Remembering Joseph Kitchen
By: Charlene Pullias, President of The Garrett County Democratic Club
Democratic Friends & Members,
We are so saddened by the news of the loss of Joseph L. Kitchen, President of the Young Democrats of Maryland. He was the speaker at our August meeting just 5 days before he went missing. His message to us in the face of Trumpian adversity was to “Care”, “Show Up”, “Not to Flinch” and to keep pushing our legislators in Annapolis to enact legislation that benefits marginalized people in our society and prepares our youth for the future.
Joseph Kitchen has since “shuffled off this mortal coil” to the sadness and regret of his family, friends and colleagues. Attending members of this meeting were touched by his message evidenced by conversations I had with others afterwards. And sometimes it’s all we have to remember them by. Democratic are certainly in a tenuous and fragile place in Garrett County, but I believe will not flinch in the face of adversity. We bring to this county in many cases life saving messages as simple as wearing a mask or political stands that feels like a voice in the wilderness 2A sanctuary comes to mind. Anyone that knows me knows I’m not one to believe in miracles but I do embrace coincidences. I felt compelled to comment on this one.
Our heartfelt condolences are with his family and many friends. Joseph made an indelible impression on all of us with his words, his intelligence, his knowledge and his passion. May he rest in peace.
MORE ABOUT JOSEPH KITCHEN
Born in Southern California, Joseph grew up in the Central Valley raised by his mother. He is an educator, community organizer, and Democratic activist who got his start in community building organizing peers at his junior high school around school violence. Because of his activism, Joseph became one of the youngest members of one of the City of Fresno's planning advisory committees in the third district.
For more than a decade he has worked in communities all over DC and the Maryland suburbs as well as Baltimore to improve the lives of young people. Joseph currently serves as an administrator and on the leadership team at a private all-girls school in Anacostia. Outside of the classroom, Joseph founded the Young Black Educators (YBE), a network of teachers, administrators and other education advocates committed to recruiting and retaining other young people of color to the classroom. He is also a Vice President of the Young Education Professional of DC.
Joseph is very involved in his community having served as a member of the NAACP’s Executive Committee in California and Prince George’s County, MD. Currently, he is the Treasurer of the Greater Washington Urban League's Young Professional's Affiliate - the Thursday Network. He was a founding member of the New Leaders Council of Maryland and served on the National Diversity Committee. In 2009 Joseph was elected President of the Young Democrats of Maryland. In 2019 he was elected to his fifth term.
The son and step-son of pastors, Joseph has a bachelor's degree in theology and a master's degree in Christian leadership. Joseph is an ordained Baptist minister who resides in Fairmount Heights, MD.