Visage – Winter 2021

WINTER 2021
SPOTLIGHT ON
the other
James
Brown
The last issue of Visage featured our very own James Brown.
Both JBs were soul seekers, one famously through music and
the other as a devotee of Christ. We learned previously about
James Brown Junior’s journey through an inner city education
to Oxford University. James is now in his second year.
Omar Pierre-Williams
We asked James for an update on
his experiences since we last ‘interviewed’
him for Visage when he told us
that he was ‘keeping his head down,
his options open and enjoying the
journey’. Now we want to know what
his hopes are for the second year –
academic, extra-curricular, personal.
James came to visit us in the
summer, along with Mike Humphries,
Principal and Chief Investment
Officer of Polygon Global Partners
where James is doing an internship.
Mike was delivering a career
insight workshop at our ‘pathways to
employment’ programme. Lewis took
great pleasure in berating James for
his radical career shift from theology
to finance – the divine to the dollar!
Year one at Oxford was very much
a honeymoon year albeit with lots of
interruptions due to Covid, lockdown
and other restrictions. Academically
it was a year of challenge as James
found his faith explored and explained
by scholars and sceptics. Nonetheless
his time at Wellington College was
useful preparation for this forensic
review as James admirably ‘contended
for the faith entrusted to the saints’.
It was the Wellington connection
that brought him into contact with
Mike and they made a powerful tag
team as they unravelled the complexity
of private equity. James spoke
eloquently and passionately about his
Oxford progress and dreams and the
work of Polygon. Young Leaders were
enthralled and bombarded him with
questions.
Our interns were particularly struck
by James – his enthusiasm, maturity
and perspective – following his first
year (albeit restricted) at Oxford has
certainly added value.
One of our interns, Esther said,
“I heard people saying that James
has grown tremendously since he
embarked on the Eastside Scholars
programme. Seeing a change so big in
a person gave me hope. If that amount
of growth can happen in such a short
space of time, then anything is possible.
I asked James for the secret of
success and he told me to seize all
opportunities. Working at Polygon was
such an opportunity. There was also
one other thing he said that stuck with
me; he said be aggressive! The combination
of aggression and humility seems
very weird but it is something I intend
to pursue - aggressively. From now, I
am aggressive, and I am humble.”
Commenting on James’ visit, Mark
Kosgei said, “James was confident and
funny. He inspired me to follow my
aspirations. A key word which struck
me that I will take away from James is
“networking”. I understand now that
it is an essential factor for success –
making connections and talking with
more people (even if that means stepping
outside of your comfort zone).
Networking will open doors to more
opportunities”.
James told us that he is aware that
the second year at Oxford will be a big
step up from the first – intellectually
more challenging, organisationally
more demanding, but he is looking
forward to more in person interaction
with tutors and peers, the opportunity
to support the African Caribbean
network and to relish debates at the
Oxford Union.
Left: The quad and coat of arms (inset) of
Regent’s Park College, University of Oxford where
James is studying.
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