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NEWS/Xte CtaiUnt $ot
Thursday, December 29, 2005
CIAA a winning moment for Charlotte
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money - $1 million per year -
to the CIAA’8 General
Schdarahip Fund.
And Cannon, then mayor
pro tern, sold the vision of
Chartotte as a dty detailing
how uptown
would trans
form into a
“CIAA Village”
where every
thing was in
walking dis
tance - a first
for the tourna
ment — if tlie
Kerry
event came here.
The Norfolk dream team,
backed by many others here
in Chaiiotte, put together a
scenario the CIAA could not
reftise.
CIAA C^ommisaioner Leon
Kerry came here on a “fact
finding mission” three days
after the presentation. By
mid-December, CTiarlotte had
wrested the CIAA
Tbumament away from
Raleigh and been awarded to
play host to the nation’s sec
ond-largest college basketball
tournament in 2006, 2007
and 2008.
For the vital roles they
played in landing the tourna
ment, Cannon, Newman and
Tapscott have been named
Hie Poet’s 2005 Newsmakers
of the Year
“The commissioner has
said, TJntil you all came in
ajid made your presentation,
it was really a formality - we
were going to stay with
Raleigh, but you guys really
opened our eyes in that pre
sentation,*” Newman said
without bragging.
Sell hard, stay humble
While Cannon, Newman
and Tapscott were confident
in what Chariotte had to offer
the CIAA, neither man was
cocky as he entered the pre
sentation. Johnsm C. Smith
president Dorothy Yeuicy
played a role in making cer
tain that didn’t happen.
“Dr, Yeuicy has been dying
for this thing to come to
Charlotte for her entire 10
years at Smith, and she was
giving us her sense of it,”
Newman said. “She said.
You’ve got to go put on a real
convincing show. Don't leave
anything on the table. You’ve
got to really sell them on the
vision of Chaiiotte.’
“So we had a little bit of an
underdog feeling going in,
which I think is always good.
And I said all throu^ the
process. We’ve got to sell like
we’re in first place, but work
like we’re in last place,’ We
couldn’t take anything for
granted. Be professional, be
cptiinistic, but dig to make
sure that we don’t leave any
thing cai the table.”
Fxonomic, social impact
The tournament begins
Feb. 27, with the tip-off of the
first women’s game, and con
cludes on March 4, with the
men’s and women’s finals.
Hie CIAA will be advanta
geous for Charlotte on many
levels. For starters, when the
tournament was in Raleigh, it
typically had an economic
impact of $12 million on that
city each year. Newman said
Charlotte should expect to
bring in that much - at a min-
imimi.
But the social ramifications
are just as critical as the eco
nomic impact.
‘1 certainly look at these
studies that say, fiom a trust
standpoint, fix>m a tolerance
standpoint, there are areas
we need to work on,”
Newman said. ‘Well, we’re
going to have what I think is
the biggest Afiican-American
event in the country in many
ways, here in town. That, I
think, sends a positive mes
sage”
And then there’s the cultur
al impact the tournament will
have on Chariotte residents.
“This certainly is one of
those events that the people*
in Chariotte have never got
ten to experience,” said
Cannon, who is a graduate of
Mid-Eastern Athletic
Conference member North
Ceux>lina A&T State
University but has attended
the CIAA tournament off and
on since high school.
“The CIAA will bring a
diversity to this dty that it’s
never seen What I get exdted
about is the idea of those peo
ple here who have never
attended the CIAA tourna
ment and what they are in for.
It really is a beautifid, spedal
event. There are things you
see at the CIAA tournament
that you never see anywhere
else. I think Charlotteans
really are going to be in for a
surprise.
“Opportunities like this
don’t come along every day It
feels good to know (I was) a
part of something spedal like
this.”
Perfect timing
It was a long time coming
for Charlotte.
Back in 2002, Charlotte
actually had bid to play host
to the tournament during the
2003-2005 rotation, but lost
out to Raleigh, in large part,
because the Charlotte
Coliseum did not have all the
amenities Kerry and the
CIAA wanted.
Hien, Black Entertainment
Tblevision foimder Bob
Johnson was awarded owner
ship of Chariotte’s new NBA
fi*anchise, tlie Bobcats. A new
arena was on the horizon.
And Charlotte was deter
mined to make certain the
tournament didn’t slip
15 years of Post newsmakers
After 15
years, The
Post’s
Newsmakers
of the Year
could have
their own
alumni
Rembert
reumon.
Since Harvey Gantt’s selec
tion in 1990, the list has
included individuals who
have grown into national
political leaders (Mel Watt) to
advocates for community
issues (James Barnett and
Dee Sumpter). And of course,
there have been the contro
versial figures, like former
TVansamerica exeaitive Bill
Simms, who was later forced
out for lying on his resume.
Hie editorial staff’s criteria
for choosing newsmakers b
simple We look for peoide
who have had a m^or impact
on shaping Chariotte and the
Afiican American community
during the calendar year For
those of you haven’t been
around since 1990 or just to
review Hie Poet’s picks, here
they are, with the newsmak-
«*’s contribution.
Herbert /„ White
Editor
2004 Mecklenburg County
Commissioner Wiihelmenia
Rembert
2003 Charlotte Bobcats owner
Bob Johnson, the first Afncan
Tennant
Amencan owner
to hold majority
stake in a major
league U.S. pro
fessional sports
franchise.
2 0 0 2:
Charlotte-
Mecklenburg
Schools superintendent James
Pughsley, who instituted a pupil
assignment plan devoid of court-
ordered busing
2001 Charlotte Housing
Authority executive director
Harrison Shannon and Charlotte
Convention & Visitors Bureau
president Mefvin Tennant
opened the city's tourism industry
to open recruitment of more
Afncan Amencan events
2000. Arts & Science Council
executive director Harriet
Sanford led the non-profit to
record growth by expanding pro
grams and outreach.
1999: Charlotte-Mecklenburg
School Board chainnan Arthur
Griffin, first elected African
Amencan to the top position
1998 Northwest Comdor com
munity Development Corp. exec
utive director Isaac Heard for his
rote In developing housing and
shopping in northwest Chartotte.
1997: Civil rights attorney
James Ferguson spearheaded
high-profile dvil nghts cases in the
Carolinas
1996, Mint Museum offiaal
Dawn Womack organized the
slave ship Henrietta Marie exhibit
in Charlotte and United Way of
Ctentral Carolinas Executive
director Gloria Pace King was
the first African American named
to the position.
1995: Transamerica Insurance
executive Bill Simms raised the
company’s profile through its
charitable giving.
1994: Mbthers of Murdered
Offspring fdUnder Dee Sumpter
brought national attentbn ^ an
advocate of victims’ families.
1993; Stop the Killing founder
the Rev James Barnett
launched a regional fight against
violence and crime.
1992: U.S. Rep, Mel Watt, who
became the first African American
(along with Eva Clayton) elected
to Congress from N.C. since
Reconstruction,
1991: Chariotte Hornets head
coach Gene Littles, the NBA
franchise’s first black coach,
1990; U.S. Senate candidate
Harvey Gantt, who lost a dose -
and controversial - campaign to
Jesse Helms
throu^ its fingers the next
time.
“When I first came to town
here, the idea was to listen to
thb ccanmunity about what it
wanted,” Tapscott said. ‘Well,
CIAA came up early and
often. And so we committed to
working to go after it.
“Hib really was a collabora
tive effort between the CRVA,
the local organizing commit
tee, the dty government and,
of course, our organization, as
the custodians of (the arena).”
Hien, Tapscott reflected on
the Norfolk trip, that cool,
November day
“I think one of the great
things about that b that Tim
and Patrick and myself had
developed a real solid fiiend-
ship long before we had to
make thb trip,” said Thpscott,
who first attended the CTAA
tournament as a te^iager in
1969. “So I think what came
across to the committee of
presidents and chancellors
and, of course, the commb-
sioner of the CTAA was that
there was a good working
relationship here amongst the
three critical parties that
would make thb event a real
ity
“Needless to say what (the
CTAA was) looking for was the
best venue, the best dty the
best environment for their
fans, students, alumni and
supporters. And deariy they
want to know that the dty b
able to deliver on its commit
ments in that bid process. I
think what they saw gave
them confidence that ‘Hiese
guys are going to work togeth
er to make thb the best possi
ble show for the CIAA folks ’
“I was obviously delisted
to be a part of our team
approach.”
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