FAMU, I remember our A&S Budget going from $2.4M to $1.7M in one year and unfortunately, I had to be the face of cutting $700,000 to student organizations and employee salaries. Instead of just cutting funds, I made sure organizations received more training on outside fundraising opportunities and education on how the budget process worked.

Now, as I look back, I see myself on both sides of the table. Anyone in the non-profit space knows that raising money can be very difficult, so managing your money is extremely important. During my six years as the Executive Director, I’m grateful to say we’ve been able to keep our doors open through the pandemic and its aftermath, expand our team, and strengthen our much needed work in the community.

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Civic engagement is one of the Detroit NAACP’s key focus areas. How do you work to increase voter participation and community involvement?

The Detroit NAACP has always been committed to civic engagement, but for the past 30 years we’ve led our Take Your Soles to the Polls Campaign with the pillars of registration, education, mobilization and protection standing strong in our messaging and activities. The phrase itself, “Take Your Soles to the Polls” was born out of the Detroit NAACP by our President Rev. Dr. Wendell Anthony, and is now used all over the nation in almost every voter education campaign in existence.

We’ve learned that to keep the community involved, you have to talk to the community. There’s evidence that the more you talk to people about the importance of voting the more people will vote. Through door knocking, canvassing, phone banking, social media, and community events, we make sure that voters’ questions can be answered and their voices can be heard.

What is one civic engagement success story that stands out in your career?

I’m really proud of our support and leadership in expanding voting rights in Michigan through Promote the Vote. Starting in 2018, Michigan took the ballot initiative approach to make changes to our constitution to ensure every Michigander had equal access to the ballot box and allow more voters the opportunity to participate in elections. That work led to same-day voter registration, ballot drop boxes in neighborhoods, changes to military voting procedures, no-reason absentee voting, and now early voting. In the past few years we’ve seen more voters participating in elections than ever before and we know that stems from some of the suppression barriers being removed from the system.

What were some of the most valuable lessons or takeaways from your time with NLC?

NLC reminded me of the importance of perfect timing and that what is meant for you will happen for you (when it’s supposed to happen). I applied to be a member of the 2015 founding class and was denied admittance. I know, right? Just kidding. But for real, I just knew that I was in. But no. Bruised ego and all I applied again the following year and this time the opportunity was mine.

Not only did I appreciate it more because I had to work harder for it, “my people” that are now life-long friends were in that class, community leaders that I work to solve real problems with were in that class, and the timing of the leadership lessons learned were far more applicable to the ladder I was climbing. The reminder of “delayed, but not denied” and “no just means not right now” proved to be true, and I believe that every person needs to know that perfect timing does exist. While you may not experience it every day, when you are able to do so, it’s priceless.

How do NLC’s values—like equity, anti-oppression, and progress—align with your work at the NAACP?

The NAACP’s mission and vision are centered on eradicating racism and discrimination against Black people and other persons of color. Right now, the leadership of this country is fueled by oppression and white supremacy. Many of the tactics are from old playbooks, so you need established organizations like the NAACP and newer organizations like NLC to join together and work on providing strategic solutions that will benefit their local communities.

That takes leaders. Leaders that understand sacrifice. Leaders that work without pay. Leaders that aren’t afraid to stand on the front lines in the face of adversity and leaders that aren’t afraid to lead.

Kamilia Landrum’s story is one of determination, community, and impact. From fighting for voter rights through Detroit NAACP’s Take Your Soles to the Polls campaign to leading groundbreaking efforts like Promote the Vote, her work has changed the civic landscape of Michigan. As an NLC alum, she exemplifies the core values of equity, progress, and leadership in action.

Her journey is a testament to the power of persistence—whether it’s securing voting rights, advocating for Black communities, or proving that young Black leaders can step up and carry the mantle of legacy organizations. As she continues to drive change, Kamilia reminds us that leadership isn’t just about who holds the position—it’s about who steps up to do the work.