Newspaper Page Text
46
10 The Savannah Tribune • Wednesday, Mayl7, 2023
Atlanta Business League Names Tantrum’s
David Tann as its 2023 Entrepreneur of the Year
Organization to honor Tann for his exemplary service and innovative
creativity that shapes Atlanta at 44th Annual CEO
Awards Luncheon
Savannah Georgia Negro Leagues
‘Only The Ball Was White”
Courtesy Of The North Carolina Collection, Pack Memorial Library, Asheville
In celebration of its
90th Anniversary, The Atlanta
Business League (ABL) has
announced David Tann, found
er and CEO of branding and
creative consultancy Tantrum
Agency, as its 2023 Entrepre
neur of the Year. Established
in 1990, the award recognizes
proven leadership as evidenced
by financial success and com
mitment to community service.
Each year, Entrepreneur of the
Year is awarded to one of At
lanta’s top minority business
owners. On Tuesday, May 16,
2023, ABL will host its 44th
Annual CEO Awards Lun
cheon to honor Tann and other
distinguished business leaders.
Tann joins a presti
gious list of past ABL honorees
including Georgia State Sen
ator Emanuel Jones, T. Dallas
Smith & Company founder
and CEO T. Dallas Smith,
Wade Ford President and CEO
Steve Ewing, Bernard Bron-
ner, Bronner Brothers, Inc.,
C. David Moody, C.D. Moody
Construction, the late Maynard
H. Jackson, Jackson Securi
ties, Hank Aaron, Hank Aaron
Enterprises, and many others.
“The Atlanta Business League
is honored to recognize and cel
ebrate David Tann’s unique vi
sion and valuable impact. This
unique opportunity will inspire
other talented entrepreneurs to
make a difference and achieve
success in the process,” said
Leona Barr-Davenport, Atlanta
Business League President &
CEO.
David Tann
Tann’s contributions
to Atlanta’s ever-growing influ
ence on global culture and pas
sion for service have spanned
over two decades and feature
work with some of the world’s
biggest brands and several of
Atlanta’s most cherished in
stitutions. From unveiling the
new identity for the Atlanta
Hawks during one of the fran
chise’s most tumultuous peri
ods to the pivotal rebranding
of the Atlanta Dream in 2019
to shaping critical campaigns
for the CDC targeting minority
communities, Tann has boldly
made his mark on Atlanta and
the branding and marketing in
dustry.
As a Black entrepreneur, Tann
understands the importance
of his barrier-breaking and
door-opening work. Accord
ing to statistics, 50% of small
businesses do not make it to
their fifth year, with this num
ber even higher for Black-
owned businesses. This year,
Tann is proud to celebrate the
fifth anniversary of Tantrum,
a feat for any business own
er in and of itself. Now, both
the organization and Tann are
celebrating this hard-earned
success and setting an exam
ple for others along the way.
“Working in all of these differ
ent companies and for all these
different brands, I didn’t really
see many other people in the
industry that looked like me,”
said Tann. “I felt if I didn’t
do well, there was the likeli
hood that another person like
me getting that same opportu
nity might be slim. Now as a
business leader, I can create a
space that celebrates diversity,
authenticity, and talent.”
From boardrooms to
classrooms, David Tann fos
ters spaces where diversity can
flourish, and the next genera
tion can grow through his un
wavering entrepreneurial spir
it. Atlanta’s business landscape
hosts many shining stars, and
Tann remains one of its bright
est.
The Atlanta Business
League’s 44th Annual CEO
Awards Luncheon will be held
Tuesday, May 16, 2023. For
more information or to pur
chase tickets, visit the event
registration page.
Savannah Negro
Leagues Baseball was a big
deal among many African Af
ricans in Savannah Georgia
for many years. The Negro
leagues was established be
cause of mainly three things
segregation, discrimination,
and the Civil War. There
were Major Negro Leagues as
well as Minor Negro League
Teams. Savannah would have
been considered a minor Negro
League team.
There was an outright
rejection of African Americans
in 1867 to play baseball with
White baseball players. The
National Baseball League
drew up a document called the
‘gentleman’s agreement’ to bar
Black Baseball Players from
the league. It was not until the
early 1920s the Negro League
was formulated. Savannah
was a hub of African American
culture and commerce, making
it a natural home for the forma
tion of a Negro League team.
The Savannah Bears
was the most prominent
team in the Savannah Negro
Leagues and was founded by
several prominent African
American business leaders,
including William D. Wash
ington, a prominent local busi
nessman and politician. The
team was initially composed of
local players, many of whom
had been excluded from the op
portunity to play professional
baseball because of their race.
There were other teams that
played in Sportsman Park like
the Savannah Kilowatts which
was sponsored by Savannah
Electric and Power, the Black
Sox, and a host of other teams
on almost that played every
Sunday.
Over time, the Savan
nah Bears became a powerful
force in Negro League Base
ball, attracting top talent from
around the country and regular
ly competing against other top
Negro League teams such as
the Birmingham Black Barons
and the Homestead Grays. Two
players that actually left the Sa
vannah Bears went on the play
in the Majors Negro Leagues
with the Indianapolis Clowns
which were Bobo Smalls, and
“Crazy Legs’ Patterson. The
team was known for its talent
ed players, including pitcher
Leroy “Satchel” Paige, who
went on to become one of the
most famous pitchers in base
ball history.
The Savannah Bears
were also known for their ded
icated and enthusiastic fans,
who filled Sportsman Park
Stadium for every home game.
The stadium, which was built
in 1926 specifically for the
team, was a source of pride
for the African American com
munity in Savannah and was
widely considered to be one of
the finest ballparks in the coun
try.
Despite the success
of the Savannah Bears and oth
er Negro League teams in the
city, the integration of Major
League Baseball in the 1940s
and 1950s spelled the end of
the Negro Leagues. Many of
the best players from the Sa
vannah Bears and other Negro
League teams went on to play
in the major leagues, including
Hank Aaron, who went on to
become one of the greatest hit
ters in baseball history.
In a 2009 Interview
with Savannah television sta
tion WTOC Millard Wheel
er who became the owner of
Sportsman’s Park after inher
iting it from his grandfather
discussed issues related to the
Savannah Bears. Sportsman
park was an important space
for African Americans up un
til the 70s. In 1976, scenes
from the comedy movie “The
Bingo Long Traveling All-
Stars and Motor Kings” start
ing Billy D. Williams, James
Earl Jones, and Richard Pryor
was filmed at Sportsman Park.
The feature depicted the Negro
baseball barnstorming days of
the 1930s and 40’s just before
Jackie Robinson and others
Sportsman’s Park sold food
and even had a small hotel on
the premises in its “heyday”.
When Interstate 516 was built
close to the entrance of Sports
man Park, the park went into
decline.
Half Rubber” was
popularized due to Savannah
children playing baseball in
the street which minimized the
chances of windows breaking
or damage to people’s cars.
Many children in Savannah
started playing half-rubber
even before learning the sport
of baseball.
Savannah Negro
Leagues Baseball was an im
portant part of the African
American community in Sa
vannah during the 20th century.
The Savannah Bears and other
teams provided a source of
pride and a sense of communi
ty for African Americans in the
city, and their legacy continues
to be celebrated today through
the Negro League Baseball
Museum and the memories of
those who were a part of that
special time in baseball history.
In 2018 Sportsman Park was
demolished and the land was
sold.
Dr. Azagba Kereenyaga
'['lie Savannah Chapter of
South Carolina State University National
Alumni Association
announces its
Scholarship Banquet
'20 Years Later: Still Standing, Still Growing, Still Committed f
Sunday, June 4, 2023 Carey Hilliard’s Restaurant
5:00 PM Banquet Room
Tickets: $35.00 per person 11111 Abcrcorn St, Savannah, GA
To purchase tickets, cull:
Kesha Alderman 912-656*2128 or Major Dan Scott 912-663-7120
Proceeds from this banquet provide scholarships for students
from Savannah who will he attending SC Stale University.
M.A.G
Mitchell’s Advisory Croup Insurance Consultants
Call or schedule an appointment today with your local, trusted advisor at
Magic Insurance Agency * Veteran Owned and Operated
912-407-0221 or 912-667-3949 (cell) * maeicinsurance.net
Want to Know the Truth
About Veteran-Tricare
and Medicare Options?
Call the Experts!
★
Trust your LOCAL EXPERT
to get the insurance coverage you need!
★
4s an independent insurance agency, we can assess
your needs and guide you in choosing the right plan
for your situation -sav/ng valuable time and money.
New to Medicare because of a disability?
Turning 65 and new to Medicare?
Have Medicare and Medicaid?
Have Medicare and Tricare and/or
VA benefits?
Have conditions such as diabetes
or heart disease or are you on
dialysis?
Need Life Insurance?
We do that too.
WE CAN HELP!
There is no cost for our service.
Relatives As Parents Program
Are you a grandpar
ent or relative who has taken on
the responsibility of surrogate
parenting because the biologi
cal parent is unable to do so?
The Relatives as
Parents Program (RAPP) of
Economic Opportunity for Sa-
vannah-Chatham County Area,
Inc. (EOA) is designed to en
courage and promote the cre
ation or expansion of services
for grandparents and other rel
atives who have taken on the
responsibility of surrogate par
enting due to the absence of the
parents.
Currently, RAPP
provides extensive services,
primarily to relative caregiv
ers caring for children they are
raising (not in the formal foster
care system).
EOA hosts a support
group for RAPP participants
on the 4th Wednesday of eact
month at 2:00 pm througf
ZOOM and telephone con
ferences. Please join us for ar
open discussion and an ex
change of ideas.
Relatives taking care
of children are encouraged tc
attend the support group to find
out about the services EOA will
be providing. The RAPP Sup
port Group will also be a haver
where individuals can come to
gether to share their experienc
es and network with others ir
similar situations.
This program is funded ir
part by the City of Savannah
Brookdale Foundation and
EOA. For more information
contact Barbara Mincey RAPF
Coordinator, at 912-238-296C
ext. 123.
Follow Us On
Social Media!
Twitter:
@SavannahTrib
Instagram:
the_savannahtribune
Facebook:
TheSavannahTribune
Linkedln:
The Savannah Tribune
Sign up for our Weekly
Newsletter on our website!
Thank You For Reading
The Savannah Tribune