The NBA star is from Winston-Salem and is in town this week overseeing several youth and community events sponsored by the Josh Howard Foundation. Howard says he believes it’s important for young people to see successful adults from their community return home and encourage them. “The focus is to teach these children important life skills along with basketball," he says. "I don’t sugar coat anything, and try to prepare them for real situations.”

Later this week, Howard will also participate in an elite basketball camp at Glenn High School. Beginning tomorrow his foundation will sponsor a Young Ladies Empowerment Conference at Salem College. Howard says it’s important for African American high school girls to learn their value. “I watched my grandma and mother raise me and my brother. They showed me the type of respect you have to give a woman and what type of respect you need to give to get it. And it’s just something I feel I need to pass on to young women because they’re the ones bringing these young men and women into the world.”