Urban areas deserve investment, not fear

As one of nine children growing up in Lansing, Mich., the only thing I feared was getting into trouble. My parents were stern disciplinarians, and I knew what I'd face if I messed up. Fear can be a big motivator.

Indeed, as a wide-eyed 20-year-old NBA rookie, I brought a healthy dose of fear with me as I moved to Los Angeles to become a Laker. Decades later, I looked fear in the eyes as a husband and father living with HIV, then as a businessman who would invest and redevelop underserved communities when few saw the value.

But fear hasn't deterred me; it has pushed me into action. Unfortunately, I can't say the same for much of corporate America when it comes to taking chances with underserved communities. Some see failure in the images of blighted cities with pothole-filled streets and scattered shops. But what ...