HIGH ESTEEM FOR MEAN GREEN: Pastor Kyev Tatum Returns to UNT to Inspire the Next Generation of Resilience Responders to Learn, Lead, and Lift Their Communities Higher.

HIGH ESTEEM FOR MEAN GREEN: Pastor Kyev Tatum Returns to UNT to Inspire the Next Generation of Resilience Responders to Learn, Lead, and Lift Their Communities Higher. 

(https://vimeo.com/1128010970)

DENTON, TEXAS — Nearly four decades after first suiting up for the Mean Green football team, Fort Worth’s Pastor Kyev Tatum returned to the University of North Texas (UNT) — this time not as a student-athlete, but as a servant-leader and visionary determined to open doors for a new generation of community builders and changemakers.

In 1986, Tatum transferred from Tarleton State University to play football for Coach Corky Nelson and the Mean Green Eagles Football Team. But it wasn’t just the game that shaped him — it was the university’s unwavering commitment to service, leadership, and lifelong learning.

“UNT taught me how to lead, how to serve, and how to build,” Tatum reflected. “It was here, in the School of Community Service, that I discovered my purpose — to help people rise through education, empowerment, and faith.”

Today, as pastor of New Mount Rose Missionary Baptist Church in Fort Worth, Pastor Tatum is bringing that same Mean Green spirit full circle. Through his latest initiative — Skills City, USA Resilience Responders — he is working to equip underemployed and underserved individuals with the skills, hope, and healing they need to rebuild their lives, strengthen their neighborhoods, and respond effectively to crises.

His recent visit to UNT’s College of Health and Public Service marks the beginning of a renewed partnership between his ministry and his alma mater. Together, they are exploring ways to connect academic excellence with hands-on community transformation, particularly through the college’s Emergency Administration and Planning Program — the nation’s first and most respected undergraduate program of its kind.

During the visit, members of Skills City shared their own testimonies of transformation, expressing how a partnership with UNT could help their communities grow, thrive, and build resilience for generations to come.

For Pastor Tatum, this mission is deeply personal. During the height of the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, his church led one of the nation’s most successful church-based distribution networks, providing more than $25 million in essential supplies to individuals and families across North Texas. Yet through that work, he witnessed a painful truth: many inner-city communities lack the training, structure, and resources to respond when disaster strikes.

Nowhere is this more evident than in Fort Worth’s 76104 zip code — where Tatum was born, graduated, and now pastors — a community with the lowest life expectancy in Texas, averaging just 67 years, and only 64 years for Black men. Eight of his own immediate family members, including his beloved mother, passed away before age 65.

“These numbers are not just statistics,” Tatum said softly. “They represent our mothers, fathers, brothers, and sisters. They are my story. That’s why resilience isn’t just a word — it’s a mission.”

Out of that mission was born Skills City, USA Resilience Responders, a collaborative effort with Workforce Solutions for Tarrant County and the Ministers Justice Coalition of Texas. The program trains local citizens — especially from underserved areas — in emergency response, disaster readiness, and public safety, preparing them to serve as trusted community leaders and first responders when crises arise.

By reconnecting with UNT, Pastor Tatum hopes to build a living bridge between academic expertise and community empowerment — a partnership rooted in both intellect and empathy.

“The same Mean Green spirit that shaped my life can now help shape the future of Skills City,” he said. “Together, we can prepare a generation of Resilience Responders who are ready for whatever comes next.”

For students and community members alike, the opportunity is clear:

If you’re someone who plans ahead, stays calm under pressure, and leads with heart, a career in Emergency Administration and Planning may be your calling. The University of North Texas continues to lead the nation in preparing professionals who help individuals, businesses, and governments prepare for, respond to, and recover from disasters of every kind.

Career paths for graduates include:

• Red Cross Emergency Director

• Business Continuity Specialist

• FEMA Program Manager

• Hospital Disaster Planner

• Local and State Emergency Management Specialist

“UNT gave me the tools to serve,” Pastor Tatum concluded. “Now I want to give others that same chance — to learn, to lead, and to lift their communities higher.”

Pastor Tatum’s love for UNT runs deep. His return reflects a desire to share that same sense of purpose, pride, and opportunity with others — hoping that what UNT once did for him, it will do again for a new generation of students striving to help, heal, and rebuild their lives and communities.

For more information about Skills City, USA, please contact:

817-966-7625

kptatum1@gmail.com

www.newmountrose.com