Henry Adelusi Jr., has a lot on his hands these days.
The local businessman is the CEO of Habaj Consulting INC, and also a candidate for the Tallahassee City Commission Seat 5.
Adelusi spends the majority of his time rendering real estate photography and videography services to businesses, but is determined to become the next big change-maker in Tallahassee’s political landscape.
The 30-year-old political science prelaw graduate is a product of Florida Agricultural Mechanical University. He said his undergrad experiences were a challenging yet necessary and pivotal time in his life.
“I’m a first-generation college student. When I came to FAMU there were things I had to learn and very quickly at that,” he said. “I didn’t know about finances, credit, paying bills or anything. And at the time I was going to school off and on because I had to take classes, and then take a semester off to pay for the classes I had just taken. So it took me a while to matriculate through school. But it was all worth it in the end.”
However, that was not the end of his challenges.
Born with retinal detachment and declared legally blind in his left eye, the summer of 2008 took him for a whirlwind that resulted in the diagnosis of the same condition in what was presumed as his good eye – but now in the right one.
Retinal detachment occurs when the retina, a thin membrane of nerve tissue that lines the back of the eye, is detached from its intended position. The retina filters light that enters the eye and is used to send signals to the brain about what the eye sees. If detached, it can cause blurred and lost vision.
“I was terrified because I was away from my family, so it was very challenging and scary but I pulled through. After surgery and physical therapy, I regained my eyesight,” he said. “I try to live my life grateful and everyday moving toward a goal, because I don’t know when my eyesight will permanently go away and leave me blind.
“Doctors say it will eventually happen, but in the meantime, I can’t be depressed and sad about it,” he added. “I know that there are medical advancements every day. In Japan, they are literally creating retinas in the lab. So there is hope, but there still has to be a goal. I will like to be fixed and normal as possible.”
Personal challenges inflicted on the Fort Lauderdale native drew him away from hopes of becoming a police officer or a Marine. However, the one goal he could reach is manifesting before his eyes – attending law school, and becoming a politician.
His sister, Andrea Adelusi, actively encourages him to reach upward without limitations. “Being raised by Nigerian parents, they usually push for you to pursue stem careers such as accounting, engineering, or jobs in the medical field … which there is nothing wrong with because my sister and I both work in the medical field. But even though Henry had that same pressure, he still went beyond those limitations and decided to pursue law school and politics. I support him one hundred percent.”
His father, Henry Adelusi Sr, who Adelusi Jr. describes as very protective, always knew that his son was destined to do great things. “I made sure to instill in him the importance of being an honest and respectable man. Henry has always been an independent thinker and very hard to limit. If he wants to do something, he will do it. So I always made sure that he understood that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. And he lives by that. I am proud of him.”
His opponents for Seat 5 in next month’s primary include Howard Kessler, Robert Lotane and Dianne Williams-Cox. The top two vote getters, if no one receives more than 50 percent of the votes next month, will advance to the November general election.
Adelusi’s long term plans are to attend law school, and eventually become a judge, state senator or congressman. You can make donations to his political campaign at https://www.gofundme.com/VoteforHenryAdelusiJr