By Kiah Alexandria Clingman
Ken Bridges
(TriceEdneyWire.com) - As she looked back, it was the simple things in life that she missed the most about her father. And all she can do now is remember.
“I turned on the news and saw the car. The license plate was blurred but deep down I knew it was my father‘s car. I knew before they even said anything.”
April Bridges was 22 years old when she heard the news that her father had been killed. Her borderline disbelief 10 years later continues to resonate as she thinks of him.
“What stands out most are the long walks we had as a family, the nature hikes, and the lunches where we just sat and talked. Those are my fondest memories of him,” April said.
On that fateful day, she had planned to meet with her father at his office. “I could not begin to imagine that we would never see each other again.”
With Ken Bridges being such a family man, his absence as a father and husband took an extraordinary toll on his six children and his wife, Jocelyn. But, Bridges was not just a loss to his family but to the community. In addition to his family, Ken was dedicated to his work for the MATAH Network, an organization dedicated to the economic, spiritual and social progress of Black people. He’d co-founded in MATAH in 1997 with his longtime business partner, Al Wellington.
MATAH dealt with three fundamental aspects of sales: production, marketing, and distribution. The “Black Channel,” as it was called, was supported by a foundation of cooperative economics, consciousness-raising, education, and a healthy dose of race esteem.
Comprising thousands of members nationwide, MATAH was brought to a screeching halt on Oct. 11, 2002, when Bridges became the eighth of 10 people killed by the “DC Snipers,” John Allen Muhammad and Lee Boyd Malvo, who terrorized the Washington, D.C. area for three weeks in the fall of 2002. Muhammad was executed on Nov. 10, 2009 and Malvo was sentenced to six consecutive life sentences in prison without parole.
According to Finalcall.com news, Ken Bridges was “returning home at 9:30 a.m., when a single bullet killed him as he filled his tank at a Fredericksburg, Va. gas station. Fox News Fact Sheet said, “Bridges’ wife was concerned because he was traveling through the Washington area for this trip.”
Although Ken Bridges was only 53 when he was killed, he left a legacy that remains with his children. The lessons he taught his children will continue to ring in their hearts for a lifetime.
April’s most important lesson from her father was “staying passionate and consistent” no matter the circumstances. “He smiled a lot and always said he was doing great even if things weren’t going so great,” she recalled.
The optimism helped Ken when it came to starting and maintaining his “marketing and distribution organization.”
“Some of our last days together were spent working to expand the MATAH Network and starting what he called the ‘Youth Movement,’” April said.
Not only did Ken Bridges’ work have a positive impact on his family; his influence moved black people to practice cooperative economics.
“Ken’s legacy continues to be one of helping people pursue their dreams. Although he was killed 10 years ago, the work he did is still producing fruit,” said Ashiki Taylor, an Atlanta businessman and friend of Ken Bridges. “My company and product, Ice Supreme, would not exist today if it were not for Ken Bridges. Not only his inspiration but his insight, his business acumen, and his friendship moved me to start my business. His words keep me going even now. And if he were here today he would still be working on his beloved MATAH Network.”
Reflecting on the trial of the two men, April said, “It was hard to know the truth from fiction. When I saw the two men accused of the shooting, it was even harder because what happened to my father just didn’t make sense. After it was all over, it wouldn’t change the fact that dad was already gone.”
April and her family are still cautious when it comes to discussing the incident with the news media, but she is sure now that she does not “want to hide [Ken’s] accomplishments from the community.”
She reflected, “It’s very humbling to know that he was my father and I was his daughter. I know that I have the same potential, the same drive, and the same spirit inside of me that my father displayed when he was alive. I miss him so much.”
Kiah Alexandria Clingman is a journalism student at Howard University School of Communications. She currently serves as student vice-president of the School of Communications. To contact Kiah, visit her website at www.kiahclingman.com or email her at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. For more information, visit the Brookside Memorial dedicated to the victims of the DC snipers located in Wheaton, Md.