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8A OOO NEWS^(}e Cliarlatte Thursday, June 14, 2007 Father’s lesson: Be a team player Westside youth summit By Erica Singleton FOR THE CHARLOITE POST Coming from a family of athletes, Stephanie Ready remembers specifically a lesson in sportsman ship and team work , she learned from her dad, Edward. As a bas ketball player in high school, Ready, a Charlotte Bobcats sideline reporter and TNT Sports correspon dent, recalls that neither of her parents ever missed her Ready games, but the events of a specifically frustrating game have stuck with her always. “I was not having a good game.” Ready said, "and I was frustrated. I was getting a lot of fouls called on me.’’ When Ready’s coach took her out of the game, instead of going to the bench, Ready stormed out of the gym, and ran toward the locker room. "It was a small school, so it wasn’t a long way to the locker room,” she said. But before she reached the lock er room, Edward reached her. "He must’ve sprinted to me right after I left,” she said, "and before I could get it together, he asked me ‘Who do you thinh you are? You can’t just walk out, you can’t quit. This is a team sport; you can’t have every thing your way.’ "Ever since that day, I think 1 have been the ulti mate team player," said Ready. "1 believe 1 was always a good teammate, but that day, he put in per spective that it wasn’t about me. I was there because of a team." Ready believes this lesson prepared her for the steps her life and career have Black fathers still have influenee By Hazel Trice Edney NAVONAi NEWSPAPER PUBUSHERS ASSOCtAJlON LAS VEGAS - Some black fathers come home wear ing a suit and tie every day. Some may arrive wearing coveralls, speckled with paint. Others come wear ing a blue-collar uniform after riding the garbage truck. Still others come home after a long day of just looking for work. No matter the circum stances, if they arrive in the spirit of love, they bring a power to the home that cannot be substituted. That is the sentiment of men interviewed by the NNPA News Service during the 100 Black Men of America’s 21st annual con ference in Las Vegas last week. With the theme, ’’Taking Control of Our Future" as a backdrop, they all conclud ed one thing: The experi ences of a Black man in America can be trans formed into a mobilizing force that every child can look up to and admire. "You look at the way that this country was built on the backs of Black men," says record producer Kashif, a former orphan who is now raising two fos ter children as a single father. "You look at the fact that millions of us sur vived the journey from Africa to here. And we sur vived the Journey of America. So, we have the power to instill in our young people how to build a nation of resources," he says. "The knowledge, the energy, the development, when we’re there, the whole world is an unlimit ed universe." says the now millionaire, who, as Michael Jones grew up in at least eight foster homes in Brooklyn, N.Y. “But, when we’re absent, obviously that takes away from the power of the black family. Black men bring power into a family, even if it's not our family, just creating a fam ily like I did by adopting two boys." According to the National Urban League’s Slate of Black America 2007 report, the future of the black man is critical to the American family. Statistics on the black man run the gambit from being six times more likely than White men to be incarcerated to nine times more likely to be killed by firearms, to nearly eight times more likely to suffer from AIDS. Of single parent black households, only 12 per cent were led by men. More than two-thirds of black children live in one-parent households in 2005, the majority headed by women. Notwithstanding the sta tistics, there are millions of black fathers who are liv ing at home or at least doing right by their chil dren and families. Here in Las Vegas, where more than 2,000 black men reg istered for this conference to discuss answers to the problems, the crisis some how appeared dwarfed. "You can look into every community - the white community, the Asian community - and find fathers who aren’t doing what they ought to do,” says Thomas W. Dortch Jr. of Atlanta, president emer itus of the national organi zation. He and his wife have five children, includ ing one adopted. "The power of having a black father or having a black man in that home is tremendous because it gives symbolism. My father was a hero, a strong male figure who did not allow us to be tainted by what was out there or by the struggles that he went through. All we know is that we had a father who loved us and cared. We had a mother who loved us. We had parents who worked hard and sacrificed for us." The 100 Black Men of America, Inc., with 110 chapters around the coun try, is a mentoring organi zation that seeks to give a strong presence of the black male to the lives of children - mcile and female - from all walks of life. It encourages black men to share their lives; thereby impacting the negative sta tistics. “The black man should set an example and be a role model for his children and all children in his com munity," says Dr. William Hayling, founding presi dent of the organization. "I’m an obstetrician. I helped to give birth to this organization, And I’m proud to see that after 21 years, the 100 Black Men is a grown man - and we’re getting bigger and bigger and bigger and doing good things with these chil dren.” Every man is able to bring something to the table, says Vaughn Evans of Sacramento, Calif., who was honored as mentor of the year, Evans, who has three children of his own, but has mentored thousands, says regardless of a father's occupation, "if you’re in the home, that's leadership. That’s the role of a man. So, he is provid ing, he is loving, he is nur turing, he is teaching. Without that, then it fails to a woman. A woman cannot understand how to be a man. And when that man is absent, it falls to the uncles, the church, to the community and to the vil lage.” Often the village means the drug dealers, the gang leaders, domineering friends or what ever fig ures of authority comes into the life of a child. More often than not, that trans lates into a life of crime leading to prison or death that could have been pre vented. "The power of the black father could be a revolu tionizing force. Provided that more black fathers would adhere to the tradi tion of what fatherhood is all about instead of being one who plants the seed and does not fulfill his obligation in terms of what family really means,” says John Smith, chairman of the National Newspaper Publishers Association, the official press for the con ference. Some men view manhood as a learned behavior. Whether a child grows up to become a street thug or a decent, hard-working man, can depend upon the examples in his life. “The father brings the kind of modeling that a young man needs to see. Sometimes they will watch and learn more from watching than from hear ing what you're saying,” says Earl Wheatfall, a mem ber of the lOO’s executive committee. “I always watched my father. Even though 1 did respect his words, I learned more by seeing him." Albert E. Dotson Jr., chairman of the board of the 100, says he's experi enced that right now. "I have really come to understand the influence a man can have over his home," says Dotson, the father of Ashley, 11, and Albert, 9. “I watch my son watch me, how I stand, how 1 hold my legs, how I hold my head, how I walk, the little things. He learns so many things by just watching,” says Dotson. He concluded, “A real father has to always under stand that children are always watching. He always has to be able to teach. He always has to be able to show what nurtur ing love is all about, how to be a strong man and how to respect women." PHOTO/RAMESES TEMPLE 51 taken. In 2001, she became the first woman coach in a men's professional league as an assistant coach with the now-defunct Greenville Groove of the National Basketball Development League. "I don't think if I hadn’t been such a standout player in college, I would've ever gotten the coaching job at Coppin State," she said. “And if 1 hadn’t coached at Coppin, I wouldn’t have got ten the coaching job in the D-League, and I think it was because of my work in the D-League that I have the Bobcats job now. "I’m sure any parent would’ve given that lesson, but my dada didn’t wait until we got home, and I think that moment shaped me.” Westside youngsters will meet on Jime 16 to discuss issues that are important to them and their families. The meeting is scheduled for West Charlotte High School with detaUs of summer programs available for children from 10-11 a.m., followed by a youth summit from 11 a.m.- 2 p.m. The summit is sponsored by District 2 elected offi cials James Mitchell (Charlotte City Council), Norman Mitchell (Mecklenburg County commissioners) and Vilma Leake (Charlotte-Mecklenburg school board). Herbert L. White News breaks all the time. Now you can get it online from The Post. www.thecharlottepost.com NOTICE OF A CITIZENS INFORMATIONAL WORKSHOP FOR THE PROPOSED TRANSPORTATION IMPROVEMENTS TO 1-485 FROM US S21 (JOHNSON RD) TO 1-77, SOUTH OF CHARLOTTE TIP Project NO. R-4902 • Mecklenburg County The North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) will hold the above Citizens Informational Workshop on We 19, 2007 between the hours of 4:00 p.m. and 7:00 pm. in the Town of Pineville - The Hut Facility located at 413 Johnston Drive, Pineville. NC 28134. The purpose of this workshop is for NCDOT representatives to provide information, answer questions, and accept written commenLs regarding this project. The opportunity to submit written comments or questions will also be provided. Interested citizens may attend at any time during the above men tioned hours. NCDOT proposes to improve 1-485 by adding additional travel lanes with in the existing median between US 521 (Johnston Rd) interchanges and 1-77 interchange, south of Charlotte. The purpose of the proposed project is to reduce congestion along this segment and improve safety. Anyone desiring additional information may contact Ms. Angela Sanderson, of the Project Development and Environmental Analysis Branch, at 1548 Mail Service Center Raleigh, NC 27699, phone 919-733-7844 ext. 203. or email amsanderson@dot.state.nc.us. NCDOT will r ill provide auxiliary aids and services under the Americans with Disabilities Act tor disabled persons who wish to participate in this workshop. Anyone requiring special seWices should contact Ms. Sanderson as early as possible so that arrangements can be made. CATS is schedyled to increase transit fares and passes on all of its services on Jnly 2,2007, The Metropolitan Transit Commission will condoct a public hearing at their February 28,2007, meeting, The public is invited to sign-up and comment on the proposed fare increase outlined below. To sign-up for the hearing cal (70(| 432-0490 or sign up by e-mail to mtc@ci,charlotle,nc,us before 3:i pm on February 28,2007, The public can also sign up to speak at the meeting until the start of the official public hearing. The hearing is scheduled for: February 28,2007 from 5:30 pm - 6:15 pm at the Charlotte Mecklenburg Government Center, Room 267,6i East Fourth Street, Charlotte, NC 28202, Harry Prince, Clown Department prince imperi al director at Oasis Rameses Temple 51 in Charlotte, presents an oversized check for $2,500 to Metro School Principal Denise Comeaux as port of the temple’s community service fxoject. Charlotte will host ttie Imperiai Session of the Ancient Egyptian Order Nobles Mystic Shrine erf North and South America in August. II Current 7/02/07 Current 7/02/07 Service Type Fare New Fate Passes Fare New Fare Local $1,20 $1,30 Weekly Pass* $12,00 $13,00 Express $1,65 $1.75 Monthly Pass* |48.i $52,00 Express Plus $2,40 $2.60 Express Monthly Pass* $66,00 $70,00 STS lADA Service) $1.i $2,00 Express Plus Monthly Pass* »,00 $104,00 Reverse Commute Express $1,20 $1.30 81$ Monthly Pass $72,00 $80.00 Activity Center Services: Wide Local Pass $10.20 $11.00 Gold Rush FREE FREE lO-Ride Express Pass $14,00 $14,85 Community Shuttle Services: lO-Ride Express Plus Pass $20,40 $22,10 Village Riders, Beatties Ford, ‘UmUriiles Eastland, Aitowood and other neighborhood services 504 60d Transfers Charlotte Trolley $1.00 $1.30 Local to Express 45!! 15i! People 62 years and up. Local to Express Plus $1,20 $1,30 people with disabilities, w/ Express to Express Plus 1S( 85j Transit ID or Medicare card Community Shuttle to Local 70| 704 and children 12 and under Community Shuttle to w/Transit ID accompanied Express $1,15 $1,15 by an adult (Local/ Community Shuttle to Exptess/ExpressPlusI 60dM(/S1,20 65®5d®,30 Express Plus $1,90 $2,00 Children 46 inches tail Community Shuttle to orlessarxsmpaniedby Community Shuttle FREE FREE anadot FREE FREE Students through high school w/Transit ID ILocal service only! for addferial ifltatracall (754) 3MD£ Of W]775-CArS Of visit
The Charlotte Post (Charlotte, N.C.)
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June 14, 2007, edition 1
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