Dwight Raiford
Going to Bat for Others
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| Raiford Photo courtesy Dwight Raiford |
Growing up in a North Carolina mill town, W. Dwight Raiford learned from his father, an insurance agent, that a black man can be successful in business and from his uncle, a janitor, to “be of service to others.” Both ideals have guided him through his fifty years, but only recently have they truly come together.
“My life is finally aligned,” says Raiford with a warm smile and easy laugh. After a successful career in finance — including twenty years at Citibank — he is now using his business skills to help his Harlem neighbors manage their business and personal finances. The catalyst for his second career was the intense satisfaction he encountered when he and his wife, Iris, founded the Harlem Little League.
Starting the league meant finding fields, getting kids and parents interested, and raising money to support the teams. “If we had known what it would take, we never would have done it,” says Raiford. “But I’m glad we did.” Seven hundred kids currently play in the league, and several others have received college scholarships. A team of league all-stars took sixth place in the 2002 Little League World Series.
Raiford, who chairs the national Little League board of directors, stresses “building big-league citizens, not big-league ballplayers.” But winning has its thrills, such as being invited to Wall Street with the team last year. Says Raiford, “After 25 years in financial services, how do I get to ring the bell at the New York Stock Exchange? Baseball.”
— SY
