Sharing gratitude isn’t something that Barbara Breedlove reserves for Thanksgiving Day. It’s an attitude that she carries – and passes on to others – year round.
Breedlove, a secretary II in the MSU College of Osteopathic Medicine’s external programs office, is grateful for the opportunities that she’s had to work in the office and appreciates the spirit of teamwork and collaboration that exists there.
“These are good people to work with and it’s a family environment,” she says. “We all work together very well.”
In her job since 2007, Breedlove is responsible for taking on such duties as maintaining the alumni database, handling accounting and other recordkeeping tasks and working on college-sponsored events. Some of those events are very close to her heart and she appreciates the chance to be part of offering them.
In particular, there’s the college’s annual civil rights lecture series. Breedlove says that she knew about the series, Slavery to Freedom: An American Odyssey, before coming to work at MSUCOM, but she had not been able to attend due to family commitments. In her current role, she’s deeply involved in making sure the series runs smoothly and that each lecture comes off without a hitch.
“I feel special to be able to work with this event,” she says. It’s like a dream come true. Since I was in middle school, black history was something I cherished, and now I get to be part of this and to meet some amazing people.”
Some of the series past speakers have included Taylor Branch, Donzaleigh Abernathy (one of Breedlove’s favorites), Rev. Frederick D. Haynes III and Rev. Jeremiah Wright.
“It’s important to make connections between the past and the present and important to learn about people who were there in the Civil Rights movement,” she says. “It’s not every day you get that opportunity.”
This year, Breedlove’s been busy for several months helping coordinate arrangements for Rep. John Lewis’s Feb. 6 speech, entertainer Harry Belafonte’s Feb. 12 talk and Rev. Al Sharpton’s Feb. 26 presentation.
When she’s not in her Fee Hall office, Breedlove, who lives in Lansing, is active with her church. She and her husband Kenn are also the coordinators for a youth basketball organization, the Michigan Mavericks. Breedlove’s also frequently cheering on her daughter Kenneisha and sons Meldrick and Devonte during their sporting events.