RAYNARD JACKSON

Raynard Jackson is president & CEO of Raynard Jackson & Associates, LLC., a D.C.-public relations/government affairs firm.  He is also a contributing editor for ExcellStyle Magazine (www.excellstyle.com) & USAfrica Magazine (www.USAfricaonline.com). 

Jimmy Graham – A True Baller

Raynard Jackson

That’s right, Jimmy Graham!  Most of the public is only recently becoming aware of the story of Jimmy Graham.  I find this very unfortunate, but true.

Jimmy Graham is a tight end for the New Orleans Saints football team.  As of this writing, he is the leading tight end in the N.F.L. in terms of receptions and touchdowns.  But most importantly, he is proving to be a true “baller” in the game of life!

He was born and raised in Greensboro, North Carolina.  This 24 year old has scored big both on and off the field.  Just imagine, at the age of 11, being put in a parent’s car and then being dropped off at an orphanage.

Well, unfortunately for Graham, he doesn’t have to imagine this—this was his life.  Graham recounts the story of him being in the back seat of a van with his housemates from the orphanage and being beaten until his eyes were swollen shut.  He called his mother and asked her to pick him up and she simply hung up the phone.  Ouch!

After bouncing around from house to house, he was eventually taken into the home of his future adoptive mother, Becky Vinson during his high school years.

According to Graham, he and his biological mother are “slowly rebuilding a relationship, but it’s moving very slowly…I told her that I forgive her, but I won’t forget.”

Graham is a better man than I am.  I am very impressed with the way he presents himself on TV.  But, his attitude towards his mother goes to the type of character he has.  Isn’t it a shame that more people are aware of Beyonce’s pregnancy than Graham’s story?

Graham, who now stands 6’6” and 260 pounds, earned a basketball scholarship to attend the University of Miami (commonly referred to as “The U”).  He played football in his last year of school (along with four years of basketball).

He graduated in 2009 with a double major in marketing and management.  He then enrolled in graduate school so he could play one year of football.  During the 2010 NFL Draft, Graham was picked by the New Orleans Saints in the third round (95^th overall pick).  He was signed to a four year, $ 2.5 million contract.

There is a lot more to this story, but because of space constraints, there is not enough room to write about everything; but just Google his name and you can read all the details of this fascinating person.

So, the next time you hear or read a negative story about a professional athlete, just think about Michael Vick or Jimmy Graham.

Most professional athletes are good, upstanding citizens.  Don’t allow the media to cloud your views because of a few bad apples.

Jimmy Graham’s story makes you cry, makes you angry, and makes you joyful.

You can’t help but cry when you think of the traumatic experience he suffered at the age of 11.  You can’t help but be angry at how an adult and a mother could subject her own child to such a life altering situation.  But, you can’t help but be joyful about how an 11 year old, traumatized kid could develop into such a wonderful, marvelous person!

This story is not about sports, it’s about life.  We all have faced or will face our own traumatic situation(s) in our life.  How we respond will determine the quality of our life.

There are not many people who I really want to meet in life, but Jimmy Graham is definitely one.  I want to know how he went from failing grades, to a basketball scholarship to a very prominent university (with a double major in marketing and management), finished in four years, then enrolled in graduate school so he could play one year of football, and then to excel on the professional level in football.  All this while overcoming the trauma of his youth.

Jimmy Graham, your life is truly a touchdown.  Whether you know it or not, you have already won the Super Bowl of life!

Raynard Jackson is president & CEO of Raynard Jackson & Associates, LLC., a D.C.-public relations/government affairs firm.  He is also a contributing editor for ExcellStyle Magazine (www.excellstyle.com), Freedom’s Journal Magazine (www.freedomsjournal.net), and U.S. Africa Magazine (www.usafricaonline.com).

The State Of The Dream

By Raynard Jackson

With all the attention being focused on the life and legacy of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. this week, I have been pondering what he would have to say about the state of his legacy.  In the immortal words of Lionel Richie (former lead singer of the Commodores):

“I may be just a foolish dreamer but I don’t care

Cause I know my happiness is waiting out there somewhere

I’m searching for that silver lining

Horizons that I’ve never seen

Oh I’d like to take just a moment and dream my dream

Oooh, dream my dream” (from the song Zoom1977).

I can imagine King looking down from on high and observing the state of his dream:

What the hell has become of my dream?

Nothing is what it really seems.

My people have been emancipated, but yet are not free,

Just look at the high rate of poverty.

My people have better education,

But they also exhibit less dedication.

Their thirst for material possessions,

Seems to be their only obsession.

The Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial Project,

Let the record show I totally object.

To spend $ 120 million and to what end?

That’s not what the dream was about my friend.

Lei Yixin, the sculptor that was chosen,

When I found out, my mouth was frozen.

A man from China where there are no human rights,

You can believe I would have put up a big fight!

$ 800,000 to my family for the use of my name,

Yolanda, Marty, Dexter, and Bernice what a shame.

Yeah, I know there is money in intellectual property,

But, my dream was always more towards the heavenly.

A German to build a memorial to the Holocaust?

The Jewish community would have been at a loss.

But my people gave the work to a non American,

This oddity I really can’t understand.

You couldn’t have chosen someone like the sculptor Ed Dwight?

Afterall, the U.S. Air Force trusted him to take planes into flight.

A Black man trained as a sculptor, aviator and an aeronautical engineer,

His choice should have been crystal clear.

Getting the raw materials from a foreign land,

To build the platform on which I stand.

From China of all places, a repressive regime,

This choice makes me want to scream!

Temporary workers from China you brought to this land,

What, there were no American workers skilled with their hands?

No doubt this was all about cheap wages,

This has been man’s downfall throughout the ages.

Oh, and what’s this I hear about the granite brought in from China?

You couldn’t find any in North Carolina?

Has my dream really come down to this?

I thought by now there would be a new twist.

When I left earth to take my rest,

I thought my people could pass the test.

Now, as I look down on this situation,

I wish I could have one more incarnation.

But, who am I to question what God has started?

Maybe that’s why I am a member of the dearly departed.

I now wish I could have one more run,

But my fate was tied to the barrel of a gun.

So, as I leave you with these final words,

I hope the true meaning of my vision is what you heard.

I am not allowed to come back and continue the fight,

So, please try to get my dream right.

I will pray that God will open your eyes,

Because what I see is a stunning surprise.

The dream was not about the money spent,

But helping those who could barely pay their rent.

Yes, it’s true that the dream was for all of mankind,

But, what I see you doing is not what I had in mind.

My dream was not about the color of the skin,

But, tell me where does the Black man fit in?

But, giving contracts to those from a foreign nation,

Was not part of my dream of emancipation?

Everything for this project could have come from within

Please understand what I am saying to you my friend.

Raynard Jackson is president & CEO of Raynard Jackson & Associates, LLC., a D.C.-public relations/government affairs firm.  He is also a contributing editor for ExcellStyle Magazine (www.excellstyle.com) & USAfrica Magazine (www.USAfricaonline.com). 

By Raynard Jackson

The Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies used to be one of the preeminent think tanks in Washington, DC.  They focus on issues of particular concern to the Black community.

Over the years I have participated in or hosted panels with them that were very substantive and informative.  They were a think tank in its truest form—there to provide unbiased analysis, not to promote and agenda!

Unfortunately, those days are gone.  They no longer have the standing that they once had.  As a matter of fact, they have almost become invisible to the public at large because they have lost their vision.

I learned this from my personal experience with them this past Monday.

On Monday, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill that increased the U.S. debt limit (the U.S. Senate did the same on Tuesday).  So, that afternoon I received an email from the Joint Center about them hosting a webinar to discuss the vote on increasing the debt ceiling and its impact on “vulnerable populations.”  The full title was, “The Debt and Deficit Debate and the Untold Story of the Impact on Vulnerable Populations.”

They never identified or defined what was a “vulnerable population.”

According to their press release, “The Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies has scheduled a webinar today to focus on the challenges facing African Americans and other people of color, and particularly their concerns that measures related to the debt ceiling debate could exacerbate already high unemployment and undermine short-term and long-term economic prospects.

Journalists who dial in will have the opportunity to question members of two panels – the first of which will be comprised of a member of the Congressional Black Caucus, the White House National Economic Council and leading national economists and will examine the details and projected impact of the negotiated agreement that Congress will vote on.  The second panel will delve further into the agreement’s program reductions on members of vulnerable populations and on both discretionary and entitlement programs that they rely upon.”

As if the above wasn’t bad enough, I was totally incensed when I saw the list of their panelists:

Ralph B. Everett, Esq., President and CEO Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, Avis Jones-DeWeever, Ph.D., Executive Director National Council of Negro Women, The Honorable Bobby Scott (D-VA) U.S. House of Representatives, and a member of the White House’s National Economic Council (this is just a partial listing, for the complete list go to:  http://www.jointcenter.org/newsroom/press-releases/americas-fiscal-crisis-and-the-untold-story-of-the-impact-on-vulnerable-popu).

During the webinar I sent a complaint to the person running the session and she indicated that she would have someone call me after the event to discuss my complaint that the panel was bias and comprised of all Democrats.

So, the next morning, Gina Wood (the Director of Policy and Planning ) called me and I expressed my concerns to her.  She became extremely defensive, rude, and was very arrogant.  These are common traits of radical feminists like her.  They have no intellectual capital to rely on, so they get emotional and rude.

When I expressed my disappointment that every panelist was a Democrat, she said, “I had no knowledge of the panelists politics….I reviewed some of their writings and used that as the basis of my inviting them to be on the panel.”  So, I responded by asking her did she honestly believe that I was stupid enough to think that she didn’t know that Bobby Scott was a liberal Democratic member of Congress?  It went downhill from there.  I had to terminate the phone call with extreme recitude with malice aforethought (in other words, I hung up on the girl).

I am not going to have someone pee on me and then try to make me believe it’s raining.  The Joint Center is better than that.  I can’t believe they would actually have a panel totally devoted to White House talking points and yet, claim to be nonpartisan.  When I challenged Gina on that point, she had no response.  She knows very well that for them to have integrity, they must present more than one view in order to have a real discussion.  But they are not nonpartisan.  They are an extension of the Democratic National Committee (DNC).

Can they explain why they have no Republicans in their employ?  So, I would ask my readers to call Ralph Everett, and ask him if their goal is to educate the public or to push an idealogical agenda?  His number is: 202-789-3500.

The Joint Center can no longer be taken seriously if they cannot be honest with themselves and the American people.  Either they are going to provide a forum for spirited discussions of issues of concern to the Black community or they are going to continue to be an arm of the DNC.  Either way is fine with me, but can we have a little “truth in advertising.”

If Gina Wood is representative of the Joint Center’s integrity, then their reputations is going to go up in smoke!

Raynard Jackson is president & CEO of Raynard Jackson & Associates, LLC., a D.C.-public relations/government affairs firm.  He is also a contributing editor for ExcellStyle Magazine (www.excellstyle.com) & USAfrica Magazine (www.USAfricaonline.com). 

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An Open Letter To Tom Joyner

By Raynard Jackson

I have known Tom Joyner (nationally syndicated radio host) for many years. We are not hanging out buddies, but we have always enjoyed talking and joking with each other.  He is an “old school” soul who has done a lot of good in his life.  But, in recent years, his very public fight with Tavis Smiley (journalist) and now Cornel West (college professor), threatens his standing in many communities (not just the Black).  So, I decided to use this week’s column as an open letter to Tom.

Tom, it is well documented that you and Tavis Smiley (and now Cornel West) have had a very public falling out with each other.  I have not been privy to all the details of the dispute, only what is being reported in the media and through some of our mutual friends—but I have no first hand knowledge of anything; so my comments will be offered with that as my backdrop.

Word on the street is that the falling out started during the presidential campaign in 2008.  Tavis was clearly not a big supporter of Obama’s and was more of a supporter of Hillary Clinton’s.  You were unabashedly quite vocal in your support of Obama.

So, after Tavis resigned (or you fired him from your radio show—I don’t know which one is more accurate), I thought the beef between the two of you would be over.  Boy, was I wrong.

Last week you continued your public feud with Smiley and West and raised the rhetoric to an unhealthy level.  To lay the blame at their feet for what Mark Halperin called President Obama is a bit of a stretch.  This is what Joyner said, “But I’m even more disgusted with Smiley and West, two brothers who I did have expectations of – and thought I knew. These two have done much worse than what Halperin has done because they set the tone for it, opened the door to it, and must take much of the blame for creating a climate that would make a white, professional journalist feel comfortable verbally and vulgarly attacking the first black president of the United States.” (for the entire quote, go to http://www.blackamericaweb.com/?q=blog_inner/29954/1573138/Cheriewhite/1).

Halperin is editor of Time Magazine and a regular guest on MSNBC TV network.  Last week, on live TV, he called President Obama a “dick.”  He was immediately suspended indefinitely from the TV network (he did issue an apology).

Well, Tom, I could make the same argument against you about your blind support for Obama. It is well documented that I, as a Black Republican, voted for Obama in 2008.  I was hopeful that he could and would deliver on the promises he made as a candidate; but just as important, use the historic nature of his presidency to bring a different perspective to some of the issues that have plagued the Black community.  This is what I hear in West’s criticism of Obama.  Smiley seems more angry and hateful and therefore I kind of tune him out.  But West’s criticism is in sync with what I have been writing in my columns for the past two years.

So, Tom, can you really make a thoughtful argument for Obama’s reelection without injecting the name of Bush, Republicans, or racism?

Can you justify why Obama would meet with Marc Morial, Ben Jealous, or Al Sharpton, in February of last year to discuss the high unemployment rate in the Black community?  These are three people who have never created one job.  Did you not find this insulting?  Do you think the president would have met with non practicing Jews to discuss Judaism?

Can you explain to me why you and the president support amnesty for the estimated 30 million illegals in the U.S.?  Especially when around 7 million of these illegals will enter the workforce and compete with other low and under skilled people (mostly Blacks).  If you are concerned with the high unemployment rate in the Black community, how then does this make sense?

Can you explain to me why you and the president are spending so much political capital pursuing a gay rights agenda even though most Blacks are against it?

But, when it comes to issues of particular concern to the Black community, the president’s response is, “I am president of all of America, not just a narrow special interest group.”

Where has the president expended any political capital on behalf of issues of particular interest to the Black community?  So, the gays get all sorts of gay rights, Hispanics get a Supreme Court Justice, amnesty, and the D.R.E.A.M. Act; and Blacks folks get “I’m president of all of America.”

So, Tom, while you have done a lot of good in your life, especially with raising $ 55 million for Black college students, this does not give you a pass on your moral obligation to educate your listeners, not indoctrinate!

You are without doubt an apologist for Obama, but the worst thing you can do is continue to lead your audience into blind support for the president.

In your profession, if you don’t deliver certain demographics, you get fired.  Next year Obama will face a similar standard.  I challenge you to lay out your argument for Obama’s reelection based on substance, not race.

For you to continue to spew misinformation or incomplete information to your audience is more damaging than anything someone with a white hood over his head has ever done.

If you truly believe in liberalism (as you claim) when will you allow a free flowing exchange of information from both parties to take place on your show and in your town hall meetings?

You have made a name for yourself in the area of education, but when will your bring that reputation to your radio show?