SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) —Lenn Patterson George has made South Dakota history by being the first black person crowned, but that is only a small part of her story.
“I think you reflect back and go, ‘Have I given enough? Have I sacrificed enough? Have I contributed enough?’ And I think that’s what empowers me to keep going. I don’t feel that I have done enough if I’m making strides and if I’m changing lives, if I’m empowering people if I’m lifting people up, that’s where my passion is the most resounding,” George said.
She helped start the South Dakota Black Chamber of Commerce a little over a year ago.
“If one succeeds, my philosophy is we all succeed, and we have a melting pot here in South Dakota where there’s not just black businesses, but there’s Hispanic businesses, there’s women-based businesses. There are veteran-owned businesses. And so there are some tools that they need to just help them thrive and succeed,” Remarkable Women Nominee, Lenn Patterson George said.
“She is a leader for this community, for the black community. And with having black children, that’s something that’s important to me. So she’s not only leading the way for the people now, but she’s leading the way for my children and other people’s children to be able to have something that they can hold on to for the rest of their life,” Jessica Law said.
George is also working to launch the Revive Program, which will help people coming out of the correctional and judicial systems.
“We formed the Revive program, based on the philosophy that we could teach business etiquette and financial literacy, and give them tools, from inception to succession to help them maintain a sustainable business practice,” George said.
George is also an associate pastor. Her work inside and outside of the church is leaving an impact.
“She is my spiritual role model. She’s my role model in regular life. Like, I really look up to her. And I think that a lot of the women in our church and the younger girls in our church do as well,” Law said.
In addition to being the first black woman crowned in South Dakota, George has also made history 2 other times. She was the first black female Christian broadcaster, and she launched the first Black Chamber of Commerce in the state.
