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For Dennis Kimbro, not even the sky is the limit!
By Michelle N. Jackson
Contributing Writer
“Family, spiritual and
economic rebirth” were
necessary to change the African
American status from consumer
to producer, according to Dr.
Dennis Paul Kimbro, director of
the Center of Entrepreneurship
at Clark Atlanta University.
Kimbro is the author of “Think
and Grow Rich: A Black
Choice,” “Daily Meditations for
African American Success”, and
his new book (to be released in
the spring) “What Makes the
Great Great.”
Dr. Kimbro, in discussing the
issues facing Blacks in business,
said he believes in order to
empower the Black community,
a rebirth must occur in the family
structure. In addition, the noted
motivational speaker stressed the
importance of spirituality of
Black people — not religion—
and in the outlook of economics.
“Blacks,” he said, “must
realize that having a job does not
mean security because very little
job security exists in the current
job market.”
“The best security is your
own commitment to excellence,”
he stressed.
He also indicated a change
has occurred in regards to
employment, adding that many
Blacks seek to own their own
businesses as a means to
accomplish financial
independence.
But with this new found trend
toward Black entrepreneurship,
problems do arise, he said.
The most common problems
of Black entrepreneurs, Kimbro
said, are their access to capital,
their access to market and
managerial incompetence.
“Business owners have to keep
in mind that their primary
concentration of business is to
serve,” Dr. Kimbro explained.
His advice to aspiring
entrepreneurs is to find their areas
of excellence.
“Find out what you love to do
and would do for free. What
comes easy to you, but difficult
to others,” he said. “Then, ask
your friends and family what they
could see you doing. Whatever
the decision, remember success
is attainable.”
Kimbro, a 10 year resident of
Atlanta, is originally from New
Jersey. He earned his
undergraduate degree from
Oklahoma University and his
doctorate from Northwestern
University, where he studied
wealth and poverty in third world
countries. Kimbro has received
numerous awards, including the
“Who’s Who in Black America”
and the Dale Carnegie “Personal
Achievement” award.
Dennis Kimbro motivates through lectures and the word
file photo
Journalism student uses creativity to uplift community
Eric Rose
Staff Writer
In a time when critics are
calling today ’ s young people the
“Gimme Generation,” Pamela
Wells, a journalism major at
Clark Atlanta University,
marches to the beat of a hipper
drummer.
Wells is one of those rare
individuals who see nothing
wrong in spending time with
young people. In fact, she is the
mastermind of a program that
allows these youngsters to rise
above their situation by
introducing them to the worlds
of Creative and Mass Media Arts.
“My mother encouraged me.
She told me I could do whatever
I wanted,” she said. “Not
everyone has parents and people
in their life to be light to them. I
am looking to be a light to a child
whose world is dark or a better
light wherever I need to be.”
So far,Wells has spread her
message more than 20 times to
students in the public school
system.
“I want these kids to show
their creativity and give them
increased self esteem,” she said.
Wells started two years ago in
Vicksburg, Miss, by speaking to
a group of high school seniors.
However, they did not want to
hear what she had to say.
“Oh, those students were
horrible!” she exclaimed. “They
didn’t want to listen to me
because they could see I was just
a little older than them. I started
to get cynical and almost gave
up.”
However, one of those students
did something that changed her
view forever.
“This girl came up to me and
said she wanted to know more
about what I was talking about,”
she said. “She was interested in
Joumalismas a career and wanted
to know who she could speak to
about it. I gave her the name of
an editor for one of the local
newspapers and everything just
fell into place, she really
encouraged me.”
Wells not only worked with
seniors, but also with pre-teens
in programs to show their
imagination and their ability.
“I went to a couple of schools
and told some of the students
that if they could write about
what they think makes them
special, I would ensure that they
appeared in one of the local
newspapers,” she said. “One of
the students, a 13-year-old eight
grader in Vicksburg, Miss, was
an inventor and his story ran in
the Vicksburg Evening Post. I
was shocked when the
Associated Press Wire Service
picked it up and carried it to
bigger papers!”
Now in Atlanta, Wells is
starting a new page in her book
of unselfish giving.
Since high school, she has
written plays for the performance
of her peers. Now, in a new
program entitled “Teaching Kids
to Reach Beyond the
Stratosphere,” Wells will be
introducing the students to the
theatre world, allowing them to
direct, act and create their own
play.
“I’m exited and a little
nervous,” she said. “It’s a
different set of kids and I’m
hoping for the same kid of
welcome from the kids that I got
in the other cities.”
Her plans have already
received praise from those in the
field and they support what she
is doing.
“I think it’s an excellent
program because it performs two
functions,” said Carol Mitchell-
Leon of the C AU Players and the
Alliance Theatre in Atlanta.
“One, it teaches responsibility to
increase your growth as a teacher
and, two, it supports my belief
that ‘each one, teach one.’”
Teachers at the schools as well
as private citizens have also
shown their support. In fact, one
Atlanta businessperson agreed to
help sponsor her program.
“My first appearance in Atlanta
will be made with Reagan Preston
of the show ‘The Parenthood’,”
she said. “I just can’t wait!”
In the future, Wells hopes to
carry the program to other cities
and one day help to get drama
instituted in the curriculum of all
schools.
However, Wells admitted that
if it wasn’t for someone in the
business, she would not be where
she is now.
“My fondest memory is of
Gregory Hines who I met when I
was 18,” she said. “He took me
aside and told me about my
potential and I told me I should
go for it. I promised him I would
return the favor (encouraging
others) one day, so this project is
more of a thank you to him and
other people who have been there
for me.”