The first L.E.A.D. Ambassador with a corporate job

If you haven't heard by now, L.E.A.D. celebrated its first college graduate two months ago when Joseph McCrary graduated Magna Cum Laude from Savannah State University with a degree in accounting. 

Joseph was a member of our inaugural class of Ambassadors in 2008. In addition to participating in a number of service projects, baseball tournaments, and weekly blogging about their Ambassadors experience, we had a VIP tour of Mizuno's Corporate Office in Duluth. He and the other Ambassadors met with the accounting, sales and marketing departments as well as meeting my good friend Bob Puccini who serves as the President of Mizuno USA. 

The 2008 L.E.A.D. Ambassadors

Mizuno USA has been a faithful supporter of L.E.A.D. since we were established in 2008 providing equipment, uniforms and awareness about career opportunities at Mizuno. In the summer of 2012, Joseph worked as an intern in Mizuno's accounting department.

L.E.A.D.'s mission is to create positive outcomes for inner city at risk minority youth males by leveraging the relationship between academics, athletics and service. 

I am pleased to announce that as of Monday, July 22nd 2013, Joseph McCrary is an employee of Mizuno USA working in the accounting department.

From left to right: Kelli Stewart, CJ Stewart, Avera McCrary, Joseph McCrary, and John Schuerholz (Atlanta Braves President)

Thank you Mizuno for continuing to step up to the plate for L.E.A.D. and hitting home runs.

L.E.A.D.'s July Ambassador of the Month

It is often stated that less than 10% of MLB players are African-Americans and that is considered a problem.


Did you know that less than 6% of NCAA Division I baseball players are African-Americans?

Did you know that 60% of African-American males will not graduate from high school within the Atlanta Public School System?

L.E.A.D. creates positive outcomes for inner city at risk minority youth by leveraging the relationship between education, athletics and service. We are using baseball to transform Atlanta through our L.E.A.D. Ambassadors. 

Meet our L.E.A.D. Ambassador of the Month Nick Marigny. Nick is an age 19 senior at Jackson State University. He is an example of the commitment of L.E.A.D. to transform Atlanta.  Nick has been a L.E.A.D. Ambassador since 2009.

L.E.A.D. is the solution and we appreciate your continued support of our mission.

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Look out for Kingdom Men in Atlanta

My morning started off amazing at my church Elizabeth Baptist Church.  Under the leadership of Dr. Craig L. Oliver, we are being spiritually fed by the Kingdom Man series by Dr. Tony Evans.

As the co-founder of L.E.A.D., Inc., Lord knows that I need to be in the right fellowship with Him in order to properly lead others.

My wife Kelli, Sam Crenshaw (WXIA) and I with our 2013 L.E.A.D. Ambassadors graduating class at Georgia Public Broadcasting

In the Man Up section of the DVD session of Kingdom Man, we learned that the absence of kingdom men is bringing destruction, pain and anguish throughout the land.  A kingdom man is a male who has learned to live his life under the Lordship of Jesus Christ. God's kingdom agenda is the visible manifestation of the comprehensive rule of God over all of life.

It was also discussed that men are to be exposed to three "hoods". Male-hood comes with birth. Boyhood is when you are dependent, immature and not yet responsible. Manhood is when you are responsible enough to take care of someone else.

The Kingdom Man study has put a life size 6'3" mirror in front of me so that all of my weaknesses can be revealed.  I am reminded of how much I need the mercy and grace of Jesus Christ.  In order for me to be the leader in my house, in my state and in my country, I must become a Kingdom Man and be subjected to God's will for me. 

I am spiritually immature in a lot of ways yet striving everyday to become a Kingdom Man. Along my journey, I am joined by several men longing for peace and a strong relationship with God.  Through us, several young boys will become Kingdom Men as we take over communities throughout Atlanta.

I know that I can make a difference in my city.  How about you? Please keep me in your prayers as well as the devoted men at Elizabeth Baptist Church as we complete the 6-month study of Kingdom Man by Dr. Tony Evans.  Join our Kingdom Man study group at Elizabeth Baptist Church in Atlanta every 2nd Saturday at 8:30AM. See you on Saturday, August 10th.

The "not guilty" verdict of George Zimmerman in the Trayvon Martin trial this evening has me on my knees.  I have an opportunity to help lead a generation of males in Atlanta that come from several ethnic backgrounds, elementary school age, young professionals as well as seasoned executives to Kingdom Man status.

By the grace of God, I want to lead on purpose while being led by God The Father.

The legacy of another great King is still developing Atlanta

In 2012 with the approval of Atlanta Public Schools Office of Athletics, L.E.A.D. was able to name the baseball field at Booker T. Washington High School The Moore-Clendenon Baseball Field. This recognition was in honor of James "Red" Moore (Atlanta Black Crackers) and Donn Clendenon (NY Mets), both graduates of Booker T. Washington High School.

C.J. Stewart's youth through college coaches along with James "Red" Moore

After graduating from Washington High School in 1933, Mr. Moore went on to have an All-Star baseball career in the Negro Leagues for the Newark Bears, Atlanta Black Crackers, Baltimore Elite Giants and the Indianapolis ABC's.  Mr. Clendenon was the Major League Baseball World Series MVP in 1969 with the New York Mets.

Mr. Donn Clendenon

Booker T. Washington High School is also known for another famous alum by the name of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. who was a member of a team of men that convinced Mr. Clendenon to stay home and attend Morehouse College instead of attending UCLA.

Eighty years after James "Red" Moore graduated from high school at Booker T. Washington High School, competitive baseball is being played for the purpose of launching educational opportunities. Through a partnership with Atlanta Public Schools, L.E.A.D. is able to use the Washington High School baseball field to deliver year round programming that focuses on excellence in education, athletics, community service/civic engagement and exposure.  L.E.A.D.'s mission is to create positive outcomes for inner city, at-risk, minority youth by leveraging the relationship between education, athletics and service.

To date, 60% of African-Americans in the inner city of Atlanta will not graduate from high school.  Since 2007, 100% of L.E.A.D. Ambassadors have graduated from high school and 100% of them have enrolled into college. 92% of L.E.A.D. Ambassadors have enrolled into college with scholarship opportunities.

There are a lot of great people that have worked tirelessly to make Atlanta one of the best communities in the world. Their efforts have resulted in some of the world's most influential businesses and ideas calling Atlanta home and a lot of them were birthed here: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Coca-Cola, the Civil Rights Movement, CNN. One of those great persons is Kim King. 

The Kim King Foundation has been a supporter of L.E.A.D.'s Middle School Character Development League for over a year by adopting Mr. King's alma mater Joseph E. Brown High School into our Middle School Character Development League.

Angela King sharing Kim King's 1960 year book with with J. Brown Middle School Character Development League LEADers on their Signing Day 2013

The Kim King Foundation has continued to bless Atlanta Public Schools and L.E.A.D. by renovating the baseball field at Moore-Clendenon Field. Our new field will allow us to

• provide more effective baseball training to our Ambassadors by L.E.A.D. coaches
• provide opportunities to attract competitive teams throughout the country
• provide opportunities to attract college baseball scouts

This is all done by the Kim King Foundation to allow us to continue to launch educational opportunities for our Ambassadors. Our partnership allows our young men to be successful and ultimately allows allows us to transform Atlanta with them leading the way.

Field renovation by Joseph Peters of Laser Turf SE.  Photo 

Mr. King was many things to this community; an amazing husband, father, student-athlete and a successful real estate developer.  He cut the trail of serving others so that I may L.E.A.D. the way with excellence in Atlanta.

Click here to learn more about Mr. King.