For those of you wondering how the National Urban League conference went last week, I can tell you that it was off the chain. Not only was the “Path to Power” conference jam-packed with celebrity guests and high-ranking government officials, t
For those of you wondering how the National Urban League conference went last week, I can tell you that it was off the chain. Not only was the “Path to Power” conference jam-packed with celebrity guests and high-ranking government officials, the sessions and workshops hit all the right notes at a time when African-Americans are disproportionately absorbing the impact of today’s recession.
I especially enjoyed the panel that dealt with preparing America’s workforce. Panelists included retired basketball-star-turned-entrepreneur Earvin “Magic” Johnson; Tom Wilson, chairman, president and CEO of Allstate Insurance Co.; Dr. Wayne Watson, the new president of Chicago State University; Paula Prahl, senior vice president, communications and public affairs for Best Buy; and Larry Goodman, president and CEO of Rush University Medical Center in Chicago.
Most of us have heard how Magic has opened everything from movie theaters to Starbucks to banks in urban communities that lack these resources. What you may not know is that Magic is partnering with Best Buy to address the digital divide in poor communities, too, opening technology centers so that disenfranchised youth can access computers.
There is one such center in Chicago and 19 others around the country.
Magic Johnson Enterprises partners with Sodexo, Inc. to market green engineering jobs to African-Americans in the food service industry.
“I partner with corporations because they have skill sets I don’t have,” Magic said. “But you want a return on your investment, so you have to have partnerships with the community too and listen to what they are telling you that they want,” he said.
Another great thing about Magic is that he doesn’t send a representative to the community to do his bidding; he makes the trip himself. And that, he says, is one reason people don’t see more athletes and celebrities giving back to their communities.
“They have to be ready,” he said. “I’ve been able to talk to a lot of them. Shaq, Grant Hill and LeBron James have done some good things. But when you talk about going into a community and being a businessman, it takes time to understand what you’re doing. It takes time to build successful businesses. A lot of them don’t want to take the time to shake hands and go to community meetings.”
______
To read the rest of this article, subscribe to our digital or paper edition. For previous editions, contact us for details.
Copyright 2009 Chicago Defender. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
About Post Author
