Meet Dr. Wes Parham of Parham Consulting/Urban Scholastic Center

Today we’d like to introduce you to Dr. Wes Parham.

Alright, thank you for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, how did you get started?
I was born in Kansas City. I grew up in a two-parent home in the heart of the city. This experience gave me a unique mix of perspectives and people that shaped me into the person I am today. I grew up like many people around me with very few resources, but also very different because I had both a mother and a father in the home. Though not college graduates, my parents constantly pushed my siblings and me academically. They intentionally exposed us to worlds we didn’t know were available or existed entrepreneurs, civic leaders, pastors, etc. But they also made sure that we felt ingrained in the community we were a part of. I played sports at Milestone Youth Center or Lykins center off 12th street. Even when we moved out south and eventually to the Raytown Area, my Dad would spend hours picking up my boys from all over the city for basketball practice, open gym, etc. And we constantly had people living with us; cousins, exchange students, homeless, people down on their luck, missionaries, etc.

From this, I learned one of the most important lessons I could understand and one that guides me today. People are important, and they are not their circumstances. You don’t judge individuals by their circumstances. Sometimes people’s circumstances are there not because of anything of their doing, and circumstances can always change. What is essential is not circumstances but people. For me, this central message has been a driver in my life. My life’s mission is to help people be the best they were created to be. This message caused me to serve in various education, church, and community roles. And it was this message that led me to be the leader of the Urban Scholastic Center, a non-profit in Wyandotte, KS, the writer of a book on disagreement and dissent called Haterology, a keynote speaker for companies, and a consultant and executive coach. In each of these roles, I ask one question, will this allow me to help people be the best they were created to be? If so, I will move forward. And this is all grounded in the lessons my parents imparted to me.

Can you talk to us about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I don’t know if smooth is the word I would use. But I have always felt supported. I have faced numerous struggles along the way, but the people in my life helped to encourage and push me through them. Some of those struggles were financial. When I was a kid, my siblings and I would find ourselves in the back of our parent’s car with blankets on because there was a hole in the floor; we could look down and see the road as we drove. So in the winter, the car would be freezing. Or how my sister, brother, and I ( later, my cousin came to live with us and joined)all shared the same room until I was 17. Some of my challenges/struggles were relational. When I was 14, the guy I looked up to and who looked out for me in the neighborhood invited me over to his house, but this time my parents wouldn’t let me go. That night he committed a felony that locked him up for 7 years. I was devastated. Or how my grandmother and great-grandmother died when I was 13 and 14. Others’ struggles were racist and social. Like when I saved my money, bought myself a brand new Teal green Camaro, and sat outside my house listening to music(we were one of the first and only black families in my new Raytown Neighborhood).

The police drove down my street, returned, and parked behind my car. I called for backup, and three police cars surrounded me in front of my house, listening to music. I was handcuffed and set on the curb while a police K-9 was used on my car and my person. Or how my third-grade teacher called me black boy, ripped up my homework in front of me, and put me in the corner. There were countless of these types of stories and experiences. But I always knew I had a family who cared for and loved me. Who believed in me and supported me. And that made the road feel smooth even if it wasn’t.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next, you can tell us more about your work.
I currently have two different companies that I lead in the KC area. The first is Parham consulting. In this role, I serve as a corporate consultant and keynote speaker for companies (small to fortune 500) all across the country. My area of expertise is helping organizations and individuals create innovative solutions and creativity, innovation implementation, and the holistic development of leaders and teams through coach and workshops. I also give several keynote speeches to companies for corporate events. Most of my keynotes are about the field of “Haterology” ( the examination of dissent and disagreement and how it can be utilized to improve individuals and society). I wrote a book titled “Be a Hater” and later re-released it as “Haterology” and shared how these topics can improve individuals, teams, and organizations. People can learn more about our consulting services and keynote speaking at: www.drwesparham.com.

In addition to Parham consulting, I serve as the CEO/Executive Director of the Urban Scholastic Center (USC), a nonprofit organization based in the Wyandotte County/KCK area. We provide wrap-around services to over 1600 students and 2200 individuals each month. We do this through after-school programs, literacy programs, free mental health care, free grocery stores, e-sports, cultural enrichment trips, and more. Our mission is to “Build Leaders from Here for Here through Jesus and Education.” What I am most proud of here is our mission model. We focus on creating in-depth, meaningful, and long relationships with students and our families. We serve families from pre-k through 12th grade and try to hold on to each student during that period. Any readers in the KCK/Wyandotte county area can learn more about our programs at www.theusc.org.

Before we go, can you share it with us?
KC is a fantastic place, and I am excited about all the cool things happening here.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.drwesparham.com; www.theusc.org
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dr.wesparham/ & https://www.instagram.com/theusckc/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wes.parham.5/ & https://www.facebook.com/theusckc