ATLANTA, GA— Morris Brown College boasts a new mentorship program that matches local MBA professionals from eight prestigious schools with its growing base of diverse students. The inaugural program will support a select number of full-time juniors and seniors along with a unique cohort of first year students from the College’s adult education program.
“This wonderful opportunity offers an educational and mutually beneficial experience for both the mentor and mentee, and Morris Brown is excited and motivated to bring it to fruition,” said the College’s President, Dr. Kevin James.
Mentors are expected to provide student participants exposure to new career & industry possibilities as well as general business guidance, including insights into various functional areas, best practices of networking, and interviewing strategies.
Terry Comer, a Morris Brown College graduate (2003) and Harvard Business School alumnus (2006) is helping to spearhead the program alongside an impressive grouping of local MBA alumni. “I’m excited to support Morris Brown’s resurgence, particularly given how instrumental the College was in my personal development as a business leader. This program has tremendous potential and would not be possible without the broader Atlanta MBA community being so generous of their time,” said Terry Comer.
The collection of mentors represents a diverse group of our nation’s most respected MBA programs. All of the mentors hold senior leadership positions within established startups to Fortune 500 companies, spanning a variety of industries from retail to digital infrastructure. Together, these talented MBAs with a wide range of professional experiences and backgrounds, including 10 who are Presidents of their companies, are coming together to exclusively support Morris Brown College after its recent accreditation candidacy announcement.
At the conclusion of the first 8-month period, mentors and mentees are expected to complete surveys to best evaluate the program’s impact as well as identify future opportunities for expansion and improvement. The objective is to continue to serve the College for many years to come as Morris Brown expands its enrollment.
So, the Lord said, “I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth, both man and beast, creeping thing and birds of the air, for I am sorry that I have made them.” [Genesis 6:6-7].
And then the Lord said to Moses, “How long will these people treat me with contempt? How long will they refuse to believe in Me, in spite of all the signs I have performed among them? I will strike them down with a plague and destroy them…” [Numbers 14:11-12].
And He withdrew from them about a stone’s cast, and knelt down and prayed, saying, “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, ‘Not my will, but yours be done.’ And there appeared to Him an angel from heaven, strengthening Him. And being in agony He prayed more earnestly; and His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.” [Luke 22:41-44].
Listen, before mankind rebelled against God, we were warned that if we broke fellowship with the Lord, we would face dire consequences. But Jesus, God the Son, took on flesh, became a man, and suffered the penalty we deserved. Yet, in spite of all that Jesus did for us, we rebel against Him. We rebel against the One who gave His life a ransom for us. Shame on you! Shame on me! “We are all like sheep who has gone astray.” [Isaiah 53:6]. “A people with a revolting and a rebellious heart.” [Jeremiah 5:23]. May the Lord have mercy on our soul!
The Bible is clear that there are two possible destinations for every human soul following physical death: heaven or hell [Matthew 25:34, 41, 46; Luke 16:22–23] and for those who do not receive Jesus Christ as Savior, death means everlasting punishment [2 Thessalonians 1:8–9]. This punishment is described in a variety of ways: a lake of fire [Luke 16:24; Revelation 20:14–15], outer darkness [Matthew 8:12], and a prison [1 Peter 3:19]. This place of punishment is eternal [Jude 1:13; Matthew 25:46].
Why should you be beaten anymore? Why do you persist in rebellion, says the Lord? Your whole head is injured, your whole heart afflicted. From the sole of your foot to the top of your head there is no soundness- only wounds and welts and open sores, not cleansed or bandaged or soothed with olive oil. Your country is desolate, your cities burned with fire; your fields are being stripped by foreigners right before you, laid waste as when overthrown by strangers. Daughter Zion is left like a shelter in a vineyard, like a hut in a cucumber field, like a city under siege. Unless the Lord Almighty had left us some survivors, we would have become like Sodom, we would have been like Gomorrah. [Isaiah 1:5-9]. Therefore, consider how far you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, says the Lord. [Revelation 2:4-5].
These are the words of him who holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead. Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your deeds complete in the sight of my God. Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; obey it, and repent. But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you [Revelation 3:1-3]. Accept Jesus Now! God has made extraordinary efforts to encourage humanity to repent. Consider all the Old Testament calamities, catastrophes, and cataclysms. They were designed to get men to repent.
I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you, life, and death, blessing and cursing therefore, choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live. [Deuteronomy 30:19].
Chris Kempczinski, the President and CEO of McDonald’s, showed no remorse, compassion, sympathy, or empathy as he spoke about parenting to Mayor Lori Lightfoot. First, a policeman killed Adam Toldeon, 13 years old, on the premises of McDonald’s. Weeks later, a seven-year-old girl, Jaslyn Adams, was killed in the drive-thru lane at McDonald’s on the West Side Side of Chicago.
The president of the $20 billion corporation, texted Mayor Lightfoot after a face-to-face visit at the McDonald’s headquarters, “With both, the parents failed those kids, which I know is something you can’t say. Even harder to fix.” By his own admission, he told The Wall Street Journal, “I have, through my background a very narrow world view. “My to comments to Mayor Lightfoot revealed that ignorance.” Mr. Kempczinski is Swedish. How many worldviews do you need to feel for the parent, whose seven-year-old daughter was killed in the drive-in of McDonald’s? All seven-year-old wants to go to McDonald’s.
He spoke as a racist, white privileged, prosperous affluent male, who is insensitive. His reported salary in 2018 was $4.678 million. If he knew you could not say it, why did he say it? What made him so comfortable with Mayor Lightfoot, Black, and female, that he could text what he wrote.
Who is he to speak on parenting in the first place? And when he texted such a message, where was Lightfoot’s response? Perhaps she called him or had a zoom meeting. If so, she should make her comments public. It’s like she excused him.
He spoke aloud. We hear him. McDonald’s is a racist company; they practice “systemic racism” throughout.
In 2020 the company made $20 billion. Thirty percent of their company consumer base is Black. Blacks produced $6 billion of their total income. In 1998 there were 377 Black McDonald’s franchisees. Today there are 186 out of 1300. Don Thompson was the Black CEO of McDonald’s from 2012 to 2015. When he retired, so did many of the top Black executives. In 2019 McDonald’s spent $1.6 billion in advertising; less than $10 million of those dollars were spent with Black-owned media.
Byron Allen, the founder of Allen Media Group, filed a lawsuit for $10 billion against McDonald’s, stating the company discriminated against Black-owned media back in May 2021. According to the case, the fast-food chain has a “tiered advertising structure that differentiates based on race. He has also ta
ken out full-page newspaper ads pointing to the racism in McDonald’s Black ad spend. After Byron’s ads appeared, McDonald’s quickly added $10 million to the black budget. But where did it go?
I had a harrowing experiment with McDonald’s as I spoke to the head of advertising, Sheila Hamilton. It was a circus. A call had been initiated with discussion, where the new advertising lady listened to our pitches. I followed up with her to discuss TV advertising. Then, the circle of do nothing began. She told me about the Black McDonald’s owners, who do an excellent job with their dollars to support the Black community in multiple ways.
I asked questions about the $10 million extra – What agency did it go to? What was the spend? When would it be executed? I spoke to a White agency and provided three different people with the basic information requested. Eventually, I was sent to two Black agencies, who claimed ignorance about the new $10 million. One agency never returned calls.
I went back to the advertising director of McDonald’s, to say stop playing games and sending me on a wild goose chase. If you are not prone to advertise, say that and be upfront about it, but don’t insult my intelligence. She told me she would have the Black agency, Burrell, call me. I never got the call, and the advertising lady disappeared, not answering the tough questions. The run-around ended.
Back to Mr. Chris Kemczinski. Mrs. Lanesha Walker, the grieving mother of seven-year-old Jaslyn Adams, spoke to Maudlyn Ihejirika, who writes “Chicago Chronicles” for the Chicago Sun-Times. She said, “Mr. CEO, you have no clue what it’s like to live on the South Side and West Side in the trenches, where it gets real treacherous just to protect your children; you come from privilege. You can’t speak about me.”
Ms. Walker wants a direct apology from Mr. Kempczinski. He owes her an apology, a private one and a public one. He is not fit to be CEO of a $20 billion company. He is an example of how white privilege and systemic racism lives and is perpetuated. He not only showed Ms. Walker disrespect, but he also disrespected his consumer, his significant customer.
McDonald’s fast food is not the healthiest. It can lead to hypertension, diabetes, and definitely obesity. I hope Black folk at every level, the consumer, the Black-owned media, the customer, and the franchisees don’t take the insult. Let’s disappear from McDonald’s. Perhaps they should have a lesson in cancel culture. Since my conversation with the McDonald’s Chief Marketing Officer, I have vowed “hell no” to McDonald’s with its many agencies. Their business model is racist all around. It’s not the advertising; it is the insult.
We have to challenge the business model. Disrespect for your customer is not an option; it is mandatory. If Kempczinski’s lifestyle and experiences are beyond the reach of his customer, he probably shouldn’t be the CEO.
If the president of a company cannot respect his client, he should not be at the helm. He is not emotionally qualified. When Byron Allen raised the question of McDonald’s advertising with Black-owned media, McDonald’s gave the traditional civil rights organizations $1 million donations, half to the Urban League and to NAACP. Corporate hush money.
Not enough McDonald’s. An apology is required directly to Mrs. Walker. In fact, why don’t you do an apology commercial?
More Black franchisees.
Enough of the insult.
And Mayor Lori Lightfoot, we await your response to Kempczinski’s text message. Meanwhile, band McDonald’s from your menu.
REDLANDS, CA – The Salvation Army of San Bernardino is in need of frozen turkeys for their Christmas food distribution on December 20th to families in need who have signed up for Christmas assistance.
“Please bring your donation of frozen Turkeys to either our Redlands location at: 838 Alta Street or our Hospitality House located at: 925 W. 10th St., San Bernardino,” said Major Martha Trimmer, Corps Officer of The Salvation Army of San Bernardino.
To sign up for food for your family please apply in person at The Salvation Army 838 Alta Street in Redlands.
“We can help with toys for your dependent children from birth to 12 years old please bring with you your, ID, proof of dependent children in the household i.e., birth certificate, social security card, or insurance card, and proof of residence such as a utility bill,” said Major Martha Trimmer, Corps Officer of The Salvation Army of San Bernardino.
“We can also help your entire family with food,” she added.
Monetary donations can be mailed to P.O Box 26, Redlands, CA 92373. Donations can always be made online at www.salvationarmyusa.org or by calling 1-(800)-SAL-ARMY.
SAN BERNARDINO, CA— On October 19, 2021, the Board of Education presented the Outstanding Achievement Awards to students, parents, and staff at Hunt Elementary School and Indian Springs High School (ISHS).
The Board recognizes Outstanding Student Award winners to build self-esteem and honor excellence in academics, athletics, fine arts, citizenship, and most improvement. The Board also presents the Outstanding Parent/Guardian Award and Outstanding Employee Award to individuals who embody the District’s dedication to student achievement and well-being.
Hunt Elementary School Outstanding Student Award winners Zarein Jackson and Jake Ward
Hunt Elementary School, Principal Kristin Kolling:
Jake Ward is a 5th-grader and Outstanding Student. Jake demonstrates outstanding citizenship and academics at school. He is respectful, responsible, and safe at all times. Jake scores above grade level in language arts and is a tenacious problem-solver in math. That will take him far in his goal to become an astronaut.
Zarein Jackson is also a 5th-grader and Outstanding Student. Zarein is self-motivated and a model AVID Scholar. She does her best to be prepared and stay organized. She also models good citizenship and leadership skills, both in the classroom and as part of the student council. Zarein wants to attend Harvard and study medicine while playing basketball.
Outstanding Parent Award winner Monica Eguia is a member of Hunt’s School Site Council and English Learners Advisory Committee. Beyond that, she volunteers regularly and recently became a recreational aide, supporting students in many ways throughout the day. She works hard to set an example her daughter can follow.
Secretary II Miguel Villalobos is Hunt’s Outstanding Employee Award winner. As the school secretary, he works diligently to research and solve problems and support all staff and students so Hunt remains a great place to work and learn. He juggles many tasks at once, always with a smile, and stays calm during an emergency. Miguel is a true professional.
ISHS Senior and Outstanding Student Award winner Stephenie Trout
Indian Springs High School, Principal Kristen Bicondova:
Senior Stephenie Trout is an Outstanding Student. She is ranked seventh in her class with a 4.71 G.P.A. Stephenie is a student leader. She serves as the Sports Medicine Pathway President of the Student Cabinet Unit, is a member of the softball team, and works part-time. She’s self-motivated and well-rounded, traits that will help her reach her goal of becoming a neurosurgeon.
Senior Eric Rodriguez Flores is also an Outstanding Student. Eric wasn’t happy with his grades in middle school, so he made a new start for himself in high school, becoming one of the hardest-working students on campus. Eric’s now earning A’s and is well on his way to reaching his goal of being a computer technician or engineer.
Maria Chavez is the ISHS Outstanding Parent Award winner. She’s been an active parent at Indian Springs for the past four years. Not only is Maria the president of the English Learner Advisory Committee, but she’s taken an active role in assisting the school in creating a culture that helps all students succeed. Her hard work and dedication are truly appreciated.
Cinthia Aparicio is a bilingual clerk I. Cinthia has proven she’s truly an Outstanding Employee by going above and beyond expectations to fill in for a vacant ASB accounting technician position that is vital for providing students with enrichment opportunities. She demonstrates the school’s core values of integrity, trust, and growth while Making Hope Happen every day.
ISHS Senior and Outstanding Student Award winner Eric Rodriguez Flores
RIALTO, CA—- Local dignitaries and community leaders including Mayor Robertson, City Council members, and members of the Chamber of Commerce joined the Ayres Hotel executive team on Friday to celebrate the groundbreaking of the new Ayres Hotel Rialto. Ayres Hotels, a family-owned and operated hotel collection based in Southern California, has begun construction on the corner of Linden and Renaissance Parkway.
Situated off the 210 Freeway at the Ayala exit, the hotel is part of the Renaissance Marketplace, a master planned development by Lewis Companies that focuses on residential, retail, restaurant, industrial and corporate space. The hotel will also complement Lewis Companies’ redevelopment of what was once the Rialto Airport that now features a new state-of-the-art industrial zone with top distribution and fulfillment centers.
“Ayres Hotel Rialto is centrally located between Rancho Cucamonga and San Bernardino and will meet the demands of travelers and the businesses of this new industrial area,” noted Don Ayres III, a fourth generation Ayres family member. “Ayres looks forward to serving the needs of the community, its corporate and leisure guests and will serve as a job stimulator and training ground for young hospitality professionals in the area.” This new location is the 9th Ayres Hotel in the Inland Empire and the 26th property in the Ayres Hotels collection. The addition of the property is part of the overall Ayres Hotels strategy to embrace new markets while continuing their commitment to quality hospitality in the communities they serve.
The hotel was designed to be a reflection of the growth Rialto has seen over recent years. It will feature industrial design elements with mixed metals, exposed brick and concrete floors while also fostering a sense of community through its warm color palette and communal space concept. The lobby promotes guest interaction with an on-site bar and retail. “We encourage our guests to come downstairs and be part of the warmth and charm that is consistent throughout Ayres Hotels,” said Ethan Ayres, a fifthgeneration Ayres family member. In addition, the hotel includes over 3,750 square feet of indoor/outdoor meeting and event space that will be available for business and community gatherings. The hotel will offer 135 modern guest rooms, scenic views of the San Gabriel Mountains, an outdoor heated pool and spa adjacent to a beautiful garden courtyard, and fitness center. Signature amenities commonly associated with the Ayres Hotels brand including their complimentary hot breakfast buffet, wi-fi, and parking will be part of the Ayres Hotel Rialto experience.
“We’ve had to overcome some setbacks through the pandemic, but are excited to begin construction and get on our way to bringing Rialto its first new hotel. An anticipated opening date will be in early 2023,” said Ethan. “We have a seasoned team at Ayres Construction Co, along with our in-house design and procurement team, that will ensure the project gets built in a timely manner” said Ethan, who oversees the construction process.
The Ayres Collection, including Ayres Hotel Rialto, continues to be family-owned, operated and managed by Ayres Management.
By many accounts, access to capital has stunted the ability of minority business owners to maintain cash flow and cover operating costs. In fact, more than half of black business owners polled in a recent national survey cite lack of access to cash as the main hindrance to their ability to grow.
One potential solution is invoice factoring, in which a company “sells” its invoices to a third party for collections. Such factoring gives businesses near-immediate access to cash for expenses like contract ramp-ups, staffing or paying suppliers.
“With a traditional line of credit, the bank is giving you money that you can draw from, and it doesn’t pay too much attention to it beyond that. There’s an interest rate, and its gets paid back over time,” said Chas Justice, business development officer for altLINE, the commercial financing division of The Southern Bank Co. based in Birmingham, Ala. “With factoring, clients actually submit individual invoices to us for funding. If they have a $1,000 invoice, they submit it to us, and we typically forward 80 to 90 percent of that invoice to their operating account immediately.”
Factoring Pros and Cons
The typical factoring customer is a rapidly growing but cash-strapped company challenged by meeting payroll or other operating costs, and tend to come from the staffing, consulting, manufacturing and distribution industries that generally bill customers at an hourly rate or sell products on 30- or 60-day terms.
“For staffing and consulting companies, our financing is helping them speed up their cash flow to meet payroll,” Justice said. “For manufacturing and distribution companies, we help them pay their suppliers or buy more raw materials.”
Chas Justice, business development officer, altLINE. (Courtesy The Southern Bank Co.)
Early in the growth of her Washington, D.C. area-based social marketing firm, Wendy Campbell had to demonstrate her capacity to purchase a $500,000 media buy as part of her certification application for a U.S. Small Business Administration set-aside program. On the advice of a colleague, she was able to connect with a factoring company that provided the funds to satisfy the SBA requirements.
“If you need funding to ramp up for a contract, this is the way to do it, and if it’s government work, it’s practically guaranteed,” said Campbell, president of Campbell & Co. Communications. “The good news is that you can use it when you want to cover out-of-pocket costs, or if you need to hire additional consultants.”
But while invoice factoring enables companies to get cash quickly, it’s not cheap, generally averaging between 1 percent and 5 percent of the principal amount.
“The pros of invoice factoring are it gets cash into the hands of companies that can qualify for a bank loan, and the application process is quicker than that of an accounts receivable loan,” said Saji George, business development officer for InterNex Capital, based in Harrison, New York “The cons are the higher costs of funds and the greater degree of lender management.”
“It works mainly for [my] government contracting clients because payment …is slow, and they need to pay employees, but I recommend clients stay away because interest rates are too high,” said Sharif J. Small, a Baltimore-based tax accountant and chief executive officer of SJS Financial.
Justice at altLINE counters that a lack of transparency among factoring companies has been to blame for the industry’s bad public relations.
“Most of the lenders in our industry are not federally-regulated banks like we are,” he said. “They basically do what they want.”
Saji George, business development officer, Internex Capital. (Courtesy Internex Capital)
Unlike other factoring companies, Justice said altLINE does not engage in so-called “float days,” a practice that has hurt factoring’s reputation.
“Let’s say we have a rate of 2 percent per 30 days that we’re funding an invoice, and then it goes up by 1 percent every 15 days after that,” he said. “If the invoice is paid on day 28, 29 or 30, we stop the interest rate clock on the day the invoice is paid, and we charge the borrower the 2 percent for the 30 days; that’s our fee.
“With the vast majority of the other factoring companies, they’ll take three to five days to clear the payment, so the payment on day 28 is not cleared until day 32 or 33. Now, the borrower is paying 3 percent, and their financing costs just went up by 50 percent. If they’re told one rate and pay a higher rate, all of a sudden they’ve mispriced all of their customers, and find themselves behind the eight-ball. [Factoring] is always going to be more expensive than traditional bank financing, which is fine if people know what they’re paying for.”
What to Look For
There are two types of factoring: recourse and non-recourse.
In a recourse arrangement, businesses are required to buy back the invoices and repay the factoring company in the event of its customer’s default on an invoice payment. In a non-recourse situation, businesses are not required to pay back the funding if bankruptcy is the cause of the default. However, factoring companies that offer a non-recourse arrangement are playing a game of smoke and mirrors, according to altLINE”s Justice.
“As a full-recourse bank, we tell our customers to purchase trade credit insurance, which is a policy that pays out in the event of non-payment due to financial difficulties on the part of the customer,” he said. “That’s really all the non-recourse companies do; they buy insurance policies. You can do the same with us, except you’re in control of the policy, not the non-recourse company. So, we’re not going to mark up the rate of your policy and mask it in our fees. It’s more cost-effective to the borrower in the long run.”
Sharif J. Smalls, CEO, SJS Financial (Courtesy SJS Financial)
Surveys Detail Scope of the Funding Woes
Whatever the funding mechanism sought, two major recent surveys make it clear access to capital is still a major problem for black entrepreneurs.
The 2021 Black Business Owner Spotlight survey conducted by Bank of America reflects a general sense of optimism among its respondents, with nearly half (48 percent) expecting their revenue to increase this year. Yet, almost six out of 10 cited the challenges accessing capital as a barrier to their business’ growth.
The Small Business Credit Survey: 2021 Report on Firms Owned by People of Color, conducted by the U.S. Federal Reserve System, supports this assertion. This report found that across all owner groups by ethnicity, black-owned firms that applied for traditional forms of financing were least likely to receive all the financing they sought. Hispanic- and Asian-owned firms (20 percent and 31 percent, respectively) were also less likely than white-owned firms (40 percent) to receive all the financing for which they applied.
Even among firms with good credit scores, black-owned firms were half as likely as white-owned firms to receive all the financing they sought (24 percent versus 48 percent).
AltLINE’s Justice estimated his minority invoice factoring customer base at “around 50 to 60 percent,” but, as of this posting, was unable to provide numbers on the total dollar amount provided to his minority customers.
“If you’re an early-stage company, and you get this great contract, but they’re paying you in 60 days, and you’ve got to pay your payroll on a weekly or biweekly basis, or you have to pay your suppliers in 30 days, 15 days, or cash on demand, [invoice financing] gives you the ability to grow the business without having to sell equity or give up ownership in your company.”
This is what it took? Taking an elbow to the ribs, then sending a forearm shiver to the back of the pain-disher?
Now, his brothers are involved, and everyone is brushing off their AP World History knowledge. Alright, man. Y’all got it.
I’ve given my thoughts on the ordeal. I don’t think Markieff Morris should’ve made that kind of contact. There are take-fouls, and then there are take-that fouls. The Morris shot was the latter.
Jokic certainly didn’t have to respond the way that he did. Frustration over the foul is one thing; putting dude on a stretcher is another. Add in the context of the Nuggets already missing Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. due to injury, and the Jokic retaliation becomes even more inexcusable. He’s too important to put himself at risk of suspension.
And to that point, it feels like the lede is being buried: Jokic is important. Too important for nonsense. But he’s that important because of a fact — a conversation, at least — we (collectively) are seemingly afraid to acknowledge or discuss: He’s the best player in the world right now.
Some may read that and roll their eyes, might even call it controversial.
Do you know how absurd it is for the reigning MVP — a guy playing better than he did last season, in which he won MVP — to be considered an unpopular choice in the “best player in the world” discussion? It is insane (in the membrane!) to me.
Let’s start with this: Jokic is leading his team in everything right now.
I don’t mean virtually everything. I don’t mean all of the important stuff.
Scoring (25.4 points), rebounding (13.6), assists (5.7), steals (1.6), blocks (1.0), three-point percentage (40% on 4.0 attempts), free throws attempted (5.3) and made (4.2). He’s flirting with a 69% True Shooting percentage, which, come on. That’s pretty darn cool.
Jokic’s credentials offensively should be well-known by now. He’s a legitimate three-level threat. In addition to his gaudy three-point percentage, he’s also converting nearly 68% of his two-point shots.
He’s done this despite being uncharacteristically off as a putback machine; per Synergy, he’s converting 44.4% of his shots after offensive rebounds this season, a mark 20 percentage points lower than last sesaon (64.4%).
It helps that he’s shooting 60% on post-ups. His combination of dizzying footwork, brute force and superb touch makes him nearly impossible to deal with. On any given possession, he can activate Backdown Punisher to get to his spots, Post-Hook Specialist to infuriate try-hards or Fade Ace to demoralize his foes.
Honestly, it’s unfair to be this kind of scorer. The paint dominance is there, as is the proficiency from the mid-range area (59.1% from 8-16 feet) and three-point shooting. You can’t give Jokic a sliver of space, which allows him to tap into his actual best skill: his passing.
Don’t let the assist numbers from this year fool you; he’s every bit of the elite passer he’s always been. He gets some freebies as a handoff hub — his chemistry with Porter, in particular, has grown tremendously over the past year-and-a-half.
But the fun comes when Jokic gets to read or manipulate defenses. There aren’t many players in league history — and none from the center position — that map out the floor as quickly as Jokic does. He doesn’t just hit open teammates; he creates passing windows that don’t exist to most elite passers.
He threads the needle to cutters, makes live-dribble reads and can manipulate weak-side helpers whenever he wants. Cheat a step too far, and Jokic will capitalize.
This is all amazing. No player in the league is slapping up 25-14-6 like Jokic is; Giannis Antetokounmpo (27-11-6) is really the only guy that comes close. Considering the gap in scoring versatility and passing ability between the two, I think it’s more than fair to dub Jokic as a deadlier offensive threat.
To most, the defensive side of the ball is where Jokic has fallen short in “best player” conversations. A player with Jokic’s, uh, limitations, are difficult to value on that end.
(Well, it is if you don’t actually watch him.)
We know Jokic isn’t a “Gobertian” rim-protector. He doesn’t have the vertical pop to challenge drivers above the rim. Fine. That isn’t the only way to get it done.
Throughout Jokic’s career, the Nuggets (read: head coach Michael Malone) have opted to play him higher in pick-and-roll. Instead of dropping Jokic and giving drivers a pocket to attack, they play him at (or above) the level of the screen to make life more difficult.
Jokic has three things working for him. He’s incredibly large, has quick and active hands and has a keen understanding of angles. Those factors work together to create havoc.
What’s been interesting to watch is Jokic’s growing comfort in drop coverage. His vertical limitations persist, but he’s playing the gap with more purpose. There’s a little more activity, stronger contests. He’s flipping his hips a little better, allowing him to track ball-handlers in a smoother fashion.
Jokic is contesting more shots than last season (6.8 to 7.2), and is allowing 59.7% shooting at the rim. That isn’t an elite clip, but it’s much lower than last year’s mark (66.8%).
Oh, and here’s a fun one:
Jokic: 7.2 shots defended, 59.7% FG allowed
Anthony Davis: 6.6 shots defended, 67.1% FG allowed
(No, Jokic isn’t a better defender than Brow, but you have to admit you didn’t see that one coming.)
Here’s more fun for ya: the Nuggets have the second-best defense in the NBA (100.4 defensive rating). With Jokic on the floor, that number drops to 94.1. Per Cleaning The Glass, opponents are getting to the rim much less, and shooting a ton more from mid-range with Jokic on the floor.
In fact, teams have gotten to the rim less with Jokic on the floor in every season of his career; the difference (-7.1%) has never been more stark than it has been this year.
It is virtually impossible to have a good defense — more so a no-questions-asked elite D — with a bad defender at the 5. You just can’t do it. They’re too important to a team’s base. Unless you want to argue that Jokic has the 2018-19 Raptors around him 1-through-4, you have to attribute at least some of that success to him.
Jokic isn’t just holding his own — he’s actually been darn good while being asked to do multiple things. That doesn’t mean he’s without his flaws; it simply means his flaws aren’t as pronounced as some would have you believe.
If a player is a top-three offensive talent (at worst), is an above-average defender and his team is nearly [checks notes] 34 points per 100 possessions better with him on the floor, shouldn’t that guy be in strong contention for being the league’s best player?
Carlyle Riche Jr. is a passionate advocate for mental health and an active agent of the change he envisions.
The 30-year-old crisis intervention police officer in Baltimore County, Maryland, aims “to help and protect those who can’t protect themselves.”
Named Baltimore County’s Crisis Intervention Officer of the Year for 2021, Riche hopes to create a nonprofit for black teen boys “as a safe space for them to express themselves and feel supported, accepted and not judged.”
Riche, who is pursuing a master’s degree in clinical mental health counseling at Liberty University in Virginia, earned a bachelor’s degree at the University of Maryland in 2017 and a master’s degree in behavioral management from Saint Joseph’s University in Philadelphia in 2018.
He is targeting a doctorate in studies related to mental health and the police response to mental health crises.
As a crisis intervention trainer in Baltimore County, Riche attends police-community events, such as National Night Out. He sees the importance of fostering a positive relationship with community members and shares his thoughts on altruism, advocacy and healing with Zenger.
Let’s start by detailing your philanthropic endeavors.
Riche is a volunteer with Big Brothers Big Sisters, and for the past three years has been mentoring his “little brother.” (Courtesy of Carlyle Riche Jr.)
For the past 12 years, I have been a volunteer youth counselor and diversity, equity and inclusion co-adviser for the American Legion Jersey Boys State program in Lawrenceville, New Jersey. This program is geared toward high school juniors. It is a selective, week-long, college-preparatory leadership seminar that can prepare its participants for careers in politics, military, business and law, among many others. I am a lead youth counselor and senior staff member that manages the day-to-day instruction of a group of young men for that week, along with my assistant counselors.
My “why” is to give back and to be a support for others.
I attended the American Legion Jersey Boys State program when I was in high school and had been returning on staff ever since my time in it. I learned so much about networking and public speaking during my time [there]. I enjoy helping mold young men into the future leaders of America.
I am passionate about the Big Brothers Big Sisters organization. I have been a mentor in this program for about three years now and have been matched with my “little brother” for the same time. Words cannot describe the sense of pride I get from supporting my mentee. I don’t personally have a little brother, so it is great to be in a position to positively impact my mentee. We were matched well and have similar interests, as well.
He’s an introvert just like me, and I get to show him what was helpful for me at his age to help him traverse obstacles in his life. It has been wonderful seeing him grow and overcome many challenges in our short time thus far being matched.
Riche, right, at the American Legion Youth Leadership camp, sees the value in “having many conversations with young teens about being in their position when I was their age.” (Courtesy of Carlyle Riche Jr.)
Can you discuss how substance use, trauma, racial issues or anything from your lived experiences has influenced your decision to become a police officer?
My decision to be a police officer was influenced by seeing my parents in their corrections officer uniform and my desire to want to help and protect others who can’t protect themselves. At a young age, I realized that I was a protector and that there were individuals with ill-intentions out in the world.
I have always been interested in learning what made people tick and motivations behind their behaviors, which is why I enjoy what I do as a crisis intervention officer. I am in a position to serve those with mental health challenges, and I love what I do.
As a police officer, it was never about arrests, or the persona of being a police officer. For me, it was about finding real solutions for problems and building relationships between law enforcement and community.
What is your earliest experience with racism?
The first encounter with racism that I’ve had was when I moved out of Camden [New Jersey] into a house in a suburban area of southern New Jersey. When I was in high school, I dated a young lady in my class that happened to be white. Her father was a white police officer in our town, a small, predominately white town.
One day, we were sitting on her front steps, and he had pulled up to the home. It would have been the first time he and I would have met. As he approached the house and I stood up to extend my hand for a handshake (like my father taught me), he walked right by me as if I were not there.
It was even more difficult to process because he was a police officer — the very thing that I aspired to be. At that time, I was taken aback, hurt and confused, because little did he (her father) know I wanted to occupy the same position, wear the same uniform, uphold the same oath and honorably wear the same badge.
But all he saw that day was a black boy trying to date his daughter. He didn’t see the insightful, well-spoken and respectful young man that stood before him. I felt invisible; I internalized that experience and would move on to carry that with me for many years.
Carlyle Riche Jr. participates in the “Shop With A Cop” in Baltimore County, Maryland. (Courtesy of Carlyle Riche Jr.)
How are you an agent of change regarding police and existing negative cultures about them?
It’s crucial to aid in changing the narrative for police officers. To do the vital work of building relationships with the community must be an unwritten rule for every police officer. A police officer can be effective at their job without being demeaning, curt or abusive.
I recall when individuals I have had to arrest or cite during traffic violations have thanked me for treating them with respect and like human beings. My main goal as a police officer was best said by Gandhi, to “Be the change you wish to see in the world.”
There are undoubtedly individuals with negative intentions in the profession. However, many more intend to do great things for their community — many of which I have served alongside. I enjoy policing and working with the community.
Some of the highlights of my career have been working National Night Out events, Shop with a Cop, and Trunk or Treat events at local churches in my patrol areas. Times when I can stop and get out with kids in the area to start building relationships and helping to change that narrative are essential to me.
In some of my interactions, it was apparent that some of our youth could benefit from having positive role models in their lives — just another level of support. Having many conversations with young teens about being in their position when I was their age can help to change their perspective. If their perspective doesn’t change, at least they can feel heard and not judged.
What is your role in the crisis response unit?
A crisis intervention officer is trained to effectively respond to crisis events and be knowledgeable of the various avenues to guide an individual toward additional support. The topic of police response to mental health calls has been under intense scrutiny lately, and for the right reasons.
I take pride in being a first responder who can vibrantly and effectively respond to mental health and/or crisis situations. I believe it takes a particular person to be able to serve someone in that capacity. I believe that unique quality is enhanced when you have lived experience with mental health challenges.
That individual can listen more intently, display empathy and walk with that individual through their experience — a great example of the support that is necessary in these intense situations. I am passionate about mental health crisis response and adding to the narrative that some officers can effectively respond to mental health calls for service.
I assist with crisis intervention training for my department, where I co-teach de-escalation, a self-developed course for police officers — a topic I feel strongly about. I was recently named Baltimore County’s Crisis Intervention Officer of 2021 — a highlight of my career thus far and an honor that I do not take lightly. I take pride in being a CIT officer and passionate mental health advocate.
What are your goals?
I aim to continue serving those with mental health challenges as a crisis intervention officer, continue my efforts in bolstering the police response to crisis events, and to eventually increase my footprint in the mental health field as a practicing mental health clinician.
During crisis calls, I often self-disclose that I am in therapy and am still working through challenges. There is light at the end of the tunnel. My hopes are to normalize addressing mental health concerns, especially among people of color.
We have been told to suck it up, “man up,” and not express ourselves, which is killing us. We must talk, we must pay attention to our mental health.
On Oct. 27, Gov. Gavin Newsom held a press conference after receiving a Moderna booster shot to augment the single-dose Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine he took in April.
The governor said he deliberately opted for a different vaccine as a booster to emphasize the Centers of Disease and Control and Prevention (CDC) guidance that it is safe for people to mix and match vaccines.
The governor encouraged eligible Californians to get their booster shots as well, warning that initial COVID-19 shots required to be designated “fully vaccinated” might not be enough to inoculate individuals who are at a higher risk of getting the disease.
“Any state vision has to be realized at the local level. Localism is determinative,” Gov. Newsom said, thanking Alameda County public health officials and workers, Oakland mayor Libby Schaaf, Alameda County Supervisor Wilma Chan and Assemblymember Mia Bonta (D-Oakland) for their leadership in spearheading the vaccination of 84 % of all people in their county. Newsom was speaking at Asian Health Services, a community clinic in Oakland.
The governor also thanked Bonta for working to make sure the state is “supporting these efforts not only advance the cause of getting more of the unvaccinated vaccinated, but now the cause that unites us here today, and that is encouraging more boosters so that we can address the legitimate concerns of waning immunity,” Newsom said.
The governor pointed out that he is not just promoting boosters. He is also pushing a message of “caution” because of what he anticipates might happen this winter based on a spike in COVID cases around this same time last year.
“On the 24th of October, we had about six thousand cases. One month later, we had 18,000 cases. A month after that, we had 54,000 cases – basically a tripling of cases every month. That was last year,” he said. “And we all remember what occurred last winter in December and January.”
According to the New England Journal of Medicine, immunity against COVID-19 drops to as low as 20% four months after the second vaccine dose.
On Oct. 21, the CDC expanded eligibility for the Pfizer and Moderna booster shots for those 65 years and older, 18 years and older who live in long-term care settings, 18 years and older who have underlying medical conditions, and 18 years and older who work or live in high-risk settings.
The California Health and Human Services Agency echoed the governor’s push for booster shots on Twitter.
“Get boosted, CA! #COVID19 vaccine boosters will help keep our immunities strong and our families safer. Find out if you’re eligible & get yours today,” the tweet read.
Newsom offered words of encouragement to Californians who he says might be weary of living with COVID restrictions.
“We’ll get through this. We’re making progress. We’re turning the corner but let’s get these boosters, let’s continue to be vigilant, let’s continue to reach out to those maybe on the fence, maybe hesitant about getting a vaccine, and encourage them to get a vaccine,” Newsom said.
More than 80 % of Californians who are eligible to take the COVID vaccine have received at least one shot, according to the California Department of Public Health.
Bonta, who replaced her husband Attorney General Rob Bonta in the California Legislature, is a member of the California Legislative Black Caucus. She took a booster shot with the governor.
“When we talk about being a resilient community, it requires resilient action,” said Bonta. “The simplest thing we can do right now is to go to our trusted providers to ensure we are getting our boosters. As we consider taking care of our communities, it requires every individual to act with resilience.”
To check eligibility or make an appointment for a COVID shot, visit MyTurn.CA.gov
California Black Media’s coverage of COVID-19 is supported by the California Health Care Foundation.
Westside Story Newspaper – Online The News of The Empire – Sharing the Quest for Excellence
