Business

Pistons host sports career seminar for Detroit King HS students

MICHIGAN CHRONICLE — To end its Black History Month festivities in the month of February, the Detroit Pistons fittingly convened at Detroit Martin Luther King Jr. Senior High School.

Published

5 years ago

March 7, 2019

Oakland Post

By Branden Hunter

To end its Black History Month festivities in the month of February, the Detroit Pistons fittingly convened at Detroit Martin Luther King Jr. Senior High School.

Through the Business of Sports Seminar, a first-time event, the Pistons’ goal was to use the game of basketball as a vehicle to inspire students and bring awareness to the numerous sports-related career options available off the court.

Over 150 sports management students who attend King High School had the opportunity to listen to Detroit Pistons front office leadership team members share their career path stories and offer advice to the younger generation. The starting five included Vice President of Business Affairs Awenate Cobbina, Assistant General Manager Sachin Gupta, Vice President of Brand Marketing Alicia Jeffreys, Senior Director of Community and Social Responsibility Erika Swilley, and FOX Sports Detroit Reporter/Host Trevor Thompson.

“We wanted to make sure the students at King had an opportunity to interact with individuals in sports that look like them,” said Lawrence Fitz, assistant principal at King. “The students expressed an interest in actually being able to meet and talk to some of the big-name people that are in sports marketing and it’s a collaboration with our sports marketing program to make sure that we have viable programs in the Detroit Public Schools Community District for students who have a desire to go into the sports field.”

Many of the students in attendance were King football and boys and girls basketball players. The game will end for many of them at some points, whether that is after high school, college, or even pro, and they will need to find another career to venture off into in order to provide for themselves. That is the story of Cobbina, who played basketball at Emory University in Atlanta and put the basketball down to pursue a career with professional sports teams in the front office.

“I knew growing up that I wanted to work in sports,” said Cobbina. “I played basketball and baseball and at some point, I realized that I couldn’t jump high enough to make the NBA. But I played college basketball to keep my education going and when I graduated, I decided I wanted to have a career in sports. I applied for an internship with the NFL, luckily I got it, and I turned that opportunity into other opportunities.”

Brand marketing and social media are two vital components among NBA teams. One of the primary reasons that fans watch the Pistons or buy team gear is because the brand is strong in the city. If you have established credibility, then people easily see the value of your offerings. Social media has played a vital role in building this influence and Jeffreys and Swilley have played a larger part in that process.

Jeffreys has been with the team since 2002, beginning as a market development manager, climbing up the ranks over the years as an African-American woman from Flint, Michigan.

“Twenty years ago, Flint was a basketball city,” said Jeffreys. “I’m not as tall as Awenate, so I knew I wasn’t going to play basketball either. But because the Flint community rallied around basketball, I always wanted to be a part of the sports landscape. I attended Michigan for sports management, stepping out of my comfort zone there, working with hockey and golf, things I was not familiar with growing up in Flint. But that allowed me to be more diverse in my career.”

Detroit Pistons activities throughout the month of February focused on celebrating Black History and culture, while inspiring and providing opportunities for Detroit youth through arts, education, and basketball. The organization also aims to bridge divides while demonstrating the importance of equality, diversity, inclusion, respect, and teamwork.

Equality and inclusion was the main theme for the Pistons’ Black History Month activities and African-Americans breaking in the sports journalism field and be difficult. There is no manual that explains how to break into the world of sports journalism as a minority. The usual route through university and internships is there, but trying to learn the craft and looking for a foothold in the industry, there are very few minorities accessible enough to ask for guidance.

Thompson beat the odds, growing up and receiving his education in Canada and is now an Emmy Award-winning reporter who has covered the Tigers, Red Wings, and Pistons over the years.

“As corny as it sounds, I just followed my dreams,” said Thompson. “A wise man once told me that if you do a job you love, you’ll never work a day in your life. That sounded good to me. I had a dream to be a sports broadcaster and I followed my dream to where it has brought me today. I’ve been blessed enough to be here in Detroit and it’s been a great run since I came here 19 years ago.”

Representation in sports marketing is essential. Those looking to potentially pursue that career like to feel that they can relate to something or someone currently in those roles. They also like to know that they are not alone or that they, too, can be a high-ranking official in the front office for the Pistons or some other team.

“The five individuals that were here this morning not only represented the African-American community, but they represented female professionals, and people of other ethnicities,” Fitz added. “We hope that our students left here knowing that their goals and dreams are obtainable.”

This article originally appeared in the Michigan Chronicle.

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

Up Next

Nashville MLS expansion team unveils name, crest

Don't Miss

Black Owned Distillery Coming to Fort Lauderdale

Oakland Post

Click to comment

Bay Area

State Controller Malia Cohen Keynote Speaker at S.F. Wealth Conference

California State Controller Malia Cohen delivered the keynote speech to over 50 business women at the Black Wealth Brunch held on March 28 at the War Memorial and Performing Arts Center at 301 Van Ness Ave. in San Francisco. The Enterprising Women Networking SF Chapter of the American Business Women’s Association (ABWA) hosted the Green Room event to launch its platform designed to close the racial wealth gap in Black and Brown communities.

Published

4 days ago

April 20, 2024

Oakland Post

American Business Women’s Association Vice President Velma Landers, left, with California State Controller Malia Cohen (center), and ABWA President LaRonda Smith at the Enterprising Women Networking SF Chapter of the ABWA at the Black Wealth Brunch.

By Carla Thomas

The Enterprising Women Networking SF Chapter of the American Business Women’s Association (ABWA) hosted the Green Room event to launch its platform designed to close the racial wealth gap in Black and Brown communities.

“Our goal is to educate Black and Brown families in the masses about financial wellness, wealth building, and how to protect and preserve wealth,” said ABWA San Francisco Chapter President LaRonda Smith.

ABWA’s mission is to bring together businesswomen of diverse occupations and provide opportunities for them to help themselves and others grow personally and professionally through leadership, education, networking support, and national recognition.

“This day is about recognizing influential women, hearing from an accomplished woman as our keynote speaker and allowing women to come together as powerful people,” said ABWA SF Chapter Vice President Velma Landers.

More than 60 attendees dined on the culinary delights of Chef Sharon Lee of The Spot catering, which included a full soul food brunch of skewered shrimp, chicken, blackened salmon, and mac and cheese.

Cohen discussed the many economic disparities women and people of color face. From pay equity to financial literacy, Cohen shared not only statistics, but was excited about a new solution in motion which entailed partnering with Californians for Financial Education.

“I want everyone to reach their full potential,” she said. “Just a few weeks ago in Sacramento, I partnered with an organization, Californians for Financial Education.

“We gathered 990 signatures and submitted it to the [California] Secretary of State to get an initiative on the ballot that guarantees personal finance courses for every public school kid in the state of California.

“Every California student deserves an equal opportunity to learn about filing taxes, interest rates, budgets, and understanding the impact of credit scores. The way we begin to do that is to teach it,” Cohen said.

By equipping students with information, Cohen hopes to close the financial wealth gap, and give everyone an opportunity to reach their full financial potential. “They have to first be equipped with the information and education is the key. Then all we need are opportunities to step into spaces and places of power.”

Cohen went on to share that in her own upbringing, she was not guided on financial principles that could jump start her finances. “Communities of color don’t have the same information and I don’t know about you, but I did not grow up listening to my parents discussing their assets, their investments, and diversifying their portfolio. This is the kind of nomenclature and language we are trying to introduce to our future generations so we can pivot from a life of poverty so we can pivot away and never return to poverty.”

Cohen urged audience members to pass the initiative on the November 2024 ballot.

“When we come together as women, uplift women, and support women, we all win. By networking and learning together, we can continue to build generational wealth,” said Landers. “Passing a powerful initiative will ensure the next generation of California students will be empowered to make more informed financial decisions, decisions that will last them a lifetime.”

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

Business

Black Business Summit Focuses on Equity, Access and Data

The California African American Chamber of Commerce hosted its second annual “State of the California African American Economy Summit,” with the aim of bolstering Black economic influence through education and fellowship. Held Jan. 24 to Jan. 25 at the Westin Los Angeles Airport Hotel, the convention brought together some of the most influential Black business leaders, policy makers and economic thinkers in the state. The discussions focused on a wide range of economic topics pertinent to California’s African American business community, including policy, government contracts, and equity, and more.

Published

4 days ago

April 20, 2024

Oakland Post

Toks Omishakin, Secretary of the California State Transportation Agency (CALSTA), answers questions from concerned entrepreneurs frustrated with a lack of follow-up from the state. January 24, 2024 at the Westin Los Angeles Airport Hotel, Lost Angeles, Calif. Photo by Solomon O. Smith

By Solomon O. Smith, California Black Media

The California African American Chamber of Commerce hosted its second annual “State of the California African American Economy Summit,” with the aim of bolstering Black economic influence through education and fellowship.

Held Jan. 24 to Jan. 25 at the Westin Los Angeles Airport Hotel, the convention brought together some of the most influential Black business leaders, policy makers and economic thinkers in the state. The discussions focused on a wide range of economic topics pertinent to California’s African American business community, including policy, government contracts, and equity, and more.

Toks Omishakin, Secretary of the California State Transportation Agency (CALSTA) was a guest at the event. He told attendees about his department’s efforts to increase access for Black business owners.

“One thing I’m taking away from this for sure is we’re going to have to do a better job of connecting through your chambers of all these opportunities of billions of dollars that are coming down the pike. I’m honestly disappointed that people don’t know, so we’ll do better,” said Omishakin.

Lueathel Seawood, the president of the African American Chamber of Commerce of San Joaquin County, expressed frustration with obtaining federal contracts for small businesses, and completing the process. She observed that once a small business was certified as DBE, a Disadvantaged Business Enterprises, there was little help getting to the next step.

Omishakin admitted there is more work to be done to help them complete the process and include them in upcoming projects. However, the high-speed rail system expansion by the California High-Speed Rail Authority has set a goal of 30% participation from small businesses — only 10 percent is set aside for DBE.

The importance of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) in economics was reinforced during the “State of the California Economy” talk led by author and economist Julianne Malveaux, and Anthony Asadullah Samad, Executive Director of the Mervyn Dymally African American Political and Economic Institute (MDAAPEI) at California State University, Dominguez Hills.

Assaults on DEI disproportionately affect women of color and Black women, according to Malveaux. When asked what role the loss of DEI might serve in economics, she suggested a more sinister purpose.

“The genesis of all this is anti-blackness. So, your question about how this fits into the economy is economic exclusion, that essentially has been promoted as public policy,” said Malveaux.

The most anticipated speaker at the event was Janice Bryant Howroyd known affectionately to her peers as “JBH.” She is one of the first Black women to run and own a multi-billion-dollar company. Her company ActOne Group, is one of the largest, and most recognized, hiring, staffing and human resources firms in the world. She is the author of “Acting Up” and has a profile on Forbes.

Chairman of the board of directors of the California African American Chamber of Commerce, Timothy Alan Simon, a lawyer and the first Black Appointments Secretary in the Office of the Governor of California, moderated. They discussed the state of Black entrepreneurship in the country and Howroyd gave advice to other business owners.

“We look to inspire and educate,” said Howroyd. “Inspiration is great but when I’ve got people’s attention, I want to teach them something.”