Dr. Kennetta-Renee’ Robertson
Chair of Criteria Selection Committee
Dr. Kennetta-Renee Robertson—widely known as K. Renee—is an award-winning transformational leader, vocalist, actress, and global ambassador whose work bridges heritage, the arts, and history. A preacher’s daughter raised in a family of educators, farmers, entrepreneurs, and ministers, she learned early that history is not only read—it is sung, lived, and passed down. Rooted in her Gullah Geechee and Native American ancestry, her love for history began through the faith, songs, and stories of her parents and grandparents.
Her paternal great-grandparents, James and Frances Robertson, purchased 362 acres in 1899—a remarkable act of Black landownership now honored with a South Carolina Historical Marker at Hamilton Branch State Park. After her great-grandfather’s passing, the land was later acquired, and her great-grandmother—left to raise 18 children—was made to leave the property. Yet her determination did not end there. She went on to purchase an additional 32 acres nearby, where she built a new home for her family. Dr. Robertson was blessed to grow up in that home, often sleeping in her great-grandmother’s room—a sacred space that rooted her in faith, family, and history. She also spent her childhood playing on her grandfathers’ farms—places filled with song, worship, and hard work—that grounded her in both agriculture and the arts.
Those foundations inspired Dr. Robertson to use the performing arts as a sacred tool for preserving and teaching history. A trained contralto singer and lifelong performer, she brings history to life through movement, melody, and dramatic interpretation. From church choirs to collegiate stages, her resonant voice has been described as both soul-stirring and cinematic. Her journey has taken her from directing the Maya Angelou Teen Performing Arts Center in Atlanta to portraying icons such as Sojourner Truth, Shirley Chisholm, Mahalia Jackson, Nina Simone, and Sarah Vaughan. This fall, she will debut as Harriet Tubman (“Black Moses”) in Songs of America, a theatrical 250th-anniversary celebration of freedom and faith.
Guided by faith and mentorship from women such as Dr. Maya Angelou, Amelia Boynton Robinson, and Naomi Barber King, Dr. Robertson learned that leadership is both service and storytelling—and that through art, truth endures. She was recently reappointed as Executive Director of SCLC Women, Inc., continuing the legacy of the women of the Civil Rights Movement. In addition, she has served as National Director of Public Affairs for the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), and as an Executive Board Member of the A.D. King Foundation, continuing the legacy of Dr. A.D. King, brother of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. She also directs PR and media for the Selma Bridge Crossing Jubilee, ensuring that the courage of those who marched for justice continues to inspire generations.
Dr. Robertson also serves as President of a United Nations–affiliated NGO stateside charter, where she advances global citizenship, diplomacy, and sustainable development through cultural and educational initiatives.
A proud former Miss Statesman at Strom Thurmond High School, she became the first African American to hold the title—an early testament to her poise, faith, and purpose as a young woman determined to lead with grace. She went on to hold more than 13 additional local, collegiate, and civic crowns—including Miss Paine College, Miss Black & Gold, and Miss Black USA International—each reflecting her lifelong commitment to excellence, service, and cultural representation. Her pageantry journey helped shape her public voice, deepened her confidence as a performer, and solidified her mission to empower others through faith, history, and the arts.
Continuing that legacy of faith, freedom, and justice, Dr. Robertson leads Resurrection City, a modern-day initiative inspired by the 1968 Poor People’s Campaign. Reimagined for a new generation, it serves as a platform for unity, cultural restoration, and economic empowerment—bridging the unfinished work of the past with the possibilities of the present. At home in South Carolina, she serves as CEO and President of the McCormick County Chamber of Commerce and Visitor Center and is the owner and visionary of the Historic McCormick Hotel, an 1884 landmark she is restoring into a living social enterprise devoted to wellness, hospitality, and cultural preservation.
Whether speaking, singing, or reenacting the stories of those who paved the way, Dr. Robertson reminds audiences that history is not only behind us—it lives within us all.