our mississippi issue 1

ourMississippi summer 2011

“Our State, Our Lives, Our People”

Hattiesburg Mayor

Johnny DuPree Dr. Donald Cole’s Triumphant Return to Ole Miss

Discussion with Mississippi Trailblazer

Reuben Anderson

City’s first African-American Mayor talks about his goals for the city.

Pictured: Mayor and Mrs. Johnny DuPree

Touring Mississippi Tackling

Health Disparities State’s Cardiovascular Disease Mortality Rate Remains Nation’s Highest

ourMississippi Fall 2011

“Our State, Our Lives, Our People”

Cassi Davis In Her Own Words Mississippi raised actress talks about her life and career.

10 of the state’s top

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Emily Grace Nunnelee and Morris King “Trey” Thompson, III Photography by Stephanie Rhea Our Mississippi Magazine is published bi-monthly by Legend Publishing Company, Copyright 2010, Legend Publishing Company. Reproduction without written consent from the publisher is strictly prohibited. OM is not responsible for unsolicited materials. We welcome your comments. Letters to the editor should be mailed to: Our Mississippi Magazine P.O. Box 1388 | Tupelo, MS 38802 Those interested in advertising can email us at: legendpublishing@comcast.net or call (662) 844-2602. www.ourmississippimag.com

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Cover Story

contents summer 2011

Hattiesburg Mayor DuPree sets sights on Governor’s mansion

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The account of an Activist African Americans of theMississippi State House of Representatives African Americans of the Mississippi State Senate Mississippi Mass Choir continues to entertain world wide Small town Mississippi upbringing serves big role for Clark Brothers new sports story Mississippi’s black colleges were once NFL darlings Meet Wanda Collier-Wilson Hattiesburg Museum features African American war history Touring mississippi Back to the Basics In Order to Move Forward Ormella Cummings, Ph.D. The DiversityInc Top 10 Companies for Blacks Sisters Network Chapter serving women well Diabetes Prevention Preventative Screening is best defense know your numbers A CALL TO MEN in Tunica a time to heal events

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Hattiesburg Mayor DuPree sets sights on Governor’s mansion

By Cristal Cody

H

attiesburg Mayor Johnny L. DuPree is making plans to run for governor of Mississippi on the Democratic ticket.

If he succeeds, he would be the state’s first African-American governor. But that’s not why he’s doing it.

In fact, Mayor DuPree wants race left out of it, if possible.

“I’m not trying to be Mississippi’s first black governor,” he said during an interview. “Every position I’ve attempted to be elected to or appointed to was because I thought I could make a difference.

Mississippi can do better. That’s why I’m running.”

Republican Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour, who took office January 13, 2004, is bound by term limits and cannot run again when the term ends in 2011. The state has been dominated by Republi-

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cans in major offices since Kirk Fordice was elected governor in 1991.

The first thing DuPree is focused on is winning the Democratic primary on Aug. 2. The general election is Nov. 8.

DuPree will be campaigning against three other Democrats who qualified to run for governor – William Bond Compton of Meridian, attorney and businessman Bill Luckett of Clarksdale and Guy Dale Shaw of Coffeeville, a former Yalobusha County tax assessor.

The qualified Republican candidates include Lt. Gov. Phil Bryant.

“After that process has been completed, then I’ll focus on the second thing,” DuPree said.

DuPree notes that it’s not hard to find an area where Mississippi, long near the bottom of most

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“Every position I’ve attempted to be elected to or appointed to was because I thought I could make a difference. Mississippi can do better.

That’s why I’m running.”

bragged about national lists and often tied with Arkansas for the top in surveys no state wants to lead, could improve.

Last year, Mississippi claimed the title of the fattest state for the fifth straight year in 2010 surveys.

“Just pick one,” DuPree said. “Our education system – 60 percent of our schools are failing with the highest dropout rate. We are the most obese state in the nation. We need people diligently working on all those things that would make the state much better for our all our citizens.”

DuPree’s term as Hattiesburg mayor, which started in July 2001, ends in June 2013. In 2009, Hattiesburg was listed as one of the top 10 places to launch a small business by CNN-Forbes.

Hattiesburg is the state’s fourth largest city with a population of nearly 50,000 and located less than 90 minutes from New Orleans. The city also is home to the University of Southern Mississippi and Camp Shelby Training Center, a deployment site for troops sent to Iraq.

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DuPree gradated with a doctoral degree in urban higher education from Jackson State University in 2006 and holds master and bachelor degrees in political science from the University of Southern Mississippi. He graduated from Hattiesburg High School in 1972 and runs a local real estate agency with his wife.

Until the August primary, DuPree is spending his time traveling the state, from the Gulf Coast to North Mississippi. He started the year’s speaking engagements in January with a stop in Tupelo and then hit Columbus, Meridian and Senatobia.

“We’re looking to include everybody – Republicans, Democrats, rich, poor, black and white through a grassroots campaign,” he said. OM

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The account of an

Activist

The University of Mississippi’s Donald Cole Discusses His Past and Present Efforts as an Activist for Civil Rights and Diversity

By Ainsley Rogers

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sk Dr. Donald Cole of the University of Misthe time, he felt the resistance to integration intentionally sissippi his definition of diversity, and he’ll be directed at him. Individuals would block the walk for Cole, quickly ready with an answer: forcing him to walk around, or wave Rebel flags, a previ“Diversity is that we have a homogenous ous token of the University of Mississippi, in his face. These society in which prejudices are eliminated on superficial actions created an awakening that discomforted Cole and grounds,” he’ll say. many other minority students on campus, he said.

As part of the administration at Ole Miss, Cole is comDisturbed by the lack of actions in helping the campus mitted to this type of diversity on the campus at which he become more accepting of integration, Cole and other works, and the society in which he lives. But for this adminority students found themselves uncomfortable and ministrator, an early career as a civil rights activist is what discontent. They felt the administration could take action initiated his commitment to diversity. to take a stand that would, at the least, improve their conOriginally from Jackson, Miss., Cole was thrown into the fidence level in attending the university. So they began to heart of the civil rights movement from childhood. take action themselves, Cole said.

“Throughout my career in Jackson’s high school, I was “Because America was in an uproar, we too, here, began always in the segregated school system, leading up to my to protest everything from the like of civility, to the treatbeing a freshman at the ment, to the need of the University of Mississipuniversity to open up pi,” Cole said. “That was itself in a much broader perhaps the first time I sense and engage in had been in an instituactivities that would tion that was ever being protect the rights of midiversified.” norities, and continue Among entering the to be more open,” said University of Mississippi Cole. in 1968, Cole expected Cole and other mia thoroughly integrated nority students asked campus due to James the administration Meredith’s arrival on for a single minority campus six years before. professor on campus, However, he quickly and to integrate the discovered many aspects athletic programs as of the university were well. But these students still in the process of felt that their requests change. were “falling on deaf “As I got here, I did ears”, causing them to discover there were protest more and more, still people that had Cole said. These events not served individuals would lead up to these like myself. There were student activists’ largest people who had not protest for civil rights. taught individuals like Cole and other mimyself. And there were nority students learned people who had not of the arrival of an inbeen around or taken ternational group called classes with people like “Up With the People” myself. on the University of The university had Mississippi campus at not been thoroughly Fulton Chapel. In light integrated in that there of this momentous were still “pockets of event, the students saw resistance” throughout opportunity. the university,” Cole “Our thought was described. that if we could protest Because Cole was when they were here, Dr. Cole is pictured in this late 1970’s photo with Tupelo Attorney Kenneth Mayfield, whom was also expelled from the University with Cole. a minority student at we would draw atten-

“Because America was in an uproar, we too, here, began to protest everything from the like of civility, to the treatment, to the need of the university to open up itself in a much broader sense and engage in activities that would protect the rights of minorities, and continue to be more open.”

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tion to the university and that attention would cause the university to change its way,” Cole said. “In our thoughts and perspective, it would cause the university to speak out against discrimination, to be more open and energetic in involving all the citenzry of its state.”

The students carried out their plan. When the group was performing on campus, around 95 percent of black students participated in the demonstration that swarmed the Fulton Chapel stage and protested the treatment of minorities at the University of Mississippi, Cole said. But after exiting the chapel, all protestors were promptly arrested and taken to the local jail. When this jail become overcrowded with students, the rest were taken to Parchman, the state penitentiary.

“I had come to the University of Mississippi to get a degree, and I had ended up with a jail certificate,” Cole said.

After a long judicial process and multiple appeals, Cole and eight other students were dismissed from the University of Mississippi. But this event did not discourage Cole in continuing his education elsewhere, he said.

After finishing his bachelor’s degree at Tougaloo College and a master’s degree at the University of Michigan, Cole then applied to the mathematics doctorate program at the University of Mississippi. However, it wasn’t clear whether Cole could return because of a vagueness in records of whether he had been suspended or expelled after the protest, Cole explained.

“I recall that the first black administrator had been on campus, and my application ended up landing on his desk,” Cole said. “He recalled the turbulent sixties where everyone was protesting, and he suggested that I be allowed to come back.”

In 1977, Cole returned to the University of Mississippi campus to pursue his Ph.D. “The million dollar question is why would I apply back here. I suspect its because I had actually come here to get a degree, and had left degree-less. I suspect, perhaps, it was because as I came initially, I didn’t come by myself. My church members, the community, all rallied behind me as an effort to get me here. So I suspect it was trying to fulfill all the expectations, not only that I had, but of those that all the other people had of me, and the investment they had put in me to come here initially.”

Now, after a career in the mathematics industry and an academia position at Florida A&M, Cole is now

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back on the University of Mississippi campus, a place that is as interwoven in his history as his roots.

“It was easy to come back,” Cole said. “I’m a Mississippian. And it’s easy to come back to Mississippi.”

Cole now serves in an administrative capacity and as a faculty member in the department of mathematics at the University of Mississippi.

He is an associate professor of mathematics, which allows him to interact with students on campus, and also holds the title of Assistant Provost and Assistant to the Chancellor for Multicultural Affairs. In this position, Cole works with faculty members and handles aspects of academics that affect the university, and serves the Chancellor by acting as “Chief Diversity Officer” on campus.

Cole said his experiences in the civil rights movement played heavily on what he has done and what he does in helping minority students pursue higher education.

“I love the state, and I love my institution,” Cole said.

“And it’s a public institution. I want the public of Mississippi to be involved in it and be a part of it.”

Cole said because the university is committed to overcoming the lingering image of the hostility showcased by the University of Mississippi during its integration, he feels “uniquely and strategically placed” because of his experiences to be a part of the process.

For the future, Cole hopes his participation as a civil rights activist will pave the way for the younger generations to continue to bridge any gaps that may still linger.

With three children of his own, Cole said he hopes to see a progression of diversity in their, and others their age, efforts.

“I’m depending heavily on them and their generation to rid our society of a few problems that my generation, my era, could not rid ourselves of,” Cole said of the younger generation for the future of diversity. “I am hoping that their minds will be freer than my mind. It’s my prayer that the distrust that the races have had and people with prejudices have had, that their generation will not have. I am hoping and praying that dialogues my generation finds too difficult to undertake in a civil way will be a much easier dialogue for them, and that that continued dialogue will eventually lead to a coming together, a seeing of a more commonality that we have, as opposed to the differences.” OM

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African Americans of the Mississippi State House of Representatives

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Adrienne Wooten District 71, Hinds, Rankin

Alyce G. Clarke District 69, Hinds

America Chuck Middleton District 85, Adams, Claiborne, Hinds, Jefferson, Warren

Angela Cockerham District 96, Adams, Amite, Pike, WIlkinson

Billy Broomfield District 110, Jackson

Bryant Clark District 47, Attala, Holmes, Yazoo

Chuck Espy District 26, Coahoma, Quitman

Clara Burnett District 9, Coahoma, Panola, Quitman, Tate, Tunica

Credell Calhoun District 68, Hinds

David Gibbs District 36, Clay, Lowndes, Monroe

David W. Myers District 98, Pike, Walthall

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Earle Banks District 67, Hinds

Edward Blackmon, Jr. District 57, Madison

Esther Harrison District 41, Lowndes

Ferr Smith District 27, Attala, Leake, Madison, Yazoo

Frances Fredericks District 119, Harrison

George Flaggs, Jr. District 55, Warren

Gregory Holloway District 76, Claiborne, Copiah, Hinds

Joe C. Gardner District 11, Panola, Tate

Joe W. Hines, Sr. District 50, Washington

Kelvin Buck Disrtict 5, Benton, Marshall

Kimberly C. Buck District 72, Hinds, Madison

Linda F. Coleman District 29, Bolivar

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Mary H. Coleman District 65, Hinds, Madison.jpg

Omeria Scott District 80, Clarke, Jasper, Jones.jpg

Percy W. Watson District 103, Forrest.jpg

Reecy L. Dickson District 42, Kemper, Lauderdale, Noxubee

Robert L. Johnson III District 94, Adams, Claiborne, Jefferson

Rufus Straughter District 51, Hymphreys, Issaquena, Sharkey, Washington, Yazoo

Sara R. Thomas District 31, Sunflower

Tyrone Ellis District 38, Clay Lowndes, Noxubee, Oktibbeha

Walter C. Robinson, Jr. District 63, Hinds

Wilbert L. Jones District 82, Lauderdale

Willie Bailey District 49, Washington

Willie J. Perkins, Sr. District 32, Leflore

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African Americans of the Mississippi State Senate

Albert Butler-District 36, Claiborne, Copiah, Hinds, Jefferson

Alice Harden-District 28, Hinds

Bennie L. Turner-District 16, Clay, Lowndes, Noxubee, Oktibbeha

David Jordan-District 24, Holmes, Leflore, Tallahatchie

Derrick T. Simmons-District 12, Bolivar, Washington

Eric Powell-District 4, Alcorn, Tippah, Tishomingo

Hillma Terome Frazier-District 27, Hinds

John Horhn-District 26, Hinds, Madison

Kelvin E. Butler-District 38, Adams, Amite, Pike, Walthall, Wilkinson

Kenneth Wayne Jones-District 21, Attala, Holmes, Madison, Yazoo

Sampson Jackson, II=District 32, Kemper, Lauderdale, Noxubee, Winston

Willie Simmons-District 13, Bolivar, Humphreys, Sunflower

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music

Mississippi Mass Choir continues to entertain world wide

By ?

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or twenty two years, gospel fans have been touched by the awesome talent of the Mississippi Mass Choir. Some faces have changed, but the choir’s mission remains the same; “evangelizing the world in song.”In fact, Mayor DuPree wants race left out of it, if possible.

They have ministered in song in over 40 states within the USA, including Alaska. They have been fortunate enough to travel to international stages in

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countries such as Japan, Italy, Spain, Bahamas, and Greece; becoming the first gospel group to perform at the Acropolis. While attending the famed Umbria Jazz Gospel and Soul Easter Festival in Terni, Italy, the choir was unexpectedly invited to sing for Pope John Paul II at his summer residence.

On December 8-26, 2010, they once again “Go ye into all the world” with a fourteen city tour of Spain and the Canary Islands. According to concert promoter Luis Manjarres, “Since their first Span-

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On October 29, 1988, Five months after their first rehearsal, the 150 voice aggregation recorded its first album and video. It can truly be said that they were an “overnight success.

ish tour, Mississippi Mass Choir has become a classic of the European and the Spanish Christmas. They showcased their talent in the main venues of Barcelona, Madrid, San Sebastian, Bilbao, Pamplona, Gijon, and Vigo. This tour of fourteen concerts would culminate on Christmas night, in the wonderful city of Santa Cruz de Tenerife at the Canary Islands, in a very special event with the 92 piece Tenerife Symphonic Orchestra, under the direction of Maestro Lu Jia. Mississippi Mass Choir will be the first African American choir to perform with a European Symphonic Orchestra before an audience of 20,000. It is the time for Mississippi Mass Choir…It is the time for Classic Gospel.” The concert billed as “The Gift” is a Christmas present from the local government to its citizens. It will be “Live Streamed” at www.puertodetenerife.org or www.tve.es.

On October 29, 1988, Five months after their first rehearsal, the 150 voice aggregation recorded its first album and video. It can truly be said that they were an “overnight success. The album entitled “Mississippi Mass Choir Live” remained in the No. 1 slot atop the Billboard Magazine Top Gospel Charts” for 45 consecutive weeks – setting a record for a debut recording of any genre. Their next three recordings “God Gets the Glory,” “It Remains to be Seen,” “Rev. James Moore Live with Mississippi Mass, and ”Rev. James

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Moore Live with Mississippi Mass at Jackson State University” all reached the No. 1 position. Their first album after the untimely passing of Frank Williams in 1993, “I’ll See You in the Rapture” reached the No. 2 slot on the Billboard Chart; second only to Kirk Franklin’s recording-setting release. All of their subsequent recording reached the top ten or top twenty positions.

They have either won or been nominated numerous times for every music industry award, including the Grammy, Stellar, Soul Train, Dove, National Association of Record Merchandisers, 3M Visionary, Mississippi Governor’s Award for Excellence in the Arts, and a host of others. They were recognized by Billboard Magazine on several occasions as “Gospel Artist of the Year.”

Their tenure in the gospel music industry has already reached legendary status and continues to grow. Jerry Mannery, Executive Director of the choir, states, “We are all about our Father’s business. We are not entertainers, we are ministers for Christ. Our mission remains constant; to serve the Lord and spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ.”

In preparation for their ninth recording, the choir held their first new member audition in over five years. One hundred new voices from throughout Mississippi were added to the roster to increase the membership to 250. According to Minister of Music Jerry Smith, “New members are the lifeblood of a choir.”

This ninth recording – “Then Sings My Soul” will be released on Malaco Records. The first single “God Made Me” has already started its ascent up the Gospel Radio Chart.

Anyone fortunate enough to find themselves in the audience of a Mississippi Mass Choir “service” will soon become a participant in an unforgettable musical/spiritual journey. OM

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• summer 2011 • P. O. Box 1485, Tupelo, MS 38802-1485 • Ph: 662.841.6553 • Fax: 662.840.2075 • retirement@ci.tupelo.ms.us

Mississippi

sports

astros-Cubs pregame extras

Small town Mississippi upbringing serves big role for

Clark Brothers

Dave and Louis, both, have extended their pro careers past the field.

By Cristal Cody

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rowing up near Shannon, Mississippi, there was never a shortage of things to do for Dave Clark and Louis Clark.

And in their childhood home, games in the backyard took on a whole new meaning in the Clark household. Not only for the Clarks, but for the entire neighborhood.

Eventually, the two Clark brothers reached the highest level of professional sports - Dave in Major League Baseball and Louis in the NFL. But they credit their upbringing concerning where both are today, which is still in the pro sports world

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“Well, you’re talking about growing up with 14 brothers and sisters,” said Dave Clark. “We grew up on a little farm and if we were not working or doing chores, we had a ball in our hand. It was either a football or a basketball or a baseball. Everybody in the neighborhood came to the Clark’s house to play a sport, depending on what season it was.

“It was always a busy household and we had kids from all over coming to our house. And man, the games were very intense, especially when I was little with four older brothers. They always took

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out losing on the younger ones like me, well, until Louis got big enough to help (laughing.).”

And Louis recalled that being on time was always a must in that house.

“Well, with 14 kids you learn a lot about sharing,” said Louis Clark. “You make sure you were there when it was time to eat. If not, you may not get anything to eat, especially with eight boys in the house. But it was great and we got along for the most part. Looking back, I would not have wanted it any other way. I learned a lot and grew a lot and we were all there to support each other.

“We didn’t have much, but made good with what we did have. Our parents always made sure we had food on the table and clothes on our back. My dad worked very hard and my mom kept us all in check at home and made sure we did the right things. My family had a big part in my success and I am sure Dave would say the same.”

Those early days in the backyard kept the Clarks interested in sports and paved their way to reaching new levels with their talents. For Dave Clark, it meant a 13-year career in Major League Baseball while Louis spent seven years in the NFL. For Dave Clark, reaching the big leagues was something he envisioned ever since he first step foot on a diamond.

“I just knew I was going to play in the big leagues, especially when I was in high school,” said Dave Clark, who played collegiately at Jackson State and spent much of his MLB career with the Cleveland Indians and Pittsburgh Pirates. “I just had a feeling and knew I would do whatever

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I could to make that a reality.”

But as Louis noted, getting there was the easy part.

“We both said the hardest thing is not getting there but staying there is,” said Louis Clark, who played six years with the Seattle Seahawks. “When you are there, you try to stay a step ahead and preparing yourself every day. You have to keep doing all the little things that got you there in the first place.”

While both expected to play pro sports, what they didn’t anticipate was staying involved with pro sports. Since retiring from the NFL, Louis and his wife moved to Atlanta where they opened their own business. But then Louis returned to football and coaching in NFL Europe. Following his coaching stint, Louis was hired in 1997 by the Jacksonville Jaguars as a regional scout. He was later promoted to assistant pro personnel and still works in that capacity today.

“I really didn’t envision that when I retired,” said Louis Clark. “When I finished playing, me and my wife started a business of our own. But I just felt the thing I knew the most about was football. I’ve been very fortunate to play at the college level and the pro level. This is now my 14th year on the personnel side of football and in that regard, I feel very fortunate to spend so much of my life in football.”

His brother Dave also agreed. After his playing days were over, Clark remained in the game as a coach. He has coached at the rookie league level at the beginning and then moved on to coach Triple A ball with the Nashville Sounds. Not long after that stint, Dave reached the big

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“We grew up on a little farm and if we were not working or doing chores, we had a ball in our hand. It was either a football or a basketball or a baseball.”

leagues again, this time as the hitting coach for the Pittsburgh Pirates.

After another stint coaching in the minors, Dave returned to the majors as the Houston Astros’ third-base coach, and opens his fourth year in that role this spring.

“I knew I would play in the big leagues but as far as making it a career now, I didn’t know for sure,” said Dave Clark. “I wanted to stay in the game after I retired but more in the front office side of it like my brother is doing. I just happened that when Lloyd McClendon was up for the job in Pittsburgh, he gave me a job and asked me to get back in the game.

“To be honest, it took me awhile to make that decision but I am glad I made the decision to get into coaching. So working in a front office somewhere kind of got thrown out the window.”

While the Clarks have spent much of their time in sports, they’ve learned just as much about life within sports.

“Baseball teaches you so much,” said Dave Clark. “Just like real life, it will humble the heck out of you. You can’t get too high or too low. It teaches you to make sacrifices and teaches you about team. You only want to accomplish one goal and that common goal among teammates is to be a winner. And that if what life is all about. You help people along the way just like somebody helped me in this game. I want to do the same for the group of guys I coach now and you give back in sports just like you do in life.”

Of course, Dave Clark is now responsible for making sure other guys get the job done instead of just worry about his own process.

“That is the toughest part and when I played, I only had to worry about preparing myself,” said Dave Clark. “As a coach, the tough part is you are worried about every guy on the team to make us better. But even that tough part of the job is enjoyable. We always say coaches are hired to be fired and it’s so true. It is a tough job but I love what I do and I am willing to take those chances. If I keep giving my best, someone will recognize.”

Which for Dave Clark, that would mean getting a chance to be a manager in the big leagues. He’s been a manager in Triple A and in 2009, he was the interim manager for the Houston Astros Louis clark in the latter stages of

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the season.

“I got a chance to be the manager and it is the ultimate goal for me now,” said Dave Clark. “And it’s a goal I truly feel will happen one day. It’s just a process and sometimes it is a slow process. But you learn something every single day in baseball to prepare you for that goal.”

On their paths to pro sports, another valuable lesson is to make good relationships, said Louis Clark. After all, you never know when you might run into a former teammate again.

“Dave and I may not be great players but we did meet great people in our professions,” said Louis Clark. “And those are the people and the reasons we chose to stay in our profession. We always said if you want to stay in the business, you don’t need to be out of it very long because people may forget about you. So we always stayed involved in the sport of our choice and continue to do so today.

“You meet a lot of good people on your journey and you want to make sure you keep those relationships. You never know when you might meet up again down the road. That is so true in football because the time you are actually playing is not very long.”

Although they played in different venues, the Clark brothers remain in touch on a weekly basis. And during their playing careers, they were even able to catch each other in their respective sports.

“The great thing about it was my first year in Seattle was Dave’s first year in camp with the Indians,” said Louis Clark. “They had a road trip to Seattle and I got to spend some time with him then and other years. I saw my first pro baseball game when he was with the Indians and that was a great experience.

“And we realize it is a pretty rare thing and something we talk about a lot. Very few people have the opportunity to have two people from the same family playing at the pro level in different sports. We were very blessed and fortunate to be able to do that.”

And Dave Clark agreed, and it’s been quite a ride since those days of playing in the backyard of the Clarks’ house.

“There’s not a week that goes by that we don’t talk and count our blessings and thank God,” said Dave Clark. “We do have to pinch ourselves sometimes. You have these dreams but you look at the fact we came from a small town.

To get to where we are today and make it to the ultimate level in our profession is a rarity, especially when you think about how few get the chance to make it to the big leagues or to the NFL.” OM

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Mississippi

sports

Mississippi’s black colleges were once

NFL darlings

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ach April concerning the NFL Draft, BCS conference such as the SEC, Big 12 and Pac 10 sends dozens of players to the next level, and compete for annual bragging rights. But decades ago, it was the Southwestern Athletic Conference holding that honor. Starting in the late 50’s, the SWAC annually produced its share of annual NFL prospects. And many of those guys now reside today in the NFL Hall of Fame, including recent inductee Jerry Rice of Mississippi Valley State.

“We had all the great players back then, and all of the great black players in the country,” said former Alcorn State head coach Mario Casem, who coached the Braves from 1964-86. “Our area of the

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Robert Brazile

country was loaded with great high school talent.

States like Texas, Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas and Alabama all were. And back then and on through the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s, all the great black athletes went to historically black universities. You had guys like Walter Payton, Ernie Ladd, Shaq Harris and ‘Too Tall’ Jones.”

Since the late 50’s, over three hundreds players with SWAC ties entered the NFL. And they made a name for themselves and the SWAC once they arrived. In fact, a total of nine former SWAC players currently hold residence in the NFL Hall of Fame - Rice (MVSU), Payton (Jackson State), Jackie Slater (Jackson State), Mel Blount (Southern University), Willie Davis (Grambling State), Lem Barney (Jack-

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sports

son State), Charlie Joiner (Grambling State), Willie Brown (Grambling State) and Buck Buchanan (Grambling State).

While NFL scouts today flock to SEC practice fields to find the next ‘can’t miss’ prospect, that was the scene decades ago in SWAC country.

“My junior and senior season, almost every NFL team had a scout present during our practices that week,” said former MVSU record-setting quarterback Willie Totten, a member of the College Football Hall of Fame. “We would have anywhere from 17 to 19 NFL scouts in a single day. One day we counted over 20 NFL scouts just watching us practice.

“And it wasn’t just at our school and NFL scouts watching Jerry Rice and others. I played against the likes of Fred Jones of Grambling and Robert Brazile. I coached against guys like Isaac Holt (former all-pro receiver with the St. Louis Rams) and Trumaine Johnson of Grambling.”

During his tenure at MVSU, former head coach Archie ‘The Gunslinger” Cooley had his share of NFL scouts around his campus during the fall and spring.

“That’s true,” said Cooley.

“At that time, they were plenty of scouts coming to SWAC football because they knew we played tough football and had a lot of speed.”

During the recruiting process decades ago, Casem added it wasn’t hard to spot the number of quality athletes. And unlike today, there were many less electronic distractions.

“TV wasn’t that big back then,” said Casem. “But there were plenty of basketball courts, football fields and baseball fields. That was the exercise that the kids received and sports is what was the headline events at recess at school.

Then when kids came home from school, there were plenty of pickup games. Kids then didn’t watch a whole lot of

TV and radio was the big thing. So there was plenty of outside competition among neighbors. That is all the kids did and all they knew.

“I won’t say kids were more talented back then because athletes are athletes, and there are some great ones today.”

However, Totten added that the dedication is lacking with some high school and college football players.

“I believe, no doubt, the talent was a bit better when I played because we had more of a purpose,” added Totten, who set over 50 Division I-AA records in the mid-80’s.

“Today with everything they do, kids are looking for instant success and not rice working as hard as we did back then. We used to work beyond the call of duty. But it’s just different times now and different kinds of distractions. We knew it took more than a good month of practice to make something of yourself. You had to do it yearround.”

And finding those “athletes” that could perform well in different aspects and different sports was also key to SWAC coaches and gridiron programs.

“With the type of athlete we recruited back then, we could see into their futures,” said Cooley, who coached Totten and Rice. “We went after athletes instead of going after guys that played certain positions. We needed guys that could play different positions because of our scholarship numbers. We also went after guys that could play more than one sport. We wanted to see if they could play basketball and run track. If you found that guy, you know you had a great athlete.

“We went to get the great athletes that could play multiple positions and multiple sports and went from there. We also tried to recruit as many as we could from winning high

“Today with everything they do, kids are looking for instant success and not working as hard as we did back then. We used to work beyond the call of duty. But it’s just different times now and different kinds of distractions.”

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school programs. If they won in high school, then they knew what it took to win in college and didn’t mind doing the work needed to be a winner.”

Instead of battling the likes of larger schools, Cooley said it was more of a recruiting war between SWAC schools.

“We had to fight each other and didn’t have to battle schools like Mississippi State, Ole Miss or Southern Miss,” Cooley said. “We had to fight Alcorn and Jackson State to get the best athletes in the area. We also went into states were good football was played like Texas, Florida, Georgia and California. We wanted to go into the states that had long summer months because it equaled kids being outside longer and practicing sports longer.”

More times than not, those “great athletes” came from small schools and small towns across the Southeast region.

“The SWAC was a different league when I played,” said Totten. “But when you look at the most productive SWAC players, they usually came from small towns and small high schools. I played at J.Z. George, so it was tough getting looks from the big universities. But as time went along, more and more small-town kids started getting looks because of what other guys did in the SWAC. And then they started going to the major universities instead.”

That process - larger Division I schools recruiting black athletes - actually began in the 70’s. And Cooley recalled one game in particular that changed the mindset of coaches at larger universities.

“Back then, you never had a black athlete on the teams at predominantly white universities,” said Cooley. “The coaches thought very few black athletes could make it on their teams. But that changed with Southern Cal’s Coach Cunningham brought his team to Alabama. Southern Cal had several black athletes and they whipped Alabama that day.

“I remember Coach Bear Bryant making the statement that he ‘had to get colored boys in order to keep up with them’. That game went a long ways into people starting to look at black athletes. Coaches began to realize if you’re going to face a lot of speed, then you better have speed on your team, too. That is what you see today when you look

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at teams from Mississippi State and Ole Miss.”

But the process was in motion and began to take more and more athletes from the SWAC programs, added Cooley, albeit it a slow process.

“Bigger schools started recruiting the black athlete but they wanted to make sure at first,” said Cooley. “They wanted kids from two-parent families and also kids that would graduate on time. But then Prop 48 came along and it made it easier for kids to get into schools. And coaches at larger schools knew if they didn’t make it academically then they would just send them back home.”

And naturally, the talent level in the Coach Marino Casem SWAC took a major hit.

“It definitely dropped off when the predominantly-white universities in the South started recruiting more and more of the black athletes,” said Casem. “When Bear Bryant started recruiting black athletes, he would sign anywhere from 20 to 25 each year. When I first started coaching, we would have schools like Ohio State, Iowa and Michigan State come down and recruit kids from our area and sign the black athletes. But then it started to where all the southern schools were signing a bunch of black athletes and it cut into our recruiting in the SWAC.” But that doesn’t mean the cupboard is exactly bare in the SWAC in 2010.

Doug Williams Every year and down the road, NFL scouts and personnel will make their way to SWAC programs and end up drafting their share of SWAC players.

“There are still good players in the league,” said Casem.

“There may not be as many, but the quality is still there.

And those guys will continue to make it in the NFL and keep up the SWAC tradition.”

And Cooley agreed with his former rival coach on the gridiron.

“If you can play the game, you can play the game,” Cooley said. “It doesn’t matter if you are in the SEC or the SWAC. If you can play well, the NFL will find you and give you a chance.

“There’s no denying it’s not like it used to be and the abundance of great athletes is not what it used to be. But like everything else in life, things change and schools in the SWAC have adjusted.” om

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tourism

Meet Wanda Collier-Wilson

President & CEO of the state’s largest convention & visitors bureau

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anda Collier-Wilson is president and chief executive officer of the Jackson Convention & Visitors Bureau, a position she has served in since 1998. She leads a 22-member staff that has included the management and staff of the Mississippi Telecommunications & Conferencing Center up till October 1, 2008, when the CVB handed over

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the management of the building to SMG. CollierWilson joined the CVB 25 years ago as receptionist and has held every position at the Bureau prior to becoming president and CEO. Collier-Wilson has been nationally recognized

by JET magazine and Black Meetings & Tourism magazine for her leadership as a tourism professional, and recognized regionally and statewide by

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Collier-Wilson has been nationally recognized

by JET magazine and Black Meetings & Tourism magazine for her leadership as a tourism professional, and recognized regionally and statewide by a number of other organizations including the Mississippi Development AuthorityDivision of Tourism, which inducted her into its Tourism Hall of Fame in 2006.

a number of other organizations including the Mississippi Development Authority-Division of Tourism, which inducted her into its Tourism Hall of Fame in 2006. She was a 2006 Recipient of the Phenomenally She award in the Business Leader category for The Dr. Jessie Bryant Mosley Award of Excellence Exhibit presented by Smith Robertson Museum and Cultural Center. Collier-Wilson has also been named one of Mississippi’s “50 Leading Business Women” in 2006 by the Mississippi Business Journal.

Under her leadership, the Jackson CVB was named “2005 Mississippi CVB of the Year” and won a Readers’ Choice Award in 2006 from Convention South magazine as one of the South’s top CVBs. The Mississippi Tourism Association recognized Collier-Wilson with an Excellence in Tourism Award in 2004.

She served as vice president of the Mississippi Tourism Association in 2007 and was president of MTA for 2008.

In April 2008, Collier Wilson received the Black Meetings & Tourism Magazine APEX award for her achievement in tourism. She was given this award for her outstanding service and contributions that have not only enhanced the travel and tourism industry overall, but also promoted diversity in all aspects of the industry as well. She is a member of Destination Marketing Association International, Metro Jackson Attractions Association, Travel & Tourism Research Association and Southeast Tourism Society, and is a former board member of Keep Jackson Beautiful and the Capital City Classic Board of Directors. In 2009, was named a Destination Marketing Association International (DMAI) Champion and was inducted into the international agen-

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cy’s “Hall of Champions” during the DMAI Annual Meeting in Atlanta, Georgia. Collier-Wilson has served on the Mississippi Telecommunication Conference and Training Center Commission and the Advisory Board of Downtown Jackson Partners. She also created the Hometown Hero Awards to recognize outstanding achievements in Jackson tourism.

Over the past year, Collier-Wilson has played a significant role in the many developments that are taking place in the Jackson area as well as been involved in program development throughout the state. She has worked closely with Downtown Jackson Partners as an advisor for the $2.1 billion in economic development currently underway just in the downtown Jackson area. Serving as the secretary for the Mississippi Hospitality and Restaurant Association Jackson Chapter, she has been instrumental in the development of the Mississippi Hospitality Certified Program. Due to the economic downturn in the country, Collier-Wilson responded to aid the restaurants in Jackson by developing an extensive restaurant campaign targeting the metro-Jackson area. This campaign includes the restaurant promotion, the Super City with Soul Bowl. She has played a major part in the passing of the legislation to build Jackson’s convention center and was responsible for many of the preparations for the successful opening of the building known as the Jackson Convention Complex. She has recently won the Mississippi Tourism Association Member of the Year for 2008.. OM

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Hattiesburg Museum

features African American war history

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ome to two military museums, Hattiesburg takes pride in strong patriotism and the presence of military men and women throughout the area.

The appreciation and honor for servicemen and women, combined with the deep African American heritage creates the perfect equation for dedication to America’s African American soldiers, which can be found at Hattiesburg’s new African American Military History Museum.

Opened in 1942 in the segregated army of World War II, the USO Club in Hattiesburg, Mississippi served as a home away from home for African American soldiers stationed at Camp Shelby. Today, the building is home to the African American

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Military History Museum and stands as the only remaining USO constructed especially for African American soldiers that is in public use in the United States. Located in Downtown Hattiesburg, the USO Club is listed on the National Registry of Historic Places and is a certified Mississippi Landmark. Having served as a library and community center in the 1950s and 60s, the building is now fully restored as a Museum.

The lobby of the Museum displays the history of the USO Club – from a WWII Recreation Building to Hattiesburg’s first African American Library and Community Center. Even 1940s-themed music plays in the parking lot and lobby, setting the stage for a memorable experience for all guests. The Mu-

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seum was once the center of social life for African American soldiers stationed in Hattiesburg, and memories of that time are very present – including a replica of the original soda fountain. The entire lobby of the Museum has been restored to the original layout of the Historic USO Club.

The Museum chronicles wartime events through the eyes of the African American soldier. Beginning with the Buffalo Soldiers of the post civil war era, through the modern-day conflicts of Desert Storm and Iraqi Freedom, the museum bears witness of the service and sacrifice of the African American soldier.

Among the Museum’s informative displays that feature stories of African Americans in the Revolutionary War, both World Wars, the Korean and Vietnam Wars, and the Desert Storm and Iraqi Freedom Operations, guests have the unique opportunity to interact as a soldier in a variety of ways – in uniform, or atop a horse as a Buffalo Soldier.

Guests can also test their newfound knowledge of African American military advancements behind the wheel of a WWII-era “Red Bull Express” motorized vehicle.

Berry Neal, one of the Buffalo Soldiers, is featured in the museum for his courageous acts during the SpanishAmerican War. His many medals are on display throughout the museum, and make-up one of the most complete sets of viewable Spanish-American War medals anywhere in the United States.

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Guests experience WWI from the trenches and through the eyes of Henry Johnson, a private in the Army. WWII highlights the bravery of Hattiesburg’s own Ruth Bailey Earl, a personalized symbol of the indomitable spirit of the African American soldier and the African American woman.

Ruth became the city’s first African-American female Army enlistee and was one of 500 black U.S. Army nurses to care for German prisoners of war in Warrington, England. Heroic contributions of the Tuskegee Airmen are also featured in this display, along with an interactive army truck in a convoy along the dangerous Red Ball Express supply route.

Following the historic Executive Order 9981 from President Harry S. Truman to establish equality in the Armed Services, Hattiesburg native Jesse LeRoy Brown received his commission as ensign in the Naval Reserve. As America’s first African American naval aviator, Ensign Brown proudly stands in the museum on the deck of the USS Leyte watching his fellow F4U-4 Corsair pilots return to the ship.

More recent acts of bravery on the part of African American soldiers are featured in the displays of the Vietnam War, Desert Storm, and the Global War on Terrorism. Desert Storm, an important war for African Americans, proved to be successful in achieving racial and gender diversity in the military and led to future military heroes and national leaders – including General Colin Powell and CommanderIn-Chief, President Barack H. Obama.

The African American Military History Museum is a Hattiesburg Convention Commission facility, and one that undoubtedly contributes to the local tourism industry. Not only does the Museum serve as an educational facility for children, families, and visitors to Hattiesburg, the space is also used for small community events, such as Open Houses, children’s educational programs, and much more.

The African American Military History Museum is located at 305 E. Sixth Street in Downtown Hattiesburg. It is open Tuesday through Saturday 10am-4pm with free admission for all guests. For more information on this Museum, visit www.HattiesburgUSO.com or call 601.450.1942. OM

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Touring Mississippi

Yazoo City

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1. Oakes African American Cultural Center: The Oakes family moved from South Carolina to Yazoo City in 1853 after John Oakes bought for the freedom of his wife Mary and her two children. In 1866 the family purchased the lot with a one room structure that would remain the home of the members of the Oakes family until 1989. The house was deeded to the Yazoo County Fair and Civic League in 1990, and now houses the Oakes African American Cultural Center.

2. Blue Front Café: Opened in 1948 under the ownership of Carey and Mary Holmes, an African American couple from Bentonia.

In its heyday the Blue Front was famed for its buffalo fish, blues, and moonshine whiskey. Jimmy “Duck” Holmes, the couple’s son, took over the Café in 1970. The Blue Front Café has been recognized as the spot of historical significance to Delta blues with a MS Blues Trail marker.

On the 2nd Saturday in June, the Blue Front Café is the center of the annual Bentonia Blues Festival in downtown Bentonia.

3. Bethel AME Church: The first brick church to be erected in the state of Mississippi

by Blacks.

The pulpit furniture, bell, and bell tower are part of the original church structure.

4. Rudy Shields Monument: Rudy Shields was a fighter for Civil Rights in Yazoo City. A monument was erected in his honor in Campanella Park in Yazoo City in his honor. OM

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Touring Mississippi

Jackson

The Raphael Combo playing at local hotspot Hal and Mal’s

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King Edward at Queen of Hearts Blues Marker Unveiling for the MS Blues Trail

Medgar Evers Home Museum – Jackson, Mississippi

Medgar Evers Home Museum – Jackson, Mississippi

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Medgar Evers was one of the first civil rights workers that was assassinated due to his work to bring equality to the African American population in the United States. Although the home that he and his family lived in is not grand, it’s evidence of little wealth but a great deal of power. The house does not inspire awe, It’s the story of the man that lived there that brings to life the struggle he fought and the principles he lived by that make you realize the importance of such a dwelling.

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Touring Mississippi

Greenwood

Indianola 34

Tallahatchie Flats – greenwood Located 3 miles north of Greenwood, Mississippi on the banks of the Tallahatchie River (of “Ode to Billie Joe” fame) on a Delta cotton plantation, these two to four-room dwellings are located in a beautiful landscape, overlooking a bend in the river, and are preserved examples of the small rural homes that once dotted the Delta countryside where so many great blues artists were born and raised and wandered. www.tallahatchieflats.com/

BB King Museum and Delta Interpretive Center – indianola The BB King Museum and Delta Interpretive Center is located in Indianola, Mississippi. It’s a must see for everyone who is a fan of BB King, the blues and history of the Mississippi Delta. Plan your trip now to the BB King Museum and Delta Interpretive Center visit www.bbkingmuseum.org

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education

Back to the Basics

In Order to Move Forward

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he more things change, the more they stay the same. Society has a new urgency at least that is how it seems or appears. But really what is the new demand: to produce high school graduates that can compete on the global market? Why is the United States calling for a resurgence of the three R’s: reading, riting, and rithmetic?

Simply put, reading, writing, and arithmetic are the basic building blocks of educational learning and advancement. In their own uniqueness, each of the three R’s is significant in leading to pathways of opportunities for personal growth and selfworth. President Obama captures the value and urgency of education as he stated, “In a global economy where the most valuable skill you can sell is your knowledge, a good education is no longer just a pathway to opportunity, it is a pre-requisite. That is why it will be the goal of this Administration to ensure that every child has access to a complete and competitive education – from the day they are born to the day they begin a career (Obama, Address to Joint Session of Congress, 2009).”

What has happened to produce such a demand? Today, education is perhaps the strongest form of cultural capital.

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Everyone needs it to be successful. The days of just getting by have long passed. Individuals need education to succeed; society needs knowledgeable members to compete on the global market. With this intention, progress makes use of education as a vehicle to advance.

So, how does one begin to become equipped to compete in the global economy? Return to the basics of the three R’s. It begins in the home. The importance of education must be actualized and heighten. Attention must be given to the value and the significance of education. Beginning with the three R’s: reading, riting, and rithmetic, equip impressible young minds with a book to read daily; encourage journal writing and set a time throughout the day for reading and writing; grab a pencil and paper to balance a checkbook and/or keep a daily tally of expenses and savings. The goal is to involve impressible young minds as much as possible in the daily acts of reading, writing, and arithmetic. The more you know, the more you grow! OM About the Author: Regina Eichelberger Boyd is an educational consultant and has consulted on local, state, and national levels. She has an Educational Specialist Degree in Curriculum & Instruction. She is a National Board Certified Teacher and has served as a National Board for Professional Teaching Standards State Liaison for the state of Mississippi.

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Ormella Cummings, Ph.D. listens to community to design future

By Amanda Jewel Wadley

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rmella Cummings, Ph.D., facilitates the development and deployment of plans as the chief strategy officer for North Mississippi Health Services (NMHS), a regional health care organization headquartered in Tupelo, Miss. Her department collects information from local, state and national levels, and helps determine how NMHS needs to move forward. From there, Cummings develops strategies to execute those plans. Her department collects

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this information and each branch within NMHS has a strategic plan and an action plan. Her department monitors what each division is doing, how to measure progress and who to hold accountable for it.

“It all starts from ideas and conversations,” Cummings says. “Our department is responsible for capturing the voice of the community and using that information as a strategic guide. “We listen to the voices of the community to find out needs,

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what we are doing right, or what the community and patients would like us to change,” Cummings said.

“As part of my job, I spend time in the community interacting with residents and getting their response to: ‘What are we doing well? What are we not doing well? What are unmet health care needs? If you could change one thing about NMMC, what would it be? What are we known for, particularly in health-related fields?,’” Cummings said.

“Their responses provide opportunities to make sure we are meeting the needs of the community so that we can develop a way to meet that need.”

Cummings previously worked with NMHS from 19891998 in human resources as a career counselor. She helped steer current employees and students in their career choices. “It was a lot of fun talking to students about health careers and helping them connect their interest with a health care career,” she said.

After leaving NMHS, Cummings completed her human resources certification. When the Tupelo Public School District had an opening for its first Human Resources Director, she applied for and was hired for the job.

In 2004, Cummings rejoined NMHS as community relations facilitator. “My role at that time was to go out into the community and find out what the people would like to see us do. What are their needs?

How do we better listen? And I specifically spent time in beauty shops, barber shops, laundry mats, just going where people are and taking the time to ask questions.” She was promoted to her current role in 2006.

Cummings, an Itawamba County native, has always been driven to succeed. Graduating high school early at 15, her parents were her role models. “My parents had a small grocery store, so I always had that connection between work ethic and results,” she said. She also found inspiration in the book by Stephen R. Covey: “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.” “I just took Stephen Covey’s seven habits to heart,” she said. “The steps are so logical.”

Cummings is proud to be a part of northeast Mississippi and Tupelo’s progressive spirit. “We have a great community,” she said. “Tupelo has always been about community spirit, great leaders and great things are accomplished here.

We have a lot going for us.”

Cummings describes her personal and professional outlook as optimistic, defined by opportunity rather than by obstacles. “I know this sounds cliché, but I’ve always seen the glass as half-full as opposed to letting someone define me,” she said. “I’ve always chosen to see that in all times in history there have always been people who’ve made it

regardless of obstacles.”

Her approach to goal development traces back to her youth. “There was a sermon, ‘Hitch Your Wagon to the Star,’ that I heard when I was probably 8 or 9 that had a big impact on me. It was so powerful. attach yourself to something bigger than you and then develop dreams. I think it’s amazing that this personal philosophy works well with my career. What I do now is that we have this vision, and we have to have step-by-step ways to get there. We’re still kind of hitching our wagon to the star, because we define a strategy and my role is to facilitate how to get there-to develop that step-by-step process to work with NMHS leaders to help them get there.”

As chief strategy officer, Cummings says what she enjoys most is “helping everyone.” “I like taking an idea to a reality and helping people develop those skills along the way,” she said. “It kind of goes back to step two from Stephen Covey, ‘Begin with the end in mind.’

So you know what it is that you want and then you develop steps to get there.”

In addition to her job, Cummings has previously served on boards for such organizations as the Link Centre, New Expectations for Women in Mississippi (NEWMS) and is currently serving as a CREATE Foundation board member. “The CREATE Foundation is a group of great people who give back to the community. CREATE does a lot through education and to help people who would like to leave a legacy, who want to do more and who want to do something that’s beyond what they’ve been able to accomplish to a certain point. CREATE finds tasks that need to be done and works together with people in the community to do that.”

Cummings finds her work at NMHS extremely fulfilling.

“You’re continually creating an idea based on people who really have these innovative thoughts and at the core of that, you’re doing something really good for the community that we serve,” she said. “That in and of itself has all the elements of excitement!”

For those still searching for their place in a career field, Cummings advises, “Identify what it is you truly want, because I think that sometimes in life we never really ask ourselves what it is we really want. When you really know who you are and identify what it is you want, then develop the steps and the discipline to get there. Find a way not to burn out so you continually have passion. Then it just becomes easy. Then it’s not like work. Then it becomes an extension of who you are.” OM

“I’ve always chosen to see that in all times in history there have always been people who’ve made it regardless of obstacles.”

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business

The DiversityInc

Top 10 Companies for Blacks

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hat makes a company the place where all talent, but in this case especially Black talent, wants to work, stay and fulfill potential, including the ability to innovate? What type of corporate culture is open and inclusive? In general, our data shows that companies that are good for Blacks also are good for women, Latinos, Asians, American Indians, LGBT people, people with disabilities and straight, white men. Those are the companies you’ll see on The DiversityInc Top 50 Companies for Diversity® list and many of our other lists.

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The companies on this particular list show consistent progress in their recruitment, retention and promotion of Black employees, have active Black employee-resource groups, have higher-thanaverage procurement spend with minority-owned suppliers, and have strong cross-cultural mentoring programs.

Here are some facts about The DiversityInc Top 10 Companies for Blacks: • Their workforces are almost 20 percent Black, compared with 10.8 percent for the U.S. adult population (Bureau of Labor Statistics)

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• Their managers are 17 percent Black, compared with 8.4 percent of the U.S. population (Bureau of Labor Statistics) • Thirty-two percent of their promotions into their first management jobs were to Blacks, almost double the average of the DiversityInc Top 50 • Their senior levels (CEO and direct reports and two levels down) all have more than 10 percent Blacks • Thirty-three percent of their employees on average are members of their Black employee-resource groups (employees do not have to be Black to be members) • They average 68 percent of their philanthropy going to multicultural groups, compared with 35.1 percent for the DiversityInc Top 50 • They spend 6 percent of their Tier I (direct contractor) procurement with minority-owned businesses, higher than the DiversityInc Top 50 and more than national averages (estimated at 2 percent) Here are facts about why each of these companies made this list: No. 1: AT&T As demonstrated by its support of Project Aspire, which aims to stem the dropout rate of low-income students, many of whom are Black, AT&T is a longtime leader in supporting the current and future workforce. A staggering 59 percent of its philanthropy is aimed at multicultural organizations. AT&T’s community support is also evidenced by its strong supplier-diversity program, with 10.5 percent of Tier I procurement spent with minority-owned business enterprises (MBEs).

No. 2: Cox Communications With a long history of hiring and promoting Blacks, Cox also makes significant contributions to the community.

Forty-three percent of its philanthropy goes to multicultural groups, including Boys & Girls Clubs of America and the National Association of Multi-Ethnicity in Communications. Cox reports 8.4 percent of its Tier I procurement with MBEs. No. 3: Kaiser Permanente The healthcare organization is a clear leader in workforce diversity and talent development. For Blacks, particularly, its demographics are strong overall, including at the top.

Its board of directors is 21.4 percent Black. Thirteen percent of its workers are members of its Black employee-resource group.

No. 4: Northrop Grumman Corp.

The defense contractor is one of the few companies whose promotions of Blacks into first-line management positions equals the percentage of Blacks in the workforce, a telling ratio for talent development. Fifty-one percent of its

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philanthropy goes to multicultural organizations, including the Martin Luther King Memorial, Great Minds in STEM and the Jackie Robinson Foundation.

No. 5: Marriott International With a workforce and management that have strong Black representation, Marriott has made a major effort to reach out to building the community through supplier diversity and philanthropy, including donations to the National Black MBA Association, the Black Executive Exchange Program, National Association of Black Accountants, NAACP and National Society of Minorities in Hospitality.

No. 6: Southern Company The utility company has strong workforce and management representation of Blacks as well as a long history of community philanthropy, including the National Center for Civil and Human Rights, the UNCF, the NAACP, the National Black Arts Festival, and many local scholarship programs benefiting Black students.

No. 7: Sodexo Sodexo clearly has an inclusive culture that enables Black employees to be promoted and realize their potential. The company’s board of directors is 37.5 percent Black. Sodexo excels at mentoring and talent-development programs for everyone, but especially for Blacks and other traditionally underrepresented groups.

No. 8: McDonald’s Corp.

The fast-food giant has strong Black representation in the workforce and at all levels of management. The company has strong supplier diversity and a history of community philanthropy, with 52 percent of philanthropy allocated to multicultural organizations.

No. 9: Altria Altria has strong demographics for Blacks in its workforce and shows real improvement at the management level. Its philanthropic efforts include the Boys and Girls Clubs of America, UNCF, Thurgood Marshall College Fund, and numerous scholarships.

No. 10: The Coca-Cola Co. A decade after settling the largest racial-discrimination lawsuit in corporate U.S. history, the beverage giant has emerged as a workplace diversity leader, especially for Blacks. The rate of Blacks promoted into their first management job was almost double the current management representation of Blacks, and there is strong representation of Blacks at every management level. In addition, one-third of U.S. employees are members of the Black employeeresource group, the company reports. OM

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giving

Sisters Network Chapter

serving women well

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very woman needs a compassionate support network when faced with the terrifying diagnosis of breast cancer.

Fortunately, the Sisters Network Tupelo Chapter (SNTC) is there, a 35-member organization comprised of breast cancer survivors and advocates. The SNTC offers information and encouragement to African American women, among whom breast cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer, with an estimated 19,000 new cases for 2009.

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Since its formation in 1994, the national Sisters Network, Inc. has become a vital link for breast cancer survivorship and now boasts 43 chapters nationwide. The Tupelo chapter is the only one in Mississippi and serves the counties of Lee, Pontotoc, Prentiss, Chickasaw, Monroe and Union. It was established in 2003 by Edna Ware who, as both nurse and breast cancer patient, saw a desperate need for mammogram funding and health information for fellow African American women.

“She wanted women to know breast cancer is

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real,” said SNTC President Norma Derring. “She saw it every day.”

President Derring, herself a four-year breast cancer survivor, is a creative, soft-spoken leader spearheading SNTC’s mission to increase local awareness of breast cancer. She likes to sleep on her ideas, knowing decisions will reflect on the entire group.

“When I have ideas we vote on it. Everyone is one in our group. I look at it as sisters. We depend on each other.”

As part of a regional campaign, SNTC volunteers and members visit as many counties as possible with life-saving information. They attend health fairs, seminars, and workshops where they dialogue with the community in an effort to break the silence surrounding breast cancer and raise consciousness of the disease.

And it is a consciousness that needs raising. The mortality rate is higher with African Americans than Caucasians, due in part to disparities in income, education, and ethnicity.

Many African-American women are diagnosed late, after the disease has progressed to its final stages. The lack of regular medical check-ups and self exams are a real problem, said Derring.

“We get our eyes checked and our hair done, but we never think how valuable it is to get our breasts checked by a doctor,” she said.

Associate member Teresa Roberts, RN, MSM, believes African Americans take their health for granted. “If you don’t feel it, there’s nothing wrong with you. We don’t go to the doctor … our income is not as high,” Roberts said.

SNTC works hard to change these attitudes. Annual doctor visits, self exams and mammograms are keys to survival, says Roberts, who has been medically trained to teach others about breast cancer.

Funding comes from various resources including the Susan G. Komen Foundation, Race for the Cure, grant money, and donations from churches and private companies. At times, SNTC members will even pay for travel and event tickets out of personal funds.

“It all comes back to you double fold,” Roberts says.

Each year SNTC pays for over 100 mammograms for uninsured women on a first-come, first-served basis, according to Derring, who wishes they could do more. And when the demand for mammograms exceeds the funding, the Sisters Network tries to locate other resources for those left in the waiting line.

In the case of a positive diagnosis, the sisterhood offers

support and encouragement through group meetings, seminars and workshops, especially for those who lack health insurance and financial resources.

“If they don’t have insurance, some refuse treatment. We let them know there is help if they don’t have funds for treatment. Maybe they cannot pay all, but some. We cross each bridge as it comes,” said Derring, who has seen too many people trapped in this situation.

The number of uninsured Americans currently hovers around 45.7 million.

Derring recalls a woman whose husband left her and their child during cancer treatment. After moving in with her father, the woman needed transportation for medical care. The Sisters Network was able to connect her with willing drivers. Derring dreams of one day having a van to transport women in similar situations to their necessary medical visits.

In addition to offering education and assistance, the SNTC brings women together to celebrate. Their annual Pink Ribbon Luncheon in August is a festive event that caters to the unique issues of women who have survived breast cancer. It’s all about pink, pink, and more pink – the national symbol for breast cancer awareness – and includes a featured guest speaker, a fashion show sponsored by Belk’s, door prizes, and special entertainment.

Other events include Pink Teas, a Prayer Breakfast, the National Gift for Life Block Walk, a Pink Sunday, and representation at the national annual Sisters Network Conference in Houston, TX. At SNTC meetings, held the first Monday of each month in the Link Centre Library, they are a busy group. They take notes, chart calendar dates, and share opinions, always with the focus on sharing with others.

Derring is honored SNTC has been chosen for this award.

“At a health fair in Columbus, a young lady walked up to me. She said, ‘Thank-you. You might not remember me, but I walked through a year ago and hesitated to get anything, but I took a brochure,’” Derring remembered. After reading and sharing the fliers with her aunt, both went for their first mammogram. The aunt was diagnosed with breast cancer. “The young lady told me, ‘You might not know it, but you helped save a life’” “[This award] is going to give members the urge to do more and others to do more, inspire them. . . We want to help others, to make a difference in someone else’s life.

That’s very awesome to be able to do that.” OM

Each year SNTC pays for over 100 mammograms for uninsured women on a first-come, firstserved basis

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Mississippi

health

Diabetes Prevention

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iabetes contributes to the deaths of 1,600 Mississippians each year. In 2002, more than 270,000 Mississippians had diabetes; one-third of those cases went undiagnosed.

Diabetes is preventable. Learn more about your risk for developing type 2 diabetes and the small steps you can take to delay or prevent the disease and live a longer, healthier life.

About Type 2 Diabetes What is Type 2 Diabetes?

Diabetes is a disease in which blood sugar levels are above normal. People with diabetes have problems converting food to energy. After a meal, food is broken down into sugars and carried by the blood to cells throughout the body. Cells use the hormone insulin to help them process blood sugar into energy.

People develop type 2 diabetes because the cells in the muscles, liver, and fat do not use insulin properly. As a result, the amount of sugar in the blood increases, while the cells are starved of energy. Over time, high blood sugar damages nerves and blood vessels, leading to complications such as heart disease, stroke, blindness, kidney disease, nerve problems, gum infections, and amputation.

Can Type 2 Diabetes Be Prevented?

Yes. The Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) found that moderate diet and excercise that results in 5 to 7 percent weight loss can delay and possibly prevent Type 2 Diabetes.

I Have Heard the Term “Pre-Diabetes”.

What is it?

Pre-diabetes simply means that one is at risk for getting type 2 diabetes and heart disease. If your blood sugar level is higher than normal but lower than the diabetes range, then you have prediabetes. The good news is you can reduce the risk of getting diabetes and even return to normal blood sugar levels. With modest weight loss and moder-

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ate physical activity, you can delay or prevent type 2 diabetes.

Special Groups African Americans Death rates for people with diabetes are 27 percent higher for blacks compared with whites. It is the fifth leading cause of death for African Americans ages 45 years or older.

2.7 million African-Americans ages 20 or older have diabetes, and one-third of these cases are undiagnosed. African Americans are more likely to have diabetes than whites of similar age, and diabetes is more prevalent among African-American women than men, regardless of age.

Find Out More • The Diabetes Epidemic Among African Americans • 50 Ways to Prevent Diabetes Hispanic and Latino Americans Hispanics/Latinos are almost 1.5 times as likely to have diabetes as non-Hispanic whites of similar age. 2 million Hispanic/Latinos living in the United States (8% of the total), have been diagnosed with diabetes. Diabetes is particularly common among middle-aged and older Hispanic Americans. For those aged 50 or older, over 25% have either diagnosed or undiagnosed diabetes.

The disease is twice as common in MexicanAmerican and Puerto Rican adults as in non-Hispanic whites.

Find Out More • Los hispanos/latinos y la diabetes, Hoja de datos At Risk What are the signs and symptoms of type 2 diabetes?

Many people have no signs or symptoms. Symptoms can also be so mild that you might not even notice them. Nearly six million people in the United States have type 2 diabetes and do not know it.

Here is what to look for:

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• increased thirst • increased hunger • fatigue • increased urination, especially at night • weight loss • blurred vision • sores that do not heal

Who Should Be Tested?

Anyone 45 years old or older should consider getting tested for diabetes. If you are 45 or older and overweight, it is strongly recommended that you get tested.

If you are younger than 45, overweight, and one or more of the risk following factors is true: • I have a parent, brother, or sister with diabetes.

• My family background is African American, American Indian, Asian American, Pacific Islander, or Hispanic American/Latino.

• I have had gestational diabetes, or I gave birth to at least one baby weighing more than 9 pounds.

• My blood pressure is 140/90 or higher, or I have been told that I have high blood pressure.

• My cholesterol levels are not normal. My HDL cholesterol (“good” cholesterol) is 35 or lower, or my triglyceride level is 250 or higher.

• I am fairly inactive. I exercise fewer than three times a week.

Preventing Type 2 Diabetes Actions to Take Making big changes in your life is hard, especially if you are faced with more than one change. You can make it easier by taking these steps: • Make a plan to change behavior.

• Think about what might prevent you from reaching your goals.

• Find family and friends who will support and encourage you.

• Your doctor, a dietitian, or a counselor can help you make a plan. You can also use the Gameplan below to get started.

Helpful Materials • Get the GAMEPLAN • GAME PLAN Food and Activity Tracker (English) • GAME PLAN Food and Activity Tracker (En español) • GAME PLAN Fat and Calorie Counter Step 1 Reach and Maintain a Reasonable Body Weight Being overweight can keep your body from using sugar properly. It can also cause high blood pressure.

In one study, people who lost between 5 and 7 percent of their body weight significantly reduced their risk of type 2 diabetes. For example, if you weigh 200 pounds, losing

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only 10 pounds could make a difference!

Choose sensible ways to get in shape: • Avoid crash diets. Instead, eat less of the foods you usually have. Limit the amount of fat you eat.

• Increase your physical activity. Aim for at least 30 minutes of exercise most days of the week. (See page 9 for easy suggestions.)

• Set a reasonable weight-loss goal, such as losing 1 pound a week. Aim for a long-term goal of losing 5 to 7 percent of your total body weight.

Step 2 Make Wise Food Choices What you eat has a big impact on your health. By making wise food choices, you can help control your body weight, blood pressure, and cholesterol.

• Take a hard look at the serving sizes of the foods you eat.

Reduce serving sizes of main courses (such as meat), desserts, and foods high in fat. Increase the amount of fruits and vegetables.

• Limit your fat intake to about 25 percent of your total calories. For example, if your food choices add up to about 2,000 calories a day, try to eat no more than 56 grams of fat. Your doctor or a dietitian can help you figure out how much fat to have. You can check food labels for fat content, too.

• You may also wish to reduce the number of calories you have each day. Your doctor or dietitian can help you with a meal plan that emphasizes weight loss.

• Keep a food and exercise log. Write down what you eat, how much you exercise — anything that helps keep you on track.

• When you meet your goal, reward yourself with a nonfood item or activity, like watching a movie.

Step 3 Be Physically Active Every Day Regular exercise tackles several risk factors at once. It helps you lose weight, keeps your cholesterol and blood pressure under control, and helps your body use insulin.

Being physically active for 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week, reduces your risk of type 2 diabetes.

If you are not very active, you should start slowly, talking with your doctor first about what kinds of exercise would be safe for you. Make a plan to increase your activity level toward the goal of being active at least 30 minutes a day most days of the week.

Choose activities you enjoy. Walking is one of the best ways to work extra activity into your daily routine: • Take the stairs rather than an elevator or escalator.

• Park at the far end of the lot and walk.

• Get off the bus a few stops early and walk the rest of the way.

• Walk or bicycle instead of drive whenever you can. om

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Mississippi

health

Preventative Screening

is best defense

March is Colon Cancer Awareness Month By stephen t. amann

C

olorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death despite our technology and access to health care.

Colon cancer affects men and women equally. About 75 percent of all new cases of colon cancer can occur in people with no known predisposing factors for the disease. There are generally no early symptoms to warn of the illness. Incidence increases with age, beginning around age 40. Racial differences in survival have been observed: African-American men and women diagnosed with

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colorectal cancer have a nearly 50% greater probability of dying of the disease.

Because of the growing awareness and increased use of colon cancer screening, the incidence and overall mortality rates have finally decreased, after having consistently increased over the past few decades. However, there is still a long way to go.

Despite the convincing evidence supporting colon cancer screening, it is estimated slightly more than half of the Americans considered at risk have been screened.

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Colorectal cancer begins with no symptoms at all. Generally, a polyp (benign growth in the colon) forms and over time becomes a cancer. Not all polyp types are a risk for colon cancer. Adenomatous polyps are the dangerous type. Hyperplastic polyps are not a risk factor for cancer.

The time period a polyp takes to change to cancer is variable but generally measured in years. As these changes occur, there can be some warning signs. These include rectal bleeding and blood in your stool (bright red, black, or very dark); a change in bowel movements, especially in the shape of the stool (e.g., narrow like a pencil); cramping pain in your lower abdomen or frequent gas pains; and discomfort in or the frequent urge to move your bowels when there is no stool present. Weight loss without dieting and constant fatigue can also occur.

ing exams are recommended in five years.

Fecal occult blood tests can be done annually, even with new at-home testing, and if positive a colonoscopy is recommended. CT scan colography is another way to evaluate the colon, and if any lesions are suspected, a colonoscopy is recommended.

Take note of these lifestyle recommendations to decrease your risk for colon cancer: • Red meat intake is associated with increased risk of colorectal cancer, though the reasons are unclear.

• Though the evidence is mixed, a high fiber diet appears to reduce colorectal cancer risk and has other benefits to the gastrointestinal system.

• Whole fruits and vegetables are protective against colorectal cancer.

• Calcium supplements, in the presence of adequate levels of vitamin D, help protect against colorectal cancer.

• With the exception of calcium and folate, there is little reason to recommend supplements (e.g., anti-oxidant vitamins, trace metals).

• Smoking increases colorectal cancer risk, in addition to the numerous other reasons to avoid smoking.

• Alcohol increases the risk of colorectal cancer, particularly in the presence of low folate levels.

• Physical activity reduces risk while obesity increases it; the interaction between diet-exercise-obesity and colorectal cancer is complex.

“Colorectal cancer begins with no symptoms at all.”

Facts to remember: • Men and women are considered to be average risk for colon cancer if they are age 50 or older and have no high risk factors.

They should get screening testing done starting at age 50.

African-Americans should start at age 45.

• High-risk factors include a family history of either colorectal cancer or adenomatous polyps, especially if below age 60, a personal history of adenomatous polyps or inflammatory bowel disease. Also, a family history of multiple cancers, involving the breast, ovary, uterus and other organs increases risk. If you are high risk, then screening should start at age 40 or sooner. Check with your physician for the time to start.

Take the time to discuss with your primary health care The best way to screen for colon cancer is with a test provider or local gastroenterologist about colon cancer and called a colonoscopy. This endoscopic test evaluates the screening options. Gastroenterologists are medical specialentire colon with a video scope. The main advantage of ists with extensive training in diseases of the digestive tract colonoscopy over other screening tests is that any polyps and endoscopy. found can be removed during the same comfortable and Unfortunately, in the early stage of colon cancer when it safe procedure. Some sedation is used, and a colon cleansis most curable, there are frequently no symptoms. Screening prep is required the day before. If the test is normal, the ing is the only way to find polyps or the precursors of colon next screening colon exam is generally recommended in 10 cancer. If the polyp is removed, it cannot develop into years. cancer and colon cancer has been prevented. Make a choice Another screening options is flexible sigmoidoscopy (a to be proactive in your health care and when appropriate, shorter endoscopic test) and ACBE (barium enema X-ray) obtain colon cancer screening! om – these tests are used together to evaluate the entire colon.

Minimal discomfort is noted as they are performed while awake. A colon cleansAbout the Author: ing prep is required. Unfortunately, these Stephen T. Amann, M.D., F.A.C.G., serves as medical director for the Centests can only detect polyps or cancer. If ter for Digestive Health on North Mississippi Medical Center’s campus in a lesion is noted, then a colonoscopy is Tupelo.

For more information, visit tupelogi.com. recommended so the area can be treated.

If these tests are normal, the next screen-

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Mississippi

health

Know your

Numbers

Your cholesterol, blood pressure, blood sugar and body mass index numbers are key indicators of your risk for major illness.

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f you know these numbers, you can take action to reduce your chances of developing heart disease, diabetes, and other major chronic illnesses.

Your cholesterol, blood pressure, blood sugar and body mass index numbers are key indicators of your risk for major illness.

If you know these numbers, you can take action to reduce your chances of developing heart disease, diabetes, and other major chronic illnesses.

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Cholesterol Target: 200 or less A sudden heart attack may not be “sudden” at all, but be caused by years of living with high cholesterol and extra fats stored by the body. The normal range for total cholesterol is 200 or less.

You also need to know your “healthy” HDL cholesterol and “lousy” LDL cholesterol numbers.

High total cholesterol, high LDL, or low HDL means you need to take immediate action to prevent a possible heart attack or stroke.

There are no definite symptoms of high choles-

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terol. That’s why it’s important to see your doctor and know your cholesterol numbers.

In Mississippi nearly a million people have high blood pressure, and 300,000 of them don’t know it.

Blood Pressure Target: 120/80 or less Blood pressure measures the amount of force it takes your heart to pump blood through your body. High blood pressure (or “hypertension”) increases your risk of heart attack, stroke, and kidney disease. High blood pressure damages your brain, eyes and arteries, too. Your blood pressure

should be less than 120 over 80.

You may have no symptoms of high blood pressure.

About 60% of all Americans more than 60 years old have high blood pressure, and it occurs more often among African-Americans. In Mississippi nearly a million people have high blood pressure, and 300,000 of them don’t know it.

Anyone can have high blood pressure. Check with your doctor to know your blood pressure numbers.

Blood Sugar Target: 80 to 120 Glucose is sugar stored in the blood as your body’s main source of energy. If your glucose is too high or too low, you may have diabetes. The average blood sugar range is between 80 and 120.

One out of three people with diabetes in Mississippi either don’t know they have it, or aren’t getting treatment.

Diabetes can strike anyone of any age, but it is more common in non-white populations. Symptoms involve frequent urination, extreme hunger, thirst, unusual weight loss, increased fatigue, or blurry vision.

If you have been diagnosed with diabetes, you need to have your A1C number checked. You A1C number tells you how well you’re controlling your blood sugar over time. Your A1C should be less than 7.

Left untreated, diabetes can lead to heart disease, blindess, amputation of arms or legs, and kidney disease. To take steps against diabetes early, see your doctor and know your numbers.

Body Mass Index Target: 25 or less Body mass index (BMI) measures your weight in relation to your height. It indicates how heavy or slender you are, and should be 25 or less. A BMI over 25 means you are overweight; over 30 indicates obesity. Extra weight can lead to high cholesterol, heart disease, diabetes, and other chronic illnesses.

Check with your doctor to determine your BMI, then take action to control your weight. om

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Mississippi

organizations

Top L to R: Willie Tinner, George Pollard, James Dunn, Billy Willis, Jon Tyler Bottom L to R: Peggy J. Zaongo, Pam Daniel Evelyn Windum-Hubbard

A Call to MEN in Tunica

Organization challenges men’s behavior

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n a day like today, we sit and think of all the things that affect our lives and lifestyles. We tend to venture into what is and what could be – day dreaming. The area that is called Tunica County, named after an Indian tribe, is one of 82 counties in Mississippi. The demographic breakdown consist of almost 71% African American, 27.5% Caucasian and 1.5% other, respectively. Tunica County has grown in the past 15 years to become a major HUB for the gambling industry. In an area that is rich in culture and history, there still remains the strong scent of the “Man Box”. On this day, we move towards a future that nurtures the family unit by

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removing violence. I introduce you to the Tunica County Community-Based Organization’s Domestic & Sexual Violence Initiative.

Scenario: Imagine a group of men dealing with domestic and/or sexual violence, alcohol and substance abuse convictions, being mandated to attend anger management sessions.

Within each group there are men of many ages, economic and ethnic backgrounds – all with one thing in common – they abused those they loved. The guest speaker on this day is a female social worker who brought along a fellow male co-worker who sits quietly in the audience. The entire session was being led by this professional female who

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had years of experience in dealing with batterers, drug abusers and alcoholics -- and yet no one is listening. When it was time for the rookie male to stand, the room became silent and all the men listened and interacted with this man who himself would agree did not know that at that very moment, he was making history!

Why? It’s the “Man Box” theory!

Through seminars, workshops and other educational vehicles, A CALL TO MEN challenges men to reconsider their long held beliefs about women, in an effort to create a more just society. We achieve this by encouraging change in the behaviors of men through a re-education and training process that promotes healthy manhood.

Every little step begins with placing one foot in front of the other and continuing until there is a rhythm. A CALL TO MEN initiated that rhythm and is now sharing the beat throughout the United States – one note at a time. Our committee has pledged to move forward in bringing a program that deals with the “why and how” before the who is affected. The committee is dedicated to providing training to those who work in law enforcement, health and human services, faith-based organizations, local governmental agencies, and local security officers. We will work with the local judicial system to bring an end to violence against women and children in Tunica County.

Our training consist of healing men through positive coaching of well-meaning men, who will in turn touch the lives of others; thereby harmonizing this community to beat as one.

By strategizing with colleges, corporations, government agencies, non-profit and grassroots organizations across the United States, we will help organize the community by raising awareness and engaging men in domestic and sexual violence prevention. Our vision is to shift social norms that define manhood in our culture, and produce a national movement of men dedicated to this cause.

A CALL TO MEN provides Keynote Speakers, who are nationally recognized leaders in male accountability who will examine the role of well meaning men in domestic and sexual violence prevention. The focus of these presentations includes various concepts of healthy manhood in the positive development of men and boys.

Our present Advisory Committee consist of: Billy Willis, Director, Tunica County Recreation Commission, Boys & Girls Clubs of Mississippi Delta – Tunica Units, and Executive Director, Tunica 10 Point Coalition, Inc.; Evelyn Windum-Hubbard, retiree from 34 years of Civil Service with IRS, and Senior Pastor of Commerce Boulevard Christian

Church; George Pollard, Marketing Manager for Kroger’s and Senior Pastor of Tabernacle Faith Center Holiness Church; James Dunn, Executive Director of Tunica County Community Development Corporation, local business owner and County Supervisor; Jon Tyler, Deputy Sheriff, Patrol Captain; Tunica County Sheriff’s Department; K.C. Hamp, Sheriff of Tunica County, Tunica County Sheriff’s Department; NeKetta Dean, Community Relations/Risk Management, Tunica County Sheriff’s Department; Willie Tinner, Security Officer, Harrah’s Entertainment; and Peggy J. Zaongo, Community Advocate and Chair Coordinator for said committee.

When Advisory Committee members were asked why they want to serve on this committee?

Billy stated, today’s youth are exposed to many learned behaviors that challenge their growth into manhood.” As a whole, we can make a difference and have an impact in the lives of many.

George stated, I don’t want my wife, daughter, mother and other females to have to continue being abused and me stand by and not do anything.

Jon stated, being in law enforcement I see first hand the terrible after effects of domestic and sexual violence and I want to be part of any effort to stop the physical and emotional scars left by these actions.

Peggy stated, it’s time for a change and I want to be a part of this great movement.

The intent is to bring a different thought process when dealing with domestic and sexual violence. Often in the African-American community we don’t talk about issues that run deep in the south. We sweep so many injustices under the old rug in the front room and never look under it. The settlement turns to dust and when we are alone, and no one is watching, we sweep it onto the porch and out of our houses. It is as though the violence never occurred.

We feel that it’s time to work towards a unity that will bring a peace to our families, our communities and to those we love. The Tunica County Community-Based Organization Domestic & Sexual Violence Initiative wants to reach out to other community organizations for support in making this a reality. If you would like more information on this initiative or would like A CALL TO MEN to contact you concerning a project in your area, please contact us via email at acalltomen6@gmail.com or by calling 917-922-6738.

We are making a difference in Tunica County, join us! om

Our vision is to shift social norms that define manhood in our culture, and produce a national movement of men dedicated to this cause.

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*Source: 2000 census, U.S. Census Bureau

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Mississippi

organizations

Heal

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Congresswoman Nancy Johnson and Berryhill receiving National Award in Washington, D.C.

A time to

Vivian Berryhill Has Found A Whole New Calling for the Black Church in America in the 21 Century.

By Michael Harrelson

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B

“Through every major movement in this nation, the AfricanAmerican church has been the pivotal and central focal point of positive change.” –– Vivian Berryhill, founder, National Coalition of Pastor’s Spouses

ack in the days of slavand wellness issues running ramery and throughout pant in black America. the struggle for civil “Whatever the disease that afrights, the Church was fects the white community, it affects the rock and the sanctuary from the African-American community oppression for African Americans at a worse and a more debilitatin America. Across all faiths and ing level,” says Berryhill, whose denominations, it served as a safe husband, Rev. Chester Berryhill Jr., haven where its members could pastors the New Philadelphia Bapseek spiritual healing, socialize tist Church in Memphis. “That’s with their friends and neighbors because African Americans generand speak their minds without ally do not have the resources or fear of reprisal. the medical access and opportunity With freedom and full constituthat our white brothers and sisters tional rights now a reality and the have.” fundamental equality of the races Whether it’s the National Cocodified in the recent election of alition’s Faith in Action diabetes the first black president, the near booklet, its HIV/AIDS: A Manual sacred institution of the black for Faith Communities, for which church is no longer called upon to the NCPS won an award from the fulfill that vital role for its millions Department of Health and Human upon millions of congregants.

Services in Washington, D.C., it’s But, just as in the days of Reconstruction and Jim Crow, Faith Matters: How African American Faith Communities black churches throughout the country are stepping forCan Help Prevent Teen Pregnancy booklet, recognized with ward to confront new challenges to the life and well-being an award from the National Campaign to Prevent Teen of the African-American community in a whole new era Pregnancy, or its latest effort to address adolescent obesity, fraught with its own dangers and challenges. with its findings to be presented to the Center for Disease From the specter of HIV and AIDS to the debilitating Control in Atlanta this August, Berryhill says her organizaepidemics of diabetes, teen pregnancy and drug abuse, tion’s success has little to do with money and everything to Memphian Vivian Berryhill is summoning the traditional do with a simple grassroots approach in researching, writstrength and gravitas of black churches throughout the naing and distributing her faith-driven health and wellness tion and the world to right the health disparities that dismessages. proportionably affect black America through the National Typically, her organization’s health outreach efforts Coalition of Pasbegin with focus tor’s Spouses she groups in individual founded in January churches, wherein inof 2001. formation is gathered Through the from participants efforts of its 2,500 before being sent members around to a group of NCPS the world, each members who do the with the ear of writing and editing. the pastor and the “We partnered with respect and visibilthe U.S. Department ity that comes with of Health and Hubeing a minister’s man Services, and we other half, NCPS had 35 to 40 pastor’s is making a difspouses who actually ference and doing wrote the HIV/AIDS what government manual,” Berryhill agencies and NGOs says, adding, “It’s the have long failed to only one of its kind.”

Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist convened top African American U.S. faith leaders in DC (2007): l to r do in addressing the are Bishop Keith Butler, Rev. Eugene Rivers, III, Bishop T.D. Jakes, Senator Bill Frist, Bishop Harry Jackson, NCPS writers pandemic of health make a concerted Bishop Marvin Winans and Vivian Berryhill.

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organizations

Berryhill out in the bush visiting children, orphaned by HIV/AIDS in villages in Uganda Africa, ravaged by the disease.

effort to avoid scientific jargon by aiming their messages directly at those at risk, using simple, down-to-earth language. “A lot of times, such information is written at a collegiate level. So, we always try to avoid that approach.”

For its booklet on HIV/AIDS, the focus was the easy-tofollow ABC model that stressed Abstinence, Being faithful to one’s partner, and Condom use for those who have not been celibate throughout their active sex lives. “It was so simple that people got it,” Berryhill says, adding that, to date, the effort has impacted thousands of individuals throughout the United States.

Hand in hand with a strategy that is decidedly nonpartisan –– a tactic that has won her organization support and recognition from liberals and conservations alike, including first ladies Michelle Obama and Hillary Clinton, President George W. Bush and Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour –– Berryhill’s model for success stresses action and commitment over money and public relations.

“We use the churches as health hubs, and we do it basically by raising offerings. We get some grant dollars and money through private donations, but we have never had any money of significance. Our budget amounts to approximately $50,000 per year.”

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What NCPS lacks in funding, however, it more than makes up for in the dedication of its overwhelming female membership, Berryhill says.

“It takes the compassion of women to drive and move an issue. Women are doers and men are thinkers. I would say that 98 percent of our pastor’s spouses are women. If we are going to get anything accomplished, we have to put it in the hands of doers, and they are great women.”

If the Michigan native’s long-standing activism in her pastor husband’s own Memphis congregation shows no lack of compassion for the plight of her community, Berryhill’s own successful fight with a potentially fatal illness has only strengthened her resolve.

“Having been diagnosed with stage 3B cancer really changed my whole perspective on life. I am able now to understand better and empathize with the women diagnosed with HIV/AIDS. I can understand their fear and trepidation now. I know how people with diabetes feel with having to monitor what they eat. I understand the people we are serving now.”

To find out more about Vivian Berryhill and her National Coalition of Pastor’s Spouses, log onto www.pastorspouses. com. om

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Mississippi

events sinbad earth, wind, & fire

cedric the entertainer

Brian McKnight

April 30-May 2 Lions Club of MS Convention Location: Clarion/Summit Center April 30-May 2 Marine Corp League State Convention Location: HGI/BCSCC May 5 MARTIN LAWRENCE 8 p.m.

Desoto Civic Center, Southaven, MS Box Office Numbers: 662.470.2131 RUBEN STUDDARD May 27 The super-sized 2003 American Idol winner - performs live!

• Times: 8pm • Location: Beau Rivage Casino, 875 Beach Blvd, Biloxi • Phone: (888) 566-7469 • Admission: Call for tickets!

May 27 CEDRIC THE ENTERTAINER Considered one of the funniest comics in America - performs live!

• Times: 8pm • Location: IP Casino Resort & Spa, 850 Bayview Avenue, Biloxi • Phone: (888) 946-2847 • Admission: Call for tickets!

ourMississippi

Martin Lawrence

darius-rucker

June 3 SINBAD American stand-up comedian and actor, well known in the late 80s & 90s from being featured on his own HBO specials, appearing on several television series, and starring in the films - performs live!

• Times: 8pm • Location: Hard Rock Casino, 777 Beach Blvd, Biloxi • Phone: (877) 877-6256 • Admission: Call for tickets!

June 15 EARTH, WIND & FIRE The American R&B and funk band that took the world of pop music by storm in the mid 70s with their infectious blend of rhythm and blues, rock, and soul - performs live!

• Times: 8pm • Location: Beau Rivage Casino, 875 Beach Blvd, Biloxi • Phone: (888) 566-7469 • Admission: Call for tickets!

July 29 BILL BELLAMY American actor and stand-up comedian- performs live!

• Times: 8pm • Location: Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, 777 Beach Blvd, Biloxi • Phone: (877) 877-6256 • Admission: Call for tickets!

ruben-studdard

August 5 BRIAN MCKNIGHT American singer, songwriter, arranger, producer, R&B musician, and late night talk show host performs live!

• Times: 8pm • Location: Hard Rock Casino, 777 Beach Blvd, Biloxi • Phone: (877) 877-6256 • Admission: Call for tickets!

September 09 The O’Jays Tickets: 800-946-4946 13615 Old Highway 61 Tunica Resorts, MS 38664 The O’Jays are a Canton, Ohio based soul and R&B group, originally consisting of Eddie Levert, Walter Williams, William Powell, Bobby Massey and Bill Isles. The O’Jays were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2004, and The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2005. The O’Jays had their first hit with “Lonely Drifter”, in 1963. In spite of the record’s success, the group was considering quitting the music industry until Gamble & Huff, a team of producers and songwriters, took an interest in the group. With Gamble & Huff, the O’Jays emerged at the forefront of Philadelphia soul with “Back Stabbers” (1972), and topped the Billboard Hot 100 the following year with “Love Train”.

bill-bellamy

October 7 THE FOUR TOPS & THE TEMPATIONS One of the most famous Motown groups - perform live!

• Times: 8pm • Location: Beau Rivage Casino, 875 Beach Blvd, Biloxi • Phone: (888) 566-7469 • Admission: Call for tickets!

October 8 Temptation &The Four Tops Tickets: 888-245-7529 1010 Casino Center Drive Tunica Resorts, MS 38664 Long Time R & B groups, who have outlasted many others and who keep coming back with new members.

October 14 DARIUS RUCKER Performing “Don’t Think I Don’t Think About It” and more - live!

• Times: 8pm • Location: Hard Rock Casino, 777 Beach Blvd, Biloxi • Phone: (877) 877-6256 • Admission: Call for tickets!

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