Blackburn Institute

Community Member Spotlight: Bradley Davidson

April 20, 2011

Blackburn Fellow from the 2002-2003 class and current Advisory Board Member Bradley Davidson personifies the four overarching values of the Blackburn Institute. A native of Selma, Bradley’s varying interests set him on an unexpected path. Earning a bachelor’s degree in finance from The University of Alabama and a master’s in development economics from Vanderbilt University, Bradley never expected to work in his current field. He currently serves as the Executive Director of the Alabama Democratic Party.  He was also the co-founder of Empower Alabama, a grassroots non-profit organization aimed at increasing the civic engagement of youth in the policymaking and political processes in Alabama.

Bradley credits the Blackburn Institute with allowing him to travel the state and explore how policy issues affect different communities within Alabama. When speaking of his current position as Executive Director of the Alabama Democratic Party, Davidson said, “It’s an interesting time for Alabama Democrats. Where some see challenges, I see an opportunity to lead and do things in a different way.”  At 29 years old he is one of the youngest people to hold the position as a major political party Executive Director. Bradley believes youth organizing is imperative in the growth and success of the Alabama Democratic Party. Bringing programs like College Democrats together for its first statewide convention in years and focusing on programs giving youth an actual role in the political process are just a couple ways in which Bradley is targeting Alabama’s young people.

A piece of advice Davidson would give to current and future Blackburn Fellows is to utilize the Blackburn network. He says, “There were definitely members of the Blackburn Institute among the links of the chain that is responsible for my current level of accomplishment. When utilizing the network, take the initiative to introduce yourself to unfamiliar faces at events.” Bradley remains humble considering all he has accomplished at a young age. When asked about his successful career thus far, Bradley responded, “I still don’t know what I want to do when I grow up!”

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