FOR THE GLOBALLY CONSCIOUS MAN
Wole Coaxum A Banker for the Underserved
PLUS
Feeling the Entrepreneur Blues? Help is Near! Black History is 365/24/7 Your MENtal Health! WINTER 2020
FROM THE
PUBLISHER Time, Talents, and Treasures!
Happy New Year to everyone who is reading this, our sixth issue! Personally, the year 2020 is an exciting time because I view it as a renewal and refocusing on a clear vision for the new decade at hand. According to biblestudy.org, the number 20 means “a complete or perfect waiting period.” I was given the vision of CODE M magazine three years ago and have been faithfully and diligently planting seeds to see what would grow. There were many seeds that died along the way, while others have bloomed for awhile and ultimately withered away. But there have been some seeds that sprouted and continued to offer me a much needed glimpse of hope that I am indeed on the right path. I refer you back to the top of the page, Time, Talents, and Treasures! My question and challenge to you is, “What are you doing with your Time, Talents and Treasures? See, we are all given a certain amount of Time, Individual Talents, and a vast amount of Treasures for which we will be held accountable. At any moment in Time, we can complain about our unfortunate circumstances, luck, or bad decisions in life. But, are they viable reasons to waste precious Time? Which is truly the only finite commodity of the three listed. If today, you were given the exact number of days you have left in your life, what would you do differently and how would you spend your time? The answer to these questions is that the only day you have is TODAY! So why not make the most of it, while planning for tomorrow, next week, next month, next year, etc.
Our Talents are unlimited but it may take some cultivating and exploring throughout your days. Some Talents may be obvious, while others may be discovered only after stepping out of your comfort zone. How often do you experiment in trying something new only to quit when things get difficult? Like any new venture, it will seem uncomfortable initially but getting through the learning curve could result in tapping into vast resources of Talents yet discovered. FEAR is the enemy of discovering new Talents! Our Treasures are often things we take for granted. They can include our Health, our Families, our Finances, our Friends, or other tangible or intangible aspects of our lives. Treasures may be in abundance at times or they may be scarce, but they are often all around us and usually ignored. I believe Treasures are something we can greatly increase if we live in the moment, if we are kind to others, if we give away some of our resources while expecting nothing in return — in other words, living by the Golden Rule. I believe our investment in people often yields an abundant harvest in our Treasures. We will be judged on how we treated our fellowman. In this issue are numerous examples of men who have taken the mantra of Time, Talents, and Treasures seriously to help others, as did Mr. Wole Coaxum in New York City. He utilized his Talents and created a company called MoCaFi, to help the underserved navigate the financial minefields that often undermine minorities in underprivileged communities. Then there is Brandon Laster in
Chicago, who took advantage of a second chance to better utilize his Time to start a franchise with Enviro Master and changed the trajectory of his life. Sometimes, Treasures in our lives come in the form of a mentor. Nick Worner writes about how entrepreneurs often need mentors as they navigate the road of starting a business. So, as you embark upon this new year and new decade, decide for yourself whether you are fully taking advantage of your Time, Talents and Treasures. If not, what can you do to start today? I know there are many things competing for your attention, and I thank you for spending some time with us. Remember, it’s about time and it’s about CODE M magazine. #LIVEBYTHECODE
Bilal S. Akram, CEO / President CODE Media Group, LLC
WINTER 2020 | 3
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FROM THE
EDITOR
I sat down to write this column at one of my favorite times of the year, the forty plus days or so between Martin Luther King, Jr. Day and the last day of Black History Month. That six-week period is one in which there is a concentrated celebration of black culture, a time when I’m pretty much guaranteed to hear the stirring words and music of Lift Every Voice and Sing, created by the magnificent genius of the Johnson brothers, Weldon and Rosamond. I actually celebrate black history and culture 365 days of the year, but there is something about the communal observance that is especially uplifting. But my plans for this column were interrupted by the news of the helicopter crash in Calabasas, California that tragically took the lives of nine people, including retired basketball star Kobe Bryant and his 13-year old daughter, Gianna. While I kept reminding myself that the lives of each of the nine crash victims was equally precious, the fact that I knew Kobe in some sense brought an added sense of sorrow, which of course was magnified by near wall to wall television and internet coverage. I watched Kobe Bryant play basketball for twenty years. I had an impression of him both as player and person. I thought I knew something about him. Whenever he came to mind there was an image of a black man of surpassing skill, good looks, confidence and arrogance; someone
who, I thought, by dint of wealth, status and fame, had been able to escape what was undoubtedly the most difficult period of his life: that span of months when it appeared he might lose his career and his freedom over an act of sexual aggression that has brought down so many black male professional athletes. Yeah, I’m going there, just probably not in the way you think. Because I didn’t then and don’t now have much sympathy for ballplayers, or men, or anyone else who put themselves it the position of violating others out of some grossly misplaced sense of privilege and power. I learned more about Kobe in the week following his death than I had learned in those 20 years. I came to see how his character was formed at an extraordinarily young age, fueled by a clear vision of his career goals and a personal road map of how he was going to get there. No doubt his early career success, on top of our female subordinated culture, paved the way for what happened in that Colorado hotel room in 2003 between a 23-yearold superstar and a 19-year-old hotel employee. Three things in particular stand our for me about that one episode in Kobe’s life, against the backdrop of his remaining years. First, Kobe’s life was not defined by that one episode. How many young men of color make a mistake, maybe not even as egregious, and wind up derailed for life from age 16?
Second, Kobe made the most of his second chance. He became a father shortly after the episode. Perhaps it was his good fortune to become a “girls dad,” the father of four girls with wife Vanessa, that deepened his appreciation for women and girls and led him to become a champion of equal opportunities for them. The third lesson I take away from that episode is the danger of judging a person in isolation. Each of us is a work in completion. Especially in our ever-accelerating lifestyles, we tend to make snap judgments based on social media snippets, 280 character tweets, or three-second sound bites. We are all marvelously diverse and complex human beings. None of us can be fully captured or described in such dismissive bits and bites, certainly not over a lifetime and likely not even in a moment. Kobe Bryant lived in the moment, both on and off the court. May we join him in that approach to life, being fully present with ourselves and those in our midst, remembering especially to be slow to condemn but open to appreciate the potential good in each of us. Until next time,
Richard T. Andrews Managing Editor WINTER 2020 | 5
COLLEGE: YOU'VE BEEN THERE, DONE THAT.
HELP SOMEONE ELSE GET THROUGH. COLLEGE NOW NEEDS TO RECRUIT 1,000 MENTORS TO SUPPORT COLLEGE NOW AND SAY YES SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS THROUGH THEIR COLLEGE JOURNEYS. SIGN UP TODAY AT COLLEGENOWGC.ORG/BECOME-A-MENTOR TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THE LIFE OF A COLLEGE STUDENT. All mentors must have a two- or four-year degree. Must apply by March 1, 2020.
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inside... 9 Anxiety Nation by David Christel 13 Love, Respect & Sex:
A Love Letter to Men by Leah Lewis
15 Three Reasons Every Entrepreneur
Needs a Mentor by Nick Worner
21 Olympics Officials Looking to Keep
Awards Podium Protest-free
cover story
the Underserved by Herb Boyd
by Elton Alexander
24 Wole Coaxum: A Banker for
29 Book Review: Patient-Centered Clinical
Care for African Americans by Myron Bennett
33 Black Men & Mental Health:
A Forbidden Fruit by Donald E. Grant, Jr.
37 Celebrate Black History Month
by Howard A. Myrick
39 Chronicles of Aspirations:
Brandon Laster by Richard McDonough
43 How to Protect Yourself from Becoming
the Next Victim of Police Brutality by Chanda Neely
47 #ManCODES: Time, Talent, Treasures
WINTER 2020 | 7
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Anxiety
Nation By David Christel
If ever there was a time people need to take a chill pill, take a mental health day or learn to meditate, this is it. According to the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, anxiety disorders cost the US more than $42 billion a year and anxiety has become the number one mental health issue in North America. It’s estimated that onethird of North America’s adult population experiences anxiety unwellness issues.1 The total economic burden of depression is estimated to be $210.5 billion per year. I’m not surprised. The US has hit a new high in terms of letting loose with a multitude of skeletons out of its collective closet, as well as the airing of our dirty laundry on the world stage. The fact of the matter is that the list of what is causing us to be anxious in every corner of American life is extensive. What we’re seeing more specifically at all levels of society is a combination of anxiety and depression. They work in tandem with each other. According to data from the 2017 National Survey on Drug Use and Health: • Nearly 50% of all people diagnosed with depression are also diagnosed with an anxiety disorder • 17.3 million adults in the US have experienced a major depressive episode in the past year • 11 million US adults experienced an episode that resulted in severe impairment in the past year • 3.1 million young people between the ages of 12 and 17 have experienced at least one major depressive episode in the past year
• 71% of adolescents who experienced a major depressive episode in the past year experienced a severe impairment • 60% of children and adolescents with depression are not getting any type of treatment2 Those stats are from two years ago. Since then, events in our country have exacerbated conditions. One way we’ve vented our anxiety is through social media. The amount and level of vitriol, bullying, scathing attacks, and death threats flying about in the digital realm is staggering. It seems to be the new gladiatorial arena wherein anything goes. Though technology provides great facility, it also has a very serious downside. Internet Addiction Disorder to various kinds of technology has been linked to stress, sleep disorders, and depression with surveys in the US and Europe showing that between 1.5% and 8.2% of the population suffers from Internet addiction.3 The current zeitgeist in the US highlights that many people are feeling a lack of safety, direction, support, purpose, and survivability. All of this is producing unrelenting anxiety that most of us are ill-equipped to deal with effectively. Instead, we use the usual ploys to sidestep dealing with our anxiety: alcohol, drugs (recreational and pharmaceutical), addictions, avoidance, deflection, illogical rationalization and stubborn, unyielding denial. More often than not, we see anxiety being expressed through unmitigated rudeness, defensiveness, disinterest in other people’s needs and WINTER 2020 | 9
feelings, anger, emotional outbursts and meltdowns, a callous lack of compassion and an indifference to others’ pain and suffering, disconnection, not being present (unconscious) and — the big “F” — fear in all its permutations. And it continues to escalate. Plenty of adults are exhibiting extraordinarily poor judgment and disrespectful behaviors that young people are modeling themselves after. They, in turn, up the volume a notch or two on those behaviors. The “anything goes” and “whatever it takes” mantras are destroying civility, morality, decency, and humaneness. Considering the amount of violence, conflict and fear being perpetrated on a daily basis, it could be that we’re turning the dystopian premise of The Purge movies into reality. We seem to be asleep at the wheel of life whilst racing as fast as we can to wherever without listening, without performing due diligence, and without regard or respect for others and their perspectives, values, principles, livelihoods, and lives. Instead, our anxieties are pushing us to entrench into what we know no matter whether that’s false, unreasonable, debilitating, or ultimately destructive. The result is that our angst continues to be exacerbated, our suffering expanded, and our anxiety and depression worsened. As the saying goes: Something’s gotta give. That something is our mental and emotional wellbeing. Every day the news outlets report more people doing nasty, sometimes outrageous things to other people and to animals, institutions, and the environment. We take all that in on a daily basis and either become immune to the horror of it or react in ways from recoil to outrage, abject fear, violent pushback, numbness, or depression. And all of this is negatively affecting our physical, mental and emotional health individually, in our workplaces, communities, and nation. Here’s the 64,000 dollar question: What does this mean for men in the face of role and status expectations, the job categories we’re funneled into, the socio-cultural conventions placed on us, racism, sexism, homophobia, ageism, manipulation, bullying, abuse, authoritarianism, criminality, institutionalized systems, economic classes, elitism, etc.?
Men are struggling to define and comport themselves in today’s world of political correctness, gender fluidity, the breakdown and reformulation of outdated structures, and our hyper-sexualized culture — even as we see greater polarization, deadlier competition, and intense battles to maintain power and control over wealth, resources, and systems. Addressing and resolving anxiety begins with understanding that all the chaos swirling about us is not us. It’s external to our being. Though it can impact our world, we don’t need to let it define or control us. What it takes is answering the all-important question: Who am I? Most people can’t answer that question easily. The purpose in answering it gets to the very core of who a man believes himself to be. It’s not describing oneself according to societal roles, but by the positive characteristics of one’s humanity: nurturing, steadfast, generous, compassionate, intuitive, creative, inclusive, daring, humble, disciplined, strong — and so much more. Once a man acknowledges his inner strength, value, worthiness, capacities and power, he is then able to let the craziness around him roll off him, unscathed by its toxicity. He is in life, but no longer in thrall to it. As T.S. Eliot wrote: “At the still point of the turning world. Neither flesh nor fleshless; Neither from nor towards; at the still point, there the dance is …” And that is what is found at the core of every man: the dance — the dance of life unfettered by obstacles, demands, conventions, barriers, and archetypes. It is where a man’s fundamental truth is found, the light of his divine spark enlivening every atom of his being. He walks tall in a world of endless dramas. He is the primal force, the initiator, the heart of “the dance.”
Anxiety
1www.anxietycentre.com/anxiety-statistics-information.shtml 2www.verywellmind.com/depression-statistics-everyone-should-know-4159056 3“Technology Addiction.” www.addiction.com/addiction-a-to-z/technology-addiction
David Christel is a writing coach, editor, ghostwriter and author. He serves as a Special Adviser to CODE M.
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Love, Respect & Sex: A Love Letter to Men
Dear Sir:
This video of father and son went viral. There are lessons here for us.
Watch the Video
This letter may be more appropriate for Father's Day. Even so, a recent experience prompts me to write it now. I began binge-watching the latest season of NBC's The Voice on Hulu. One of the things that struck me most this season more than others was observing the reactions of fathers as they watched their children perform, especially their daughters. Many of the fathers were emotional. In these men there were tears, anxious movements indicating nervousness, and some literal nail-biting. It was so moving to see the love these men had for their children. These fathers had invested all they could have in their babies and their children's lofty, musical dreams. During this time, I also watched a Facebook video of a young father singing to his deaf infant son. This video has gone viral. I confess to being deeply frustrated watching this video because the young father could not get his song out for fear of being captured in crying mode. My heart broke watching a young father more concerned about socially imposed nonsense regarding postured masculinity, than in being fully present in a tender moment with his precious baby. Granted, his mother was filming a private moment, but we are in the social media age. Men, you are human. You have heartfelt emotions. Expressing your beautiful feelings is necessary for good emotional, psychological, and physical health. God willing, people you are in relationship with afford you space to share affections. Cry, laugh, smile — these sentimental actions are right for you and us. Godspeed, The Reverend Dr. Leah C.K. Lewis, J.D. The Reverend Leah C. K. Lewis, J.D., D.Min. (ABD) is a 2005 graduate of Yale Divinity School and holds degrees from Howard University School of Law and Bowling Green State University. She is the author of Little Lumpy’s Book of Blessings. WINTER 2020 | 13
or visit jumpstartinc.org
Three Reasons
Every Entrepreneur Needs a Mentor Entrepreneurship can be a long, lonely journey. A good mentor can make the trip a little easier. By Nick Worner
In the minds of many people working traditional jobs, the word “entrepreneur” conjures up fantastic images of freedom and money. And while it’s true being your own boss, setting your own goals and reaping the rewards of your hard work can be a very fulfilling experience, the realities of entrepreneurship are extremely unforgiving. For every young company that succeeds there are many more that fail. These long odds, combined with the long hours and constant financial worries, can create a perfect storm of stress and anxiety. It’s impossible to change the risk-taking nature of entrepreneurship, and there is no cure-all to eliminate stress and frustration from the process. But there is one simple way to increase the odds of entrepreneurial success while simultaneously making the road a bit easier to travel. A good mentor. Here are three reasons connecting with an entrepreneurial mentor can pay major dividends. WINTER 2020 | 15
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The right mentor can help you break through the noise. Above, Lamont Mackley of JumpStart in a work session with entrepreneurs.
Your Mentor Has Probably Been Where You’re Trying to Go
Few people understand the ups and downs of building a business better than people who have already done it. As a result, good mentors can have a major impact on the success (or even survival) of a young company. According to data from the Small Business Administration, 30 percent of new businesses may not survive past the first 24 months, and 50 percent of those may not make it past five years. However, 70 percent of mentored businesses survive longer than five years. “One of the most obvious examples of how a mentor can help an entrepreneur is by seeing potential pitfalls for their business while there is still time to avoid or fix them,” said Bill Nemeth, a successful entrepreneur who has gone on to lead the Burton D. Morgan Mentoring program at Cleveland-based JumpStart Inc. “At some point, every young company needs to pivot and no one can predict the future, but a mentor with three decades of experience can offer some serious insights to a firsttime entrepreneur if they see trouble ahead. Depending on how big that trouble is, the right advice at the right
time can literally be the difference between keeping or losing your business. That’s why entrepreneurs with helpful mentors tend to do better in the long term. Good mentors can also bring more nuanced experience to the table, especially for entrepreneurs of color who often have very specific shared experiences and challenges when starting and growing a business. “We know people of color are underrepresented in many parts of the entrepreneurial economy, and that means it can be especially valuable to find a mentor who not only looks like you, but also draws on some of the same shared life experiences, both positive and challenging,” said Lamont Mackley, JumpStart’s Chief Inclusion and Outreach Officer. Mackley also leads a second mentoring program at JumpStart known as the Encore Cleveland Mentoring program, which strives for ninety percent of the program’s active mentors to be African American, Latinx, or female. Bottom line, a good mentor has a natural understanding of what you’re trying to accomplish, and less experienced entrepreneurs can benefit from their almost-instinctive desire to help guide others up the mountain they’ve spent so many years climbing. WINTER 2020 | 17
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Having a safe conversation with a mentor can be a powerful thing.
Your Mentor Can Help You Combat the Stress
Your Mentor Will Give You Honest Feedback (Even When it’s Hard to Hear)
Because most entrepreneurial mentors are successful businesspeople donating their time, they have very little incentive to mislead you or tell you what you want to hear. When you’re a busy entrepreneur, this kind of honesty can be worth its weight in gold. “As an entrepreneur, so much of your days are spent either working with people who depend on you directly or trying to capture the interest of customers, investors, et cetera,” said Nemeth. “Having the opportunity to spend time with someone who is highly competent but doesn’t want or need anything from you is really valuable.” Confidence is one of the hallmarks of good entrepreneurs, so it’s often difficult to hear criticism from anybody when it comes to your business or your leadership. In these cases, the right mentor can help break through the noise. “The hardest part of any business is when disagreements arise,” said Mackley. “Mentors sometimes have to give difficult feedback, but since they don’t have a financial or personal stake in the result, they can be an excellent source of objective and impartial information.”
One recent study found entrepreneurs are roughly 50 percent more likely to report having a mental health issue than the general public and three times more likely to struggle with substance abuse. And while hard statistics can be difficult to come by, numerous publications have also examined what seems to be a significantly higher than average divorce rate for entrepreneurs. Fortunately, mentorship can provide some clear stress relief benefits. “Sometimes it’s almost impossible to explain the pressure and stress of entrepreneurship to someone who hasn’t lived through the journey themselves,” said Nemeth. “But when you know you are talking to someone who has felt the same pressure, you don’t feel like you have to explain. They just get it. That’s a powerful thing when you’re feeling all alone.” “There is a real stigma in our society when it comes to being honest about the toll work stress takes on our minds and bodies,” added Mackley. “That stigma is probably even worse for entrepreneurs. I know firsthand it’s something many entrepreneurs of color struggle with. No one wants to be seen as weak or vulnerable. But when you’re having a safe conversation with a mentor it can help remove some of that stigma.” And in an interesting twist, experts who have studied the effectiveness of mentorship for stress relief have found not only does it provide significant benefits to the person being mentored, it also offers significant benefits to the mentor. “For most people, success comes with a whole new set of stresses and anxieties, as well as a real itch to do something to make the path a little easier for those coming behind you,” added Nemeth. “And in the process, you often learn a few new things about yourself, which feels good.” More Great Mentoring Resources: • Where to Find a Mentor For Free • Find a Mentor: SCORE
Nick Worner is the senior content manager at JumpStart. He has more than 15 years experience as a writer and communications professional and is charged with telling stories of entrepreneurial success, among other things. Prior to joining JumpStart, he spent several years with the ACLU of Ohio, working on issues including voting rights, LGBTQ equality, and criminal justice reform. Outside of JumpStart, Nick is a freelance writer and photographer.
WINTER 2020 | 19
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Race Imboden kneels on the medal stand in protest at the Pan-Am games
Olympics Officials Looking to Keep Awards Podium Protest-free By Elton Alexander
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has not put a complete ban on athletes being able to protest their various beliefs and causes during this summer’s Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan. But they have definitely said where they can’t be done. In an edict issued early last month, the IOC said athletes are banned from protesting while on the field of play, in the Olympic Village, and during medal and other official ceremonies. Kneeling, raised hands and clenched fists, and hand gestures or signs are all considered protests by the IOC. It is forcing political correctness into a commercial world, which the Olympic Games have become. The last thing the IOC wants is any form of protest near the logo of a prominent sponsor. Yet the athletes do want to be heard. To split hairs, the IOC said
athletes are allowed to express political and social opinions during press interviews outside the Village, in meetings, and on traditional and social media. “We believe that the example we set by competing with the world’s best while living in harmony in the Olympic Village is a uniquely positive message to send to an increasingly divided world,” the IOC said in a statement. “This is why it is important, on both a personal and a global level, that we keep the venues, the Olympic Village and the podium neutral and free from any form of political, religious, or ethnic demonstrations.” Protests at athletic events are not new, and certainly not at the Olympic Games, where the most famous was the raised, clenched fist protest by John Carlos and Tommie Smith at the 1968
WINTER 2020 | 21
Mexico City Olympics. O’Connor in the 1906 Olympics. Forced to participate The two American sprinters wore black socks and under the British flag, O’Connor climbed a 20-foot no shoes to symbolize African American poverty. They flagpole after finishing second in the long jump and also wore beads around their necks to symbolize black unfurled a green flag with a golden harp and the words lynching victims from the past. While the protest was “Erin go Bragh” on it. Two days later, when he won presented as “anti-American” by the media, Carlos gold in the hop-step-and jump (now the triple jump) he and Smith have always said the gesture was not antiunfurled the flag again! American, but “pro-Black.” In the recent Pan Am games in Peru, American fencer It was actually the remnants of a planned boycott Race Imboden knelt on the medal stand in protest of by all black athletes for the 1968 Olympic Games that racism, gun control, and Donald Trump’s mistreatment never came to fruition. “We had to be seen, because we of immigrants. couldn’t be heard,’’ Smith told Smithsonian magazine in Unsurprisingly, it’s the protests of black athletes that 2008. seem to draw the most glaring attention. At the same Olympic protests escalated into outright boycotts of Pan Am games, black female hammer thrower Gwen the 1980 and 1984 Olympics. Berry raised a fist in protest during medal ceremonies. In 1980 Soviet dissident and human rights activist Berry told ESPN recently, “I did it as a testament to Andrei Sakharov first called for an Olympic Boycott of myself, and for people who suffer.” the Moscow summer games and was soon joined by Berry and Imoden now face 12-month probations, the United States led by then president Jimmy Carter, in meaning that as of now they cannot compete in the response to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. Tokyo Olympic Games. Former Olympian Muhammad Ali traveled to several “We sacrifice for something for years, and we’re at African nations, including Kenya, to get their leaders to our highest moment,’’ Berry told Yahoo Sports. “We join in the boycott. Other nations soon joined including should be able to say whatever we want to say, do Japan, West Germany, China, the Philippines, Chile, whatever we have to do for our brand, our culture, the Argentina, and Canada. people who support us, the countries that support us. The Soviet Union and fourteen Eastern bloc countries “We shouldn’t be silenced.” boycotted the 1984 summer Olympic Games in Los Angeles, allegedly over security concerns and antiSoviet hysteria being whipped up by the US. Many saw it as retaliation for the US not going to Moscow in 1980. Then president Ronald Reagan said the Soviet stance reflected a fear many of their athletes would take the opportunity to defect to the US. Overall, there have been six boycotts over the years, all during the summer Olympic Games. As for individual protests, Olympics or not, they are ongoing. Indeed, it can be argued the IOC’s current stance was triggered by the recent 2019 Pan American Games in Lima, Peru. And while these “protests” are often portrayed as causes for “black” athletes, many athletes The USA's Gwen Berry on the medal stand at the 2019 protest for other causes as well. Pan Am Games in Lima, Peru. The first known protest came from Irishman Peter Elton Alexander is a retired sports writer with over 40 years of experience who has covered major sports including college and professional football, baseball and basketball, professional golf, auto racing and the Olympics. He has worked at the Kansas City Star, Dayton Daily News, Detroit News and The Plain Dealer. 22 | codemmagazine.com
By Herb Boyd
Wole Coaxum A Banker for the Underserved
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When Michael Brown, an 18-year-old African American, was shot and killed in Ferguson, Missouri in 2014, it sent shock waves across the nation, reviving an activist movement. “Hands Up, Don’t Shoot,” was a chant that resonated from marches and rallies, symbolizing the incident in which an unarmed Brown was gunned down by a white police officer. Wole Coaxum was among those alarmed and outraged. “The protests reminded me of Eyes on the Prize,” he said, recalling the prize-winning television series that definitively documented the Civil Rights movement. Like millions of Americans, Coaxum was “woke” and ready to participate in the growing surge of protests that began in 2013 with the formation of “Black Lives Matter” following the shooting death of Trayvon Martin. The demonstrations and marches reminded Coaxum of the times in which his parents were actively involved in the movement, particularly the late sixties when Black Power was the cry. “They met at Boston University and were imbued with the fight for equal rights,” he said. “When I was born they decided I should have an African name and so I was named Wole.” Later, as a young man, he would meet the esteemed Nigerian playwright Wole Soyinka. “I still have the paper he signed in which he inscribed, —‘From one Wole to another.’ ” Coaxum’s deep political roots and the young Black men being
killed by the police, for all its negativity, had a strong, positive impact on him. “I knew I had to do something to solve the problems plaguing my community,” he said. “And one of the things I realized was that we lacked an economic agenda. I began devoting myself to filling that void, and if I didn’t my life would not be fulfilled.” Today, Coaxum remains committed to that credo. As the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Mobility Capital Finance, Inc. (MoCaFi), a startup financial company that leverages mobile technologies, data analytics and digital strategies to increase financial opportunities in underserved communities, he is well on his way to fulfilling that mission. “Our goal is to move people away from high cost alternative financial services,” he explained in a shorter version of his vision. His aim is to funnel folks into the financial mainstream, away from payday lenders, check cashing spots, pawn shops, et al, “so that they can live healthy, productive financial lives,” he added. It was Coaxum's early career experiences, combined with the activist spirit he inherited from his parents, that prepared him to conceive a plan of financial health and wellness for underserved, unbanked communities. Before the dream of MoCaFi became real in 2015, Coaxum was a Managing Director at JPMorgan Chase where he held a series of leadership positions in business banking, card services, and treasury and securities services. His tenure at JPMorgan Chase was a step up from his previous stint at Towers Watson where he served as Chief Financial Officer and C-suite positions at both Willis North America and Willis Canada. “I started my career at Citigroup where I worked in investment banking, asset management, insurance and corporate functions,” he said. “In building my company I feel so blessed to have worked with major banks and financial entities.” Complementing his experience, the Cleveland born and bred Coaxum, who turns 50 this year, has a wall full of citations and degrees, including a BA in history from Williams College and an MBA in finance from New York University. He serves on a number of boards and is a proud recipient of a Black Achievers
in Industry Award from the Harlem YMCA. Blessed with the credentials, the vision and the moxie, how do these factors translate into helping communities build their credit and acquire wealth? In other words, how does MoCaFi function and how is it a benefit to consumers? “First of all, MoCaFi is a mobile financial platform,” he begins, and you can hear the smile in his voice as he answers a question he has fielded numerous times. “We use a number of innovative ways to engage members. If you access our app, you can enroll in an FDIC insured bank account and have access to several features such as free transfers, mobile check deposits, and a savings account.” But what if you don’t have a mobile phone? “Our platform at the moment is set up to serve free banking only for those with mobile capability,” he replies. Keep in mind that 90 percent of the underserved community has mobile phones and 75 percent of those are smart phones. We’re going to offer both Android and iOS apps. In the community we’re targeting, Android is equally if not more prevalent, because of the low cost of the phone.” Accessing the MoCaFi app is easily done. After setting up an account, you are then advised on how to develop clearly defined financial goals for achieving wealth. The next step in the process is “creating a wealth mindset.” And finally, there are the five components of credit to address: one’s payment history, debt amounts, length of credit history, new credit, and credit mix. “Building credit is one of our three pillars,” Coaxum says. “That means a member can pay their rent, those rental payments are reported to various companies, and in this way build credit.” In 2015, the year he launched his company, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau reported that 45 million American consumers did not have credit scores, almost half of all consumers living in low income communities. “In fact,” Coaxum wrote in an article for the Amsterdam News a year ago, “26 million of those were described as ‘credit invisibles,’ meaning that there was zero credit history with national credit reporting agencies such as Equifax or Experian.” Information like this obviously bolstered his dream to do something about a pressing concern
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for underserved communities, a determination to make them visible. This facet of visibility is further enhanced after MoCaFi acquired the assets of the rent payment platform Rezzcard. He said the addition of Rezzcard, “strengthens our ability to provide individuals with a broader offering of innovative financial solutions that save people money and time.” Rent payments are a major portion of a family’s monthly expenses, which we can now address more efficiently.” Moreover, it’s another path into the financial mainstream. Empowering others is one thing, but how does MoCaFi make money? “We have multiple revenue streams,” he notes. “One is from transaction activity on our platform. Another is from fees for referrals to other financial products. We haven’t talked about it, but banks have an issue called CRA (Community Reinvestment Act), so to the extent we are active in communities that give banks access to CRA-type customers, they are happy to pay for those referrals. To the extent that we can serve up targeted ads in a mobile environment, that’s another revenue stream. The more we know about each individual, the more we can serve them opportunities to where they are at that moment. We intend to fully exploit that. We’re also thinking about a subscription model as we wrap in other products and services. Those are the four revenue streams.” While discussing the MoCaFi concept with my lawyer friend he said that what they are doing has been in effect for years in South Africa, that is, mobile
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banking. “Most of the people live in rural territories and don’t have the means to travel long distances to do their banking,” he said. “They have been doing it by cell phone or smart phones for years.” Many residents in urban areas have the same difficulty, Coaxum observed. “For example, consider the limited number of branches available for a particular bank right here in Manhattan. In minority majority areas, there are only 1.2 bank branches for every 1,000 households. This is compared to 3.6 bank branches for every 1,000 majority white households.” From his bases of operation in Harlem and Newark, New Jersey, Coaxum has an intimate connection to and comprehension of the financial issues and woes that trouble the underserved. The resultant sympathy extends well beyond the world of finance into the realm of human affairs as a recent incident exemplifies. Several years ago, while he was still at JP Morgan Chase, Coaxum heard his name called one night at Grand Central Station. He was stunned to see Nakesha Williams, bundled on a bench. They had not seen each other since they were students at Williams College, where they had been friends. He greeted her, silently trying to process the scene. He asked himself: How did you get here? Why are you sitting here homeless? According to a story published in The New York Times, Coaxum gave Nakesha his card, and later emailed her. “How wonderful it was to see you the other day,” he wrote. “Clearly, you’ve been working through a lot.” He offered to help “in whatever way I can.”
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau reported in 2015 that 45 million American consumers, almost half of all consumers living in low income communities, did not have credit scores. ... 26 million of them were described as “credit invisibles,” meaning that they had zero credit history with national credit reporting agencies like Equifax or Experian.
Founder and CEO Wole Coaxum leads a strategy session at Mobility Capital Financial, Inc.
Nakesha ultimately rejected the offer, saying the agency was not for her, it was for substance abusers. After his offices moved to Midtown, Mr. Coaxum continued to see Nakesha, on the grate at 46th Street and Park Avenue, sometimes on cold days when the rising steam kept her warm. He understood that homelessness was a reality, he said, “But it doesn’t necessarily happen to people that you know.” Later, when asked about any further contact with Nakesha, Coaxum said, “My experience with Nakesha served as an important reminder that all of us have a responsibility to help when we can. Difficult and challenging issues don’t go away if left unaddressed. Working to help others achieve and thrive brings meaning to my life and hopefully improves communities where I exist as well. This is
the definition of a life well lived.” A life well lived has been Coaxum’s mission since modeling it after his parents’ activism. Creation of MoCaFi is his way of spreading his gifts, his wealth and extending his gospel of a life well lived to others. Marketing strategist and media maven Bill Stephney, who after several minutes with Coaxum was swept into his orbit of wisdom and compassion, said “Wole possesses a rare combination of corporate leadership skills, along with a decided passion for positively impacting the lives of everyday folks disconnected from the politics of the boardroom. It is through his energetic determination that drives MoCaFi, via its innovative app, to assist people in managing spending, building credit, and creating wealth.”
Herb Boyd is an award-winning author and journalist who has published a number of books and countless articles for national magazines and newspapers. His most recent book is Black Detroit—A People’s History of SelfDetermination (Amistad, 2017), which has received several awards, including a finalist for an NAACP Image Award. WINTER 2020 | 27
Book Review
Good health care for patients of color not just a matter of diagnosis, prescription By Myron Bennett
Patient-Centered Clinical Care for African Americans: A Concise, Evidence-Based Guide to Important Differences and Better Outcomes by Gregory L. Hall, M.D. Springer International Publishing, 2020. 213 pp. $44.99, e-book $34.99
It’s an established fact that the American medical establishment has often not privileged the well-being of African American patients. The histories of the Tuskegee Syphilis Study, the forced sterilizations of black people, and the harvesting of Henrietta Lacks' cells for research are but a few of the most egregious examples that linger in the collective consciousness of many African Americans when interacting with non-African American health care providers. Even when those health care providers operate from the most benign and generous motivations, cultural differences can insinuate themselves into diagnoses and treatment that result in less than optimal outcomes for patients of color. Patient-Centered Clinical Care for African Americans: A Concise, Evidence-Based Guide to Important Differences and Better Outcomes, takes aim at this problem. Its author, Gregory L. Hall, MD, is well-equipped to tackle this subject and offer practical, evidence-based solutions. His credentials are exhaustive: in addition to his private practice, he holds faculty appointments at both Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine and Northeast Ohio Medical University, serves as medical director of Community Outreach for St. Vincent Charity Medical Center, is past chairman of the Ohio Commission on Minority Health, and is a board member of the Cuyahoga County Board of Health. In addition to a slew of other responsibilities, he has just launched the first academic center for African American health in the country at Cleveland State University.
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The book, written to guide his fellow physicians in ways they can develop culturally sensitive and patient centered clinical relationships with patients of color — specifically African Americans — draws from and references years of research related to the provision of patient centered care, the establishment of trusting relationships between patients and health care providers, and the history of exploitation and mistreatment of African American patients by the health care system and providers. Notwithstanding the depressing litany of neglect and abuse of patients of color by the medical establishment, Hall believes that non-African American providers can achieve high levels of trust with African Americans patients, by establishing a relationship based on mutual interests, clear communication, a history of fulfilled trust, and the elimination of any perceived difference in power. Hall writes that a provider who practices patient-centered care will place the power of the patient experience in the patient’s hands by attending to six specific behaviors: 1. emphasizing the patient’s health as the main focus of the medical visit; 2. checking the patient’s understanding concerning medical issues and treatment; 3. creating opportunities to establish and fulfill trust (personally following up with patients concerning test results, etc.); 4. humanizing the clinical experience by identifying personal similarities and mutual interests (e.g., hobbies, interests, experiences); 5. responding to the patient in a supportive and nonjudgmental way; and 6. promoting continuity of care (scheduling follow-up appointments, etc.). Hall emphasizes that getting to know patients by spending time with them is the best way to establish trust. In addition, it is important that providers recognize and address any bias that they may have related to race, social status, insurance status, or lifestyle. Health care providers must remember that they are working in a service role. Hall documents that patients are more open to providing health history information and receiving and following through on care education, when they feel that a provider is respectful, competent and truly concerned. This extends to the provider’s staff and office. In many cases, the reason patients offer to return to a particular provider for care is that they feel “welcomed.” When possible, Dr. Hall recommends that office staff reflect the population of patients being served. This provides a cultural bridge between the provider and the patient. Patients feel safer in an environment that is culturally familiar. The book does far more than offer pointers in building patient-centered relationships. Hall offers specific information to practitioners about medications, protocols, and other substantive matters related to the health care of black people. He offers valuable and tangible advice about important differences across a wide range of medical treatment for such illnesses as cancer, renal disease, diabetes and obesity, as well as matters of gastroenterology and hematology. He illuminates the importance of connecting with patients via stories that will improve patient adherence and compliance. This wise and informed book, if attended to by those offering medical services to people of color, will go a long way towards improving relationships and outcomes. Myron Bennett is a former health commissioner for the City of Cleveland, Ohio. Currently, he works as an independent public policy consultant and focuses largely on issues related to public health, community development, and economic development.
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Black Men & Mental Health: A Forbidden Fruit By Donald E. Grant, Jr., PsyD
The Bible, the Quran, and the Torah all tell similar stories about the famed Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. In case you have not heard this story – in short – Adam and Eve were just hanging in the Garden of Eden where they were allowed to enjoy the organically angelic fruit from any tree except one particular tree. If they ate the fruit from this tree they would then be “as gods, knowing good and evil.” The story continues that they were “deceived by a serpent” who convinced them that eating fruit from the only forbidden tree in the entire garden would be a good idea. I am no Bible scholar, nor do I know what barriers were put in place to keep the couple from eating this forbidden fruit, but once they did, they came upon a new awareness. Although this story is framed religiously as man’s first sin, colloquially, might it be seen as man’s first true clear look at himself? In today’s world there are Trees of Knowledge surrounding us from which we have been forbidden. Like Adam and Eve, Black men and their families have been inundated with intergenerational mandates that forbid us from certain “Trees.” Have you ever heard “I ain’t crazy, I don’t need to see a therapist”? Or perhaps this one, “If you just pray on it, it’ll be OK”? These responses to
even the mildest suggestion of mental health support demonstrate a strategic restriction on accessing this forbidden fruit. Might there be – as in the Garden of Eden – structures created and systems enacted that forbid us from some truths about “good and evil”? The book Medical Apartheid, demonstrates how systems (medical, government, and academic) committed some of the most heinous crimes against the Black body both before and after death. The research in Black Men, Intergenerational Colonialism, and Behavioral Health describes the origin of psychological practices and testing and how they have been weaponized against Black people — children specifically — since their inception. In the book, The Protest Diagnosis: How Schizophrenia Became a Black Disease, the author discusses how Black men, smelling the scent of the burgeoning Black Power movement in the 1950s and ’60s, were bamboozled when the professional psychological community deliberately changed the criteria of specific diagnoses to institutionalize Black men. In the world of mental health, there are essentially two major categories of services: voluntary and
Black men across generations have had some of the lowest rates of voluntary mental health engagement and some of the highest rates of forced services. WINTER 2020 | 33
involuntary. Voluntary services are exactly what they sound like, people who realize they might benefit from having a therapist and go find one. Sometimes these therapists are in private practice offices, in community mental health centers, or conducting different grouptype therapies. Involuntary services are a bit more complex. Incarcerated men, men residing in psychiatric facilities, men involved in child welfare systems, and men deemed a threat to themselves or others are the usual recipients of involuntary services. As a result of the school-to-prison pipeline and culturally punitive mental health structures, Black men across generations have had some of the lowest rates of voluntary mental health engagement and some of the highest rates of forced services. Unfortunately for Black men, we get to experience the general stressors of life along with the added burden of race-based stress. Racism (institutional, interpersonal, and internalized), discrimination, police brutality, underemployment, and toxic masculinity come together effectively to maintain oppressive force over our lives, our health, and our wealth potential. This is the case for Black men who are rich or poor, married or single, gay, hetero, or trans. The accumulated weight of this burden is enough to break anyone, even when
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they don’t know that they are being broken. Growing up, every man I knew who smoked, smoked menthol cigarettes to relieve their stress. We now know that certain brands like Newport, Kool, and Salem were marketed specifically to African Americans. Several states are currently activating or exploring a ban on these cigarettes. Malt liquor, initially marketed to upscale Whites in the 1950s and ’60s, soon became another offering to assist Black men in carrying this burden. High alcohol content beers like Colt 45, Schlitz, and King Cobra were sold in 40-ounce bottles and accompanied by marketing campaigns that included Billie Dee Williams, Richard Roundtree, Fred Williamson, and Redd Foxx. In the late ’90s Black people represented roughly 12% of the US population but 28% of the country’s malt liquor consumers. Activists of the late ’80s rallied against this deliberate marketing campaign aimed specifically at under-age Black men. Research demonstrates that tobacco use and alcohol consumption play a significant role in the four leading causes of death for Black Americans: heart disease, cancer, stroke, and diabetes. What this research fails to clearly state is how these deliberate campaigns often create deadly interventions for stress, trauma, and abuse when healthy options are hidden in plain sight.
Malt liquor was initially marketed to upscale Whites in the 1950s and ’60s. By the late ’90s Black people, who represented roughly 12% of the US population, were 28% of the country’s malt liquor consumers. As in the Garden of Eden, Black men are forbidden from eating fruit off the Tree of Knowledge and Truth. Seemingly unlike the experience of Adam and Eve in the Bible, however, Black men have been presented with a multitude of resources to help them forget about this tree’s existence. The propagation of drugs, tobacco, and alcohol in our communities has given us a small bandage that covers our gushing mental health wounds while worsening conditions like diabetes, community violence, suicide, and heart disease make us weak and dependent. Black men and the mental health community have a long and tenuous relationship. The barriers created to limit our access have worked. As a result, Black men die more frequently from disorders that are not fatal for most people. As a result, Black boys and adolescent males are among the fastest growing categories of Americans who both think about and commit suicide. These barriers have created the stigma with which we live today, a murderous stigma that has changed our communities in ways that defy succinct explanation or accurate measurement. We have in many ways been forbidden from this access, forcing us to suffer in silence. The messages about our masculinity combined with healing tools marketed to us creates a model riddled with risks. The forbidden tree is where our growth will arise. Breaking this stigma and being able to say, “I’m breaking, and I need to talk to someone” is our next critical step toward success. There are several ways that we can gain support both formally and informally. Here are some ideas that might motivate you to get the help and support you deserve: THERAPY/COACHING: Find a therapist or life coach in your community. You can walk into your local community mental health center, talk to your physician for a referral or visit PsychologyToday.com to find a therapist in your community. Some life coaches and therapists now offer internet-based services where you can get your needs met from the comfort of your
home. This can be a tough first step to take but most of us have encountered bigger battles. JOURNALING: Buy a journal and begin giving voice to your growth, anxieties, resiliency and struggles by writing. Journaling has been proven to promote healing and reflection. COPING FLEXIBILITY: Work to increase your coping flexibility. Our self-efficacy is reinforced when we engage a more diverse set of tools to help cope with life’s stressors. STUDY HISTORY: Study our pre-colonial African history to access ancestral strength models. By engaging with these stories, we have the ability to combat the deficit based history that oppressive forces have presented us with and defined us by. SUPPORT GROUPS: Identify community support groups that provide opportunities to engage with people going through similar experiences. Groups include Stress Relief, Depression Support, Alcoholics Anonymous, Smoking Cessation, Anxiety Mediation and Meditation to name a few. Your health care provider might also have a schedule of groups that meet regularly. EXERCISE: Creating an exercise regimen is important for many reasons. When we sweat we actually release the stress hormone cortisol from our bodies; cortisol build up is the reason we experience feelings of stress. Physical activity also provides significant protective factors to our overall health. Group activities and classes like yoga, boot camps, basketball and soccer might also create an additional layer of social support. It is much easier for us to sit in our pain because that is what many of us have been trained to do. There is, however, another way. What if happiness was just a call away? Take the next step so that you can honor yourself and your community by accessing resources that make you your best you!
Donald E. Grant Jr., PsyD, is executive director of Mindful Training Solutions, LLC and of the Center for Community and Social Impact at Pacific Oaks College in Pasadena, CA, He has served as a public school science teacher, a clinical psychologist, an academic dean, director of Pepperdine University’s Urban Fellowship program, and a professor at several colleges and universities. He holds a BS in Biology from Hampton University and a doctorate of Clinical Psychology with an emphasis in Multi-Cultural Community Psychology. WINTER 2020 | 35
By Howard A. Myrick Honor, commemorate, and celebrate are words associated with the observance of Black American/African American History Month. Although the associated activities occurring during the month tend to be solemn, there is also a celebratory aspect – a rejoicing in the awareness of the accomplishment of the race and its contributions to the nation. It is a time of taking pride in the positive accomplishment of the race and its contributions to the nation. It is a time of taking pride in the positive impact that African Americans have made to the country – advancing the pursuit of the ideals and values of democracy. This combining of commemoration and celebration is a duality worth noting. The commemorative and celebratory duality is — and has been over the years — especially reflected in the works of African American artists, notably in poetry, music, and literature. This poetic duality is reflected for example, in Paul Robeson’s singing “Ballad for Americans,” a highly poignant and patriotic cantata.
Paul Robeson
Although performed by others, Robeson’s rendition is canonical — for a while almost considered his “signature” song — performed countless times following his debut performance November 5, 1939 on CBS radio. Especially moving are the lyrics describing an ethnic and racially inclusive America: “Who am I?...I’m just an Irish, Negro, Jewish, Italian, French and English, Spanish, Russian, Chinese, Polish, Scotch, Hungarian… and double-check American,” followed by a recitation of various religions. Later versions changed WINTER 2020 | 37
“Negro” to “African” and added Muslim to the list of religions. A proud duality of commemoration and celebration is reflected in poems, novels, and speeches of numerous African Americans — and in various creative and scholarly works with exhortations of strength, resilience, and determination. The literary works of Langston Hughes contain some shining examples. One of his poems that comes to mind: “I, too, sing America,” containing the words “…I am the darker brother. They send me to eat in the kitchen… When company comes…But I laugh and eat well and grow strong. Tomorrow, I’ll be at the table…nobody’ll dare say to me ‘Eat in the kitchen’ then. Besides, they’ll see how beautiful I am and be ashamed…I, too, am America.”
Langston Hughes
Another Langston Hughes poem worth revisiting is “Mother to Son”: “Life for me ain’t been no crystal stair …but all the time I’se been a climin' on, …So boy, don’t you turn back!” The challenge to move forward is repeated often; for example, Sterling Brown’s poem “one thing they cannot prohibit — The strong men … Coming on. The strong men gittin’ stronger. Strong men. … Stronger … (Sterling A. Brown, “After Winter,” 1932). In a similar vein, Martin Luther King’s words are repeated often “even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow … I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream” (Martin Luther King, Jr., Aug. 28, 1963. The March on Washington). Present everywhere is the challenge to move forward combined with evidence of resilience and tenacity — combined with a remarkable celebratory component. The words of Henry Louis Gates come to mind: “I want to be able to take a special pride in a Jessye Norman aria, a Muhammad Ali shuffle, a Michael Jordan slam dunk, a Spike Lee movie, a Thurgood Marshall opinion, a James Brown camel walk. Above all I enjoy the unselfconscious moments of shared cultural intimacy, whatever form they take…” (Henry Louis Gates, Jr., Colored People: A Memoir, 1994). So, contrary to the assertion of one unfortunate, uninformed acquaintance, speaking dismissively of the progress of African Americans, stating “All we’ve gained is more roaming space on the plantation,” my response: How big is that plantation? Does it extend to the depths of the ocean, outer space, the White House? African Americans have been to all of these places – and with more and more to come. Henry Louis Gates, Jr.
That’s what I think. What do you think?
Howard A. Myrick, PhD Professor Emeritus, Temple University, Klein College of Media and Communication, Philadelphia, PA. Contact: hmyr@aol.com 38 | codemmagazine.com
The Chronicles Of Aspirations:
Brandon Laster
Many Americans return home each year from jails and prisons throughout our country. Each typically faces a number of challenges upon return. Obtaining a job is one of the biggest difficulties. Brandon Laster was one of those American citizens returning home. He was serving eight years at the United States Penitentiary, Leavenworth in Kansas because of bank fraud. Rather than waiting until he was released to try to find a job, he began a campaign to gain employment even before he was released from prison. He handwrote letters to the chief executive officers of dozens of businesses and organizations. He succeeded in getting considered for jobs by several of the businesses. He chose to go to work as an employee at a franchise of Enviro-Master in Chicago in 2018. Mr. Laster explained that he saw the offer from EnviroMaster as a career opportunity – not just as a job. In the following year, with the help of his father providing initial capital, Mr. Laster was able to become part-owner of the franchise. Today, he and his father are partners in the franchise. Richard McDonough recently asked Mr. Laster about the challenges he faced, how he overcame some of the difficulties faced by others, and his aspirations as a business. Here follows the questions and answers. Brandon Laster went from returning citizen to employee to business owner in less than two years. WINTER 2020 | 39
Some criminal justice facts from the United States Department of Justice: • An estimated 6,613,500 persons were under correctional supervision – incarcerated as well as supervised in the community on probation or parole – in the USA on December 31, 2016. Of that number, about 2,162,400 people were incarcerated in prisons and local jails in the USA in 2016. • At least 95% of all State prisoners will be released from prison at some point, according to a study published in 2002. • A recidivism study in 1994 estimated that within 3 years, 51.8% of prisoners released during the year were back in prison either because of a new crime for which they received another prison sentence, or because of a technical violation of their parole. • Among discharges from State parole in 1999, 39% of males successfully completed parole supervision compared to 48% of females. • Success rates were higher among discharges from State parole in 1999 that were age 55 years or older (54%) than among those who were under age 25 years (36%). • About 41% of inmates in the Nation’s State and Federal prisons and local jails in 1997 and 31% of probationers had not completed high school or its equivalent, according to a study in 2003. In comparison, 18% of the general population age 18 years or older had not finished the 12th grade. • In 2015, the imprisonment rate for black adults was 1,745 persons for every 100,000 Americans. The imprisonment rate for Hispanic adults was 820 per 100,000 in the same year; for white adults, the imprisonment rate was 312 per 100,000 in 2015. 40 | codemmagazine.com
Richard McDonough (RM): Describe a difficulty you faced as you built your business and how you resolved that challenge. Brandon Laster (BL): We are a franchise-based business, so our corporate team supports us on any arising difficulties. However, finding and hiring the best team players is always a challenge. We’ve taken the unorthodox approach of seeking out individuals from all walks of life including those with “less desirable” backgrounds. (We believe that there is an overlooked talent pool of unemployed individuals walking amongst us every day). We’ve utilized our “open minded canvas” to strengthen our workforce and decrease employee turnover. RM: Describe a difficulty in your life, outside of business, and how you resolved that challenge. BL: My difficulties came in the form of wanting instant gratification versus delayed. My immediate thinking had me under the false impression that working hard wasn’t a byproduct of success. The reality is, in order to be successful, you must roll up your sleeves and get dirty. Now I’m involved in every facet of the business from front office to back office operations. RM: Describe a success you achieved as you built/ are building your business and how that success was achieved. BL: Our executive team is fortunate in that we all share a common vision for this organization coupled with the expertise to accomplish our goals. That being said, all of our decisions are collective, and we evaluate each of them before coming to a final conclusion. This complements the “team building philosophy” and adds a flavorful dose of creativity within our organization. RM: Describe a success you achieved in your life, outside of business, and how that success was achieved. BL: For me, being part of a successful franchise system wherein it felt as if the corporate team was more like family than a business spectator was most important. I had heard the horror stories and was aware of corporations that offered little if any help. The founder and CEO of Enviro-Master, Pat Swisher, and the entire corporate office embraced me with open arms. Their willingness to extend
all of their support behind us has insured our overall success. Aligning yourself with the proper franchise is critical to your success. RM: Detail someone who helped you when times were difficult, what that assistance involved, and how that assistance helped you. BL: I have a personal mentor named Randy Johnson who lives his life devoted to the service of others. He has helped me with the inevitable, but daunting task of becoming a man. His guidance has helped me in the arena of spirituality, leadership, and being a Good Samaritan. Whenever I’ve had issues “large or small” Randy has been there as a friend, father and mentor who won’t give up on you until you’ve grown out of whatever situation that’s currently pressing. He is truly one of our Lord’s most courageous and loving creations. RM: Explain what you aspire to do with your life today. Is/are those aspirations of today different from your aspirations earlier in life? BL: My main goal is to build my business so that I can facilitate the hiring of “less fortunate” individuals and help them achieve “some if not all” of their financial aspirations. A few years back, I would have thought that a business is all about making you money. Now I understand that it’s about protecting your employees, providing for your community, and believing in yourself. RM: How do you describe leadership? BL: Leadership is the greatest responsibility. It entails being a model for others and setting the standard of where you want your organization to go during your tenure and afterwards. To lead is to have a vision that is foreseeable by the individuals you are communicating with, then inspiring them to achieve those goals as if they created them themselves. RM: Describe what your business does. Your services. Has it grown, decreased in size, or been stable in revenue and operations? Provide specifics (revenue, number of clients, etc.) when possible.
BL: Enviro-Master Services, is a disease prevention and odor control company, specializing in the safety and sanitation of commercial and public restrooms. Our tag line is “We kill the germs that kill your business.” Public restrooms have a cesspool of infectious diseases including influenza, MRSA, E. coli, salmonella, and a host of other harmful bacteria. What we do is protect your business and your brand by protecting your employees and your customers. Our franchise has grown substantially. We have a customer base of 700 plus in the Chicagoland area with revenues north of $1.9 million dollars. RM: What advice would you give a man in today's world? Would that advice be different depending on the age of the man? Would that advice be different if the man was African American or Hispanic American? Would that advice be different if the man was in business or if he was in government service, going to school, or in another place in life? BL: All men are created equal and the message is the same across the board. “Never compromise when it comes to your dreams, ambitions or life goals.” If there is something you want to achieve, don’t look for excuses of why you are not where you want to be. Instead start searching to find the steps you need to take to get to your destination. We are our biggest motivators and supporters, if we focus on where we need to be, and don’t rely on excuses to deter our locomotive and get us off track we will get there. “Always believe in yourself!” RM: What role do you view education as compared to real-world experience in leadership? BL: A formal education is a necessity when it comes to running any successful business or organization. You can learn certain things behind the desk or out in the field, but real-world experience is synonymous with classroom experience as well. “Don’t ever cheat yourself” as you want the edge to benefit you in any scenario. Having the benefit of the classroom experience and the leadership that comes with running a morally-motivated front office is an indemand attribute.
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Enviro-Master CEO Pat Swisher (left) understands the value of a hand up. Photo provided by Enviro-Master.
Brandon Laster sent letters to a number of businesses seeking a job upon his release from prison. He sent one of those letters to Mr. Pat Swisher, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Enviro-Master. Mr. Swisher was familiar with the difficulties people face when they are released from prison as he had been incarcerated and served time behind bars years earlier. Thus, when returning citizens asked for help, Mr. Swisher was willing to consider their individual situations. “All the letters I received from inmates were requests for employment,” explained Mr. Swisher. “Most importantly I tried to get to know the inmate as a person to determine if they were serious in starting a new career, and did they accept responsibility for their actions. I responded to all the letters I received and tried to determine (through the mail) if any of the positions we had fit the individual’s personality and background. If I felt that there may be a favorable match, I would send the inmate a personality test, which we give to all applicants to determine which positions best fit their personality.”
Brandon Laster's inquiry found a sympathetic ear and led to a lifechanging opportunity.
“In Brandon’s case we had corresponded for months prior to discussing an employment position,” Mr. Swisher continued. “From the months of correspondence, I felt like Brandon was a good person who had made a mistake, accepted responsibility, paid his dues, learned his lesson, and deserved a second chance. Testing revealed Brandon’s personality fit a sales position we had available in his hometown of Chicago. Unfortunately, most inmates have limited resources, which limits the positions they can accept straight out of prison. For example, do they need a car, a driver's license, etc. Fortunately for Brandon, he had a family in Chicago, which helped him get settled and started in his new position.” Richard McDonough is a prolific writer whose work has graced many publications. He lives in Philadelphia, PA. 42 | codemmagazine.com
how to
protect yourself from becoming the next victim of police brutality By Chanda Neely When the flashing lights from the police cruiser reflected through Wesley Preston’s rearview mirror, the 50-year-old black father of two became nervous as he pulled his car to the side of the suburban Atlanta roadway. Preston knew his taillight was broken, but that was the least of his worries as the white cop approached the car. “I was driving through a pretty nice neighborhood around midnight and I’m usually not out that late,” Preston said, recalling details of the traffic stop that happened more than three years ago like it was yesterday. “It was right after Philando Castile had gotten shot. … When I was growing up my Dad always told me that if I ever got pulled over to tell them that I was carrying.” That night Preston didn’t take his late father’s advice and Preston believes the decision to not tell police he had a handgun in the car may have saved his life. “He gave me a warning and let me go home,” Preston said, “but if he knew I had a gun, even though I have a permit, things could have gone very differently.” A US Department of Justice report supports Preston’s theory that he has a greater chance of being a victim of police brutality just because he is a black man. WINTER 2020 | 43
“Blacks were more likely than whites to experience force,” according to a DOJ report with national police use-of-force statistics released in 2015, the latest available. “Males and younger persons ages 16–25 were more likely to experience police contact than females and persons ages 26 and older.” Only 4.7 percent of the 44 million Americans ages 16 and older who had face-to-face contact with police during the 2002–2011 report period were minorities, but African Americans and Hispanics accounted for 23 percent of the incidents where officers threatened or used nonfatal force, the DOJ report shows. “A lot of times in my car, I am carrying,” said Preston, a minister and counseling ministry leader at New Life Church in Decatur, GA. “I’m nervous because when police run into a black man, they automatically consider me a criminal. “Philando Castile was killed because he had a CCW; that’s why they shot him,” Preston added. The nation watched live on Facebook as a mortally wounded Castile, 32, slumped in a car during a July 2016 traffic stop in a St. Paul, Minn. suburb. Castile died after officer Jeronimo Yanez shot him seven times. Castile had told Yanez that he had a gun. Yanez later was acquitted of all charges related to Castile’s death, but he was fired from his job. Investigators later found that Castile had a gun permit.
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According to the American Civil Liberties Union, being stopped by police can be a “stressful situation that can go bad quickly,” but the human rights advocate says staying calm and not making any sudden movements may help reduce your risk. “We want to be clear: the burden of de-escalation does not fall on private citizens – it falls on police officers,” the ACLU said in a written statement. “However, you cannot assume officers will behave in a way that protects your safety or that they will respect your rights even after you assert them.” The ACLU offers the following tips to reduce your risk during police encounters. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.
Stay calm. Do not run, resist, or obstruct officers. Do not lie or give false documents. Keep your hands where police can see them. If pulled over, stop the car in a safe place. Turn off the car, turn on the internal light, open the window part way, and place your hands on the wheel. If you’re in the passenger’s seat, place your hands on the dashboard. Upon request, show your driver’s license, registration, and proof of insurance. Avoid making sudden movements and keep your hands where the officer can see them.
It’s also important to know your rights, said Cleveland attorney James Hardiman, who has practiced law for more than 50 years. Hardiman’s client list includes the NAACP and police protestors. He also is a former legal director of the ACLU of Ohio. “You have the right to remain silent; anything you say can and will be used against you; and you have the right to counsel,” Hardiman said. “People get intimidated when police show up with a gun and they think they have to participate and make a statement, but it’s only when they start talking that they tend to get in trouble,” Hardiman added. “The police aren’t there to protect your rights; they’re there to arrest you and by talking you give them ammunition. You can’t get in trouble for what you don’t say, but you can and tend to get in trouble for what you do say.” The ACLU lists the following rights you should remember at www.aclu.org: IF AN OFFICER STOPS YOU IN PUBLIC:
• • •
You have the right to remain silent. You do not have to answer any questions; however, in some states you may be required to provide your name if an officer asks you to identify yourself and an officer can arrest you if you refuse. You do not have to consent to a search of yourself or your belongings, but police may pat you down if they suspect a weapon. Refusing may not stop the officer from searching but if you voice your objection before or during the search it may help you in any future legal proceedings. You do not have to answer questions about where you were born, whether you are a US citizen or how you entered the country. This rule does not apply at international borders, airports, or for certain people on non-immigrant visas, including tourists and business travelers. WINTER 2020 | 45
IF YOU’RE ARRESTED OR DETAINED:
• You have the right to remain silent. • You have the right to a government-appointed attorney. • You have the right to make a local phone call. “Say you want to remain silent and ask for an attorney immediately,” the ACLU said in a written statement. “Don’t say or sign anything without a lawyer. You have the right to make a local phone call and police cannot listen if you call a lawyer. They can listen if you call anyone else.” IF YOU THINK YOU ARE WITNESSING ABUSE OR POLICE BRUTALITY:
• • • •
Stand at a safe distance and use your phone to record the incident. Do not try to hide the fact that you are recording. Officers may not confiscate or demand to view your videos or photos without a warrant and they may not delete them. Write down everything you remember, including officers’ badge and patrol car numbers, agencies they were from, how many officers were involved, and all officers’ names. Also document any use of weapons and any injuries. If you are able to speak to the person after police leave, it may help to provide your contact information in case they file a complaint or pursue a lawsuit against the officers.
“As long as you do not interfere with what the officers are doing and do not stand close enough to obstruct their movements, you have the right to observe and record events that are plainly visible in public spaces,” the ACLU advises. “If an officer orders you to stop recording or orders you to hand over your phone, you should politely but firmly tell the officer that you do not consent to doing so and remind the officer that taking photographs or video is your right under the First Amendment.” If you think your rights have been violated, write down all details about the encounter you can remember, including the officers’ names, patrol car numbers and agencies they work for, as well as contact information for witnesses. Seek medical attention immediately and take pictures of any injuries. File a complaint with the agency’s internal affairs division or civil affairs board. For more information, visit www.aclu.org or contact your local ACLU office. View the complete DOJ report here.
Chanda Neely is a veteran multimedia journalist who has covered crime and politics for nearly 20 years. She lives in Cleveland, Ohio.
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#ManCODES:
Time, Talents, Treasures TIME:
“The two most powerful warriors are patience and time.” – Leo Tolstoy “Time is the wisest counselor of all.”– Pericles “Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life.” – Steve Jobs “There are two days in my calendar: This day and that day.” – Martin Luther “Change your 24 hours and you will change your life.” – Eric Thomas TALENTS:
“Talent hits a target no one else can hit. Genius hits a target no one else can see.” – Arthur Schopenhauer “Every artist was first an amateur.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson “The artist is nothing without the gift, but the gift is nothing without work.” – Émile Zola “Hard work beats talent when talent fails to work hard.” – Kevin Durant “Our talents are the gift that God gives to us... What we make of our talents is our gift back to God” – Leo Buscaglia TREASURES:
“Where your pleasure is, there is your treasure: where your treasure, there your heart; where your heart, there your happiness.” – Saint Augustine “The greatest treasures are those invisible to the eye but found by the heart.” – Judy Garland “I have just three things to teach: simplicity, patience, compassion. These three are your greatest treasures.” – Laozi “Treasures and armies do not make a king. A true king is a king within himself.” – Rumi WINTER 2020 | 47