Meet Desmond Bertrand-Pitts of Buffalo Soldier National Museum in Midtown District

Today we’d like to introduce you to Desmond Bertrand-Pitts.

Desmond, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I am originally from Mamou, Louisiana, a true creole. I tell people all the time that there is nothing like a good small-town upbringing, it makes you humble and you have a greater respect and appreciation for life in general.

I moved to Houston when I was ten to be with my mother and siblings after being raised by my maternal grandmother as my mom finished school. I graduated from The High School for Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice and headed to New Orleans, LA to attended Xavier University of New Orleans. Due to Hurricane Katrina my stay there was cut short, I made the decision to not return so I finished my degree at Lamar University in Beaumont, TX. My friends tease me because I was a professional student, I entered an MBA program immediately after attaining by BS then went on to a Masters in Education program at Lamar. With all of those combined I am more than equipped to take the World by storm.

Fast forward to now, I am the Chief Executive Officer of The Buffalo Soldiers National Museum, what does that mean? I pretty much do it all, I am not one of those CEO’s who can’t pick up a mop or check someone in as they enter the museum. As CEO, I am responsible for the operations, human resources, finances, and programming. I am known for being very organized and striving for perfection in all I do, I sometimes okay maybe most times get stressed when I have a big project or event coming up, everyone knows to be on P’s and Q’s during that time or else.

I am married to the amazing Justin Bertrand-Pitts, whom I’ve had the pleasure of calling my confidant, best friend and business partner for 12 years, and husband for three years on November 4th. Together we are foster parents looking to adopt, started a nonprofit mentoring organization MEN Incorporated and consulting and graphics company 4.0 Consulting Services. Yes, I stay busy but it’s my nature, I can’t stay idle and I can no longer sit in the background, I must be apart of educating and advancing our youth and the community in general.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
The road was most definitely not smooth. Being an African American is hard, being a male is hard, being a gay being is hard, now but all those things together and imagine what the odds are against me. I’m a lover at heart but a fighter at life, it’s in my bloodline so I face situations with my shield to guard my every move-you can take that however you wish but someone, something or some-being is always in front of me guiding the way. That is what I see myself being for the generations after me. I intend to be that shield, that guiding force, that comfort, that stability that our young people need to thrive in this troubling society.

So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Buffalo Soldier National Museum story. Tell us more about the business.
The Buffalo Soldiers National Museum is the brainchild of my grandfather Captain Paul Matthews, Vietnam Vet and Prairie View A&M Graduate. I by no means thought that I would be at the helm of such a great institution but God had other plans and I had to walk into it. I am proud to continue the legacy he set forth.

At the BSNM, we preserve promote and perpetuate the history and legacy of the brave men and women who fought bled and died in the defense of America by showcasing memorabilia, artifacts, documents and etc. but most importantly we tell the stories that are often left out. We provide educational programming, arts and theater programming-reenactments, tours onsite and offsite, and more. We have the largest collection of African American Military memorabilia in the nation. I tell people all of the time we are the best kept secret in Houston, with hopes of one day turning this secret into a household topic. I am most proud that in our 18 almost 19 years history we continue to be that hub for military history, we get visitors from all over the World who come specifically to see our exhibitions and that to me speaks volumes about not only the contributions made by African Americans but their influence on American culture.

Our tagline here is “More than a Museum,” because we are just that, we have venue rental space for community events, weddings, meetings and so forth but we also are a hub for community discussions, research, dialogue, archives and networking.

Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
I don’t believe in luck, I am a firm believer that Jesus Christ bled and died so that we might have life. In that dedication to humanity he made it possible for good things and bad things to happen as it should to grow and thrive. There are things that could be better in my personal life as well as my business but I believe that I am part of something way bigger than myself and that things aren’t always going to be perfect but in order to achieve true greatness there must be failure.