Redemption: M. Vick has demonstrated his athletic worth

By Ashley Petaway

When is enough enough?

Is Forbes magazine’s most hated player in the NFL really the most hated player? Or has this hatred turned into a question of his celebrity, or involuntary role as a model citizen?

In August of 2007 when Michael Vick pleaded guilty to charges of dog fighting, or what U.S. Sen. Robert Byrd would referred to as the “cruel, sadistic, cannibalistic business of training innocent, vulnerable creatures to kill.” Vick’s career was thought to be as good as gone.

While animal lovers and Eagles fans alike were repulsed by Vick’s actions, the public granted him another chance, allowing Vick to prove his value as a Philadelphia Eagle’s quarterback and ultimately one again become one of the highest paid players in the NFL.

“He had a lot of opportunities to change. Jemelle Hill of ESPN told Hampton University students Wednesday. “You know the saying, you keep doing what you’re doing, you’ll keep getting what you’re getting.”

Determined for a different result, Vick got back on the field working harder than ever before to regain the trust of his fans and the respect of his teammates. “He really impressed everybody by how hard he worked,” said ESPN writer Ashley Fox, discussing via SKYPE the reaction of the Eagles fans.

While it’s unsure of whether Vick will maintain his image as a model citizen off the field, ultimately, he has demonstrated his worth as an athlete and Pro Bowl quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles.

http://www.dailypress.com/sports/dp-spt-2011-hu-diversity-day,0,2395116.story Day of Diversity

http://www.ajc.com/sports/michael-vick-tops-forbes-554412.html Most hated?

Letting them fly, but watching closely

Battinto Batts Jr., Executive Editor

Everyone, I want you to meet Sohn Tyler Watson. I have several terms of endearment for this skinny 16 year old, like “Ty” and “Mo.” But the one I love calling him the most is “son.” Tyler is my stepson. And the only reason I use the qualifier “step” is out of respect for his biological father, Sohn, who resides in Atlanta and is very much a part of Tyler’s life.  Sohn and I share the right to call this young man “son.” It’s a privilege I’ve earned over the last 11 years of dating, and later marrying, his mom, Denise. During that time, Denise and I had a daughter, Olivia, who recently turned 10.  I’d say we’ve put together a nice little family and there is lots of love in our household.

Ty is a big reason why. For the most part, Ty has been a piece of cake to raise. Obedient. Easy to please. Polite. Helpful. A good competitor on Madden and NBA Live. A decent, if not great, car detailer. He does an acceptable job at lawn care. His grades are mid range, mostly Bs and Cs, with the occasional A or D. Good kid. He even earns his own money, working at Andy’s Barber Shop on Saturdays, learning to cut hair.

Ty knows right from wrong and has never given us an ounce of trouble, except for the time several years ago when he hid from us in the play area at McDonald’s, making us think he’d wandered off or been kidnapped. It caused some brief moments of horror for his mom and me. Finally, he came out laughing.

I find myself worrying about Ty a lot these days, with what is happening to young black men in Hampton Roads. You’ve seen the news. Last week, Charles Humphrey, a student at Maury High School, was gunned down while coming from a party in Norfolk’s Park Place neighborhood. Police say Humphrey, 18, died from a shotgun blast to the head. A violent, tragic and terrible end for a young life. And on Friday, police arrested a 17-year-old boy in connection with the Humphrey’s killing and other arrests are expected.

I worry about my son because he often talks about house parties and events at community centers, like the one Humphrey was coming home from. We used to take Ty to some of these get togethers. There was one almost every weekend, it seemed. But we cracked down last fall after Rashawn Finney, a student at I.C. Norcom in Portsmouth, was shot at a party and later died. Ty was supposed to be at that party and was dressing to go when one of his friends called to say there had been a shooting.

We want Ty to do the things that teenagers do. For the most part, he does. Like going to the mall. Dating. Listening to music. Learning to drive. But I’d be lying if I told you that we haven’t tightened our grip a bit. His mom and I endured an hour at the mall with him last Sunday after church, sitting on the bench while Ty looked for ways to spend his Christmas money.

Ty says he knows when trouble is about to start and how to avoid situations. That may be so, but we are not giving much to chance right now. It’s a difficult balance because Ty graduates from high school next year and has every intention of going to college. It’s our job to get him there and not let him get cut down like so many of these other promising young men.

Sohn Tyler Watson, my son

The 2008 Virginia Black Expo

Filed By Battinto Batts Jr. and JayEll Vaughn

(HAMPTON, Va.) August 23, 2008 — On Saturday, the Hampton Roads Convention Center became the epicenter of black economic development, as an estimated 6,000 people turned out for the fourth annual Virginia Black Expo.

The event, produced by the McCants Communications Group, Inc., featured workshops, speeches, presentations, exhibits, celebrity appearances, a talent competition and a gospel concert.

There was probably something for everyone at this event, which lists Wachovia Bank, Chevrolet, the Virginia Port Authority, State Farm and several other well-known companies or entities among its sponsors. But the real purpose is business and empowering African Americans to improve their economic standing.

That is why there were workshops on doing business with the port of Virginia, how to start a business and how to save $1 million. All of these topics have particular relevance in today’s economy as individuals struggle to make ends meet with the wages from their jobs. Many of those wages have not kept up with the cost of inflation and the cost of living, weighed down mostly by the increased cost of fuel. Entrepreneurship has become the answer for many people struggling to make ends meet in George W. Bush’s economy.

“It is a great event to learn about black entrepreneurship,” said Paula Bonds of Norfolk, who was attending the Expo for the first time. “And even better, it’s local and you do not have to drive far for a great event.”

Gerry McCants, president and CEO of the promotions company, has been producing Black Expos throughout the southeast for the past 12 years. This was the first since McCants split with his long-time partner Darrin Thomas. McCants and Thomas have operated together for 18 years, publishing Black Pages USA in 12 markets between Virginia and Florida and producing the Black Expo in six cities. McCants will now oversee Black Pages and Black Expo in Virginia and North Carolina while Thomas will oversee operations in South Carolina, Georgia and Florida.

Overseeing a staff and volunteer team of about 30 people, McCants spent the day under headphones, like an NFL head coach, directing the event and tending to the smallest of details. The Expo was actually the culmination of three days of activities that McCants’ group brought to southeastern Virginia. The first was the State of Black Business in Hampton Roads Breakfast, held Wednesday August 20, followed by a golf tournament on Thursday, a boat tour and reception were held on Friday.

McCants has made it his life mission to empower African American businesses by way of his publications and events. It is an effort that was acknowledged by attendees on Saturday.

“I hope black owners realize they have a large spending power within the black community,” said Sheila Jordan of Virginia Beach.

“It’s a good networking tool,” said Olivia Osei-Sarfo of Virginia Beach. “It’s a lot of businesses that I am able to network with to help build myself.”

Coming next: Business tips from the Virginia Black Expo and snippets of information

Free Mike Vick

I don’t have much to say here about this, but the thought just crossed my mind. Let the man out. He has lost everything: his dignity, his money. He’s a broken man and, according to the courts, broken financially. What else can we extract from him for fighting dogs? No, he should not have lied to federal investigators, but, gosh, there are some white collar criminals walking scott free now who did much worse than Vick. Enough is enough.

Ignoring your health isn’t manly. It’s dumb…

When I was young, I had hordes and hordes of football cards. This was the pre-video game era, pre-Madden football. When we wanted to play with our cards, we’d spread them out on the floor in formations, 11 to a team and pretend to be playing real games. I didn’t know a whole lot less then than I do now about blocking a defensive end or protecting the quarterback. But I knew that Gene Upshaw knew a lot about those things. So I had to get him on my team. We used to ram our football cards into each other, simulating the “hitting” process. Upshaw would “block” and open holes for “Sweetness” Walter Payton to run through. It wasn’t real, but it sure was fun. It’s sad that both Payton and Upshaw are now gone, both too soon.

The quickness of Upshaw’s departure, which occured on Thursday, was both shocking and sad. He’d only been diagnosed with cancer over the weekend, despite feeling badly for some time. He got a cancer diagnosis on Sunday and by Thursday, he was dead. It sort of reminds me of the tragic loss of my co-workers at The Virginian-Pilot. Mike Davis used to sit next to me when we were both reporters covering business for the newspaper. Mike had been ill for a bit and was finally convinced to see a doctor. It was cancer. The news hit the staff like a punch in the stomach. Three weeks later, Mike died. It was one of two deaths our staff would endure during the summer of 2005, Benita Newton, a mere 25, died from a blood clot. Her death was more immediate. I sat next to her in a staff meeting that ended at 1 p.m. By 5 p.m. the staff was gathered again, shedding tears over Benita’s death.

Upshaw’s death wasn’t as fast as Benita’s, but not even as long as Mike’s. Upshaw got diagnosed with cancer on Sunday August 17 and was dead on Thursday August 21. It’s sad and sobering. And it is a reminder that we need to listen to all warning signs that our body gives us.

If you have an unexplained growth anywhere on your body. Tell your doctor.

Having trouble breathing? Tell your doctor.

Can’t relieve yourself of waste properly? Tell your doctor.

Don’t waste time with this. Don’t put it off.

I turned 40 this week, a milestone and a blessing, but also the onset of more responsibility. I have to be more responsible and attentive to my health. I have to submit to annual check ups and having the doctor probe places that I probably would prefer not to be probed. But I have to do it. My wife and kids are counting on me to do so. A real man stands up and accepts his responsibility.

In this tragedy, everyone gets hurt…

Virginian-Pilot photo

Reading the news about the untimely death of 17-year-old Tameika Jordan, I was at first upset that such a young life had to end. I wanted to know if there could have been another way for this standoff to conclude. Did police have to kill her? I hurt for the mother. And I wondered why there was so little information about the case. Knowing how police killings always draw a lot of attention, I expected this to get quite a bit of coverage. When I realized that Tameika was African American, I knew there would be outrage in the community. There would be cries of racism and excessive force. Many African Americans don’t trust the police, some rightfully so because they are law abiding citizens who have had unfortunate encounters of racial profiling. Others have no reason to complain because they frequently run afoul of the law and draw the attention of law enforcement. I know about the distrust of law enforcement. I covered crime quite a bit during my 20 years as a journalist. I’ve been to hundreds of crime scenes and written about more murders than I can count. I have even written about a police shooting that ended up with an African American male driver dead.

It is unfortunate that we have had so many bad cases in the news, cases where police appear to have misused their force. Rodney King’s case still comes to mind, but there are many others. The images and the news get played over and over again. They are burned into our memories. The problem is, not every case is the same. And not every police shooting is the same. But I knew there would be charges of racism and unnecessary force in Tameika’s case. I was right.

Reading some of the story comments on the newspaper web site, I believe some people see what I see here. There is so much more to this than how it ended. Something went terribly wrong in this child’s life. Let’s remember that police were called to the scene because of a hostage situation. A situation that Tameika created. And she had a gun.

The easy thing to do here is to say: “What was this child doing with a gun?” And we would want answers from the mother or parents. I have a teenager and my wife and I do our best to stay on top of everything he does. He knows that he has no privacy, at least not while he is living under our roof. As a parent you need to know what is going on with your child. But more than that, you have to also admit when you are overwhelmed and cannot handle the situation on your own. You need to admit when you need help.

I am not a professional psychologist, but I know that counseling is still considered a taboo subject amongst African Americans. I do not know why, but I believe it is because people are too proud to admit that something is wrong with them or their child. For whatever reason, the thought of talking to a psychologist means that you are “crazy.” That just isn’t so.

I wonder if Tameika was troubled and didn’t get all the help that she needed.

Something about this whole thing just doesn’t add up for me. Why would a young lady who was headed to college and ready to embark on the greatest years of her life throw it all away like this? We are not talking about someone who was a thug or deadbeat. This young woman appeared to have a future. Despite that, what demons was she facing inside? We all have them. Maybe hers were too tough for her to handle.

I feel sorry for the mother and I mourn the loss of a young woman who had so much ahead of her.

But I also mourn for the police officer who shot her. I cannot be judgmental and accuse the officer of excessive force. I am not a trained police officer and I have not had to deal with an armed person. I hate guns and have only held one once. It gave me the creeps. I cannot say what I would have done in that situation. But I feel for the officer because, no matter what, they have to carry this burden with them for life. They killed a teenager. That is enough to keep any God fearing person up at night. Yes, officers are trained to kill to protect themselves, their brethren and the public, if need be. But, still, killing is the ultimate. It is a sin. The Bible does not say: “Thou Shall Not Kill Unless Someone Has A Gun Pointed At You.” There are no such qualifiers that would perhaps absolve someone in this case. The officer might forever second guess himself. And, what happens the next time? That’s if the officer stays on the force as there is a next time. Might he hesitate to do as trained? Might he be haunted by Tameika? Will he die at the hands of an assailant? And, then, does that make up for Tameika’s death? I don’t think so.

Why it’s time for Virginia to be a “blue” state

Every time I sit in traffic at the Hampton Roads Bridge Tunnel, I get angry. I get angry because I’ve lived in Hampton Roads for 12 years and the traffic has only become worse. And who is responsible? Who has been in control of the General Assembly for most of that time? The Republican Party. The party that claims to run on accountability and good government. There is nothing that I can do about taxes. I hate them as much as the next citizen. I do whatever I can to legally reduce my tax liability. I still get bit. All I ask if I have to pay up is for the government to provide me services that I need. And for me that means the ability to get where I want to go when I want to without having to sit in traffic. I work and own a business. I contribute to the economy. My kids go to public schools. I don’t tax the system. I have health insurance. I don’t need Food Stamps or welfare. I’m doing what I’m supposed to do. As a business owner, I know that when people hire me to do a job and I don’t deliver what they want, I will lose their business. At my job, if I don’t do what my boss expects me to do, I will get fired. Elected officials are supposed to take care of basic necessities such as transportation. We needed a solution to this LONG ago. And the ONLY reason we don’t have it is the process has become politicized. Why? It’s not about trying to do what is best for the state, it’s about the quest to be right and in control. And who has suffered? Innocent people like myself and others. I didn’t ask for this.

It is time for the Republicans to get out of power in Virginia because they have squandered their chance with petty bickering and one-upmanship. Please show me one thing that you have done about transportation in this region. Why is it that we are having to look at closing the Jordan Bridge because of repairs? How long before we have a bridge collapse like the one in Minnesota? How long before we have a tragedy like in New Orleans where people cannot get out of here during a hurricane? Do you even care? How can possibly sit in traffic on I-64 at the tunnel and not want to do something to fix this problem?

Someone explain to me what the Republicans have done to deserve to remain in power. Tell me, please.

The State of Black Business in Hampton Roads

If Barack Obama is elected president of the United States, he will owe some gratitude to black entrepreneurs who have reached across racial lines to sell products and services that appeal to the masses.

That was central to the message Derek Dingle had for a morning gathering Wednesday at the Marriott Hotel in Newport News. Dingle, the editor of Black Enterprise magazine, was the keynote speaker for the kickoff breakfast for the 2008 Virginia Black Expo. The Expo, in its fourth year in Virginia, runs through this weekend with several events. It culminates with the day-long Expo on Saturday at the Hampton Roads Convention Center.

Dingle, a Norfolk native, told the audience that black businesses need to look beyond their traditional market if they are to grow. He pointed out that the number of soul food restaurants in Harlem has declined rapidly over recent years as eating habits have changed and as the area has become more integrated. One restaurant, Sylvia’s, continues to thrive, Dingle said, because it adapted its menu to provide healthier offerings and diversified its revenue by offering its products for sale via the Internet and other channels.

Black businesses who are able to succeed and reach mass audiences have a greater chance at long-term success, said Dingle. There is nothing wrong with doing business with black people, but you cannot make a sustained living on that alone, he added.

Which leads to the Obama reference. Dingle suggested that those businesses with crossover appeal helped to pave the way in our collective culture and make it possible for an African American man to be considered for president. It is not such a novelty and it seen as possible in a “post-racial” society, many experts and observers have claimed.

The other purpose of the breakfast was to highlight the achievements of black businesses in Hampton Roads and discuss the state of black business in the area. The thing is, no one has a true handle on the state of black business in Hampton Roads, which might suggest something ominous. However, anecdotally and judging by the number of business people at the breakfast, black business is doing well. This isn’t Atlanta or D.C. or even Charlotte, but we’re coming along.

The economic development departments of the cities want to find out just how far we have come and will be reaching out soon in the form of a survey. I’ll be writing about that later, with all the details and how you can participate. The intention is to get a handle on who are the black businesses here, what they do and what the economic impact is.

What I will be interested in knowing, though, is what will come of that data and what is the plan for using it? Will it be used to market this area as being the next mecca for black business? As an advertising and marketing expert, I think in those terms. How can we craft the reputation of this area as being friendly to minority business and as a place where you can be successful? Let’s face it, a lot of people outside of here still think of Hampton Roads as just a military region. Yes, we are a military region and VERY proud of it, but we are a lot of other things, too.

I think it is great that this effort is underway with the help of Louisa Strayhorn, who is now back in private business as a consultant. I can’t wait to get my hands on that data.

Be sure to check in on Saturday when I file the first of my reports regarding the Black Expo.

Want to know what I believe?

Check out my new post in Politics.

The State of Black Business in Hampton Roads

On Wednesday, I will be attending a breakfast in Newport News featuring business people and economic development officials from around the region. The topic will be “The State of Black Business in Hampton Roads.” This event is part of the 2008 Virginia Black Expo. I will be filing a report later on Wednesday about this event. We will also have a forum where we will ask this question:

What is keeping black business from flourishing in Hampton Roads?