Newspaper Page Text
volumes*Number 5 Atlanta, Georgia November 6,1985
DeQuincy Hentz
Bill Little
Roland Washington II
How successful was
the Million Man March?
By Kimathi Lewis
Staff Writer
Undoubtdely, black men from
all walks of life made history as
they gathered together last month
for the Million Man March. The
question, howeverremains. How
many will take it a step further?
According to all reports, the
March involved the largest gath
ering of black people in history.
The demonstation, held Oct.
16 in Washington, D.C. was
dubbed a national day of atone
ment for black men by organizer
and Nation of Islam leader Louis
Farrakhan.
Minister Farrakhan urged the
masses of black men to stop
blaming the oppressors and to
takeresponsibiltyforthemselves
and their communities.
Critics contend the true suc
cess of the March can only be
measured by the visible affects
in the community.
Brother David 5X, a Clark
Atlanta University student who
assisted in the registration for
the event, estimated about 200
CAU students, faculty and staff
participated in the march.
Several local community
groups said they have noticed an
increase in black male participa
tion.
“More men have been calling
in every day to become men
tors,” said Deborah Johnson, di
rector of Client Services of Big
Brother and Big Sisters in At
lanta.
She said the social service or
ganization, which exist in nine
counties in metro Atlanta, re
ceived a moderate increase of
callers after the march.
“There has been significant
increases, especially in Fulton
and Cobb counties. Some actu
ally said they went to the Million
Man March and wanted to par
ticipate,” she said.
Babatunde Banjo, a spokes
man for the Coalition of 100
Black Men of Atlanta expressed
a similar sentiment.
“There’s been phone calls com
ing in with people anxious to
join,” he said.
To some partcipants in the
Atlanta University Center, the
march served as a wake up call to
change their own negative be
haviors while others said it rein
forced their commitment to the
community.
In the case of Roland Wash
ington II, 21, it was both. “I
especially agreed with what
Farrakhan said about joining or
ganizations, adopting an inmate
and some of the 25, 000 black
foster kids,” he said.
Washington, a senior at Lin
coln University in Pennsylva
nia, is attending CAU as part of
the Olympic Host Broadcast
Training Program. He said he
plans to do his part in helping out
the black community.
Washington said he was so
inspired, the day after the March
he decided to reestablish with
his father, who was too sick to
attend, an organization in New
ark, NJ designed to “get children
off the streets and stop selling
drugs.”
The sports medicine major
said he had previously discussed
restarting the organization, initi
ated by his father in the 1950s,
but the March simply reinforced
their decision.
DeQuincy Hentz, 21, a
Morehouse senior, said the
March motivated him to turn his
life around.
“I want to atone for my inad-
continued on P2
IN SIDE:
P2 'Hirepressions’
P7 Vampire in
Brooklyn
Entertainment
P8 Homecoming
Game
Sports and entertainment program a perfect match
By Tarsha Burton
Staff Writer
Some of corporate America's
major players turned out Oct. 13
for the first Advisor Board Meet
ing on the Center for Entertain
ment and Sports Management
(COESM), held at the Atlanta
Merchandise Mart.
Among them was legendary
baseball player Henry "Hank"
Aaron, vice president of Turner
Broadcasting Systems, Inc.
Aaron is also chairman of
COESM. Others included Jackie
Lee, consultant for Laface
Records and Ralph Jemigan,
chief executive officer of Inter
national Sports and Entertain
ment Strategies [of Atlanta].
The COESM was created in
the spring of 1995. Unique in its
own right, Clark Atlanta Univer
sity (CAU) is the first Histori
cally Black University to offer a
program that combines both en
tertainment and sports. Cur
rently, both undergraduate and
graduate students are enrolled in
courses through the school of
business.
Issues discussed at the meeting
included fund-raising, a public
relations campaign, introductory
courses offered and student ex
posure to possible career oppor
tunities after completing the pro
gram.
“I believe in the cause ; any
time African Americans can get
involved in the management as
pect of sports and Entertainment,"
said Ron Williams, who is in
volved in the Sports and Enter
tainment Management Associa
tion's (SEMA) student charter
organization at CAU.
Meanwhile, Aaron said it’s
vital that this program be
supported.”! think there is a need
for it and I’m intrigued by the
fact that it’s backed by the School
of Business.”
Aaron further pointed out that
many of the nations colleges and
universities that offer similar
programs do so through their
athletic departments.
And LaFace's Lee said,
“LaFace Records believes in sup
porting those who support us.”
International Sports and En
tertainment Strategies represen
tative Ralph Jemigan said At
lanta will soon be one of the
largest entertainment centers in
the world.
“Our company wants to help
those who are bright and hold an
interest in the field.”
Dr. Edward L. Davis, acting
dean for the School of Business
Acting Dean said he is optimis
tic the program will be a success
once it receives accreditation.
“I think there is a need for
it and I’m intrigued by
the fact that it’s backed
by theSchool of Business.”
-Hank Aaron