Black In Business

Have you ever been the best at something We are taught to not beat our own drum, but since Championship Sunday is comming in the US, lets do it. You may say, What has this to do with Blackinbusiness? Some of the most vivid lessons about, what is possible can be learned from the world of sports. I recall a time in 1977 and I was a young salesman surrounded by racist managers. The white business managers were angry that blacks were being accepted into the business world because of Affirmative Action. In an effort to lessen the effects of descrimination, major US companies were given quotas to hire black employees.

The work force was not a friendly place and it appeared to me and others the whites guys wanted us all to fail. I say white guys because, for the most part, that is what they were. White women were being accepted into the work force but they were almost as outcasted as we were. We caught hell everyday. We were made to feel inferior, only hired because of quotas and of no skills. This was feedback from our teamates and coaches,our co workers and managers.There were some good ones but not many.

During this time, Reggie Jackson signed with the New York Yankees and was the highest paid player in the major leagues. Reggie caught almost as much hell as we did from his manager, Billy Martin and white teammates. He suffered through a tough transition but in game 6 of the world series, on 3 swings of the bat, he hit 3 homeruns, and  became Mr. October. A hero, as a young Xerox employee, I said if Reggie can perform in the face of racists, so can I.

Back to 2007,I predicted, Baltimore Ravens vs Chicago Bears. The Ravens have lost so now I want the Indy Colts vs Da Bears. That is right, 2 black coaches, Tony Dungy vs Lovie Smith. No black coach has ever lead his team to a super bowl, and now we have an opportu nity for 2 in the same year.

This morning on 670 the Score, the Mike North morning show,the number one radio sports talk station in Chicago, Mr North was heard to say that every black coach has been a failure. Mr. North is white and was disgraced earlier this week when the high school he dropped out of refused to name a sports field  after him. The reason was his  admitted use of a racial insult.

Art Shell, Dungy and Dennis Green have all lead teams to play for the Championship game but has not made it to the Super Bowl.Art Shell was the first black coach in the modern era, and he was named head Coach of the Raiders in the 80’s

Black coaches have not had the opportunity to succeed like the white coaches and in the history of the NFL there has only been a handfull of black head coaches. This claim someone will have to look up, but I think black coaches’s winning % is higher than white coaches.

I want 2 black coaches to coach for the Super Bowl championship, because it will show a new generation of black people anything is possible. Go Lovie, Go Tony, show the world you are great leaders.

I open by asking, have you ever been best at anything, I have played on 2 championship teams in football. How about you?