The AC Phoenix: More than a Newspaper, a Community Institution -- Issue No. 2001, July 2013

In Our 30th Year Issue No. 2001 July 2013 Associate Consultants Serving the Triad FREE
What Black Parents Must
Do This Summer
By Dr. Jawanza Kunjufu
Dr. Jawanza Kunjufu
There is a 3 year gap between Black and White students.
Many people love to believe it’s due to income, fatherlessness,
educational attainment of the parent and lack of
parental involvement. I believe a major reason for the gap
is we continue to close schoolsfor the summer as if we are
an agrarian economy. Very few Black youth will be farming
this summer. If you multiply 3 months by 12 years you will
see the 3 year gap. There isnothing wrong with Black youth
A New Leader Takes the Lead at
The Children’s Home
By John Raye
Maurice Ware
It’s easy to see why the corporate board
at a Winston-Salem institution, the venerable
Children’s Home, decided to hire
Maurice Ware as its new CEO. A Michigan
state transplant, Ware is not just
good, excellent or outstanding.
He is, in the view of many, well, simply
amazing.
“Its been an amazing journey”, said
Ware who is now four months into the
position of president and chief executive
officer at an institution that traces
its history back to more than 100 years,
heir schools remained open during the summer and/ortheir
parents kept them academically engaged.
Middle-income parents who value education enroll their
children in some type of academic experience during the
summer. They also visit libraries, museums, zoos and
colleges. Other parents allow their children to sleep longer,
play more video games, watch more television and play
basketball until they can’t see the hoop. These students
will have to review the same work they had mastered in May
in September. Black parents cannot allow their child to lose
3 months every year. Black parents cannot say they cannot
afford the library. It’s free! Most museums have discounted
days. A male friend of mine shared his experience with me
when he took his family to the museum. He wondered why
so many people were staring at him. His wife and children
had to tell him he was the only Black man in the building!
I am appealing to every father to take his children this
summer to the library, museum, and the zoo. I am appealing
to every mother if he won’t, you will.
We need every parent to make sure their child reads at
least one book per week and to write a book report. I am
reminded of the formula Sonya Carson used to develop
Ben Carson to become the best pediatric neurosurgeon.
This low-income single parent, with a third grade education,
had enough sense to tell her sons to turn off the television,
read a book and write a report that her sister would grade!
beginning in 1909 and originally organized
as a home for orphans.
Today, some 100 years later, the Home
has morphed into a comprehensive
mental health residential treatment
facility that provides a wide range of
services, for couples, families and individuals
of all age groups.
Long known as a, “safe place”, for parents
and children who suffer from
abuse, neglect, trauma and other
mental health issues, the facility also
offers foster care, substance abuse and
adoption services.
Tall at 6’4”, talented and fast thinking,
Ware bears a passing resemblance to
the actor of Madea fame, Tyler Perry.
However, The Children’s Home beat Hollywood
to the punch by making Ware its
12th CEO, and first African-American
to lead the institution in its 104 year
history.
Blessed with the natural ability to
instantly connect with people, no
matter their age, sex, race, gender or
background, Ware is that rare, selfassured,
confident chief executive
whose authenticty shines brighter by
the hour.
[continued on page 6]
[continued on page 4]
Stevie Wonder
Stevie Wonder Boycotts
Florida Until
‘Stand Your Ground’
Law Abolished
By Andrea Billups
After the acquittal of George Zimmerman
in the death of Miami
teen Trayvon Martin, singer Stevie
Wonder has signed, sealed and
delivered his own verdict for the
state of Florida.
The musical icon says he is boycotting
the Sunshine State until its
“Stand Your Ground” law, which
was cited at Zimmerman’s trial, is
reversed, The Hollywood Reporter
said.
[continued on page11]
The Business
of Sports
In The Beginning
Carl B. Smalls
By Carl B. Smalls
Morgan Smalls Sports Consultants, LLC
Principal and Founding Partner
Within the next month colleges and universities
teams will start practicing to
prepare for their football season. Many
will hit the grid iron with great hopes of
being this year’s champion. For instance,
only the second time in history has a
Historically Black College or University
(HBCU) played for the coveted NCAA
Division II Football Championship. This
happened last season when the Winston-Salem
State University (WSSU)
football team played Valdosta State.
Unfortunately, for WSSU the results were
the same as they were for Central State
(Ohio) 30 years ago, both ended their
seasons as runner-ups.
However, this article is not written to talk
about the unsuccessful run of HBCUs
for a Division II football championship.
Instead, it is written to focus on the
economics of athletic programs among
small colleges and universities, specifically
HBCUs.
[continued on page 11]
Inside This Issue
The State of Equality and
Justice in America 4
Interrupting The School
To Prison Pipeline 13
Trayvon Martin:
A 21st Century Case 13
No Place To Hide 14
Interrupting the School
to Prison Pipeline: 6-year-old
Arrested, Handcuffed 14

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Congratulation On your 10th Anniversary!

Page 4 July 2013 The AC Phoenix
Melanie L. Campbell
State of Equality and
Justice in America:
It’s Time to Step it Up,
We Have Not Arrived!
by Melanie L. Campbell
Reflecting upon the past 50 years since
the 1963 March on Washington we must
pay homage to our civil rights leaders
for their hard work, strength and
endurance in the fight for equality and
justice in America. Their unwavering
commitment to The Movement made it
possible for a Black man named Barack
Hussein Obama to become President of
the United States of America.
As I look at the state of equality and
justice today, we are at a very critical
moment in time. Our elders have taken
us this far. Some have transitioned on,
others are continuing on the battle
field for justice. Also, with all the progress
over the past 50 years, some of us
are under the misguided impression
that we have arrived. I feel compelled
to appeal to my generation and today’s
young leaders to make sure they
understand: There is no more time, we
must take the torch or the fire will die.
It’s time to step it up and get busy.
The task before Black leaders today
begins with making sure that those
coming behind us understand that
even though the Civil Rights Movement
forced laws to change, it did not
change the hearts and minds of all
Americans. Some of those who want
to retain their power and money are
threatened by inclusion.
Our young people must understand
that a small group of people are continuously
plotting to create new ways
to exclude entire communities. In
2013, new school activists must make
sure our young people understand
that racism and inequality may not always
manifest itself in a white sheet or
barking dog but the dogs are still biting.
Inequality comes in many packages.
Back in the day people in power relied
on slick tactics like Jim Crow Laws and
Poll Taxes to hold us back. Today, it’s
voter IDs and the “War on Drugs.” For
example, a person with a non-violent
drug conviction on their record is restricted
in their ability to secure housing,
financial aid for education, public
assistance, jobs, and the right to vote.
What does the fight for equality and
justice look like in 2013 and beyond?
In 2013 and beyond our fight is not
just for access to education. We must
make sure our schools are teaching
critical thinking, promoting innovation,
and preparing our youth for jobs
in science, technology, engineering,
and math (STEM). The U.S. Census Bureau’s
2009 American Community Survey
reports that STEM workers earn
more than other workers. Non-Hispanic
Whites hold 72 percent of STEM jobs
while only 6 percent of STEM jobs are
held by Non-Hispanic Blacks.
In 1963 March organizers called for
“Dignified Jobs.” In 2013 “Dignified
Jobs” must provide good jobs with a
livable wage. We must also unite to
support our unions and workers’ rights.
Modern-day equality struggles include
closing the digital divide. Access
to high-speed broadband Internet will
increase job and educational opportunities
as well as democratic participation.
Broadband access will also help
to lower health care costs and make
quality medical care more accessible
to the Black community.
Diversity strengthens our democracy.
We must make sure employers don’t
just talk about “diversity” and “women’s
equality”, but also back up the talk
through their hiring practices. From
the federal government to Wall Street
to the corner store, we want to see
Black women represented in top positions.
The elimination of racial disparities
in our criminal justice system is paramount.
The U.S. has the highest incarceration
rate in the world. Pew Charitable
Trusts reports that the incarceration
rate for Blacks is more than six
times as high as the national average
and over 60 percent of those incarcerated
are racial and ethnic minorities.
In 2013 and beyond we will continue
to lead the fight to eliminate barriers
to civic participation fighting against
restrictive voter ID laws, felon disenfranchisement
and any other tactics
created to block Black people from
voting.
Finally, I must address our responsibility
as a people to work harder to prepare
our youth in this ongoing fight
for justice and equality. We must encourage
them to pursue STEM careers,
teach them to be environmentally
conscious, and help them understand
the dire need to stop the violence in
our neighborhoods. We must take
the time to instill good moral values
so they turn to each other and not on
each other and our journey will not be
in vain.
As we celebrate 50 years of progress,
let’s thank our elders for their great
fight by stepping it up because we
have not arrived.
Melanie Campbell is president/CEO of the National
Coalition on Black Civic Participation and
convener of the Black Women’s Roundtable.
Trust in the Lord
with all your heart
Proverbs 3:5
The National
Primitive Baptist
Convention, USA
Convenes in
LA, California
Elder Bernard C. Yates, President
Hosted by the Western Region and
local Primitive Baptist churches in
the Los Angeles area, approximately
1500-2000 individuals comprising of
national officers, auxiliaries, regional
vice presidents, state presidents,
moderators, pastors, elders, delegates,
and laity of the National Primitive
Baptist Convention, USA will convene its
106th Annual Session on August 18-23
at The Westin Bonaventure, 404 South
Figueroa Street, Los Angeles, California.
Elder Dr. Bernard C. Yates, Pastor of
Zion Hope Primitive Baptist Church,
Pensacola, Florida, is the General
President and the 6th individual to lead
this national organization from the
State of Florida.
For six days, this national body will
assemble to: 1) conduct business
on behalf of the body; 2) participate
in Church School Training Sessions,
Lectures, and Workshops; 3) hear the
Word of the Lord from the clergies,
share in joyous worship experiences,
inspirational singing from the National
Choir, and daily Bible Expositions; 4)
promote evangelism and mission;
and, 5) fellowship with each other.
Live internet streaming of Wednesday,
Thursday, and Friday worship
services can be viewed on www.
faithvideoondemand.com.
The theme for this year’s annual
session is “Celebrating the Church:
Worshipping, Working, Warring, and
Winning” (John 4:23; Ephesians 4:11-
12; Ephesians 6:10-11; Psalms 126:5-6).
At this year’s annual session, President
Yates will challenge the organization to
“occupy till He comes” meaning to be
busy about the Master’s business until
Christ returns. The focus for this year’s
annual session is to return with passion
to the following priorities: worship,
work, warfare, and winning the world
for Christ.
About The National Primitive
Baptist Covention, USA
Inspired by a desire for unity and
Christian fellowship among Primitive
Baptists in the United States of
America, this national organization
was organized on July 17, 1907 as
the Colored Primitive Baptists of
America (now known as the National
Primitive Baptist Convention, USA) by
Dr. Clarence Frances Sams of Key West,
Florida and Elder George S. Crawford
of DeLand, Florida---after enlisting the
support and cooperation of leading
pastors and moderators of Florida,
Alabama, and North Carolina.
Today, the largest concentration of
Primitive Baptists who are members
of the National Primitive Baptist
Convention, USA still remains in the
State of Florida.
What Black Parents
Must Do This
Summer
By Dr. Jawanza
[continued from page 1]
I have a theory that I can go into your
house and within 5 minutes tell you
the type of student who lives there
and predict their future. I believe that
engineers, doctors, lawyers, accountants
etc. need different items in their
house than ballplayers, rappers, and
criminals. I am very concerned when
I visit a house that has more cd’s and
downloads than books. My company
African American Images has designed
a special collection of books for boys.
Research shows one of the major reasons
boys dislike reading is because of
the content. The set is titled Best Books
for Boys. We also have one for girls,
parents and teachers. Enjoy your summer.
Let’s close the gap. I look forward
to your child’s
teacher asking your child what did you
do for the summer? And your child
answering we went to the library, museum,
zoo, colleges and other great
educational places.
Author of “There is Nothing Wrong With
Black Students, Changing School Culture
For Black Males And
Raising Black Boys”

Page 5 July 2013 The AC Phoenix
Moving On Up
Taking Yourself To The
Next Level
By Dr. Ernie Wade
Dr. Ernie Wade
Dear High School Student,
Many of you are struggling to achieve
a higher academic performance. It
is not an easy task, but moving to a
higher level of performance is possible.
A prerequisite for high academic
performance is a sincere and strong
belief in self. It is important that you
believe that you are worthy and have
been blessed with a great mind. This
belief is the foundation upon which
you will build this strong sense of self.
As a high school student you don’t
usually spend a great deal of time on
personal growth and development.
Personal growth is a process that is
related to self- improvement and the
acquisition of skills. It is something
that should certainly play a larger role
in your life. The sooner you begin to
look and examination of your feelings,
thoughts and ideas about your
academic standing and performance.
It also entails an academic personal
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inventory; a close look at what you
have academically, how much you
have academically, and what you need
to do to make it more attractive to
colleges and universities.
When you start this introspection,
your journey toward academic change
begins. You will find that as you begin
the process, it will require personal
change, and change starts on the
inside. I like to tell students, “academic
success is an inside job it starts in of
you”.
One of the elements of academic
failure is never feeling good enough.
When you lack confidence in yourself
and your abilities, any small failure will
set you back and allow you to lapse
into inactivity. However, when you
attack assignments with confidence
in your ability, if failure occurs, you
accept it, determine how and why it
occurred, take corrective action and
move forward.
I have developed a set of principles
that will help you in your introspective
process. The list could be much longer,
but I have narrowed it down to just ten.
1. Your Reason For Being
Why are you here? Start the search to
find out who you are and where you
are going. Keep a personal growth
and development journal. Develop a
personal vision for your life in the best
way you can imagine. Each day, take
a few minutes to write down where
you want to go in life. Where would
you like to do? Where would you like
to live? Get started, and you will find
that as time goes by you will become
better and more specific as you move
along through your high school career.
Make sure your expectations are yours
and not those of your family, friends
and others.
2. Now Is The Time
You will be faced with multiple tasks
in high school and will find the need
to perform many tasks concurrently.
The need to learn study and time
management skills early is critically
important. The number of tasks
increases as you move forward in
high school and increases even more
as you move on to college. Often the
hardest task is getting started. You
must learn to initiate action. Don’t
sit and dwell on how many, how hard
or how long, get started. Don’t wait
until later, tomorrow or next week, get
started. Now is the very best time to
get started.
3. You Are Bigger Than Your Fears
You cannot allow your fears to get in
the way of your progress. Too often I
hear “I’m not good at math or I’m not
good at science”. This thinking gets
in the way of academic excellence.
Instead of giving into your fears, fight
through them, struggle through them,
work through them, cry through
You cannot allow your fears
to get in the way of your progress. Too
often I hear “I’m not good at math or
I’m not good at science”. This thinking
gets in the way of academic excellence.
Instead of giving into your fears, fight
through them, struggle through them,
work through them, cry through
4. Learn From Your Mistakes
Treat mistakes as preparation for your
next move. Do not allow them to
lull you into inactivity? Too often we
wallow in the fact that something did
not go as we had planned, and we
spend far too much time examining
and reexamining and the examining
what we just reexamined. Don’t tread
water in the misery of your mistake.
We all make mistakes. Ask anyone
who has achieved any measure of
success about their mistakes and they
will tell you they have had many. The
key is to move beyond them, learn
from them and use them as lessons
for your next step. Remember, those
who make no mistakes, are those who
attempt nothing.
5. Position Positive Peers
If you are to be a successful, high
achieving high school student, it
is absolutely imperative that you
surround yourself with people who
have similar goals, dreams, and
aspirations. We all have friends who
have goals that are different from ours.
However they should at least have
goals and aspirations. Understand
that it becomes increasingly more
difficult to move to your highest
level of achievement in school if your
closest friends and associates are
students who don’t like school. Being
a top student can be very difficult and
time intensive. The pull between your
academic demands and friends who
find school boring, uninspiring, and
a waste can become overwhelming.
It can also be isolating. You must
distance yourself from the” I can’t, we
can’t, I don’t want to, why dowe have
to crowd”. They will drain you and
become the source of your demise.
Select for yourself a “tuff times team”
a group of friends and acquaintances
who have achievement goals and
aspirations similar to yours, and when
you feel alone on that “you think you’re
better than us because you get really
good grades” island, turn to them for
support.
6. Keep It Simple
Straighten out the crooked parts
of your life. Work to clean up the
contradictions. If you want to become
a better, higher achieving student
but you don’t want to spend the
time necessary to do so; clean up the
contradiction. If you say you want to
become an engineer but at the same
time say you don’t like math; clean up
the contradiction.
7. Show Me The Money
Money is not everything, but knowing
how to get it, use it, and keep it is
important. You should learn how to
handle and budget money while in
high school but surely before you
leave high school and head off to
college. Upon arriving at college,
you will be bombarded with offers
of free credit cards and it is in your
best interest to be a able to “just say
no”. Many college students succumb
to the “offers” of free credit cards and
end up with tremendous credit card
debt. Far too many people only know
how to work for money, and not to
have money work for them. Learning
how to have both people and money
working for you is one of the keys to
financial success and freedom.
8. Take Care Of You
You must be able to count on your
body to support you through stressful
times of your high school journey. It is
imperative that you eat right, exercise
and get the proper amount of sleep.
Far too many high school students
come to school and try to function
without having eaten breakfast or
having had sufficient sleep. That’s like
trying to run a high powered vehicle
with too little gas and without proper
maintenance. If you take care of your
body, your body will take care of you.
9. Let Go Of The Rope
No matter how bad your situation has
been. No matter what your academic
performance has been, you can start
over and improve your academic
standing. However, you must start
over with a new attitude, an attitude
of success. You must start believing
in your ability to be successful. No
class can be too hard, no teacher too
demanding. You must believe you
have what it takes, to take what is
presented to you. You cannot move
to the next level academically carrying
last years, last months, last weeks or
yesterdays’, mistakes. You must move
to realize your potential. Potential is
that innate ability lying just below the
surface of your previous performance.
Take steps to realize your potential.
[continued from page 6]

Page 6 July 2013 The AC Phoenix
Moving On Up
Taking Yourself To The
Next Level
By Dr. Ernie Wade
[continued from page 5]
The great thing about potential is that
it is not about what you have done,
but all about what you are about to
do.
10. Don’t Forget To Say Thanks
On your way to the next level and
beyond, you will encounter people
who will have a significant impact on
your life. These will be people who
will chastise you, love you guide you,
encourage you and help you in many
ways. You will know some better than
others. There will be people in your
life who see the great things in you
that you do not see in yourself. A little
thank you can go a long ways.
Moving forward, I want you to spend
some time with these ten principles.
Take them seriously and watch how
they will impact your life.
Remember, hard work pays off,
dreams take time and require discipline,
your expectations require effort,
and your future requires daily
focus.
Sincerely yours,
Dr. Ernie Wade
Dr. Ernie Wade is the former Director of Minority
Affairs, Project Ensure and the Kaleidoscope
Academy of Math and Science at Wake Forest
University. He is the President and lead Consultant
of College Bound Consultants. He can
be reached at 336-391-4136 and ewade@triad.
rr.com
A New Leader Takes
the Lead at
The Children’s Home
By John Raye
[continued from page 1]
“ I am just excited about this opportunity,
excited to be doing the work
that I enjoy and love to do”, said Ware
who appears to never have met a
stranger, an indication perhaps of why
he moves effortlessly among friends,
families, children and strangers alike.
“I have a passion for working with
people, especially with children. And
God did not give me a spirit of fear. I
believe if you want something, then
you have to get up and go get it,” he
said.
A seasoned health care professional
and educator with a friendly, outgoing
and engaging manner, Ware knows
his way around the education arena.
Most of his professional life was spent
in Albion, Michigan where he worked
in the public school system for nearly
a dozen years as an assistant principal,
principal and mental health educator
before re-locating to Charlotte, North
Carolina in 2011.
“It was during an invitation from
friends to come and go to the CIAA
basketball tournament that I fell in
love with the area”, he said. “You know
there is a lot of snow and ice up where
I come from, and once here, I made
the decision to leave and move down
here”, he said.
Referring to Paula, his wife of 18years,
Ware said life was pretty good before
the economy tanked and both he and
his wife found themselves unemployed.
“Losing two jobs within one year,
well, that was pretty stressful for a
minute but God always provide”, said
Ware who relocated to the Charlotte
area and was soon employed as the
Director of Residential services of the
Keys of Carolina, a 60 bed Psychiatric
Residential Treatment Facility.
Referring to his present position,
Ware said,” I didn’t wait for this position
to find me. I knew I had the
background—the experience, the
education and the ability to serve in
this position.”
Evidently, the Board agreed.
Ware holds undergraduate and graduate
degrees including a Master’s
Degree in Counselor Education-Counseling
Psychology, and a boatload of
other awards, honors and certificates
including a certified OMPH—Qualified
Mental Health Professional award.
It is his passion, zeal and drive to
excel that moves Ware to pursue a
spirit of excellence in his work. “God
is the head of everything”, he noted.
“I am just the vessel”. He and his wife,
Paula, are the parents of four children.

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Stevie Wonder
Boycotts Florida
Until ‘Stand Your
Ground’ Law
Abolished
By Andrea Billups
[continued from page 1]
“Until the Stand Your Ground law is
abolished, I will never perform there
again,” he said to cheers.
Florida, however, is not the only state
to feel Wonder’s wrath.
“As a matter of fact, wherever I find
that law exists, I will not perform in
that state or in that part of the world,”
Wonder said Sunday at his performance
in Canada’s Quebec City.
Editor’s Note: Seniors Scoop Up
Unclaimed $20,500 Checks? (See if
You qualify)
As mass protests continue around
the country and other musicians pay
tribute to Martin, many are calling for
renewed awareness of civil rights and
justice as they decry the jury’s decision
to find Zimmerman not guilty in the
shooting death of Martin, 17.
Wonder encouraged his own fans to
support him in speaking out against
what he sees as an injustice.
“The truth is that -- for those of you
who’ve lost in the battle for justice,
wherever that fits in any part of the
world -- we can’t bring them back,” he
said in an emotional video posted on
You Tube.
“What we can do is we can let our
voices be heard. And we can vote
in our various countries throughout
the world for change and equality for
everybody. That’s what I know we can
do,” Wonder said.
The Business of
Sports
By Carl B. Smalls
[continued from page 1]
In economics, there is a basic concept
that centers on supply and demand
as it relates to price and human behavior.
For example, if supply exceeds
demand then prices decrease; conversely,
if demand exceeds supply
then prices increase. Regrettably, for
many HBCU athletic programs, basic
economics appear to have taken a
sabbatical and replaced by unsound
business practices.
Perhaps it is because the majority of
HBCUs are land granted institutions,
meaning they are public institutions
and these small public institutions
generally rely heavily on funding their
athletic programs through athletic
fees charged to students. Though this
simple approach may provide instant
funding, this practice has several
shortfalls. The first being that athletic
programs generally have a tendency
to grow much faster than student enrollment.
In some cases, the relationship
may be inversely related – meaning
athletic costs go up while student
enrollment (revenues from fees) goes
down. Secondly, the athletic fees
charged to the student increases the
overall cost of attending the institution.
Hence, affecting the institution’s
competitiveness in the market place.
Thirdly, this practice of simply taxing
the student through athletic fees
has stifled the creativity to pursue
alternative funding sources. Lastly,
the decision of whether an increase
in student fees will be approved is
not the choice of the institution, but
at the sole discretion of the board of
governors or regents of the particular
university system.
By The Numbers
According to the NCAA Division II
for the 2010-11 academic year, the
median total expenses for athletic
programs with football was $5.1 million
for both public (51%) and private
(49%) institutions. My estimate is
there is not one Division II, HBCU athletic
program with a budget of $5.1
million. Therefore, how will they compete
or be competitive if program
funding is sub par? On average, Division
II programs offer 15 sports and
approximately half (46%) of them
has enrollment of 2,499 and below.
Looked at from the present method
used by these institutions to generate
athletic program funding, students
would be taxed at a rate (athletic fee)
of $2,041 per student to reach the
median budget of $5.1 million (2,499
x $2,041). This is outrageous at best.
Moving Forward
If, for example, the majority of Division
II student athletes pay for college
through a combination of scholarship
money, grants, student loans
and employment earnings, wouldn’t
basic economics suggest that to increase
the demand (assuming everything
else basically stayed the same),
you would not mark up the price (tuition);
but would instead increase the
demand by offering a better product?
So then, the fundamental question is,
how does one offer a better product?
In business there are best practices
that govern day-to-day operations
that work toward improving the overall
financial health of an organization.
It boils down to the customer experience.
Each time a business and a customer
interact, the customer learns
something that will either strengthen
or weaken the future relationship
and that customer’s desire to return,
spend more and recommend the experience
to others.
As in business, this is equally true for
intercollegiate athletic programs that
are trying to maximize attendance,
ticket revenues, corporate sponsorships,
suite sales, concessions, licensing
and booster donations. Sadly, for
many of the smaller programs, suites
are not an option, concessions may
not be either, and corporate sponsorships
and licensing are generally
small contributors or nonexistent.
So it is no longer enough to field a
winning team. As fans have grown
more sophisticated, they want to
know how teams and athletic programs
are evolving to provide consistent
and entertaining products
that transcend a team’s performance.
Now, more than ever, it is imperative
to not only acknowledge this perspective
but respond to it by building,
nurturing, sustaining and expanding
your brand.
A strong fan base is the most important
asset an athletic program
can achieve. Athletic programs must
apply sound business practices to
secure the longevity and loyalty of
their customers (fans). These practices
must be built on the powerful
relationship between experiences
and a brand that generates superior
bottom-line results.
Though each athletic program is different,
it is critical that they seek the
assistance of a sports marketing firm
to help them blend their mission and
unique strengths with the best practices
of sports marketing to further
differentiate the program and create
a targeted message to redefine the
ultimate fan experience. Otherwise,
they will continue to practice voodoo
economics and subsequently experience
what historically all institutions
have experienced when there is taxation
with no representation, a revolt.
Mr. Smalls is a graduate of North Carolina A&T
State University and received his MBA from the
Atlanta University Graduate School of Business
where he was a Volkswagen of America Scholar.
He is a graduate of Harvard University, John F.
Kennedy School of Government Program on Investment
Decisions and Behavior Finance.
Smalls is the President, CEO and Founding Partner
of Morgan Small Sports Consultants, LLC.
We Serve An Awesome God

Page 12 July 2013 The AC Phoenix
When Will Obama
Address Black
Unemployment?
By Clarence B. Jones
Diversity Visiting Professor, University
of San Francisco; and Scholar
Writer in Residence, MLK, Jr. Institute,
Stanford University
Thanks to Paul Solman of PBS Business
Desk, in addition to Doug Ross’s
Journal, there is at least some media
attention being directed at this serious
problem:
“Job Rate For Poor Black Teen Dropout?
Try 95%” (Paul Solman of PBS
Business Desk)
Paul Solman: And how about kids
that are not in school, what percentage
of them ages 16 to 19 is not working
now?
Clarence B. Jones
Diversity Visiting Professor, University
of San Francisco; and Scholar Writer in
Residence, MLK, Jr. Institute, Stanford
University
Thanks to the Doug Ross@Journal we
are able to drill down deeper into our
current “true unemployment.” This
includes, for example, part-timers
seeking full-time work (also known as
“U-6”) that jumped to 14.3 percent, a
six-month high.
“The Labor Force Participation Rate,
has never been lower since the seventies
-- the percentage of eligible
workers who actually have a job -- has
stubbornly remained under 64 percent
since 2011.” Against this background
the “unemployment rate for
African-Americans is a devastating
23.7 percent,” for Hispanics 13.2 percent,
women 11.6% and youth overall,
16.1%
The real largely untold story about
our economy, however, is the magnitude
of unemployment among African-American
youth.
What a poignant political and historical
irony that our nation’s first elected
African-American president would
promote and sponsor a domestic political
agenda that will facilitate one of
the highest rates of unemployment
in the African-American community,
particularly among teenagers? This is
exactly the probable consequence if
the pending Immigration Bill passes
in the House.
Andrew Sum: Over half. If you’re a high
school dropout you’re talking about
30 percent working. Among high
school grads who graduated from
high school in the last three years --
we do a separate survey of them the
fall after graduation -- 45 percent of
them held a job, the lowest in the last
50 years we’ve been collecting this
data. And to make it worse, of that 45
percent, only half of them were able
to get a full-time job. Only one in five
young high school grads, not in college,
[is] working full-time.
Paul Solman: So, you mean, it’s effectively
an 80 percent underemployment
rate?
Andrew Sum: Yes. And, if you happen
to be a young black male, we’re talking.
Ninety percent are not working
full-time.
The analysis and comments of Paul
Solman are independent from those
in my previous blog about the likely
consequences the passage of the
pending Immigration Bill will have on
high black unemployment, especially
among black teenagers
Why does President Obama continue
to get a “pass” or “get out of jail card”
free on this issue?
Is this the way our nation plans to
celebrate and commemorate, next
month, the 50th Anniversary of Dr.
King’s prophetic “I Have a Dream”
speech at the foot of the Lincoln Memorial
in Washington, DC?
Thomas Jefferson said,” I tremble for
my country when I reflect that God is
just; that his justice cannot sleep forever”
What say you, Mr. President? Is the impact
of the pending Immigration Bill
on high black unemployment your
legislative response on behalf of the
“Joshua Generation” to the Dream of
the “Moses Generation”?
In a previous blog I wrote that high
black unemployment is being “thrown
under the bus” to satisfy the demands
of the business community and the
unprecedented lobbying money and
efforts of Silicon Valley and other high
tech businesses.
Where are the outraged voices of
the labor movement and leaders in
the African-American Community,
aside from other voices of moral conscience?
Does anybody care?

Page 13 July 2013 The AC Phoenix
put on a pathway to career or college rather
than the destructive criminal justice system.
Interrupting the
School to Prison
Pipeline: 6-year-old
Arrested, Handcuffed
By Judith Browne Dianis
America’s Wire Writers Group
ASHEVILLE, N.C. - Salecia Johnson, age
6, grew frustrated in her Milledgeville,
Ga., kindergarten class last year and
erupted into a temper tantrum. Unfortunately,
it’s something that mothers
sometimes must confront with raising
young children. But what happened
next was not routine, nor should it be
happening to Salecia or any other children.
Creekside Elementary school called the
police, who said they found Salecia on
the floor of the principal’s office screaming
and crying. Police said she had
knocked over furniture that injured the
principal. The African American child
was handcuffed, arrested and hauled
to the local police station. She was held
for more than hour before her parents
were notified and charged with simple
assault and damage to property, but
didn’t have to go to court because she
is a juvenile.
But the ordeal has severely impacted
the child. Her mother, Constance Ruff,
says Salecia is traumatized, having difficulty
adjusting back to school and
may never recover. Salecia, she says, has
awoken at night screaming, “They’re
coming to get me!”Sadly, her case is not
an anomaly.
Across the country, young people are
being arrested for behavior that used
to be solved through a trip to the principal’s
office or the intervention of a
counselor. In Florida, a 14-year-old was
arrested and charged for throwing a
pencil at another student and spent 21
days in jail. In New York, a 12-year-old
was arrested for doodling, ‘I love Abby
and Faith on her desk.’ In Chicago, 25
children, some as young as 11, were
arrested for engaging in a food fight.
Supporters of zero tolerance policies say
being tough on any infraction creates
strong incentives to behave. But the reality
belies that myth and cries out for the
implementation of common sense discipline
polices that ensure that students are
The Advancement Project, a multi-racial
civil rights organization based in Washington,
DC, tracks the increasing encroachment
of law enforcement and the juvenile
justice system into American classrooms,
particularly impacting students of color. The
research has documented racial disparities
nationally and in specific school districts.
According to a 2005 report by Advancement
Project, Education on Lockdown: The
Schoolhouse to Jailhouse Track, Black and
Latino students in Denver were 70 percent
more likely to be disciplined (suspended,
expelled, or given police tickets) than their
white peers. There were no states where
Black students were not suspended more
often than their white peers.
The easy answer is that Black and Latino
students misbehave more than other
students. However, research consistently
shows that this is false. Black and Latino
students are punished, even arrested, most
often for subjective infractions (i.e. “disorderly
conduct,” “disobedience,” “disrespect,”
etc.), while White students are more likely to
be punished for concrete dangerous activities
(e.g., carrying a weapon, using drugs).
During a convening for “America Healing,”
a racial equity initiative of the W.K. Kellogg
Foundation, a panel discussion this spring
focused on examples where different sectors
of the community have achieved some
success interrupting the school-to-prison
pipeline.
Jody Owens, director of the Southern Poverty
Law Center’s Mississippi office, which
filed a lawsuit against the district, asserted
that “we are losing a generation” in Meridian,
Miss., because of the way children
are needlessly introduced to the criminal
justice system. Kids are pushed into police
detention directly from the classroom. Students
referred to the Police Department
for misbehavior are automatically arrested
and sent to the juvenile justice system.
There, these students are given probation
requiring them to serve any school suspensions
incarcerated in the juvenile detention
center. One student spent 48 days in jail for
wearing the wrong color socks. Youth who
run afoul of school rules, not criminal law,
are routinely handcuffed to a pole outside
the school for the entire eight-hour school
day.
Data shows that zero tolerance policies
result in higher dropout rates, lower academic
achievement and young people
being pushed into the criminal justice
system - hence the name school to prison
pipeline.
How have practices like these become
common?
After the Columbine tragedy, we saw
the emergence of zero tolerance policies
extended into the nation’s schools. Proponents
argue that safety in schools is the key
issue though there is little to no evidence
these practices create safer learning environments
or change disruptive behavior.
You are loved more than you
will ever know by someone
who died to know you
Romans 5:8
Trayvon Martin:
A 21st Century Case
Study of Race in
America
Diversity Visiting Professor, University
of San Francisco; and
Scholar Writer in Residence, MLK,
Jr. Institute, Stanford University
By Clarence B. Jones
Clarence B. Jones
On the night of Feb 26th, 2012, in a
conversation with a 911 dispatcher in
Stanford, Florida, George Zimmerman
said, “These assholes always get away
... We’ve had some break ins in my
neighborhood, and there’s a real suspicious
guy ... looks like he’s up to no
good or he’s on drugs or something.”
The dispatcher asked Zimmerman:
“Are you following him?”
Zimmerman: “Yeah.”
Dispatcher: “We don’t need you to do
that.”
In his Sunday sermon yesterday, the
Rev. Dr. Raphael G. Warnock, senior
pastor at Ebenezer Baptist Church in
Atlanta, said, “Trayvon Benjamin Martin
is dead because he and other black
boys and men like him are not seen as
a person, but a problem.”
The acquittal of George Zimmerman
in the Trayvon Martin Case provides us
with a “Case Study of Race in America
in The 21st Century.” When are we as
nation going to have the courage and
honesty to have a national town hall
discussion about race in the United
States?
The Trayvon Martin verdict now joins a
line of seminal historic events defining
race relations in America:
U.S. Supreme Court Dred Scott Decision,
1857
Emancipation Proclamation, 1863
Plessey vs. Fergerson, 1896 (“separate
but equal’)
Brown vs., Board of Education, 1954
(outlawing racial segregation in public
education)
Dr. King’s ‘I Have A Dream’ Speech to
250,000+ people, March On Washington,
1963
Voting Rights Act, 1965
Kerner Commission Report, 1968 (“Our
Nation Is Moving Toward Two Societies,
One Black, One White -- Separate and
Unequal”)
Election of Barack Obama, as first African-American
president of the United
States, 2008
Shelby County vs. Holder, June 25th,
2013 (Section 4b of the Voting Rights Act
of 1965 declared unconstitutional)
There have men numerous comments
in the media about the acquittal of
George Zimmerman. In several cities
across the nation people have demonstrated
in opposition to the verdict.
Trayvon Martin’s killing by George Zimmerman,
on the basis of “self-defense,”
will be lost or diminished as an instructive
template for a sustained national
dialogue about race today in the United
States unless practical steps are
immediately initiated to assure such a
dialogue, ASAP.
Anyone who objects to the verdict by
communicating through the social media
or by “demonstrating” in peaceful
protest at one or more venues across
the country, who is not registered to
vote, at the time of such communication
or protest, denigrates the memory
of Trayvon Martin.
Responsible ownership and use of
guns, including background checks,
and fostering non-violent resolution of
the inevitable conflicts that will occur
among us, whether racially motivated
or not, will not be achieved unless
those who seek to honor Trayvon Martin
acquire the political power to do so.
Being a registered voter and exercising
your vote, in a state primary or a general
election, and demanding an end to
gun violence is the most effective way
to insure that more young black lives
are not extinguished by a gun shot.

Page 14 July 2013 The AC Phoenix
Five Reasons Not To
Pay Off Your
Mortgage Early
Think you can pay off your mortgage
ahead of schedule? Before you take
the plunge, consider that the costs
may end up outweighing the benefits.
By Cari Wira Dineen
Dreaming of a mortgage-free life?
Ready to pay off your mortgage now
that your kids and grandkids are on
their own? Wouldn’t it be great to be
rid of that hefty monthly payment—
and truly own your home—once and
for all? Just thinking about the peace
of mind and interest savings can make
it tempting to reach into savings or
other investment accounts and face
one less monthly expense.
First get your ducks in a row.
Not so fast. “Before you attempt to pay
off your mortgage, you need to make
sure all your other financial ducks are
in a row,” says Liz Weston, personal
finance expert and author of The 10
Commandments of Money: Survive
and Thrive in the New Economy. And
while paying off your mortgage is a
good idea while you’re in retirement
to keep interest payments from eating
away at your monthly budget, it’s
still better to postpone tackling your
home loan if...
#1: You haven’t saved enough for
retirement.
“Simply put, too many people aren’t
saving enough for retirement,” says
Weston. Even if you are near retirement,
you should be maxing out retirement
contributions. Chances are
the match and earnings in your retirement
account far exceed the low
interest you’re paying on your home
loan.
#2: You have other debt.
A survey conducted by Securian Financial
Group found that nearly half
of retirees carry debt into retirement.
“If you have any other high-interest
debt—student loans, credit cards,
or even car loans, paying those off
before your mortgage is your priority,”
says Weston. Plus, your mortgage
probably entitles you to a tax deduction
that doesn’t exist with your credit
card debt.
#3: You don’t have an adequate
emergency fund.
“Many boomers are short on cash
even if they have a lot of home equity,”
says Greg McBride, senior financial
analyst at Bankrate.com. [www.
bankrate.com] If you don’t have
enough available cash for two years
of living expenses, then it’s time to
beef up your reserves. “You want to
pay off your mortgage and then have
no money in the bank, especially if an
emergency arises,” says Weston.
#4: You remember inflation in the 70s..
In other words, you remember high
inflation and high interest rates. “At
some point, the economy is going to
pick up and there’s concern that there
will be hyper-inflation,” says Weston,
“which means everything will cost
more.” When that happens, you’ll be
in a better position to handle high
price if you have more cash in reserve.
#5: And interest rates in the 70s.
Likewise, once the economy is flush
with money, it’s likely that the Fed will
raise interest rates. “You won’t be able
to get a low-interest loan anymore
so if you need cash, you’ll be out of
luck,“says Weston. And when those
same higher interest rates earn your
money in the bank more than what
the bank is charging you on your
mortgage? “You’ll feel like a genius,”
says Weston.
“NO PLACE TO
HIDE” This isn’t
about George
Zimmerman
A popular idea among those
outraged by the verdict of the George
Zimmerman case is the classic rolereversal
thought experiment. What
would have happened if Trayvon
Martin were white and George
Zimmerman were black? The
conclusions of this experiment are
absolutely correct – the details of
the case are cut and dry, and a black
perpetrator and white victim nestle
neatly into our cultural narratives of
aggressor vs. victim – but the premise
is flawed, and furthermore misses the
point.
First of all, George Zimmerman is
Hispanic. An actual role reversal would
give us a Hispanic youth murdered by
a black adult, and the outcome of that
hypothetical isn’t nearly as clear. That
story doesn’t satisfy our outrage.
More importantly, this isn’t about
George Zimmerman. I don’t mean
to say his race isn’t relevant. If they
were both black he might have been
convicted, it certainly wouldn’t have
been national news either way.
But in this alternate narrative we’re
imagining, he doesn’t have to be
black. If imaginary Trayvon is white,
imaginary George Zimmerman can
just be George Zimmerman. He
can be a white guy. He can be a city
council member with a country club
membership. It doesn’t really matter
who he is – you don’t get to murder
white kids.
Our cultural narratives have room
for any color of perpetrator. (They’re
different narratives to be sure –
white murderers get to be “mentally
disturbed” while black criminals are
depraved drug addicts with no moral
grounding.) We may not expect white
people to commit violent crime, but
we believe it when they do. We know
they are capable of it. It just turns
out that we are only willing to hold
them accountable when they hurt
somebody whose innocence we can
believe.
What our cultural narratives don’t
have room for are young black
men who aren’t violent, who aren’t
threatening, who aren’t looking for
trouble. We don’t have room for
young black men to just be good kids.
We don’t have room for a young black
man to be a victim. He must have
provoked Zimmerman, he must have
behaved suspiciously, he must have
plausibly threatened Zimmerman’s
life. Even though there is immense
evidence that those things are not
true, we simply cannot cast him as an
innocent.
This story isn’t about George
Zimmerman’s race, it’s about
Trayvon Martin’s.
Interrupting the
School to Prison Pipeline:
6-year-old Arrested,
Handcuffed
By Judith Browne Dianis
America’s Wire Writers Group
[continued from page 13]
America Healing panelists cited the importance
of empowering community groups to
achieve victory over these destructive policies.
Developing leaders among both adults and
children willing to advocate for common
sense school discipline; building the capacity
of organizations through training and providing
community resources; and broadly connecting
the movement across the nation can
build a movement that works.
Following this model, parent and youth
groups, have successfully fought for change.
Denver and Baltimore traded out of school
suspensions for minor infractions and
adopted a system of positive behavior support,
more engaging classrooms, in-school
suspensions and restorative justice. Denver
reduced the use of police in school discipline.
The results are higher academic achievement
and graduation rates.
Jerry Tello, director of the national Latino
Fatherhood and Family Institute, shared how
strong culture and families can play a significant
role in diminishing the effects of living
within these toxic environments. He emphasized
how extreme discipline policies harm
the spirit of youth and their self-perception.
He H
The discussions at America Healing highlighted
the power of combining legal and policy
strategies, cultural awareness and community
activism to reverse zero tolerance.
If quality education is to be a critical factor to
the long-term success and independence of
all children, there must be a myriad of innovative
practices and partnerships between
schools, families, communities, government
and business to align and strengthen conditions
that will break the school-to-pipeline.
Judith Browne Dianis is co-director of the
Advancement Project. She is a prominent
civil rights litigator and experienced racial
justice advocate in the areas of voting, education,
housing, and immigrants’ rights.
America’s Wire is an independent, nonprofit
news service run by the Maynard Institute
for Journalism Education. Our stories can be
republished free of charge by newspapers,
websites and other media sources. For more
information, visit www.americaswire.org or
contact Michael K. Frisby at mike@frisbyassociates.com.
)
Great is Thy Faithfulness

Page 15 July 2013 The AC Phoenix

Page 16 July 2013 The AC Phoenix