Chatting with a Black Conservative

Building the Next Generation of Leaders C. Dwayne West Founder/Managing Editor PUBLISHER'S PEACE We all the Same The Town is a stark look at the ghettos of Boston, when the over-populated, under-employed Irish community was facing poverty, despair and a host of bank robberies. I appreciate Ben Affleck acknowledgement that every nationalities has dysfunctional communities, deeply rooted in violence, crime and mayhem. I also appreciate Affleck, who directed and starred in this grimy, yet romantic tell of ignorance, disrespect, loyalty, commitment and family, wanting to show mainstream America it shouldn't be something covered up. I heard him discuss in a recent interview that the media never really shows crime or poverty in communities other then in Black urban areas. And he felt it's unfair not to show a balanced portrayal of life in ghettos across ever spectrum within every racial group. He said it makes white America outside and inside those communities believe their living in a fantasy world. So therefore, how can we resolve these problems and heal those communities? The Town was an awesome movie and I loved the direction Ben took in showing his Irish roots in Boston, which is where he and his production partner and best friend Matt Damon is from. And in the late nineties, they became a house hold name with critical acclaim and fame, winning an Oscar for their first independent film, 'Good Will Hunting', shot entirely in Boston. The Tea Party has proven to be a formidable forth and alternative party to have on your team. Their track record of winning is about 50% - 60% in local and a few national elections. And its profile has been to identify and promote new progressive and independent thinking candidates who objective is to reject big governments' interference in the lives of every citizen. I'm not totally in tune with the Tea Party and their alleged racist taunts and hidden beliefs, but one thing I do admire and appreciate is the philosophy, which I stand by as a business owner and visionary; "You build it, they will come'. And the Tea Party has built a solid and mini-powerful organization that has made documented differences in a hand-full of elections. And with victories coming in major cities and counties across the country, you have to begin giving them a second look before dismissing them as a rogue group. The Tea Party may be a great alternative for several of the candidates in the Chicago race for mayor. And if I had to lend some advice to a few of my dark horses, I would recommend they take a serious look at the Tea Party movement, and see how it can benefit their campaigns. Because at this point, with all the potential individuals pulling out the stops to retain the fifth floor as their next job for the next four years, what else do they have to loose. Peace and one love. CELEBRITY TRAFFIC Alcorn State head coach Ernest Collins at Chicago Football Classic King High School marching band protest to the city to save their music program at football classic (All photos: Lauren McCadney) Mississippi Valley's Ramon Flannigan watches every play at football classic Ahmad Islam and Sherman Wright, co - partners in building new images BUSINESS RELATIONS The Dynamic Duo The next generation of leaders in the advertising and marketing industry is Ahmad Islam and Sherman Wright, co-partners of Commonground, a full service advertising and brand marketing agency looking to change the way America sees Black life. Before Ahmad Islam and Sherman Wright founded Commonground, they had become acquainted via Chicago's advertising community. As black men in a predominantly white professional world, it was hard not to notice each another. But it wasn't until they cross paths while vacationing in Cancun with their wives. "In the middle of nowhere," as Mr. Islam puts it, they became friends. While lounging on the beach in Cancun, the two openly discussed their dreams of working at an ideal agency that included a multi-cultural staff, reaching a wide range of consumers. There, they developed a strategic plan, one they carried out upon their return to Chicago. With personal and family financial resources, the year 2005 will never be forgotten, because that's when Commonground Marketing was born. And by the end of their first year, the agency hit $750,000 in revenue and reached $8 million after four years. Commonground started as a small shop doing multi-cultural work, when newly relocated MillerCoors hired the agency to reach a minority audience. And with much success from their early work with the Chicago based beer giant, their duties expanded to other projects, including retail and promotional work for MGD 64, during their multitude of campaigns. "We were impressed with their smarts and their passion and creativity. It had an impact on our business," says Jackie Woodward, vice-president of media and marketing services for Chicago-based MillerCoors. Commonground also counts Nike Inc., Coca-Cola Co., Alberto Culver Co., American Family Insurance and Bacardi Ltd. among its stable of clients. The admen say their success comes from their different personalities -- Mr. Wright is laid-back, Mr. Islam's intense -- and because they've built a diverse group of employees, who are sensitive to family issues. The result is a company "that mirrors the community we live in," Mr. Wright says. "It started because we didn't want to be absentee fathers," Mr. Islam says. "We want that for our employees, because we want it for ourselves. The co-founders also have an impressive list of accolades including being named in Crain's Chicago Business Magazine's annual Top 40 under 40 lists for 2009. And each partner is a much sought out speaker for conferences, seminars and panels detailing exclusively with marketing and integrated images. The agency also recognizes the importance of a strong digital campaign and the powers consumers wield through social networking. "We believe in integrated marketing so it's not either or" says Wright. "You see a lot of positive results when the two works together. But I think digital and the internet have proven itself to be sustainable as a standalone in regards to reaching millions of consumers". The dynamic duo plans to create a world-wide general marketing agency that can produced global images. And the only way to build a multi-media and marketing enterprise is to secure the best and brightest talent. And from the looks of the work they've done, their staff seems poised to fulfill one of their primary objectives. "Clients really want an agency that listens and understands their brand, an agency that has a level of accountability", states Ahmad, with his partner being in line with every thought shared. Correspondent: MG Media & Blackweb 2.0 Black Conservative Jerome Hudson CHAT ROOM In the Back Room with a Black Conservative To hear the mainstream media tell the story, you would have thought that I, a black man, had walked into a hornet's nest of racists when I decided to attend Glenn Beck's "Restoring Honor" rally. In reality, my experience was the complete opposite. Instead of hooded Klansman frothing with hate and venom, I made dozens of new Facebook friends and gained a hundred Twitter followers. One lady from New Jersey asked me if I was "afraid" because I was one of the "few blacks in attendance?" I looked at her square in the eye and said, "Ma'am, the only thing I'm afraid of is that if I don't hurry, I'm not going to make it to the restroom in time." We spoke of family, laughed, shared and she wept as she embraced me with hugs and kisses while thanking me for being there. (What a complete bigot, that lady!) To be sure, I was one of the few blacks there that historic day. I'm sure to many I stuck out like a sore thumb. Or, perhaps more aptly, like a chocolate chip smack dab in the middle of a giant sugar cookie. When asked how long I had been waiting for the event to begin, I turned all three interviewers' faces to stone when I replied, "about 24 hours." I'm sure they thought I was kidding, but I wasn't. At one point, some of the people attending the Rev. Al Sharpton's "counter rally," coined "Reclaiming King," stopped me. I guess they must have been judging me by the color of my skin not the content of my character, because they asked if I was going to come join them. "No, I won't be there," I told them. "Why?" one of them asked with a grimace on his face. I looked at him and said, "I want to be where the Lord is and the Lord is in this place." One of the older black women in the group asked me if I felt like I was "selling out" for being one of the "tokens" in the Beck rally crowd. I laughed and said "Ma'am, Al Sharpton is a pretender. He is going to tell you to pretend that the color of your skin matters. He is going to ask you to ignore the now overwhelming proof that 50 years after the Civil Rights movement; blacks are now destroying each other faster than the KKK could have dreamed." Later, as Sharpton preached a divisive message void of actual solutions on how to "close the education and economic gap" in the "black community," Dr. Alveda King, Martin Luther King's niece, invoked the spirit of her slain uncle proclaiming, "I too have a dream, that white privilege will become human privilege and that people of every ethnic blend will receive everyone as brothers and sisters in the love of God." Her comments on restoring the "foundation of the family" in America were met, not with boos, but with a thunderous applause. I was probably the only 24-year old black college student in the crowd. It's hard to know, because we had over 300,000 people there. But that didn't matter to me. As we all stood hand-in-hand, American shoulder to American shoulder, our myriad faces streaked with tears as we sang "Amazing Grace." It was a moment I will be proud to tell my grandkids about one day. What that moment taught me is this: Something profound is happening in America that runs far deeper than politics. The ground is shifting, and it's in freedom's direction, and we can't continue to pick at the scab of America's past, but we must become the balm that heals it. Standing in a crowd that stretched from the Washington Monument to Lincoln Memorial, what happened on 8/28 was the most inspirational thing I had ever experienced. And standing there, unhyphenated and united, this black man has never felt more free in his life. Correspondent: Jerome Hudson The TRUTH Awards Celebrate 10 Years Showcasing the Best & Brightest: In the tenth Month (Oct) The TRUTH Salutes...Legends & Pioneers In Hip Hop.    ©2010 TBTNewsService | CEO, MG Media: C. Dwayne West - PO Box 19082 Chgo, IL 60619 - 312/980/2681 - No image or works of words can be used without permission of CEO. One Company. A World of Knowledge. Photo Editor: Lauren McCadney - Board of Directors: Andrew Stroth, Andre Grant, Dennis Howell, Charles Johnson, Felicia Fortenberry, Scott L. Steward, Tara Stamps, Paula Yates, Sharron Troupe, Tony Taylor; Advisory Board: Mr. Bill Garth, Regina Brown, Carla Hawthorne, Pastor Al Richards; Board member emeritus: Ron C. West; Incoming CEO: Karly Olivia Moran West. Powered by Mad Mimi®