Pure Genius: Black Mensa Members

African-Americans who have joined American Mensa.

The Best and the Brightest  -  American Mensa literally recognizes the brightest minds in the country—those who have scored in the top 2 percent of the general population on its standardized test. There are more than 57,000 members of the prestigious organization in the U.S. alone, and their diverse backgrounds include teachers, athletes, CEOs and homemakers—362 of those members are African-American. Here’s a look at nine of the group’s most distinguished Black members.—Britt Middleton 

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The Best and the Brightest  -  American Mensa literally recognizes the brightest minds in the country—those who have scored in the top 2 percent of the general population on its standardized test. There are more than 57,000 members of the prestigious organization in the U.S. alone, and their diverse backgrounds include teachers, athletes, CEOs and homemakers—362 of those members are African-American. Here’s a look at nine of the group’s most distinguished Black members.—Britt Middleton 

Dr. Patricia L. Turner - Dr. Patricia L. Turner, general surgeon, assistant professor of surgery at the University of Maryland Medical Center and medical correspondent for news outlets: “Being a member of Mensa affords me the opportunity to interact with smart, interesting people in whatever way I choose. Even when I’ve been too busy to attend meetings, I always enjoy reading the national Mensa magazine and my local publication, Cap M. My daughters and I enjoy the programs for gifted children, and I feel as connected to the organization as I did when I joined as a teenager. I’ve been a member of Mensa for 25 years.” (Photo: Courtesy facebook)

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Dr. Patricia L. Turner - Dr. Patricia L. Turner, general surgeon, assistant professor of surgery at the University of Maryland Medical Center and medical correspondent for news outlets: “Being a member of Mensa affords me the opportunity to interact with smart, interesting people in whatever way I choose. Even when I’ve been too busy to attend meetings, I always enjoy reading the national Mensa magazine and my local publication, Cap M. My daughters and I enjoy the programs for gifted children, and I feel as connected to the organization as I did when I joined as a teenager. I’ve been a member of Mensa for 25 years.” (Photo: Courtesy facebook)

Valdemar L. Washington, Esq. - Valdemar L. Washington, deputy treasurer for local government services for the Michigan Department of Treasury, retired Genesee County, Michigan circuit court judge and founder of SETTLEmate Inc., an alternative dispute resolution services company: “I joined American Mensa to put to rest the myth that, in general, African-American males were intellectually challenged.” (Photo: Courtesy American Mensa)

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Valdemar L. Washington, Esq. - Valdemar L. Washington, deputy treasurer for local government services for the Michigan Department of Treasury, retired Genesee County, Michigan circuit court judge and founder of SETTLEmate Inc., an alternative dispute resolution services company: “I joined American Mensa to put to rest the myth that, in general, African-American males were intellectually challenged.” (Photo: Courtesy American Mensa)

Dr. Roland A. Owens - Dr. Roland A. Owens, assistant director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Office of Intramural Research and chief of the molecular biology section in the Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Biology in the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Disease at NIH: “I joined Mensa more than 20 years ago to have a social life separate from work that would include people as intelligent as those with whom I work.” (Photo: Courtesy wikicommons)

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Dr. Roland A. Owens - Dr. Roland A. Owens, assistant director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Office of Intramural Research and chief of the molecular biology section in the Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Biology in the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Disease at NIH: “I joined Mensa more than 20 years ago to have a social life separate from work that would include people as intelligent as those with whom I work.” (Photo: Courtesy wikicommons)

Anthony Spearman-Leach - Anthony Spearman-Leach, chief communications officer for the Charles H. Wright Museum of African-American History in Detroit, Michigan: “American Mensa makes being a thinker cool. In a society in which pop culture dominates and trends are the norm, American Mensa embraces the legacy of intelligence, ingenuity and innovation passed from those like George Washington Carver to Dr. Ben Carson.” (Photo: Courtesy American Mensa)

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Anthony Spearman-Leach - Anthony Spearman-Leach, chief communications officer for the Charles H. Wright Museum of African-American History in Detroit, Michigan: “American Mensa makes being a thinker cool. In a society in which pop culture dominates and trends are the norm, American Mensa embraces the legacy of intelligence, ingenuity and innovation passed from those like George Washington Carver to Dr. Ben Carson.” (Photo: Courtesy American Mensa)

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Sylvia Reed Curran - Sylvia Reed Curran, Charge d’ Affaires of the U.S. Embassy in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan: “I belong to Mensa because the ‘top 2%’ includes all ethnic groups.” (Photo: Courtesy American Mensa)

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Sylvia Reed Curran - Sylvia Reed Curran, Charge d’ Affaires of the U.S. Embassy in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan: “I belong to Mensa because the ‘top 2%’ includes all ethnic groups.” (Photo: Courtesy American Mensa)

Curtis Odom - Curtis Odom, chief talent officer for Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Massachusetts: “My reason for being a member of Mensa is because, as a highly intellectual person, I am personally validated by belonging to the one organization known for admitting those of the highest intellect.”(Photo: Courtesy facebook)

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Curtis Odom - Curtis Odom, chief talent officer for Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Massachusetts: “My reason for being a member of Mensa is because, as a highly intellectual person, I am personally validated by belonging to the one organization known for admitting those of the highest intellect.”(Photo: Courtesy facebook)

Ada Brown - Ada Brown, the youngest judge in Dallas County, Texas, and first minority and woman to preside over Dallas Criminal District Court #1: “No other club has such a diverse group of members. Mensans do anything and everything, and I am proud to be one.” (Photo: Courtesy wikicommons)

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Ada Brown - Ada Brown, the youngest judge in Dallas County, Texas, and first minority and woman to preside over Dallas Criminal District Court #1: “No other club has such a diverse group of members. Mensans do anything and everything, and I am proud to be one.” (Photo: Courtesy wikicommons)

Kato Cooks - Kato Cooks, president and CEO of SysTech, Pi Sciences, Peter Mack Media, and Raymond Cooks Books: “Intelligence, integrity, independence and industry, set in a bath of altruism, allow me to be the humble equal of all. Mensa membership confirms the first of these; my life’s outcomes confirm the whole.” (Photo: Courtesy American Mensa)

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Kato Cooks - Kato Cooks, president and CEO of SysTech, Pi Sciences, Peter Mack Media, and Raymond Cooks Books: “Intelligence, integrity, independence and industry, set in a bath of altruism, allow me to be the humble equal of all. Mensa membership confirms the first of these; my life’s outcomes confirm the whole.” (Photo: Courtesy American Mensa)

Kenneth Lamar Rucker - Kenneth Lamar Rucker, highly decorated, commissioned naval officer and reserves criminal investigator with the Fulton County District Attorney’s Office in Atlanta, Georgia: “I joined Mensa because it fits neatly with my life’s aims. I wanted to be a part of a group that could bring solutions to political and social problems that affect humanity.” (Photo: Courtesy wikicommons)

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Kenneth Lamar Rucker - Kenneth Lamar Rucker, highly decorated, commissioned naval officer and reserves criminal investigator with the Fulton County District Attorney’s Office in Atlanta, Georgia: “I joined Mensa because it fits neatly with my life’s aims. I wanted to be a part of a group that could bring solutions to political and social problems that affect humanity.” (Photo: Courtesy wikicommons)