Edition
14 February 1st February 28th
2009
in a city rich in shades, here is a COLOR that includes all...
>Cleve
Killingsworth
+Chairman and CEO Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts
A Better Bailout Plan Save Your Diversity Initiatives Four Steps to Take Now Initiative for a New Economy
The HistoryMakers: Chronicling the African American Experience Blood Brothers: The History of Sierra Leone and America
Fashion Preview:
Put a Spring in Your Step
This is the day to choose to move! In celebration of African-American Heritage Month, express yourself with dance. Every move you make reduces your risk of having a stroke. So to get you started, we’re giving you the chance to win an iPod*.
Visit heart.org/greaterbostonchi to sign up today.
2 COLOR 02•09 *Offer endsmagazine 5/31/2009.
www.colormagazineusa.com
February 1st – February 28th 2009
contents
Page
5Business A Better Bailout Plan Page
7Business
Save Your Diversity Initiatives: Four Steps to Take Now Page
10Benchmarks Initiative for a New Economy Page
10Benchmarks
The HistoryMakers: Chronicling the African American Experience
12
Feature
Cleve Killingsworth Chairman and CEO Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts Page
15Dialogues
Blood Brothers: Sierra Leone in American History Page
18
Entertainment
Carolina Chocolate Drops Page
19
Style
Fashion Preview: Put a Spring in Your Step CREDIT: Kent Earle
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Welcome
Dear friends,
A
s I watched President Barack Obama’s speech at the Color Magazine office, I was impressed by his understanding that his success depends on the strength of the citizens of this country. We, the people, must actively protect and improve the values that define our nation. As we usher in the year of the ox, we celebrate the special contributions of African Americans to this country. Cleve Killingsworth, Chairman and CEO of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, speaks with us about his passion, connection and commitment to healthcare. Our writers discuss black inventors, encourage us to maintain our inclusive initiatives, prepare us for a financial depression. They enlighten us with articles on The HistoryMakers and the Initiative for a New Economy and give us a glimpse of Spring fashion trends. Through this period of change, hope and renewal, we remain committed to our mission of highlighting professionals of color in a powerful way as well as the companies interested in hiring, retaining and marketing to this vastly growing population. Enjoy.Josefina
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS In a city rich in shades here is a color that includes all… Color Magazine is the premier all-inclusive monthly magazine that highlights and promotes professionals of color. Fred McKinney is President and CEO of the Greater New England Minority Supplier Development Council. Dr. McKinney is an economist with a Ph.D. in economics from Yale University. He is also an economic consultant specializing in financial markets.
Ada Gonzalez is a Jungian Analyst in training at the C.G. Jung Institute. The focus of her work is on cross-cultural issues and psychological trauma for individuals, couples and families. She has a private practice in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Sandra Buford is a human resources and organizational development leader, practitioner and educator with 25 years of diversified experience. She is currently a senior executive responsible for diversity, compliance and organizational culture, for the Massachusetts Port Authority in Boston.
Eduardo Tobon serves as Director of Sovereign Bank’s International Cash Management and Strategic Alliances. As a Senior Vice President, he currently oversees some large and complex businesses as well as some startups for Sovereign including Health Savings Accounts.
Christopher Sabatini is a New York-based publishing and graphic design consultant who helped launch and redesign several newspapers and magazines including; amNewYork, DRUMHEAD Magazine and BostonNOW. He is currently working as the design director at amNewYork as well as numerous freelance design projects.
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Editor In Chief/Managing Director Josefina Bonilla-Ruiz josefina@colormagazineusa.com
Associate Editor Michael Chin
michael@colormagazineusa.com
Vice President Of Marketing And Sales Lisette Garcia
lisette@colormagazineusa.com
Intern Esi Yankah Advisory Committee Ferdinand Alvaro, Jr. Daren Bascome, Mark Conrad, Kim Dukes-Rivers, Beverly Edgehill, Yvonne Garcia, Digna Gerena, Kimberly Y. Jones, Juan Carlos Morales, Oswald Mondejar, William Moran, Russel Pergament, Carol Sanchez, John Sims, Eduardo Tobon, Leverett Wing Publisher Color Media Group, LLC
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Distribution GateHouse Media www.colormagazineusa.com
BUSINESS
Keep Your Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives Alive and Well:
Celebrating what brings us together by respecting our differences.
Four Essential Actions You Should Take Now By Sandra Casey Buford, PhD
In the current economic crisis, companies are in “survival mode” and under pressure to cut costs, adjust budgets downward and examine expenditures in every facet of their business operations. As budget reviews happen, diversity and inclusion programs and initiatives may be at particular risk because they are often viewed as “overhead” costs. Before cutting or diminishing diversity and inclusion initiatives, take time to reflect on the benefits, using the following thoughts as a guide. A number of companies have reported that they are determined to stay committed because they see the value to their company’s overall business success. The benefits of strong diversity and inclusion programs include the ability to attract and sustain relationships with diverse business partners in national and global arenas, success attracting and retaining high-performing, highpotential minorities and women in key management positions, improved employee morale and stronger connections with communities. All of these benefits are compelling reasons why companies should identify what they can do to keep these programs and initiatives a high priority. The benefits of staying committed to diversity and inclusion are both immediate and long-lasting. Your company will stay ready to compete in diverse national and global business arenas when the economy rebounds. The following is a list of four essential actions that organizations should take now to keep their diversity and inclusion programs alive and well during the economic crisis:
1.
Continue to send a positive message to all stakeholders (internal and external) letting them know that your organization remains committed to diversity: Senior Management should
incorporate the theme of diversity and inclusion in all communications and re-confirm their commitment.
For over 75 years, Ocean Spray Cranberries, Inc. has been the leader in creating nutritious juices and food products for the entire family. Most of our success is due to the diversity among our 2,000 employees worldwide. At Ocean Spray, we strive to create an inclusive culture in which individual perspectives are valued and differences leveraged for greater opportunities in today’s multicultural society.
2.
www.oceanspray.com Retain high-performing, highpotential minorities and women, especially those in management posiOceanSpray #6186.indd 1 12/17/08 tions and non-traditional job categories: Identify high-performing, high-potential minority and women employees, and be determined to have diverse talent pools when recruiting. Conduct an “adverse impact” study to make sure you’re retaining a diverse workforce when downsizing or restructuring.
3.
Keep business diversity and supplier diversity programs alive and well: Continue to network and build relationships with the minority and women business community. Keep diverse business enterprise program goals on target.
4.
Get help from the experts: Many industry specific trade and professional organizations are willing to help. For example, in the transportation industry Airport Minority Advisory Council (AMAC) is dedicated to business diversity and inclusion in airports. Other organizations include: Conference of Minority Transportation Officials (COMTO), Women’s Transportation Seminar (WTS), Black MBA Association, and National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE).
10:20:21 AM
Massachusetts Port Authority
Business Diversity and Inclusion in Action
Office of Diversity One Harborside Drive, Suite 200S East Boston, MA 02128-2909 617-568-3190 617-568-7411 tty diversity@massport.com
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benchmarks
A Legacy of Innovation: From Personal Computers to Peanut Butter, Black Inventors Continue to Contribute By Michelle McKenzie
Whether you know it or not, every day you rely on something invented by African-Americans.
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printers connect to PCs. He recently led the design team that created the first 1-gigahertz processor chip, allowing computers to get faster and smaller. Not all inventions have been as life altering as personal computers, such as the plantain peeler for which Anaiboni E. Leonor received a patent in 2003 while living in Jamaica Plain. Or the piece of clothing with a flap in front to
our computer. Peanut butter. The light bulb. Potato chips. The golf tee. These are just some of the things borne individually and collaboratively from the ingenuity, imagination and perspiration of Black Americans. “We thought we knew a good bit about black history, but we didn’t know anything about black inventors,” said Carroll Lamb, who with his wife Sandra created The Institute of Black Invention and Technology, an Amherst-based traveling museum devoted to Black inventors. “We knew George Washington Carver (inventor of peanut butter among other things, and educator). But they really don’t teach much in school, at least not outside of Black History Month.” Today, scientists and engineers grab many of the headlines, such as Mark Dean, who holds three of the nine original patents upon which all personal computers are based. A vice president at IBM and still only in his early 50s, Dean helped develop a component that allows peripheral devices such as modems and
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“Earlier inventions were borne out of necessity,” Lamb said. “There was a problem people sought to solve in every-day life. I think if you look at things now, it’s more inspiration than necessity.”
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Carrol Lamb, co-founder of The Institute of Black Invention and Technology, with mortar and pestle, lubricating cup, and the Industry Standard Architecture Bus that makes desktop computers possible. Credit: Courtesy of the Institute of Black Invention
accommodate an arm cast or sling that orthopedic surgeon Olarewaju J. Oladipo of Canton patented a few years ago. “Earlier inventions were borne out of necessity,” Lamb said. “There was a problem people sought to solve in everyday life. I think if you look at things now, it’s more inspiration than necessity.” But Dean has a long list of predecessors, including Boston native Louis Latimer, who created the filament that made the light bulb more affordable and less expensive to produce, and who eventually worked with Thomas Edison. Working for the US Electric Lighting Company, in 1882 the company was granted a patent for Latimer’s “process of manufacturing carbons” – a way of encasing a filament in a cardboard envelope that prevented it from breaking. Several years earlier, it was Latimer who was called upon by Alexander Graham Bell to draft the drawing for the patent application of the telephone. And there was Dr. George Grant, the first black graduate of Harvard’s dental school, received a patent in 1899 for his version of a golf tee – a vertical rubber tube attached to a pointed piece of wood that would be pushed into the ground. Sometimes it was just one-upsmanship. George Crum was the head chef at Cary Moon’s Lake House in Lake Saratoga, N.Y., in 1853, when he invented the potato chip by slicing French fries thinner and thinner to try to satisfy a finicky guest. “One challenge that inventors have is who is going to market their invention, who is going to manufacture it,” noted Lamb, whose website is www.tibit.biz. “Black people invented a lot of things, but they didn’t have the money, so they couldn’t always bring it to market. Many inventors today work for corporations and corporations get things marketed.” As black inventors are becoming more recognized, information about them and their predecessors is becoming more accessible, with traveling museums like The Institute of Black Invention and Technology in different regions of the country, as well as a growing number of websites. “I think there’s more information out there, but it’s still rather specialized,” said Lamb. “There are not a lot of books that have much detail about black inventors.”
Be exceptional in all you do.
Boston Medical Center proudly honors African-American Heritage Month You belong with the best. At Boston Medical Center (BMC), you can join a team of individuals who don’t simply strive for excellence — they set the standard for it. Boston Medical Center is unique in a city known for world-class healthcare. We offer the advanced care and progressive services you would expect from a 625-bed academic medical center, but what sets us apart is our powerful mission to provide Exceptional Care Without Exception to our patients. As the busiest safety-net hospital in New England, we take great pride in delivering high quality, compassionate care to an extraordinarily diverse patient population. If you share our philosophy of doing more for those in need, as well as an enthusiasm for creating change, find your place at BMC. Visit our website to discover opportunities and enjoy an exceptional career at BMC – The Exceptional Choice: www.bmc.org/hr/taleo True diversity knows no exceptions: EOE.
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business
A Better Bailout Plan
An estimated 2.3 million homes are in the process of foreclosure in the United States right now. The real estate company, RealtyTrac, estimates that in 2008 more than 800,000 homes were foreclosed. By Fred McKinney, Ph.D.
Some leading economists expect the number of foreclosures to continue rising until 2011 before turning around. Bank of America, Citigroup and a number of other major financial institutions are headed back to Washington, D.C., hat in hand, to ask for the other half of the $700 billion bailout package passed in the final weeks of 2008. Against this dismal backdrop, the new Obama Administration has come into office. For many Americans, the sheer size of the numbers being discussed, including the $825 billion dollar recovery package – which is separate from the financial services Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) of another $700 billion – or any of the billions being requested by the auto, credit card or insurance industry, is mind-boggling. I am afraid that the same mind-numbing effect of such large numbers might also cloud the judgment of Congress. The new administration has stated that it wants to allocate as much as $100 billion of any new money directly to troubled homeowners. As an economist, I believe this is long overdue. This is not to argue that the banks do not need to be rescued, but we know that the money given to the banks was painful from a fairness perspective, but perhaps necessary given the arcane rules and regulations that govern banks. Banks are required to maintain a certain amount of their
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own money (capital) in relationship to the amount and the quality of their assets. The primary assets that banks have on their books are loans. The housing foreclosure crisis reduced the value of those loans and the mortgage-backed securities these loans supported. Banks had to write down their value and come up with new capital. Most of the money that the banks have received to date has gone to shore up the capital the bank regulators require. The increased capital has not found its way into the economy in the form of new loans, nor has it stopped the bleeding in the foreclosure market. Providing money to the banks in this environment is like putting a Band-Aid on a bullet wound. The bleeding can only be stopped by dealing directly with the foreclosure crisis. We need to invest in banks, but there is a better more effective way to deal with this crisis. It is time to rescue homeowners for their benefit, for the benefit of the banks and more importantly, for the benefit of the entire economy. One hundred billion dollars is a lot of money. This is enough money to “invest” $50,000 into two million households in foreclosure. Combining incentives,
www.colormagazineusa.com
government funds and private investors willing to invest in the future appreciation of America’s housing is a way to share the risks and the rewards while helping to keep people in their homes and stabilize the banks. There are no perfect plans. Even this plan would be a politically tough sell because it would be viewed by some as rewarding the bad behavior and decisions of homeowners who bought more house than they could afford. And perhaps this program should not endeavor to save every homeowner facing foreclosure. But if this were just a personal financial problem, we would not be having this market meltdown. This has spread to become a global financial and economic crisis. Economic policy should be focused on saving the system and reforming markets so that this type of bad behavior on the part of borrowers and lenders does not happen again. But unless we stop the numbers of foreclosures the banks will be back in Washington asking for more in a few months while the economy will not be out of the woods and heading for recovery.
Business
Are You Prepared for a Depression? Last year, I wrote several articles about the economy. In one of them, I tried to anticipate the now obvious U.S. recession (I stated that the economy had been in a pronounced recession before it was made official), and I further speculated that the probability of a depression was not out of the realm of possibilities. By Eduardo Tobon
Depressions are characterized by unusual increases in unemployment, restriction of credit, shrinking output and investment, price deflation or hyperinflation, numerous bankruptcies, reduced amounts of trade and commerce. Doesn’t this all sound like some of the current headlines? The important part is not whether we are going to be actually in a depression or a very long, pronounced recession, but is how to be prepared for these tough times ahead. As I also mentioned in my last article, “luck” is where preparation meets opportunity. Over the next few months, I am going to try to expand on a few questions and viewpoints that can help us all to be prepared for the worst while hoping for the best. Let me emphasize again that I am not trying to be a pessimist. Our economy is ultimately going to recover and will resume its expansion. Unfortunately, no one knows when it will start or how fast that recovery is going to be. As I am writing this article, the official unemployment rate is in single digits at 7.2 percent. However, if you or some one close to you recently lost a job, such statistics would probably not have the same meaning (it might feel much worse). As a banker, I have many friends and acquaintances who have recently lost their jobs. Unfortunately, some of them were not quite prepared. Thus, I submit to you a few simple questions to get an idea of your level of preparation:
discretionary expenses? ow quickly can you H reduce your monthly expenses to accommodate a potentially lower income job? What other sources of income do you have? Can you create new, stable sources of income in the short-term? Do you know your FICO score, net worth, and cash flow? How strong is your support network? How many social networks outside of work are you part of? Do you have easy access to people that can help you identify career/ business opportunities? Have you considered what steps and connections might be necessary in a career change?
re you aware of all your strengths A and the diversity value that you could bring to an organization? Is there a specific opportunity where your background and experience would be extremely valuable? There are many places where you can read about the topics above, but in my opinion, the recipe for success is to be aware of your current situation and begin processing “what if” scenarios. I will expand on these questions in future articles.
EMBRACING DIVERSITY, EMPOWERING INDIVIDUALS. With over $6 billion in assets and more than 70 branches stretching from Newburyport to Cape Cod, Eastern Bank is the largest independent, mutually owned bank in New England. At Eastern Bank, we foster an inclusive environment by valuing different backgrounds, different cultures, and different ways of thinking. Greater diversity enhances our ability to be innovative, serve a broader group of customers, and as a result, our team members thrive.
Eastern Bank, Celebrating Black History. ow financially dependent are you H on your job? Do you have a budget that separates
Eastern Bank recruits for diversity at all levels of our organization, we are an equal opportunity employer.
Eastern #6242.indd 1
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benchmarks
TheHistoryMakers: Chronicling the African American Experience By Katelyn Harding
J
ulieanna Richardson said she founded The HistoryMakers because she wanted to leave a legacy. “I was concerned about the limited information about the African American experience. I grew up not knowing much in terms of black history at all. Out of that, I decided to start looking to see what was done,” she said. The HistoryMakers is an oral history archive of African American history dating back to the 17th century, through The HistoryMakers Education Institute and The HistoryMakers Speakers Bureau. In 2002, The HistoryMakers archives were designated a special collection as part of the Illinois State Library System. Richardson founded The HistoryMak-
ers in July of 1999 and since that time, has completed about 8,000 hours of African American testimony on tape, with the help of fewer than 10 employees. “We have digital archives and we’ve done interviews in 80 U.S. cities and towns,” Richardson said of her Chicagobased, non-profit educational institution. “We interview people across a variety of subject matters – it’s just a wealth of information here.” Richardson said they interview both well-known and “unsung” African Americans, and that they’ve, “often been places where history was before it was history,” citing their 2001 interview with President Barack Obama. Richardson, a self-described oral and public historian, differentiated “selecting” and “finding” people to interview for their “largely envisioned project.”
Julienna Richardson, Founder of The HistoryMakers
“Really the issue is, how do you find people? Selecting means you have your list already assembled. But we don’t have a list already assembled and we are constantly trying to assemble our list,” she said, adding that she’s always getting suggestions. Although Richardson said her work can be overwhelming and daunting, they’re constantly making progress
Initiative for a New Economy By Kranthi Palreddy
W
hen a 2003 study, conducted by the Boston Consulting Group and Babson College, demonstrated a serious dearth in supplier diversity within the Commonwealth, the Initiative for a New Economy (INE) was formed as a conduit for inclusivity in the business community. Founded in 2006, INE is a nonprofit, corporate-led, collaborative effort that establishes minority-owned business enterprises (MBEs) as superior suppliers to large institutional purchasers. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Milton Benjamin, INE President and CEO
The Initiative’s innovative approach to supplier development does not focus on just one party, it emphasizes adopting new behaviors and methodologies that lead to targeted results for those who seek supplier diversity and those who provide it. “Supplier development is a formula that requires three things,” explained Milton
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Benjamin, INE president and CEO. “One, to identify minority firms that have high capabilities in providing goods and services into the business to business space. Two, to arrange for contractual relationships between minority firms and large purchasers. Three, business community, government and civic environments must
commit their capabilities and resources to help minority firms improve their business position.” By applying this formula, they are fostering long-term partnerships that stimulate job creation and build a foundation for business growth. In only a few years, INE’s portfolio is overflowing with success stories. FFP Global (FFP), an Inbound and Outbound Telemarketing Services provider has experienced extensive changes with INE’s help. Already, FFP has increased its revenue by 26 percent, has added 125 employees and is expected to keep growing considerably with new acquisitions and partnerships in the near future. “INE facilitated key working capital financing and has provided my executive team with critical guidance and planning tools as we examine and commit ourselves to the key growth strategies that will power dramatic revenue growth,” said Elise Chow, President
towards their goal of creating and archiving 5,000 video interviews. “It’s a very laborious process. It’s not something people go out and create (easily),” Richardson said. The HistoryMakers is now the largest digital archive of African American history in the United States. Richardson, a graduate of Brandeis University and Harvard Law School, said The HistoryMakers are currently working on test sites right now at Columbia University, George Washington University and the University of Illinois to make their archives available to the general public. “We want to make them searchable by image and text. What we’re hoping, is to bring this to them through a visual archive. I would say probably in two, maybe three years it’s what’s going to happen,” Richardson said. Richardson went into the business not knowing if people would be interested, but now she believes she is giving African Americans a rightful place in American history. “There’s been a lot of interest in the collection,” Richardson said, “People have been touched by the collection and they see the power of the story.”
workexcellencelife Peter L. Slavin, MD, President of MGH, welcomes new employees during New Employee Orientation.
MGH’s Commitment to Diversity From day one, an employee of Massachusetts General Hospital joins a family with a rich legacy of medical innovation and teaching that dates back to 1811. During New Employee Orientation, attendees become part of the institution’s mission and learn how their work supports and fulfills that charge. They learn, too, about the resources and support the MGH family provides to ensure their success. MGH’s commitment to diversity includes: • MGH Diversity Committee co-chaired by MGH’s President and the Massachusetts General Physicians Organization CEO • The Disparities Solutions Center • The Multicultural Advisory Committee • Recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce • Workforce training designed to ensure culturally competent care • Equal access and delivery of quality healthcare for all patients • Medical Interpreter Services in more than 65 languages, free of charge to patients
and CEO of FFP. Westnet, a medical and life science product distributor in New England, has also reaped major benefits from working with the Initiative. “With INE’s assistance, Westnet has become a key supplier of medical and surgical supplies and life science products for Partners Healthcare. INE is always available to us, playing a pivotal role in advising Westnet on issues ranging from customer acquisition to technology to business strategy,” said Gordon Thompson, CEO of Westnet. Through its transformed relationship with Partners Healthcare, Westnet has increased its revenue by 14 percent, has become a preferred vendor and is on route to acquire two new customers, both Fortune 500 companies. If these success stories are any indication of what’s on the horizon for INE and its partnering members, the future looks quite promising – and that can only mean good things for the Commonwealth’s citizens, communities and economy.
Learn more about MGH’s commitment to diversity at http://www.massgeneral.org/careers/commitmenttodiversity.aspx
At the Massachusetts General Hospital, we offer our employees the best opportunities for dynamic and fulfilling careers by cultivating a diverse workplace committed to excellence.
Join us. Our opportunities include all aspects of patient care, research and hospital operations. To see a complete list of our current opportunities and to learn more about the full range of our employee benefits and resources, please visit our website.
www.mghcareers.org
MGH: Make Greatness Happen.
By embracing diverse skills, perspectives and ideas, we choose to lead: EOE.
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M Cleve Killingsworth Chairman and CEO Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts
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CREDIT: Kent Earle
M
ore than four decades ago, a bus of sociology students from the University of Chicago slowed down in front of a house on the West Side of Chicago to observe an eight-year-old boy. They probably didn’t realize they were looking at the future leader of one of the largest companies in Massachusetts. Today, after earning degrees from Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Yale University and amassing 30 years of experience in the healthcare industry, he is Chairman and CEO of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts (BCBSMA) and is responsible for the health and wellness of its three million members. He is a founding member of the Executive Leadership Council and serves on the board of the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce, Jobs for Massachusetts, National Center for Healthcare Leadership, National Institute for Healthcare Management and the United Way of Massachusetts Bay.
By Josefina Bonilla-Ruiz and Michael Chin
CM: What experiences led to you becoming the CEO of BCBSMA? CK: They go back quite far. I grew up on the West Side of Chicago, like the president was asking the military people, ‘South Side or West Side?’ I was on the West Side. As a kid, I had an interest in science, the way nature works. That interest allowed me to stand out. In the schools I came from, teachers were really surprised to see a kid who was interested in science. Throughout my life, I have had people who took special interest in me because of things I was interested in. It went on through grammar school, high school and college. Then it became mentoring relationships, from very kind and influential people in healthcare and in other industries. So I have had a lot of help at different points in time to get a chance to be able to do this work. And, first of all, to see that this kind of career was even possible. CM: Tell me more about growing up in Chicago. CK: I think mine is a typical story of a boy who grew up in an urban setting but wasn’t aware of anything wrong with the way he grew up until later on. I wasn’t a very good student, I really wasn’t, but I was always interested in science, things that are technical and numbers. My father was a forklift operator. My mother was a seamstress in a clothing factory and then became a caseworker for the state. My father always had two, three jobs. He would come home from his forklift job, have dinner and go out and do maintenance on a building he didn’t
own. He pulled garbage, he painted, he fixed plumbing, he’d do whatever, get back at 10:30 at night and start the whole thing over the next day. I remember when I was about eightyears-old, I was sitting in front of my mothers house on the West Side. All of a sudden, I noticed a school bus turn the corner and pause in front of my mothers house. On the side of the school bus, it said University of Chicago Sociology Department, and all the students in the bus were looking at me taking notes! I was like this subject for them; It was that kind of community. It wasn’t safe, but when you grow up, you deal with that environment. It’s not until later on, when people on TV are talking about all the urban blight and stuff, that you know they are talking about your community – that you really get a sense of how others perceive it. Even in the midst of all the poverty there was also great joy in my community. People will come home after long workdays and they get together and party, play cards, have romances and go to clubs. Then they would go back to work, and deal with the difficult things. It was challenging, nobody had any money, everything went on layaway and you pay one bill and don’t pay another. But there was life there and it was vibrant. Sometimes it was tragic, but it was real life. It wasn’t the terrible, drudging, ‘When are we going to be delivered?’ kind of thing. CM: How did you get started in healthcare?
CK: When I was leaving MIT, to decide what I was going to do for graduate school, I went to my advisor to have a conversation about what I might do next and I said ‘We learn all these quantitative approaches to solving organizational problems, where do you think I could go to use these things?’ He said, ‘You should look at healthcare because they have all these large institutions and no one knows how to run them,’ and he suggested that I take a look at the Yale School of Public Health. That’s how I got into healthcare, I have had quite a few jobs in healthcare organizations since. CM: What you are most passionate about? CK: I have had different passions at different times in my career. Earlier in my career, I was really committed to moving up in corporate America, having bigger challenges, running bigger parts of organizations and getting lots of experience as a manager. Over time, you notice something that appeals to you, that cries for your attention. In my case, it was making sure that people got appropriate care. Given all the resources we put into healthcare, there is a very large portion of those resources that do not deliver benefits, and there is a large number of people that do not get access to healthcare. I saw opportunity in that. I saw opportunities to provide more services to more people for about the same amount of money, and I saw it as systems problem. Later, I started to learn about the human cost of that inefficiency and that fragmentation in the system. I didn’t think that people should be harmed unnecessarily by the system. And people shouldn’t suffer when services and resources could be made available. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
“I have a job that can impact on the quality of care that my three million members get, citizens of the common world get. That gets me up in the morning.“ 02•09
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I became very passionate about doing something about the quality of care that people get and the safety of services provided. It turns out that if you improve the quality of care, the cost of care goes down, not up. So it became a perfect solution, a perfect place to try to make a difference. CM: How do you go about creating a system that works when, based on what you are saying, there are all these disparities and all these problems with the system? CK: I struggle with that all the time. My view of the world is the common world. And the answer is that you have see the important parts of the healthcare delivery system, and you have to be able to see where the opportunities are for improvement. For example, reducing medical errors, improves quality and reduces costs at the same time. Eliminating overuse of services, people getting antibiotics for viral infections – antibiotics have no impact on viral infections and also have negative consequences. When you take a lot of antibiotics when you don’t need them, when you need them they wont work. Women getting C-sections who don’t really need them which limits their ability to have vaginal deliveries in the future; unnecessary hysterectomies; unnecessary cardiac surgeries; unnecessary diagnostic testing... When you begin to define the problem in that way, overuse of services and misuse of services, then all of a sudden you have things you can take action on. When I was starting in this business, just as I graduated from Yale, my first job was assistant administrator of the University Hospital of Pennsylvania and, generally speaking, that is not a very high administrative position. But one of the things you get to do is become a weekend administrator. One of the duties I had is on Friday nights and Saturday nights, you are supposed to call down to the admissions department and find out if there are any open beds. If there are open beds, the next thing you do is to call the emergency room and ask them to send people up, whether they need to be in the hospital, or not. I think about that experience, and how complacent I was admitting people to the hospital that didn’t need to be there. That had a big impact on me. I thought
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there must be a different way to do this. People come to hospitals and they come to see their doctors when they are in their most vulnerable state and they don’t have a way of judging the quality of care they are going to get. They are very trusting of the medical system and I think the healthcare system including insurance companies, like mine, have to do a better job as stewards of that trust. I
talk about it as as an original, great American novel that it is very tightly written, that people have a hard time finding an unnecessary word in. That’s F. Scott Fitzgerald. That’s the book I am going to read next. Also, I think that I am a very introverted person, I am private and shy. But when you have a job like mine, you have to learn to talk to people. You really have
CREDIT: Kent Earle
have a job that can impact on the quality of care that my three million members get, citizens of the common world get. That gets me up in the morning. CM: Tell me something else that most people don’t know about you. CK: Well, one of my hobbies is that I collect 17th and 18th century books that are damaged and I photograph the damage and make a catalogue. I have a forensic interest in what part of the damage came first and which came second. It allows me to be with books, which I love, and it allows me to use the computer which I also love and allows me to use digital photography. My next book to read is going to be The Great Gatsby. I saw the movie years ago but I understand that the book, as a piece of literature, is very special. People
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to tell people and explain to people what your ideas are in order to get movement in that direction. You have to explain what you are trying to do, why you are trying to do it, why it is good for the community and you have to do it over and over again. For me, that never came naturally. It has always been kind of a struggle, but I am a little bit more used to it now. CM: If you were not the CEO of BCBSMA, what would you be doing? CK: I think I would have been a scientist. I would have pursued a career in mathematics or physics. Even now, I still have a great interest in those subjects. I hope one day more people know about them because it helps you find your place in the world.
Dialogues
Blood Brothers: The Peculiar Connection between America and Sierra Leone By Bridgit Brown
When most Americans think about the country of Sierra Leone, what often comes to mind is the movie Blood Diamond. Yes, the country is still healing from the scars of a bloody war that was funded in part by the trade of illegal diamonds. But what most Americans do not know about our four hundred-year-old relationship with Sierra Leone speaks volumes. The country – and millions of African Americans and present day native Sierra Leoneans – is inextricably linked to the story of America. Back track to the days when slavery was a legal institution upon our Western shores. An American by the name of Henry Laurens lived an opulent life in the colony of South Carolina. He was the chief business agent for the Britishbased slave trading company known as Grant & Oswald. Lauren’s business was to take inventory of the many ships of human cargo that came into Charleston from the rice coast regions of West Africa. He would then market the sale of rice-planting Africans to white plantation owners through newspaper advertisements, flyers, and auctions. He received a 10 percent commission on each person he sold. Those people came to the colony by way of the tiny island of Bunce, located just twenty miles off the Sierra Leone peninsula. Though an island of zero human inhabitants today, and a place where some native Sierra Leoneans say that the devil dwells, Bunce Island was home to a slave castle owned and operated by Grant & Oswald. Currently in a state of ruins, the castle was a post for a major slave trading operation that extended from Sierra Leone to Guinea. There were many Africans that participated in slave trading by capturing and delivering fellow Africans, mainly the young and the strong. They brought them to the shores to trade with Bunce Island merchants. People were exchanged for cloth, jewelry, weaponry and other items. Once traded, the captives were
Henry Laurens Credit: Courtesy of U.S. Senate
Bunce Island off the Coast of Sierra Leone
loaded onto ships that took them to Bunce for processing and then led them onto another ship that delivered them to the colonies of South Carolina and Georgia – or into the hands of Henry Laurens in Charleston or John Graham, his Savannah, Georgia counterpart. This was the only time that America imported slaves directly from West Africa. Other African captives took a two-way journey from West Africa to the West Indies to be broken-in and then sold to other parts of the Americas – if they survived. Millions of African Americans whose ancestral roots stem back to South Carolina and Georgia are descendants of the Bunce Island legacy. One specific ethnic group of the African Diaspora in America call themselves Gullahs. They live on the Sea Islands off of the coasts of South Carolina and Georgia. Their contribution to the American culinary bouillabaisse is a
rice dish called “red rice” which tastes similar to the Jolof rice dish of Sierra Leone. Gullahs also contributed nearly 4000 words and phrases to the American English lexicon, including yam, gumbo, cooter, goober and okra. While Henry Laurens earned his income from the sale of Africans and rice, he also led a very active political life. During the American Revolutionary War he served as a delegate for the negotiations leading to the Treaty of Paris, which eventually led to the signing of the U.S. Constitution. He was also president of the First Continental Congress from 1777 to 1778. The American Revolution created a way for free and runaway African captives to get back to their West African homeland. In fact, it is not unusual for many Sierra Leoneans to say that their Continued on Page 22
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FOOD
Haru Hour: Sushi for the Sagacious By Joanne M. Choi
B
efore Haru’s Boston location cropped up, the only association I had with the sushi chain was that it was part of the late Rocky Aoki’s, of Benihana fame, empire. Low and behold, Haru came to Huntington Avenue so I willingly trekked over for the requisite Sunday lunch. The atmosphere was tasteful without seeming too faux-Asian and the service was great. I enjoyed my Salmon Teriyaki bento box and then resolved to go once in awhile after that, to indulge in my love of Japanese cuisine. That is, until I discovered Haru Hour… xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Haru’s Specialty Rolls
Haru Hour is Monday through Friday from 4-6 p.m. and is available in the bar area where you can indulge in discounted sushi. Kind of the budget conscious Bostonian’s way to deal with the champagne taste on a beer budget dilemma. It is also a way of getting the quasi luxurious and pampered feel without beingT:4.674” committed to a full dinner – great for the
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pickers to indulge in bits of this and that. I usually skip the Edamame (I have always felt it was overrated) and go straight for the maki rolls. What is a maki plate without a nice California Roll ($3 Haru Hour/$4.50 regular)? Despite the trends of American created foods finding there way back to Asia, I couldn’t find any variation of it when I was living in Osaka, Japan. Not having it for a time causes serious cravings for me, so I always opt for it now. I also order the Spicy Tuna Roll ($5/$6.75), Kamikaze Roll ($5/$7.50), Crunch Spicy Salmon Roll ($5/$6.75), Miso Soup, and Spring Rolls ($5). The Kamikaze Roll has crunch, spicy tuna and tobiko. The Spring Rolls rest on top of a bed of greens and are served with a plum dipping sauce; one is stuffed with shittake mushrooms, the other has a bean curd and vegetable filling. The rolls are well made, fresh and hit the spot. After eating all that, sometimes my party and I reorder everything we just ate – and then do it once more for good measure. Yes, in case you were wondering, the bartender is usually amused. I know someone, who knows someone, who works there, and they told me the insider tips about the best appetizers that are also filling and reasonably priced. The Miso Black Cod ($13) comes with grilled asparagus and a small bowl of white rice. Another one is the plate of six King Crab Dumplings ($8.50). Despite the countless times I’ve gone, I have yet to try the Specialty Rolls, though I have seen others order them and I get a little plate envy. They look like art and it has made me resolve to get the Dice-K or the Kiss of Fire Roll on my next trip. I mean how much money have I saved already by my wise use of the Haru Hour specials?
entertainment
The Black Girl Next Door by Jennifer Baszile By Joanne M. Choi
W
ith purpose, honesty and an ax to grind, Jennifer Baszile writes about her childhood, one filled with all the usual challenges that a girl faces as she navigates studying, bullies, working and fitting in. Baszile grew up in a ritzy neighborhood and home alongside her admired older sister and successful parents. The exasperated “Marcia, Marcia, Marcia!” Jan Brady tone that young Jennifer demonstrates could be many a young girl’s lament and thus is instantly relatable. In that way, The Black Girl Next Door (Simon & Schuster) is about finding one’s role in the family and establishing one’s identity as much as it is about struggles, harassments and labels resultant of skin color. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
The strength of this memoir is how Baszile carefully deconstructs her, on-paper, idyllic life by delving into the not-so-pristine details. Like how the racially motivated attacks on her posh home wounded to the core and almost taking away part of their American success story. Along the vein of Nietzsche’s, “What does not kill me, makes me stronger,” those episodes left a mark on their family while ultimately strengthening them and reinforcing their understood motto of always striving. It was rewarding to see how her father was not controlled by fear, skillfully using the media and the FBI to let everyone know what happened to them. Jennifer also captures the vibe
of Palos Verdes, California in the 1970s and the beach culture that was dominant among the privileged offspring. I admired her focus, as an adolescent, and how she was not tempted to be less driven or responsible. It was harder to embrace the idealistic and lofty tone Baszile employs. At times, I thought she could criticize less and accept that her parents did what they thought was best. Her long-winded analysis and opinions only magnified how ungrateful she came across. Did it really matter that her parent’s delighted in being featured positively in a newspaper article? Did that have to be a cause for self-analysis vis-à-vis their role as an idealized black family? The fact that her parent’s marriage perhaps wasn’t as Cosby-like as hoped did not cause any shocks. And her conjecture that she had to get a job at KFC because her father wanted to keep his Baszile Metals Company solely for himself was puzzling and unnecessary. Jennifer Baszile poignantly captured the uneasy walk she faced as she sought her groove, trying to fit in with the white kids at school and black kids she knew through the Black Heritage Association. “Dad’s assertion that he wasn’t raising me for a white man,” was strongly felt alongside her attempts to figure out how to navigate men. Her awareness of her color as she attempted to start dating was inescapably real with all its unspoken messages. It is easy to forget that it was only 42 years ago the Supreme Court ruled that miscegenation laws were unconstitutional. In the end, Jennifer’s ambition and talent bring her to the east coast for college. We see how she didn’t compromise her hard earned identity in the face of what her parents wanted, or what was easier or more comfortable. In this regard, she is more like her parents – who have moved on from their pasts geographically and emotionally – than she would probably admit.
[Bon Vivant’s Wine of the Month] Did you know that you can drink sweet red wine that is well made and not pink? Italy makes scrumptious sweet red wines. The wine for this month is called 2006 Adesso Cagnina di Romagna. Valentines Day is approaching and this wine is a wonderful compliment to your gift of chocolate. Adesso means now or ‘in the moment’ in Italian, so take a moment to share this great bottle of wine with your sweetheart. Many wine lovers look for a wine that can be used for dessert and this sweet red wine is a fantastic buy at only $13.99 from Bon Vivant Wine in Randolph, MA. Adesso made from the Refosco grape is a dark purple with a distinct reddish hue. Grapey, juicy raisins, a hint of something minty and herbal on the nose; fresh wine-grape and
dried-fruit flavors follow the nose, quite sweet but not sticky, with sufficient acidity to keep it balanced. An ice cube adds to the structure and mutes the sweetness a bit. Adesso is low in alcohol at 9 percent, and is fun and easy to drink for wine lovers who like something off-dry for a change. Try this wine with our many wonderful cuisines of ‘COLOR’. Think the flavors of Asian style stir-fried beef and green peppers, Szechuan style vegetables or drink it all by itself. Nobody knows from where the name Cagnina comes, but this wine has been made since the 13th century exclusively in the Emilia Romagna Region, just south of Venice, Italy. For more information visit www.bonvivantwine.com.
02•09
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Entertainment
The Carolina Chocolate Drops: Southern String Band Carries Tradition By john black
When most people think of ‘traditional’ African American styles of music, they think of the soaring sound of a gospel choir or the howling guitar of a great blues player or the syncopated sound of a big jazz band. Chances are they don’t think of oldfashion string band music, but the antebellum tradition of banjos and fiddles historically have been a very popular musical style in rural African American communities, particularly throughout the South. These days, a trio of young musicians calling themselves the Carolina Choco-
18 COLOR magazine 02•09
late Drops are leading a rootsy revival of this traditional style, not only touring the world so people can hear it live, but making sure they do whatever they can to pass it along and keep the tradition alive for future generations. “I discovered this kind of music through contra dancing – listening to live bands that were playing this awe-
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some music – and I fell in love with the old time bands playing for the dances,” said Dom Flemons, who plays guitar, harmonica and jug for the Carolina Chocolate Drops. “I started getting into the history with the help of Cece Conway’s book African Banjo Echoes in Appalachia, and started tracking down everything I could read or hear about the black string band sound.” Flemons is joined on his musical journey by banjo and fiddle player Rhiannon Giddens who also became inspired by old-time music when she fell into contra dancing after graduating from Oberlin Conservatory of Music, and Justin Robinson, a classically trained violinist with a passion for bluegrass and old-time fiddle music, as well as the fife and drum tradition of AfricanAmericans in the Deep South. Although the three players have diverse backgrounds, they all draw their musical heritage from the foothills of the North and South Carolina, and have all studied under the tutelage of Joe Thompson of Mebane, NC, said to be the last black traditional string band player. “We strive to carry on the long standing traditional music of the black and white communities,” Flemons said. “It’s great to be doing music that either hasn’t seen the light of day very much, or in a long while, and to keep the songs in the public. A big part of what we do is go into schools and play for students because any time a young person or older person, or anyone might be inspired to pick up the banjo/fiddle/whatever, we feel great.” Although they are steeped in tradition, Flemons said the band may soon start writing original songs to help move the history of the music forward. “We don’t do a lot of new songs, but we’ll be probably doing some in the future,” he said, noting that the Carolina Chocolate Drops have been working in the studio on their next release. “Fans should expect to hear some things we’ve been doing at shows but haven’t recorded yet - we’re very excited.” The Carolina Chocolate Drops will be appearing at the Berklee College of Music on Feb, 16 and 17. For more information, visit www.carolinachocolatedrops.com.
style
These Trends are Sure to Put a Spring in Your Step By Rosanna M. Ortiz
The new trends for spring are hitting stores as we speak and they are looking more fabulous than years before. The trends this season are just as diverse as ever and are something to be noticed. Sheer is back! Designers from Valentino to Vera Wang have brought this super trend back with their long-sleeved, sheer blouses and sleeveless, sheer, sequin-embellished dresses. Lanvin did it again this season, being a favorite among many consumers and fashion elite. His draped, puffed elegance dresses, tops, and bejeweled items sent gasps throughout his show. Another lovely trend is the color nude. A favorite of yours truly, nude is for spring what black is for winter. Nude accessories and clothing alike have a bit of a feminine, ethereal feel to them and pair gorgeously with vibrant colors such as purples, yellows and fuchsias, which were not scarce on the runways. Pucci inspired geometric prints were also a hit for spring. Maxi dresses in vibrant designs as well as short dresses were among the funky trends this season. However, the geometric, cropped pants were not the favorite. The “relaxed” look has also made a comeback. Don’t get too crazy and think that means ‘90s grunge look – more like the loosely tailored jackets over dresses and layered flounce. Designers are trying to make the woman feel more comfortable, literally in the attire she is wearing. Thank goodness for that!
Don’t be afraid of animal print. A little animal goes a long way, it’s best to use an animal print in an accessory but never an entire ensemble. Shirt: Paul & Joe $225, Skirt: D&G Dolce and Gabbana $275, Pumps: Brian Atwood $600
When wearing a neutral color (neutral is a hot spring trend!) always pair with a vibrant accessory. Dress: 3.1 Phillip Lim $625, Platforms: Miu Miu $595
Spring Preview
Nothing says classic more than a pair of white, wide-leg trousers. Pair with this seasons’ geometric top and stiletto sandals. Shirt: Rick Owens $230, Trousers: Donna Karan $700, Shoes: Giuseppe Zanotti “Fishbone” $900
Give a dainty, feminine outfit a bit of spice by adding super-high gladiator platforms. Top: Marc Jacobs $200, Skirt: Fendi $600, Platforms: Miu Miu $595
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Society
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The Partnership’s Inauguration Ball
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The Partnership Inc., celebrated the inauguration of President Barack Obama on January 20th. Attendees danced through the night to music provided by Boston’s First Class Band. 1. Guests dance to First Class Band 2. Beverly Edgehill introduces the Boston Children’s Chorus 3. Candace Burns and Paul Johnson 4. Yoon Lee, Paul Francisco, Desiree Arevalo 5. Carlos Matos and Carole Berotte Joseph 6. Sam White, Daren Bascome, Lisette Garcia 7. Joanne Choi, Sa’adiyah Masoud, Zakiya Thomas, Carol Gathembe
20 COLOR magazine 02•09
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Society
1
¡CULTURA vivA! a gala to Benefit caSa de la cultura/ center for latino artS (cla)
KeePing latino artS alive!
Saturday, March 28, 2009 6:00 PM - 12:00 Midnight 2 3
3 Martha Fields Leadership Lunch
The Fields Associates Inc., held their 10th Annual Fields Associates Executive Leadership Lunch at The Harvard Club on January 8th. 1. Barbara Addison Reid, Joy Stickel, Irene Hammer-McLaughlin, Valerie Samuels, Jody Robie, Martha R.A. Fields, Donna Bonaparte, Sandra Casey Buford, Pamela Scott, Theresa Sciarappa, Monica Calzolari.
caSa de la cultura / center for latino artS (cla)
A program of inquilinos Boricuas en Accion (iBA) 85 West Newton Street, South End, Boston For more information, or to purchase tickets, please contact delaCruz Communications at 781- 341-3800 or delacruzcomm@gmail.com. artS aMBaSSador – title SPonSor
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02•09
21
HEALTH
The African Heart A woman from Central Africa told me that in her country there is a myth called Mutima. Mutima is the name of the heart that finds a home created with the earth, man and woman. home. The suffering of the black community has to be witnessed, grieved and acknowledged by remembering forgotten roots. We return to the heart through love The story goes like this: Heart decides to meet the creator, on the journey she of the family, awareness of life’s seasons: meets the sun, rain, night and moon. They child, adolescence, maturity, and old age. tell her that the creator has gone away The heart re-emerges through the African so each one is left to do their best. Rain traditions of food, storytelling and music. fell, the sun shone and the night kept The heart is about relationships, love and everything dark. But Mutima, the heart, courage. Those are things that blacks in feels compassion for man and woman, America can teach other subcultures as they heal. Maya Angelou is an example of a and she asks these elements to cooperate and give their gifts in moderation. With broken heart that has been reinvented. Her triumphant eloquence comes compassion, Mutima decides to In the from her reconnection with live with man and woman until African and creative use of the depths the creator returns... The United States is a land myth, Heart of her suffering. Healing is not of immigrants. Our daily reality looks for a to identify with brokenness as reflects the problems of having home where personal failure; it is important been uprooted. Often we forget everything not to be the victim of the environment. We can look to Bishop our connection with the earth, is in Tutu, and Nelson Mandela as the seasons, animals and a balance. examples of people who have “tribal life” that was more harmonious with nature because it depended not been crushed by the system. In the African myth, Heart looks for on it. Our modern culture too often violates, instead of, celebrates the earth. It’s not a home where everything is in balance. the invention of, but the excessive use of That is the compassionate African Heart. In violence, the heart weeps, “arrests”. We pesticides, like the harmful pentachloronitrobenzene, that reflects our relationship must hold the heart, protect it, love it. It is a gift from Mutima and a possibility for to the planet. We also have to work hard to develop a any human being. Artists, singers, paintstrong sense of community, or a safe place ers and writers, like Alice Walker, have all to keep our hearts. This manifests itself discovered something about their hearts, through abandonment, abuse, mutilation, and moved out of brokenness by bringing images to their sorrows. In the expresseparation, and forgetfulness – something that the slaves who survived the Middle sion of their imagination, the heart has Passage lived, and that their descendants space to be creative. Imagery brings fire still live. The black community in America to the heart. Miriam Makeba brought it in many ways has a broken heart; one to us when she sang the song “Malaika.” It is because the original heart speaks in compromised by violence and cultural and images of earth and compassion that the economic deprivation. The heart, however, has a way back African Heart heals. By Ada Gonzalez
22 COLOR magazine 02•09
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Continued from Page 15
ancestors were from America or Jamaica. Britain, having lost most of its militia during the Revolutionary War, promised slaves in America and Jamaica freedom and land in its colony of Sierra Leone – if they fought on their side. They called these people “black loyalists”. After the war, thousands immigrated to the British occupied Nova Scotia and many even went to England. After waiting eight years for Britain to deliver its promise, one so called “black loyalist”, Thomas Peters, led a protest mission overseas to argue their cause. When Peters returned from Britain to Nova Scotia, he was accompanied by John Clarkson, a lieutenant in the British Navy sent to oversee the repatriation arrangements. In 1792, approximately 1200 black loyalists left Nova Scotia and landed in the colony of Sierra Leone on the 28th of March. They settled on the coast of the peninsula, founding Free Town. Today, Thomas Peters is honored for injecting new blood into the colony of Sierra Leone by braving the oceans to plead on behalf of the black loyalists’ cause. In 1808, after the British passed the Abolition Act which made slave trading illegal, America made the importation of slaves illegal but continued to legalize the institution of slavery until 1863. Today, America and Sierra Leone may seem worlds apart, but their histories are forever woven together, one shaping the other’s. We must strive to honor the full story, not only the atrocities born of diamonds and slavery but also the blending of cultures, emergence of heroes and the foundation of our great nation.
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In
celebration of Black History Month Stop & Shop is proud to present the 17th edition of
“Profiles in Excellence – Landmarks in Black History.” Pick up your free copy at your local Stop & Shop, or visit stopandshop.com to download a copy.