{"id":328363,"date":"2024-02-08T07:50:07","date_gmt":"2024-02-08T12:50:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/greenvillejournal.com\/?p=328363"},"modified":"2024-02-12T09:52:26","modified_gmt":"2024-02-12T14:52:26","slug":"natasha-pitts-strives-to-be-part-of-something-bigger-emerging-leaders-for-black-history-month","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/greenvillejournal.com\/black-history-month\/natasha-pitts-strives-to-be-part-of-something-bigger-emerging-leaders-for-black-history-month\/","title":{"rendered":"Natasha Pitts strives to be part of something bigger: Emerging leaders for Black History Month"},"content":{"rendered":"

Editor\u2019s note: This is the second in a series of stories running in February on emerging Black leaders in the Greenville community.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

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The ideology was instilled in her at a young age while growing up in Spartanburg. Born to a young, single mother, Pitts was raised with the help of her grandmother, Vera Nesbitt, who showed Pitts the importance of being involved by encouraging her to participate in choir and other activities at their local church.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs I look back now, those are some of the highlights and the memories that I have with her,\u201d Pitts said. \u201cThose are a lot of the moments that I feel shaped my future without knowing.\u201d<\/p>\n

Pitts later discovered her passion for serving the community while working for the city of Spartanburg after graduating from the University of South Carolina Upstate. She spent 17 years working for the city in various roles, overseeing minority business development and, later, equity and inclusion.<\/p>\n

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Today, Pitts serves as Greenville Chamber of Commerce vice president<\/a><\/strong> of diversity and economic inclusion. She helps impact the business community by carrying out the chamber\u2019s diversity and inclusion efforts such as the South Carolina Minority Business Accelerator.<\/p>\n

\u201cI go to work every day with the intention of making an impact \u2014 regardless of how big or how small,\u201d Pitts said.<\/p>\n

Pitts\u2019 work doesn\u2019t end with the Upstate\u2019s business community. She is also involved with multiple organizations and nonprofits, including the Children\u2019s Advocacy Center of Spartanburg<\/a>, United Negro College Fund<\/a>, United Way of Greenville County\u2019s African American Leadership<\/a> and more.<\/p>\n

\u201cBy being a part of those organizations, I have been able to see firsthand the change that being involved can make,\u201d Pitts said.<\/p>\n

Outside of work, Pitts and her husband, James, raised their two children, Asia and Elijah, in Spartanburg. The importance of being involved and helping others was passed down. Pitts said an old African proverb her family likes is: \u201cIf you want to go fast, you go alone. If you want to go far, you go together.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt just lets us know that they understand that this journey that they\u2019re on; it\u2019s not about what we\u2019re doing today,\u201d Pitts said. \u201cIt\u2019s about the impact that we can leave for the generation coming behind us.\u201d<\/p>\n

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