"Where A Man Stands" Tells the Inspiring and Provocative True Story of the First Black Principal of Beverly Hills High School

NASHVILLE, Tenn. and NEW YORK, Oct. 6, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- For the first time in its 80-year history, Beverly Hills High School elected its first black principal, Carter Paysinger, but the appointment did not come without its challenges. Where A Man Stands: Two Different Worlds, An Impossible Situation, and the Unexpected Friendship that Changed Everything {Howard Books / Simon & Schuster / November 4 / ISBN: 9781476711409} is the inspirational story of a coach and teacher from the wrong side of town, who shook up the status quo and changed a community.

Coming from South Central Los Angeles, Carter Paysinger entered the rarified world of Beverly Hills when his determined mother secured a coveted multicultural permit that allowed a few minority kids from less privileged parts of LA to attend the exclusive and predominantly white Beverly Hills High School.

Carter was a fish out of water in three distinct ways:

• a black student in an almost exclusively white school
• a Christian in a predominantly Jewish community
• a boy from the wrong side of the tracks going to school in one of the world's wealthiest zip codes

But Carter not only survived, he thrived. And during his years as a student, his roots to the school were so deeply planted that after he earned his undergraduate and master's degree, he returned to BHHS as a coach and teacher, becoming a mentor for innumerable kids in need of a nurturing ear or a shoulder to cry on.

One of those students was Steven Fenton, who bonded with his coach in a deeply profound and meaningful way. Their unlikely friendship buoyed the spirit of both mentor and mentee. But then Steven graduated and many years passed before the two men would see each other again.

During these intervening years, Carter became its most winning and favorite coach. But Beverly Hills High School was having problems, with principals hired and fired and families fleeing the school. As fate would have it, after twenty years apart, Carter ran into Steven and together they found renewed passion and hope to fight for their community. Their first and most important step was Carter applying for the principal position. Both men thought this was a logical career move for Carter and so Steven set out to help Carter secure the position. In a surprising turn of events, they came to learn that the beloved teacher and coach didn't fit the "profile" for the Beverly Hills image. At that point all hell broke loose.

Filled with hope, triumph, and the struggles that comes to define us, Where A Man Stands is a beautiful fish-out-of-water story about the families formed in unlikely places and how, in the end, where you stand, and with whom, and for what, matters as much as anything.

More Praise for Where A Man Stands

"If you believe that a single person can change the course of your life, this book is for you. Carter and Steven's friendship and their willingness to put everything on the line for one another is remarkable. Where A Man Stands is a winner." – Bill Rancic, New York Times best-selling author, star of "Giuliana and Bill", winner of NBC's "The Apprentice"

"Where A Man Stands is an inspiring story of friendship and the challenges in life. Carter and Steven prove that if given a chance you can accomplish your dreams with hard work, perseverance, courage, and faith." – Roger and Marianne Staubach, former NFL quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys and Superbowl MVP, Heisman Trophy winner

"Where A Man Stands will inspire by example and bring tears of happiness to those who honor and admire achieving great success out of the mouth of adversity." – Suzanne Somers, actress, New York Times best-selling author

"Where A Man Stands is one of those books that is impossible to put down! The only way I can try to understand Carter's experience is to reminisce about a championship fight in 1981 against Tommy Hearns when my left eye was closed shut and the temperature in the ring in Las Vegas was 100 degrees. It's during those moments in our lives that we question, do we proceed and reach for respect and equality or do we quit? Carter answered, and it's a victory for all of us!" – Sugar Ray Leonard, Retired Professional Boxing Champion

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Carter Paysinger has served Beverly Hills High School as a teacher, coach, department chairperson, athletic director, and principal. In Carter's first year as the principal, Beverly Hills High School earned its highest API academic ranking in the history of the school. Carter is currently also the president of the California Interscholastic Federation Southern Section, the governing board of high school sports for the entire state of California. Carter lives in Los Angeles with Karen, his wife of thirty years, and their eighteen month old son, Chandler.

Steven Fenton began his career in the mail room of the William Morris Agency and worked in Hollywood as a talent manager for over twenty years. In 2007 he ran for the Beverly Hills board of education and won by the widest margin in the school board's history, becoming the youngest person ever to be elected president of the school board. In his time of service to the community and school he loved, he founded such lasting programs as the "Legacy Permit", the "Teen Beverly Hills Education Foundation", the "Bosse Leadership Academy", and the "Beverly Hills Athletic Alumni Association" which raised over a million dollars for the athletic department of Beverly Hills High School. In 2008 he was named "Man of The Year" by the Los Angeles Democratic Party for the 42nd district. He is currently partnering with his wife, Leeza Gibbons, running LGE, a media and transactional company. They live in Los Angeles with their three children.

Howard Books is an imprint of Simon & Schuster. Based in Nashville, the imprint is home to numerous New York Times bestselling books. Simon & Schuster is a part of CBS Corp., a global leader in the field of general interest publishing, dedicated to providing the best in fiction and nonfiction for consumers of all ages, across all printed, electronic and audio formats.  Its divisions include Simon & Schuster Adult Publishing, Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing, Simon & Schuster Audio, Simon & Schuster Digital and international companies in Australia, Canada and the United Kingdom. For more information visit our website www.simonandschuster.com.

WHERE A MAN STANDS: Two Different Worlds, An Impossible Situation, and the Unexpected Friendship that Changed Everything
By Carter Paysinger & Steven Fenton
Howard Books, a division of Simon & Schuster: Nov. 4, 2014: hardcover $25.00

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SOURCE Howard Books