1. Check was presented
at the PC Scholars
Saturday program
The Presidents’
Council Foundation has
been selected by AT&T to
receive a $25,000 contri-
bution to support their PC
(Presidents’ Council)
Scholars Program.
The PC Scholars
Program supports African-
American Cleveland
Metropolitan School
District high school stu-
dents by ensuring gradua-
tion from high school and
providing college readi-
ness assistance. PC
Scholars works with soph-
omores, juniors and sen-
iors with the goal of pro-
ducing the next generation
of workers, entrepreneurs
and leaders for our com-
munity.
According to U.S.
Senator Sherrod Brown,
“Education provides
Americans with the
opportunity for economic
advancement,” Brown
said. “Programs like the
PC Scholars Program
ensure that more Ohio stu-
dents have the opportunity
to gain critical skills and
mentorship to ensure that
they are successful in col-
lege and beyond.”
The PC Scholars
Program works with stu-
dents in bi-monthly ses-
sions which focus on lead-
ership, academic achieve-
ment, career preparedness
and life skills. 68 percent
of the students come from
low-income backgrounds
and 65 percent are first
generation college stu-
dents. Additionally, the
program also includes a
mentoring component
where each student is
paired with a mentor from
The Presidents’ Council
network.
“Cleveland and Ohio
will benefit from these
students who will become
future employees who are
educated and independent
learners with powerful
problem solving skills,”
said Nicole M. Bell,
Executive Director of The
Presidents’ Council
Foundation. “They will
help build a stronger
workforce that will aid the
economic growth of Ohio,
and we are very grateful
for AT&T’s support.”
“Keeping our
teenagers in high school
and preparing them for
success after graduation
benefits our students and
our communities,” said
Mylayna Albright, vice
president, External
Affairs, AT&T Ohio.
“The President’s Council
Foundation has a proven
track record that is helping
at-risk youth stay in
school and succeed aca-
demically. We are proud
to support this program.”
www.callandpost.com THE CALL AND POSTWEDNESDAY, JANUARY 28, 2015 PAGE 3Awww.callandpost.com THE CALL AND POSTWEDNESDAY, JANUARY 28, 2015 PAGE 3A
The Presidents’ Council Foundation
announces contribution from AT&T
The future of
Blacks in banking?
The Financial industry
has been changing over
the past 15 years and
some of the greats in
banking have moved on,
leaving their mark in his-
tory. No matter what bank
or era someone was doing
big things in the banking
community.
My father James W.
Wade II was one of those
greats as well Mr. Bertram
Gardner who open the
door for some many
Blacks to have a better
chance at becoming
someone in the banking
industry. Then, people
like Don Graham, Rueben
Holloway, Danny
Cameron, Jerry McClain,
Bruce Murphy, Margot
Copeland, Louise
Gissendaner and Bracy
Lewis came into their
own in this industry.
Before 1970, there
were relatively few
African Americans
employed in professional
positions in the financial
services industry.
Commercial banks, bro-
kerage houses and invest-
ment banking firms
recruited African
Americans for the first
time.
Most of the institu-
tions were unaware that
their decisions would
have a lasting effect on an
industry traditionally
exclusive to the enclave
of Ivy League educated
White men. Forty years
later, while some African
Americans are routinely
courted by the nation’s
most prestigious financial
institutions, they remain
under-represented in the
industry.
Many times you have
heard me speak about
Graham, who worked for
Fifth Third Bank, which is
headquartered in
Cincinnati. They allowed
him to come to Cleveland
and build up the entire
area from nothing.
Graham, who retired a
few years ago, never got
the true praise he
deserved.
The number of
African Americans in the
financial services industry
has always been relatively
small compared to the
number of African-
American people who
hold undergraduate and
graduate degrees that are
generally accepted as
appropriate training for a
career in accounting, busi-
ness, economics, and
finance.
Most of the opportuni-
ties made available in the
industry were positions
within commercial banks.
The African-American
investment banker was a
novelty at best. And
rarely, if ever, those
African Americans select-
ed for professional or
career management posi-
tions in commercial bank-
ing were placed in corpo-
rate finance or other high
profile divisions of the
institutions that recruited
them.
Various financial insti-
tutions and business cor-
porations cracked the
door open to allow us to
be a part of the industry.
In later years, the industry
produced Anthony
Peebles, James W. Wade
III, Garth Woodson,
Stephanie Turner,
Emanuel Glover, Derek
Green, Norm Bliss,
Clifford King and Dot
Curtis, to name a few.
They took things to anoth-
er level in our era.
So are financial insti-
tutions concentrating on a
unit that target helping the
African Americans?
Because wealth building
cannot begin without
engagement with finan-
cial institutions, it is vital
to increase the drive for
financial literacy among
all Americans and particu-
larly among low and mod-
erate income Black adults
and youth in order to
secure their future pros-
perity.
So the question comes
up more and more, what is
the state of Black
America?
The Financial
Regulatory Reform bill,
as supported by President
Barrack Obama’s admin-
istration, is considered the
most sweeping financial
regulatory reform since
the Great Depression. The
bill includes a strong con-
sumer protection agency
that would establish and
enforce the regulation of
practices used by the
nation’s lenders, creditors,
and other financial institu-
tions.
Without a doubt, a
consumer financial pro-
tection agency could be
enormously helpful to
American households as
they struggle to rebound
from the impact of the
recession. But for
African-Americans, the
picture is more complicat-
ed and deserving of a
multi-pronged approach.
African-Americans and
other people of color have
lost more than $200 bil-
lion in wealth and assets
from the loss of home
ownership and the eco-
nomic deterioration of
communities deeply
affected by high rates of
foreclosures, default and
abandonment.
Another question for
many is who will become
the next Jeffrey Weaver,
Steve Harris, Margot
Copeland or Michael
Taylor? The financial
industry will always be
strong and no matter what
happens people will
always need banking help
and loans.
Cardale Jones from
The Ohio State University
plans on entering the
financial industry and
opted to return to school
and not the NFL Draft to
get his degree so he can
make money in this field.
Are we mentoring our
kids for a career that will
be around for years and
years? So, it is important
for our youth to under-
stand the meaning of
finances early on in life.
As Martin Luther
King said, in 1963, “We
refuse to believe that the
bank of justice is bank-
rupt.”
In any economic con-
dition, justice plays an
important role. Let’s not
forget it.
In closing, I support
the schools teaching math
and banks coming in with
saving programs to help
them learn about saving
and took even be able to
count their own money
every day for a brighter
future.
Until next week make
sure you mind your busi-
ness and save the finan-
cial industry.
Follow me on twitter
at @jimmywadeiii
The Black
Card Experience
For my 35 and over
readers originally from
Cleveland, do you remem-
ber the Ohio Buckeye
Discount Card? How
could you forget this gold
card with the buckeye as a
part of the logo? Don’t
forget the door decals on
all the businesses through-
out our community right
above the Visa and
MasterCard logos. I
remember my grandmoth-
er pulling out her Buckeye
Card at various businesses
in our community to
receive discounts. At
times, based on her
finances, she would only
frequent businesses that
extended discounts.
This card can
still be utilized throughout
the state of Ohio in order
to receive discounts at
various businesses from
various industries; with
consumers receiving dis-
count benefits ranging
anywhere from 5-50%.
The only unfortunate
thing is that this card is
limited to those over the
age of 60 years-old.
That’s why I am
now offering the Black
Card. In the credit world,
possessing a black card is
the highest status, even
above the once popular
platinum card. With that in
mind, I want our commu-
nity to possess the best as
well. The Real Black
Friday campaign in
August 2014, impacted
hundreds of Black
Businesses in a positive
way. We had the opportu-
nity to reach over 4,000
people at its various
events throughout that
weekend. Also, we were
exposed to over 75,000
visitors on The Real Black
Friday website. The web-
site and movement is still
receiving traffic and build-
ing a following on social
media, due to the bill-
boards, radio and televi-
sion ads that were used
during that time. All this
with the intention to push
exposure towards black
businesses in Northeastern
Ohio, absolutely FREE!
We had close to 300 busi-
nesses registered offering
discounts. That was just
the beginning…
With the Black
Card, I decided that we
needed something sustain-
able to ensure African
American businesses in
our area receive continu-
ous traffic and FREE
exposure year round. It is
important that I do my part
in our community to help
individuals and businesses
build financial stability.
For more details
and to find locations to get
your Black Card, discount
card, used to support our
Black Owned Businesses,
or to register your busi-
ness, please visit
www.therealblackfriday.c
om. Cards will be avail-
able beginning Jan. 1st
2015. Also, don’t forget to
look for the door decals at
all participating business-
es. Signing up your busi-
ness is ABSOLUTELY
FREE! Help us spread the
word and take advantage
of the deals and promo-
tions.
To continue en-
hancing your personal
financial literacy, please
get your copy of Financial
Foundations at laresepur-
nell.com or
victorymp.com. M y holi-
day gift to you is to, USE
THE DISCOUNT CODE
“SEED” TO RECEIVE
YOUR COPY FOR $10.
Start off 2015 with a plan
for financial stability.
The photo includes student participants from the PC Scholars Program, Nicole
Bell (Exec. Dir. of the Presidents’ Council Foundation), Mylayna Albright (Vice
President – External Affairs for AT&T), Brian E. Hall (Presidents’ Council
Board Member) and Charles C.J. Harkness (Presidents’ Council Board
Member).