Lansing - A tearful Earvin "Magic" Johnson returned to his hometown for the opening of the 11th Magic Johnson HP Inventor Center Thursday at the Black Child & Family Institute, 835 W. Genessee St.
"The reason we're here today is education," the former Los Angeles Laker said while fighting back tears. "It's always good to come home to do something positive, something to help people."
Johnson, founder of the Magic Johnson Foundation, teamed up with Hewlett Packard Technology in 1999 to begin planning for the centers. The partnership gives about $200,000 in grants to each facility. Money granted goes toward the cost of the computer software and hardware.
The Black Child & Family Institute, which used to be an elementary school, is a multicultural community center. It is located at , 835 W. Genessee St. The center offers after school tutoring and mentors, health and physical education groups and head start programs. With the addition of the inventor center, the institute will also provide computer courses to residents who may not otherwise have access.
Johnson said he is honored to have the opportunity to give back to the community.
"I couldn't be who I am today if it weren't for all the people who helped me, particularly the citizens of Lansing," Johnson said. "I grew up here as a boy, and this city helped me to become a man."
Many children in the Lansing area don't have access to computers and the center will help bridge this gap, said Martha Bibbs, president of the Board of Directors at the institute.
"Every child and person must be computer literate if they are going to succeed in today's world," Bibbs said. "This center will be connected to the 10 other Inventor Centers in the country so everyone is able to share ideas on improving community involvement."
But the center serves another important purpose, teaching homeowners and families how to better control their finances. Bibbs said the institute will offer financial literacy courses, called CreditSmart, free of charge to anyone in the community interested in establishing or improving their credit.
"I'm eager to offer these courses, particularly to college students, because many of them are tempted by credit card companies from the day they set foot on campus."
She said it is essential, Bibbs said, people learn the importance of good credit when they are young, so they can secure their financial future early in their lifetime.
"That way they will have enough money to afford a home once they are in a career position," Bibbs said. "And there's a certain level of pride that comes with being able to own your own home."
Johnson said the past week has been hard for him personally, with Los Angeles Lakers' loss in the NBA Playoffs and MSU losing two basketball players.
"Despite a rough start, this week has turned out great because of what we're doing today," Johnson said. "Young people need to be guided, touched, and ensured that there are people who care about them."
Vice President of Bank One,Doras Thomas, took this idea even further by announcing the company will allocate funding for a 100-book library.
"We at Bank One did a slam dunk," Thomas said. "We'd like to announce that (Bank One) will be building a new library for preschoolers here at BCFI."
