Black Perspective by Darryl R. Matthews Sr

THE REAL LESSONS OF

BLACK HISTORY By Star Parker

ebruary is black history month. Last year it was celebrated by Jesse Jackson shaking down Nissan for an advertising campaign in which “history” was crossed out in “black history” and “future” written in above. Now, Al Sharpton, benefiting from a clueless Democratic party, carries on with wit and charm Jesse’s politics of diversion and blame. Isn’t it time to start getting real? Fortunately, the winds of change breeze through the black electorate. A Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies poll showed 63 percent of blacks identifying themselves as Democrats in 2002, down from 74 percent in 2000. An agenda focusing on issues like school choice, ownership and wealth creation is being championed by new black leaders like DC mayor AnthonyWilliams and Representative Harold Ford. These developments are not accidental. Blacks are beginning to understand that they need to look to themselves rather than government to solve their problems. Certainly, if growth in government and political power translated into well being, blacks would be in great shape today. Non-defense related federal government spending, as a percentage of GDP, is now twice what it was in 1964. Today there are 39 black members of Congress, eight times as many as in 1964. More than half of our States, including the District of Columbia, now have cities with black mayors. Yet, these considerable gains in political power have not translated commensurately into better lives for African Americans. Certainly, a new black middle class has emerged. Black households earning more than $100,000/year have increased tenfold since the 60’s. However, these amount to just 6 percent of all black households, and a third of the percentage of white households in this income bracket. Overall gains by blacks over the last 40 years are, on average, modest or non-existent. Median black incomes are now around 80 percent of those of whites, up from 70 percent 40 years ago. Median black

household net worth remains around 17 percent that of whites. Black life expectancy is about 5 years less than whites, a modest improvement from the 60’s. Although there have been impressive quantitative gains in black educational achievement - the number of blacks with high school diplomas and college degrees has tripled - the qualitative picture is more sobering. Abigail and Stephan Thernstrom report in their new book “No Excuses” that the average black student “at the end of high school has academic skills that are about at the eight-grade level.” In important ways, the quality of African American life is not just lagging behind that of whites, but dramatically deteriorating against where we were 40 years ago. Seventy percent of black families were intact then, with fathers and mothers at home. Today, two out of every three black children grow up in fatherless homes. Seven out of ten black babies are now born to unwed mothers, triple the number in the 60’s. Crime and drug use is rampant in the inner cities. Around 50 percent of inner city young black males are both unemployed and not in school. Fifty percent of new AIDS cases are in the black community. Some claim that these troubling statistics show that blacks need even more government. In a recent article in The American Prospect, Lisbeth Schorr of Harvard says that it will take $125 billion dollars every year for another 25 years ($3,000 per year for every black man, woman, and child) to achieve parity among the races. I would argue exactly the opposite. In 1965, President Johnson said that the 1964 civil rights act was not enough. Introducing affirmative action, the president declared,“This is the next and more profound stage of the battle for civil rights. We seek not just freedom but opportunity....”

In 1965, President Johnson said that the 1964 civil rights act was not enough. Introducing affirmative action, the president declared, “This is the next and more profound stage of the battle for civil rights. We seek not just freedom but opportunity....” Hand wringing liberals and ambitious black politicians joined hands and began educating blacks then that they couldn’t handle being free. They laid the foundation of a new political plantation that displaced the pillars of values, faith, family, and personal responsibility with the catechism of victimization and dependency. The result is what we see today. The success of welfare reform in 1996 hints at what we can expect if we allow blacks the dignity of freedom and choice. Despite predictions by liberals of impending doom if we started to dismantle the welfare bureaucracy, today there are 37 percent fewer mothers with custody living in poverty and 47 percent fewer children reported by the Agriculture Department as being hungry, compared to before welfare reform. The black history lesson of 2004 should be to remember that Martin Luther King’s fight and dream was for freedom, and he made his case through an appeal to values and tradition. King’s achievements reflected his courage and character and he succeeded despite racism, with little physical or political power. Blacks today, particularly black youth, want real freedom and must remember that, as with Dr. King, the answer lies within ourselves. Morally, we must reconstruct the framework of values within our community. Politically, we need school choice, lower taxes, and personal retirement accounts to replace the regressive payroll tax. By embracing freedom, morally and politically, blacks can achieve both Dr. King’s dreams and their own.

Star Parker is president of CURE, the Coalition on Urban Renewal and Education and author of the new book, Uncle Sam’s Plantation. She can be contacted at www.urbancure.org

In Uncle Sam's Plantation, Parker reveals how: • The welfare system enslaves the poor on a subsidized, legal plantation • The left and right continue to look in error to government approaches to poverty • Government undermines the framework of morality and values without which poverty and adversity cannot be overcome • Politicization of welfare, education, our tax system, and our retirement system perpetuates the cycle of poverty

BLACK ECONOMICS 37 YEARS AFTER

MLK By Norman Kelley, AOL BlackVoices Columnist

In the immediate aftermath of the 1965 Watts riots, Martin Luther King, Jr., said to March on Washington organizer Bayard Rustin: “I worked to get these people the right to eat hamburgers [at segregated restaurants], and now I’ve got to do something...to help them to get the money to buy it.” King never lived long enough to deal with that problem, but it has been a sticking issue, the problem of black economic development in a competitive market society. In 2005, it remains a fact that 25 to 33 percent of black Americans are still mired in poverty, yet roughly 60 percent are middle-class (with 10 percent in the elite). It’s questionable, however, if the black middle class, which has historically been the leadership class, can socially and economically reproduce itself without programs such as affirmative action and minority set-asides, which have aided them in procuring the wealth that they have so far.

Melvin Oliver and Thomas Shapiro have pointed out in ‘Black Wealth/White Wealth’ that while middleclass blacks now enjoy higher incomes, they “earn seventy cents for every dollar earned by middle-class whites but they possess only fifteen cents for every dollar of wealth held by middle-class whites.” Despite a growing black middle class over the last 40 years, African Americans tend to lag in business development, a major source of wealth, as opposed to mere income. According to a 2000 Milken Institute minority business report (prepared for the US Commerce Department), blacks, while comprising 12.5 percent of the US population, accounted for only 3.6 percent of businesses. Hispanics (who have become the largest minority since 2000) were 11 percent of the population, but accounted for 4.5 percent of businesses. Asian Americans, 4 percent of the US population — a third of the black population figure — held 3.5 percent of businesses in the United States. Also, according to the report, there were 1.4 million Latino-owned business, 1.1 million Asian and Native American businesses, but only 880,000 black-owned enterprises. Annual revenue per business for Asian/Native American was $225,000; Hispanic, $130,000; and blacks: $70,000. African Americans spend $600 to $700 billion as consumers, but take in $91 billion in sales receipts as producers of products and services. When noticing that immigrant and minority firms were making inroads into “breakthrough industries,” African Americans were noticeably absent in the report: “Someone of Indian or Chinese origin starts one in four of every new business endeavors.” In other words, blacks are behind in the moneymaking technologies that have fueled economic activities in the last decade. Most Africans Americans have achieved virtual equality, meaning they are no longer, by dint of law or custom, held in a permanent caste position and subjected to rank discrimination. Conversely, the black poor are virtually segregated not by law or custom but by circumstances (a combination of personal habits and structural inequities).

Perhaps Booker T. Washington’s observation that “No race that has anything to offer to the markets of the world is long in any degree ostracized” ought to be reexamined. The Washington-(W.E.B.) Du Bois debate was essentially over what sort of social/public policies or avenue of engagement would best benefit blacks. Washington advocated an industrial one, eschewing “social equality” as an “extreme folly.” Once Washington passed from the scene, DuBois and the NAACP’s agitation for integration became the dominant mode of social interaction - at the expense of establishing a set of ideas or policies regarding economic self-sufficiency. DuBois, however, began to rethink his position on economic and segregation in light of the Great Depression. He began to advocate segregation as a means to defend black dignity and to argue for an economic agenda (“Cooperative Commonwealth”). However, the dominant mode of political mobilization was based on integration but no impor tant discussion about black economic development ever occurred — except for under the rubric of the catch phrase “economic justice.” But “economic justice” is a naive concept in an aggressive capitalist society like America. As Harold Cruse once pointed out,” Negro intellectuals produce...no original economic theorists who can cope realistically with either capitalism or socialism from a Negro point of view.” The recent election underscores that the black political agenda of the last 40 years, trying to use politics to influence the machinery of the federal government, has failed. This failure, however, does not mean that blacks ought to totally abandon politics. Instead, blacks should also focus on developing ideas, policies, programs, and business models that will help themselves engage an internal process of economic development, aka wealth creation. Or put another way: Black America needs to produce generations of nerds who’ll invent products and applications more so than future generations of 0"bling-blinging” hip-hop artists and brawling athletes. About the Author Author Norman Kelley is the editor of Rhythm & Business: The Political Economy of Black Music (Akashic Books). His latest book is The Head Negro in Charge Syndrome: The Dead End of Black Politics (Nation Books)

DIVERSITY NEWS BRIEFS CLOTHING RETAILER MUST PAY$ $40 MILLION IN DISCRIMINATION SUIT TURNED DOWN BY ABERCROMBIE BECAUSE OF YOUR RACE OR SEX? Los Angeles, CA — If you applied for a job at Abercrombie & Fitch and were turned down because of your race or sex, or if you worked at Abercrombie and were let go or relegated to the back room, you may be eligible for payment from the settlement of a class action lawsuit against the retail giant. The settlement applies to all women and all African Americans, Asian Americans and Latinos who either applied for a job at an Abercrombie store (or attempted to do so and were discouraged) or were employed there between February 24, 1999 and November 16, 2004. The stores include Abercrombie & Fitch, Abercrombie kids and Hollister stores. Claim forms are available right now and must be postmarked and mailed to the Claims Administrator by March 25, 2005. To get a claims form, visit www.abercrombieclaims.com or call toll-free 1-866854-4175. The Gonzalez v. Abercrombie Claims Administrator is at P.O. Box 10564, Tallahassee, FL, 323022564. “ The settlement provides $40 million in compensation to Latino, African American, Asian American, and female applicants and employees discriminated against by Abercrombie,” explained attorney Tom Saenz of the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF) The settlement comes in the case of Gonzalez v. Abercrombie, a federal civil rights lawsuit filed in 2003 by MALDEF, the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund (LDF), the Asian Pacific American Legal Center (APALC), and private plaintiffs’ law firms on behalf of nine young adults of color, including students and graduates of the University of California and Stanford, who were refused sales jobs or terminated because of their race or ethnicity.

The original plaintiffs were joined by others across the country, including women who were discriminated against based on their gender. The plaintiffs’ claims were validated by the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). In addition to the money for class members, the settlement requires Abercrombie to substantially reform its recruitment, hiring, job assignment, promotion, and training practices. “It is a comprehensive package of reforms that will make minority and female employees feel more welcome,” said plaintiff Jennifer Lu, a recent graduate of UC Irvine who was terminated from a southern California Abercrombie & Fitch store.

‘DIVERSITY BEST PRACTICES’ ORGANIZATION RECOGNIZES XEROX FOR DIVERSITY LEADERSHIP, ADVOCACY Acknowledging Xerox Corporation (NYSE: XRX) and its longstanding leadership as a champion for diversity, Diversity Best Practices and The Business Women’s Network have honored Xerox chairman and chief executive officer Anne M. Mulcahy with the 2004 Diversity CEO Leadership Award. Mulcahy was one of 10 company CEOs to receive the award last night at an event in Washington, D.C. According to DBP/BWN, the Leadership Awards “showcase the nation’s progressive business leaders for embracing diversity in markets, workforces and communities.” Recipients selected are those who lead the way in workplace diversity; have demonstrated a vision for the future; and have supported community, philanthropic and supplier diversity initiatives. Creating an environment of diversity and inclusion for Xerox employees, customers and suppliers has been a core value at Xerox since the 1960s.

DIVERSITY NEWS BRIEFS “Xerox’s effor t to make diversity a business imperative as much as a social one is not only worthy of recognition, but is an extraordinary example for other companies to follow,” said Edie Fraser, president and founder of Diversity Best Practices and the Business Women’s Network. “Xerox takes advantage of every opportunity to create a business culture that is progressive and inclusive.”

LEADING DELIVERY AND LOGISTICS PROVIDER APPOINTS VETERAN HUMAN RESOURCES EXECUTIVE TO HEAD NEW GLOBAL REFLECTION AND OUTREACH OFFICE

Xerox respects and promotes diversity through many company policies and practices: for example, supporting six independent employee “caucus groups,” offering domestic partner benefits and work-life benefits, providing leadership training and development programs, maintaining a strong supplier diversity program, and granting scholarship support to minority students and schools.

DHL, the world’s leading express delivery and logistics company, today announced the establishment of a new Human Resources office with a specific mission to ensure ongoing diversity in the workforce and nondiscrimination in all aspects of DHL’s policies and culture as the company grows in the U.S. market.

Xerox’s diversity record has frequently been recognized by external organizations over the years. Last year, Diversity Best Practices named Xerox among the top 10 U.S. companies in its report, Best of the Best: Corporate Awards for Diversity and Women 2003-2004. Xerox was also No. 10 in the “Top 50 Companies for Diversity” by DiversityInc magazine, No. 17 in Fortune magazine’s list of “50 Best Companies for Minorities,” and among the “top 30 companies for executive women” according to the National Association for Female Executives. Diversity Best Practices and The Business Women’s Network are Washington, D.C.-based organizations providing resources, publications, and benchmarking services for diversity and women in business.

The new office, entitled the DHL “Global Reflection and Outreach Office,” will be tasked with ensuring that the composition of the new DHL workforce is reflective of the American communities in which DHL has a significant and growing presence, and a commitment across the DHL employee base to non-discrimination in all aspects of DHL’s policies and culture. “As a company with more than thirty years of international experience, and a workforce of over 160,000 in more than 220 countries and territories, DHL believes strongly that all companies should strive to reflect the diversity of our cultures and our surrounding communities at all levels of the workforce,” said Scott Nor thcutt, Executive Vice President for Human Resources, DHL Americas. “We are investing this new office with resources and support from DHL’s highest levels to see that policy furthered,” Northcutt added.

DIVERSITY NEWS BRIEFS Patti McEwen, Vice President of Human Resources for DHL Americas, has been tapped to lead the new office. A veteran DHL employee and pioneer in the area of diversity programs, Ms. McEwen will leverage over thirty years of field and corporate human resources experience and recruitment expertise in her new position. Ms. McEwen will also maintain her responsibilities in DHL field and corporate Human Resources. “With the growth of our operations in the United States,” Ms. McEwen said, “I welcome the opportunity to infuse the strong DHL culture of diversity developed through decades of international experience throughout our American workforce.” About DHL With annual revenues over $25 billion in 2003, DHL is the global market leader of the international express and logistics industry, specializing in providing innovative and customized solutions from a single source. DHL offers expertise in express, air and ocean freight, overland transport and logistics solutions, combined with worldwide coverage and an in-depth understanding of local markets. DHL’s international network links more than 220 countries and territories worldwide. Over 160,000 employees are dedicated to providing fast and reliable services that exceed customers’ expectations. Founded in San Francisco in 1969, DHL is 100% owned by Deutsche Post World Net. For more information about DHL, please visit our www.dhl.com.

DELOITTE & TOUCHE USA LLP RECEIVES CORPORATE DIVERSITY LEADERSHIP AWARD DELOITTE ONLY ORGANIZATION TO RECEIVE THE HONOR For the fourth time in recent months, Deloitte & Touche USA LLP, one of the nation’s leading professional services firms, received an award for its diversity and inclusion efforts. Minorities in Business, a bi-monthly magazine for multicultural business professionals, entrepreneurs, and corporative executives, honored Deloitte with its Corporate Diversity Leadership Award at the Ninth Annual Multicultural Prism Awards Gala in Los Angeles, California. “It is a great honor to receive this award,” said Barry Salzberg, Managing Partner, Deloitte & Touche USA LLP and the organization’s diversity champion. “At Deloitte, we strive, every day, to promote behaviors that foster a dynamic and welcoming environment for minorities, women, and people from all backgrounds. An award such as this will only make us strive to be better.” Deloitte received the award based on its strategy and programs that it has implemented to move diversity and inclusion forward within the organization. “At Deloitte, we are committed to attracting and retaining the best talent and to creating an environment in which they can reach their highest

DIVERSITY NEWS BRIEFS potential,” said Redia Anderson, National Principal, Diversity & Inclusion, Deloitte & Touche USA LLP. “Our goal is to continue to create an environment where the best will always choose to be.” The 9th Annual Multicultural Prism Awards Gala was the most prestigious event in Minorities in Business magazine’s 2004 Event Series. The evening is an opportunity to spotlight and honor the successes of the multicultural business community. The ceremony recognizes many outstanding achievements by entrepreneurs and corporations. Some of the proceeds from the awards evening benefit the DangerMan Education Foundation, a non-profit organization that encourages children to enter the business world. About Deloitte Deloitte refers to one or more of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu, a Swiss Verein, its member firms and their respective subsidiaries and affiliates. As a Swiss Verein (association), neither Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu nor any of its member firms has any liability for each other’s acts or omissions. Each of the member firms is a separate and independent legal entity operating under the names “Deloitte,” “Deloitte & Touche,” “Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu,” or other related names. Services are provided by the member firms or their subsidiaries or affiliates and not by the Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Verein. Deloitte & Touche USA LLP is the U.S. member firm of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu. In the U.S., services are provided by the subsidiaries of Deloitte & Touche USA LLP (Deloitte & Touche LLP, Deloitte Consulting LLP, Deloitte Tax LLP, and their subsidiaries), and not by Deloitte & Touche USA LLP.

XEROX GRANTS TECHNICAL MINORITY SCHOLARSHIPS TO 150 STUDENTS Xerox Corporation has awarded its annual Xerox Technical Minority Scholarships to 150 graduate and undergraduate students from across the country, for high academic achievement in the fields of science, engineering and technology. “By investing in the colleges, universities, and students of today, we aim to help build the strong, diverse work force of tomorrow that high-tech global enterprises like Xerox rely on for ongoing business success,” said Joseph Cahalan, vice president, The Xerox Foundation, which funds the scholarship program. The 150 winners are from more than 30 states as well as the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico, and attend one of about 100 colleges and universities, including Rochester Institute of Technology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, University of Rochester, University of Texas and Carnegie Mellon University. Each scholarship winner, chosen from 727 qualified applicants, will receive $1,000 toward college tuition costs for the 2004-2005 school year. The scholarship program began in 1987; since then, more than 1,300 students have benefited from almost $2 million in funding. Scholarships are made available to minority students enrolled in technical degree programs at the bachelor’s degree level or above. Eligible students must have a grade point average of 3.0 or higher and show financial need. Recipients of the scholarship were notified by letter in December. Students are allowed to reapply for the scholarship on an annual basis, and several dozen students are multiple recipients. To access the full list of this year’s scholarship winners, interested parties can visit www.xerox.com/ technicalminoritywinners. For more information on the Xerox Technical Minority Scholarship and how to apply, visit www.xerox.com/careers.

BLACK ENTERPRISE ANNOUNCES LIST OF

75 MOST POWERFUL AFRICAN AMERICANS IN CORPORATE AMERICA 18 CEOS HIGHLIGHT LIST, REPRESENTING A 300% INCREASE FROM 2000 TALLY On January 11th, BLACK ENTERPRISE announced its list of the 75 Most Powerful African Americans in Corporate America, as featured in the February 2005 cover story. The list, which includes 18 CEOs (15 men and three women), was culled from the 1,000 largest domestic and international corporations traded publicly on the U.S. equities markets. The top 75 include representatives from a total of 62 companies representing 12 industries. The full list includes 15 women-the most to appear on similar lists compiled by BE. Young & Rubicam Brands CEO Ann M. Fudge represents one of three female chief executives. “I think African American women have met the challenges of corporate America,” she says, “and absolutely there is no doubt there will be an African American woman running a Fortune 500 company. It’s going to happen.”

THE 18 AFRICAN AMERICAN EXECUTIVES WHO HAVE ATTAINED THE RANK OF CEO ARE: Kenneth I. Chenault Chairman and CEO, American Express Erroll B. Davis Jr. Chairman and CEO, Alliant Energy Reginald E. Davis CEO, Wachovia W.H. “Bill” Easter III Chairman, CEO/President, Duke Energy Field Services Ann M. Fudge Chairman and CEO, Young & Rubicam Brands Arthur “Art” H. Harper CEO and President, GE Equipment Services Carl Horton CEO and President, The Absolut Spirit Company Inc Aylwin Lewis President and CEO, KMart Renetta McCann CEO, Starcom Americas E. Stanley O’Neal Chairman, CEO, and President, Merrill Lynch & Co. Clarence Otis Jr. CEO, Darden Restaurants Dan Packer CEO and President, Entergy New Orleans Richard D. Parsons Chairman and CEO, Time Warner Franklin D. Raines Former Chairman and CEO of Fannie Mae Pamela Thomas-Graham CEO and President, CNBC John W. Thompson Chairman and CEO, Symantec Corp. Lloyd G. Trotter CEO and President, GE Consumer and Industrial R.L. “Bob” Wood Chairman, CEO, and President, Crompton Corp.

In 1988 when BE named the 25 Hottest Corporate Managers, the list was devoid of black chief executives. By 1993, there were 12 presidents and two CEOs among the 40 African Americans included in the top tier: Richard D. Parsons, the then-CEO of Dime Savings Bank of New York, and Clifton R. Wharton Jr., CEO of TIAA-CREF. When BE selected the Top 50 Blacks in Corporate America in 2000, the number of CEOs had grown to six. This year, the number of African American CEOs rose to 18-a 300% increase. Franklin D. Raines, former chairman and CEO of Fannie Mae, re-signed his post shortly after the list was compiled. Has progress been made? “Well yes and no,” says BE Founder and Publisher Earl G. Graves Sr. “While it is true that the corporate elite identified in our 2005 list represent a 300% increase over our 1988 list, it is also true that African Americans still hold less than 1% of the tens of thousands of senior-level, corporate posts at America’s 1,000 largest public corporations.” Ten companies have multiple executives on the list. General Electric-the parent company of NBC-leads the way with four, followed by Xerox with three. Eight companies have two executives on the list: Duke Energy, Fannie Mae, FedEx Express Corp., Ford Motor Co., General Mills, McDonald’s USA, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc., and Wachovia. In a corporate environment that is often inhospitable to black professionals, these top executives say the number of blacks who reside in corner offices will continue to grow. “I think it’s extremely positive that we have a number of African American CEOs, presidents, and chief operating officers of major corporations as effective role models,” says Ronald A. Williams, president of the $17.9 billion Aetna Inc.“And it helps organizations focus on becoming more of a [meritocracy], where people can be judged on the basis of the value they create and not on the basis of their race or ethnicity.” Paula Madison, president and general manager of Los Angeles-based KNBC and regional manager for two Telemundo stations, sums up her philosophy of the advancement of blacks, particularly women, simply: “The important thing is to continue getting us into the pipeline and have us positioned so that as more executive positions become available, we’re poised and ready to take advantage of the opportunities.”

“The corporate leaders on our inaugural list of top black managers set a standard of excellence that many of the executives on our 2005 list were challenged to match-and exceed. We are confident that today’s black corporate elite will do the same for future generations of African American corporate achievers,” says Graves. The selection criteria and comprehensive profiles of the 75 Most Powerful African Americans in Corporate America is available in the February issue of BLACK ENTERPRISE.

THE 75 MOST POWERFUL BLACKS IN CORPORATE AMERICA BLACK ENTERPRISE FEBRUARY 2005 Allen, Quincy L. Xerox Corp. President, Production Systems Group

Colbert, Virgis W. Miller Brewing Company Exec, VP, Worldwide Operations

Alves, Paget L. Sprint Corp. President, Strategic Markets/Sprint Business Solutions

Combs, Samuel III Oklahoma Natural Gas, Co. President & COO

Anderson, Brian P. OfficeMax Inc. CFO & Executive Vice President of Finance

Davis, Erroll B. Jr. Alliant Energy Chairman & CEO

Bell, James A. Boeing Chief Financial Officer

Davis, Martin Wachovia Executive Vice President & CIO

Belton, Y. Marc General Mills Sr. VP Yoplait, GMI Canada & New Business Dev

Davis, Reginald E. Wachovia, Atlantic Region CEO, Atlantic Region

Boland, D. Steve Countrywide Financial Corp. President & Management Director, LandSafe Inc.

Davis, Steve YUM! Brands President & COO, Long John Silver’s and President, Multi-branding Yum! Brands

Brown, Thomas K. “Tony” Ford Motor Co. Senior Vice President, Global Purchasing Burns, Ursula M. Xerox Corp. President, Business Group Operations & Sr. VP Chenault, Kenneth I. American Express Chairman & CEO Clark, Frank M. Exelon Corp. President, Con Ed, Exec, VP & Chief of Staff

DeVard, Jerri Verizon Communications Inc. Sr. VP Brand Management & Marketing Comm. Easter, W.H. “Bill” III Duke Energy Field Services Chairman, CEO & President Ford, Monte AMR Corp. Sr. VP & CIO, America Airlines Fudge, Ann M. Young & Rubicam

Chairman & CEO Fullwood, Emerson U. Xerox Corp. Corp. VP & Chief of Staff & Marketing Hamilton, George Dow Chemical President, Dow Automotive Harper, Arthur “Art” H. GE Equipment Services CEO & President Harper, Hoyt II Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc. Senior Vice President, Four Points by Sheraton Harris, Isaiah “Ike” Jr. BellSouth Advertising & Publishing Group President Hazel, Darryl B. Ford Motor Co. President, Lincoln-Mercury Hill, Frederick W. J.P. Morgan Chase & Co. Executive Vice President Holeman, Theopolis Duke Energy Group VP of Power Delivery, Duke Power Horton, Carl Absolut Spirit Company CEO & President Hoyes, Louis W. Fannie Mae Exec VP, Single Family Mortgage Business Jackson, David E. Wal-Mart Stores Inc. Divisional Vice President James, Donna A. Nationwide Strategic Investments President Lamar, William Jr. McDonald’s USA Chief Marketing Officer

Leroy, Pierre E. Deere & Co. President, Worldwide Construction & Forestry

Packer, Dan Entergy New Orleans CEO & President

Lewis, Aylwin KMart President and CEO

Palmer, Vicki R. Coca-Cola Enterprises Inc. Executive Vice President

Madison, Paula KNBC President & General Manager

Parsons, Richard D. Time Warner Chairman & CEO

Maple, Dennis Aramark Corp. Exec. VP, Aramark Education, Facilities Services

Phillips, Charles E. Jr. Oracle Corp. Co-president & Director

McCann, Renetta Starcom Americas CEO

Pickett, Cecil B. Schering-Plough Research Institute President, Schering-Plough Research Institute and Senior Vice President Schering-Plough

McCullough, Gary E. Abbott Laboratories Senior Vice President, Ross Products Division Mims, John Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc. Senior Vice President, Worldwide Sales Morrison, Harold L. Jr. Chubb & Son Exec. VP, Managing Dir. & US Field Ops. Manager Nelson, Kim Snacks Unlimited/ General Mills President, Snacks Unlimited - Corp. VP. General Mills Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Neal, E. Stanley Merrill Lynch & Co. Chairman, CEO & President Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Neal, Rodney Thermal & Interior Sector Delphi Corp. President Dynamics Propulsion Otis, Clarence Jr. Darden Restaurants CEO

Potter, Myrtle S. Genentech Inc. President, Commercial Operations Raines, Franklin D. Fannie Mae Chairman & CEO Rhone, Sylvia Motown Records President, Motown Records and Executive Vice President, Universal Records Rogers, Desiree G. Peoples Energy Corp. Corp. Sr. VP, Peoples Energy Cop. and President, Peoples Gas and North Shore Ross, Cathy D. FedEx Express Corp. Senior Vice President & Chief Financial Officer Sandler, Debra A. McNeil Nutritionals Worldwide Group President

Scott, Bertram L. TIAA-CREF Executive, Vice President, Product Management

Walker, Kevin American Electric Power Co., Inc. President & COO American Electric Power, Ohio

Sheares, Bradley T. Merck President, U.S. Human Health Division

Welburn, Ed General Motors Vice President of Design, North America

Sneed, Paula Kraft Foods Inc. Senior Vice President, Marketing Resources

Wilkins, Rayford Jr. Enterprise Business Sales Group President & CEO

Taylor, Glenn C. Medco Health Solutions Group President, Government & Key Accounts

Williams, Ronald A. Aetna Inc. President & Director

Thomas-Graham, Pamela CNBC (A GE Company) CEO & President, CNBC/Executive VP, NBC

Williamson, Keith Pitney Bowes Inc. President Capital Services Division

Thompson, Don McDonald’s USA Exec. VP. & Innovation Orchestration Leader, Restaurant Solutions Group

Womack, Chris C. Georgia Power Co. Sr. VP, Fossil & Hydro Power, Georgia Power Co., Southern Co.

Thompson, John R. Best Buy Co. Inc. Senior Vice President & G.M., BestBuy.com

Wood, R.L. “Bob” Crompton Corp. Chairman, CEO & President

Thompson, John W. Symantec Corp. Chairman & CEO

Zollar, Al IBM General Manager, Tivoli Software

Thornton, Matthew FedEx Express Corp. Sr. VP, AGFS division, FedEx Express

BLACK ENTERPRISE, the ultimate guide to financial empowerment, is the premier business and investment resource for African Americans. Since 1970, BE has provided essential business information and advice to professionals, corporate executives, entrepreneurs,and decision makers. The publication provides 3.8 million readers with monthly information on entrepreneurship, careers, and f inancial management. As the def initive source of information for and about African American business markets and leaders, BE is the authority for business news and trends

Todman, Michael A. Whirlpool Corp. Executive VP, President, Whirlpool Europe Trotter, Lloyd G. GE Consumer & Industrial CEO & President

INVESTIGATING DIVERSITY AA COMPANY’S COMPANY’S COMMITMENT COMMITMENT TO TO

he world today is more diverse than ever, and having a unique and varied environment, rich with ideas and perspectives, is one key ingredient in a formula for business success. It is clear that the companies focusing on diversity today have a better future ahead of them tomorrow. So how can you make sure the companies you are considering have a true commitment to diversity? Like everything else, it all starts with doing your homework. One of the first places to go to find out what a company is doing in the area of diversity is its Web site. Many businesses discuss diversity in detail on their sites, and some have even set up entire sections of their Web sites to showcase their diversity and community relations programs. There are a few things to look for when viewing a company’s Web site for strong diversity programs: Diversity Mission Statement or Formal Diversity Program Businesses with a strong commitment to inclusiveness often have structured in-house programs, follow formal supplier diversity guidelines, offer employee affinity groups or internal diversity teams, and more. Read

through the site and look for indicators for whether the company is committed to a diverse environment. Partnerships and Affiliations - You can learn a lot about anyone by the company they keep. This holds true for corporations. Many company sites provide information about local and national community relations initiatives and partnerships. Review these sections and see if the company has any affiliations with minority professional or social organizations. Press Releases - Read through the past year of press releases and see if the business is actively promoting their community relations initiatives. However, be sure you can tell the difference between companies that are involved and committed to diversity, and those that simply “write a check.” Read releases carefully to see if the business and its employees are truly getting involved. Basic Company Facts - You can find out more about the direction in which the company is moving by reading about the company’s leaders. Does the business have

minorities and women at the executive level? Are leaders involved with minority professional organizations? Does the company offer any statistics about the makeup of its workforce? Does the company spend a significant amount with minority business suppliers? Aside from researching the company’s own Web site, it is also important to conduct independent research of diversity initiatives. Here are a few more strategies: Research Recruitment Programs - Does the company recruit at universities with high minority representation? Is the company present at minority job fairs? Check Out National Media Scorecards - Many media outlets publish reports of the nation’s best employers for minority individuals. Examples include Fortune, Working Mother, Latina Style, and We Magazine, among many others. These rankings can provide you with a look inside the company, both at its programs and the percentage of minority in its workforce. Visit Online Diversity Portals and Organizations Web Sites - There are a wide range of Web sites dedicated to diversity that offer news, opinions and even critiques of the nation’s top businesses. You can also visit the Web sites of professional minority organizations for facts, stats and overall career advice. Talk to Local Affiliates of National Minority Organizations Organizations like the National Urban League, the National Association of Asian American Professionals, the National Council of La Raza, and many more often offer career resources both locally and nationally, and typically have relationships with corporations in their communities. Ask Questions - Just like doing any other kind of research, you can find some of the best information simply by talking to people. From individuals employed at the company to those you are interviewing with, ask about the company ’s programs in place and commitment to social responsibility. Copyright 2005 CareerBuilder.com. All rights reserved. The information contained in this article may not be published, broadcast or otherwise distributed without prior written authority.

BECOMING A

SUPER BOWL CITY African-Americans were Key Players on the Jacksonville Team

everal African-Americans played key roles in Jacksonville’s Super Bowl efforts for 2005. As a first time host to one of the world’s largest sporting events, the city turned to talented professionals, who also happen to be AfricanAmerican, to help reach the next level. From the Super Bowl Host Committee to the Convention and Visitors Bureau and within the city’s own organization, these talented professionals made the plays. Part of Jacksonville’s success was be based on their efforts. The following individuals lead the charge. The contributions they made will have a long-lasting, positive effect on the community.

Soulan Johnson Director of Volunteer Services Jacksonville Super Bowl Host Committee (SBHC)

Darryl Mulligan Director of Community Outreach Jacksonville Super Bowl Host Committee (SBHC)

Background: Johnson graduated from Xavier University in New Orleans with a bachelor’s degree in mass communication in 1991. Upon graduation, Johnson spent four years at the Great Expectations Healthy Start program in New Orleans before moving on to a career in broadcasting. She spent four years at WSHO AM 800 in New Orleans, covering local and national football and basketball games for the New Orleans Saints, Tulane University and Xavier University. Johnson has worked as a volunteer coordinator for several special events including the Jazz Festival through her work with the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Foundation. Most recently, Johnson served as volunteer coordinator for the Super Bowl XXXVI Host Committee in New Orleans, coordinating the recruitment and training of more than 7,800 volunteers for 26 Super Bowl events.

As Director of Community Outreach for the SBHC, Mulligan was responsible for implementing a business development program to promote potential opportunities for small, minority-and women-owned certified businesses in the Jacksonville area during the Super Bowl. He was the key contact for local nonprofit organizations who may have been interested in becoming potential recipients of the charitable opportunities that are available via the Super Bowl. Additionally, he interacted with the local school system to develop a Super Learning Program, a program to engage students in learning activities using the Super Bowl, Jacksonville history and the community as the central focus. Mulligan also works closely with the NFL to establish a permanent Youth Education Town (YET) Center designed to benefit Jacksonville’s economically disadvantage youth for years to come. Background: Mulligan graduated from Edward Waters College with bachelor ’s degrees in computer information systems, accounting and business administration. Following graduation, he spent 15 years in the banking industry including work as a financial analyst for the Federal Bureau of Investigation. In 1999, Mulligan joined the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development in Washington, D.C. In this role he served on several commissions for business retention, housing and economic development. Mulligan served as a consultant for a start-up Affordable Housing Corporation, concentrating his efforts on the creation of affordable housing for single parents in Washington, D.C. and Baltimore Maryland.

In July 2003, Johnson joined the SBHC as the Director of Volunteer Services. In her role she worked with the volunteer services subcommittee to recruit, train and coordinate approximately 10,000 volunteers needed for the 2005 game. These volunteers were needed to provide a sunny welcome for Super Bowl guests at airports, hotels, and cruise ships and to lend a helping hand at the NFL Experience and other Super Bowl-related events.

Larry Walter Vice President of Marketing Jacksonville & the Beaches Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) As Vice President of Marketing for the CVB, Walter was responsible for establishing and implementing an integrated marketing plan to increase awareness, and selection of Jacksonville and the Beaches as a leisure, meetings, and convention destination. His main Super Bowl responsiblities were finding ways to leverage Jacksonville’s Super Bowl city status to maximize tourism promotion before and after the event. Addtionally, he oversaw the CVB’s Super Bowl housing and hospitality departments. Background: Walter’s career in the travel and tourism industry spans back and front of house positions within the hotel industry, including a variety of management

and sales positions at hotels in the Jacksonville area. In 1990, he joined the CVB staff as a Convention Sales Manager. In 1991 was promoted to Division Sales Manager, followed by a promotion to Senior Sales Manager. In 1997, when he created the International Congress of Tourism, Walter was elevated to Director. It was during this time period that Walter developed the city’s multicultural convention and tourism market, creating a multi-million dollar economic impact. These activities received recognition from national organizations such as the National Coalition of Black Meeting Planners, InterAmerican Travel Society, Congressional Black Caucus, American Economic Development Council and the National Association of Counties. Walter was promoted to VP Marketing in January 2002 after successfully achieving advertising and marketing goals for Leisure and Multicultural Marketing. Al Battle Managing Director Downtown Development Authority For more than seven years Battle has been involved with economic development in downtown Jacksonville. As Managing Director of the Downtown Development Authority he directs and coordinates the implementation of the Downtown Master Plan and oversees all related downtown development activities. ALLTEL Stadium is located in the hear t of Battle’s development responsibilities. This made him a key player in the city’s Super Bowl efforts. He was heavily involved with two SBHC committees. He is a member of the Super Bowl Special Events Committee and Chairman of the Super Bowl Downtown Super Celebration Committee. Background: A 1992 graduate of the University of North Florida with a degree in political science, Battle has over ten years experience in the economic and real estate development industry. Upon graduating from college, he was a construction superintendent with the Pulte Home Corporation, one of the largest single family homebuilders in the nation. After a four-year tenure with Pulte, he returned to Jacksonville in late 1995 to accept a project management position with the Downtown Development Authority (DDA). Over the last six years he has worked with the DDA and Jacksonville Economic Development Commission (JEDC) steadily advancing in responsibility as project manager, senior project manager, chief of project management and in his current appointment as managing director of the Downtown Development Authority. He is also on the Board of Directors of the

Florida Redevelopment Association and the Educational Community Credit Union. Heather Murphy Press Secretary City of Jacksonville, Mayor’s Office As Mayor John Peyton’s Press Secretary, Murphy’s main Super Bowl responsibilities involve the messaging and marketing strategy : using her background as a reporter helped create a strategy for leveraging the Super Bowl story to generate interest in telling the “Jacksonville story”. She was part of Mayor Peyton’s Super Bowl working group and functioned as a liaison between the mayor’s office and the Super Bowl host committee on communications, messaging, and marketing issues. Murphy was also part of the multi-agency national and local media strategy committees as well as the media hospitality committee. Background: Murphy graduated in 1987 from Bryn Mawr College in Pennsylvania. After this, she went to Kenya in East Africa for 2 years to teach English. When she returned to the United States, she went to graduate school and received a Master’s degree in Journalism from Boston University. From there Murphy went to Washington D.C. where she spent six years as a producer for CBS News covering the White House, the Capitol, the Supreme Court, and the Pentagon. In 1999 she received a job offer to be a reporter for WJXT-TV4 in Jacksonville. Heather spent three years at Channel 4 as the politics and military reporter. She was the only television reporter from Jacksonville to cover the war - she spent the first half of the war with the Navy, embedded on two aircraft carriers and a destroyer in the Eastern Mediterranean sending back stories on hometown sailors and aviators as well as news of the war. In July of 2003 she received a job offer from the newly elected mayor John Peyton and became his Press Secretary.

FORD LAUNCHES FIRST EVER ACADEMIC PROGRAM FOR BLACK ENTREPRENEURSHIP Making the success of Babson College’s Entrepreneur Program Available to Students at Historically Black Colleges and Universities

ord Motor Company has formed a partnership with Babson College and participating Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU’s) to launch the first ever-academic program to focus on black entrepreneurship.

The participating HBCU’s are: Clark Atlanta University (Atlanta, GA), Jackson State University (Jackson, MS), Morehouse College (Atlanta, GA), North Carolina A&T (Greensboro, NC), Southern University (Baton Rouge, LA) and Grambling State University (Grambling, LA)

Ford is making the proven success of Babson College’s entrepreneurship curriculum and faculty available at HBCU’s for the first time, through several teaching tools: business curriculum focusing on entrepreneurship, case studies of successful black entrepreneurs, an exchange program between the HBCU’s and Babson College faculty and symposia that “teaches the teachers” how to impart entrepreneurship knowledge.

Framing the Issues

“Ford recognized a need in the black business community to educate and develop the next generation of black entrepreneurs,” said Darryl Hazel, president, Lincoln Mercury, Ford Motor Company. “The partnership is designed to create the right materials and environment to help black students develop their entrepreneurial thinking and skills - a one-of-a-kind program.” Babson College was ranked first entrepreneurship education in 2003 by U.S. News & World Report. “We of course wanted to partner with the best in business, as Babson College continues to be the recognized leader in entrepreneurship education,” said Hazel.

Ninety nine percent of all businesses in the U.S. are small, but create 75 percent of the net new jobs. Overall, minority small firms are growing at 30 percent versus seven percent of all U.S. firms, according to the most recent report from the Commerce Dept. Census Bureau. While blacks are twice as likely as whites to start a business, black business have been among the least likely to grow or survive - due to the marked lack of education and support programs to focus on black entrepreneurship. “The high level of entrepreneurship among African Americans, combined with the dearth of business cases written on African American entrepreneurs, underscores the tremendous need for a program like the one Ford has helped to make a reality.” Not only do black businesses struggle harder to survive, but blacks face the larger issue of a wealth gap in the U.S.“Blacks spend $700 billion annually in the U.S., but less than seven percent of those dollars return to the black community,” said George Fraser, founder of

one of the largest black networking conferences, Fraser.net. “Blacks control only two percent of the nations wealth.” According to Fraser, there are several cultural reasons for the low number of black entrepreneurs. Blacks have less exposure to entrepreneurial role models, less access to capital; they have smaller capital investment, leading to less financial leverage, and fewer years of education and business experience,” said Fraser. “The new program helps address these critical areas.” Ford’s Commitment

Ford has a strong track record in creating opportunities for black entrepreneurs, and in turn, helping to address the wealth gap of the black community. Ford Leads the auto industry in the number of black auto dealers. Ford has 209 of the industry’s 529 black dealers, or 40 percent. Ford purchases more goods and services from black companies than any other company in the industry, with $1.3 Billion in purchases in 2003. The new program builds on that leadership by focusing on creating opportunities for young black entrepreneurs - the next generation of America’s entrepreneurs. “This program is making the American dream possible for young black entrepreneurs in a way that is critical, but has up until now gone unaddressed,” said

Ray Jenson, a graduate of the historically black university, Howard University, and director of Supplier Diversity Development, Purchasing, Ford Motor Company. “It addresses the need for educational and networking support, and in time will help more black entrepreneurial role models.” Supporting black entrepreneurship makes good business sense. “When we create opportunities for entrepreneurs, they seize those opportunities and bring wealth to the community,” said George Frame, executive director, Dealer Diversity Development, Ford Motor Company. “As that wealth is spread around the community, they support us by buying Ford cars and trucks - so that’s a win situation for all involved.”

DEMAND FOR MBA IS DOWN, FIGURES SHOW By JUSTIN POPE , AP Education Writer Associated Press Newswires

Is business school losing its buzz? After a golden era for the MBA degree, new figures show demand for the traditional, two-year master’s of business administration program is slumping. More than three-quarters of programs responding to a recent Graduate Management Admission Council survey reported their applications declined last year. More remarkably, 41 percent reported their applications were down more than 20 percent. The GMAC, a business schools organization, thinks total applications to business schools were flat or down only slightly. But that figure can be misleading because students can apply to many schools. A better indication of student interest may be the GMAT, the standardized test for business school admission. As of June 30, 7 percent fewer GMAT tests had been taken compared to last year, and the figure is down more than 25 percent compared to the record year of 2002. The good news for business schools is that interest in their often more-profitable executive MBA degrees — shorter programs for older students who continue working — is strong. More than half of those programs reported an increase in applications. Still, two-year MBA programs remain the primary focus of many business schools. Wharton and Harvard may never have to worry about filling classrooms, but other schools that saw MBA programs as a cash cow and rushed to grow them might.

During the 1990s, business schools were hot as many sought training to ride the Internet wave. They also flourished during the bust, as many people viewed business school as an agreeable way to sit out the economic downturn then return to the job market with a better credential. Now, the GMAC ascribes much of the decline in interest to the improving economy. Daphne Atkinson, GMAC’s vice president of industry relations, said interest is returning to historical norms, and people are more likely to be choosing an MBA because it will help, not because they can’t find a job. “There was some flow into the pipeline driven by some serious externalities: people looking for options in the wake of a meltdown in the economy,” she said. But the numbers also reflect other challenges. GMAT numbers are down more among foreign students than U.S. test-takers, with interest from China and India fading in particular. That may reflect worries about visa restrictions that have affected almost all of American higher education, not just MBA programs. But more troublingly, it may show international students are finding preferable alternatives overseas, threatening America’s position as the leader in management education.

GMAC ascribes much of the decline in interest to the improving economy. Daphne Atkinson, GMAC’s vice president of industry relations, said interest is returning to historical norms, and people are more likely to be choosing an MBA because it will help, not because they can’t find a job. “There’s no question that over the last decade places like INSEAD (with campuses in France and Singapore), London Business School, ESADE in Spain have become much more part of the places you would consider going to get an MBA,” said Jeffrey Pfeffer, a professor at Stanford’s Graduate School of Business. Atkinson said the real change is that Chinese and Indian students are finding better job options, and now even quality MBA programs, in their home countries. But Pfeffer also says the numbers likely reflect growing skepticism about the value of an MBA — an argument he has made in a number of academic papers. It’s also the topic of a new book by McGill University professor Henr y Mintzberg which has received widespread attention in the field.

“I think people are becoming more skeptical about this,” said Pfeffer. “It’s been in the wind for a long time, the fact that unless you get an MBA from a really topnotch school, the value is not clear.” He also noted MBAs are becoming more expensive. Finishing a two-year degree can cost students $100,000 or more. Atkinson maintains the degree is still valuable. The latest survey reports no decline in applicant quality, and in the group’s most recent MBA graduate survey, 60 percent described the value of their degree as “outstanding” or “excellent” and another 28 percent called it “good.”

EXECUTIVE NEWS

DARRYL R. MATTHEWS, SR. Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer National Association of Black Accountants General President Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc Darryl R. Matthews, Sr. is the Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer of the National Association of Black Accountants, Inc. In this capacity, Matthews is responsible for the day-to-day operations of NABA, including supervision of the group’s headquarters. Before joining NABA, he was a Consultant for the White House Presidential Advance Office, where he produced events on behalf of the President of the United States. On January 1, 2005, Matthews took office as the General President of the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., the first intercollegiate Greek-letter fraternity founded for African Americans. Matthews, who previously served as the fraternity’s Executive Director, will serve a four-year term. Additionally, during his tenure, the fraternity will move into its second century, with a broad centennial obser vance planned for the 100th anniversary in 2006. Matthews has held other positions with the fraternity including Deputy Executive Director, Assistant Executive Secretary and Director of Membership Services. He was initiated into Alpha Phi Alpha as an undergraduate at the University of Missouri - Kansas City; while a student, he was elected to the Fraternity’s National Board of Directors as the Mid-Western Region Assistant Vice President. As NABA Executive Director and COO, Matthews has been responsible for raising the funds necessary to support the organization’s various operations, community development and mentoring projects. Matthews has also been

Ambassador Andrew Young, Inaugural Committee Chairman & General President Darryl R. Matthews, Sr. continued on next page >>>

Past General Presidents' James R. Williams, Adrian Wallace, Ozell Sutton, Milton C. Davis, Harry E. Johnson, look on as Past President Charles C. Teamer administers the oath of office to President Matthews

successful in forging relationships with senior executives in Corporate America as well political officials at all levels.

Matthews is a graduate of Central Missouri State University where he received his degree in political science and sociology.

As a recognized leader in association management he brings a wealth of experience in leading membership-based organizations. It is this expertise that he will bring to bear on behalf of the fraternity. One project that Matthews will focus on is the memorial to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

The National Association of Black Accountants, Inc. is the premier professional association for developing and promoting greater par ticipation by African Americans and other minorities in the accounting and finance professions.

Matthews stated,â&#x20AC;&#x153;We must make sure the memorial becomes a reality because we should build a lasting tribute on the Mall in Washington to this noble American.â&#x20AC;? Matthews is also committed to community involvement, especially those organizations that focus on mentoring and youth development. He has been an ardent supporter of Big Brothers/Big Sisters, the YMCA and the Boy Scouts of America.

NABA represents the interests of more than 100,000 African Americans and other minorities participating in the fields of accounting, auditing, business, consulting, finance, and information technology. NABA membership ranks include practicing professionals and undergraduate and graduate students preparing for careers in these areas. Our mission is to address the professional needs of our members and to build leaders that shape the future of the accounting and finance arenas.

NEW YORK LIFE ANNOUNCES FIRST ANNUAL CIRILO A. MCSWEEN NEW YORK LIFE RAINBOW/PUSH EXCEL SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS New York Life Insurance Company announced the recipients of the first-ever Cirilo A. McSween New York Life Rainbow/PUSH Excel Award given to seven highperforming college students across the country. This award program recognizes full-time college students who have achieved academic excellence and play an active role in their communities. New York Life launched this program last year to honor its first African-American agent, Mr. McSween, in conjunction with the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition, an organization founded by Rev. Jesse L. Jackson, Sr., which emphasizes economic responsibility and empowering underserved communities. “We are proud to partner with Rainbow/PUSH on this scholarship program that honors Mr. McSween as a pioneer in the life insurance industry, while supporting talented students who are giving back to their communities,” said Sy Sternberg, chairman and chief executive officer of New York Life. “A strong work ethic, academic achievement, integrity, loyalty and a commitment to the community are the cornerstones to professional successes and personal fulfillment. These are qualities I live by on a daily basis and strive to impart to others aspiring to succeed. I am honored that a scholarship in my name recognizes students who are exhibiting these qualities and who have a desire to reach higher and make an impact on their communities,” said Mr. McSween, who joined New York Life in 1957. “I applaud New York Life for its commitment to education and congratulate the gifted recipients of the awards.” New York Life and Rainbow/PUSH created this scholarship program to honor Mr. McSween, a 26-year qualifying member of the insurance industry’s prestigious Million Dollar Round Table, the premier association of insurance professionals recognized for superior sales and service. Mr. McSween is a member of the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition’s board of directors, president of Cirilo’s Inc., and a renowned civil rights activist who once worked closely with Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

The first seven recipients of the Cirilo A. McSween New York Life Rainbow/PUSH Excel Award are: Rebekah Childers - a freshman at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign who is from Urbana and is majoring in political science; Matthew Dugan - a North Carolina A&T State University sophomore from Greensboro, North Carolina who is studying agricultural business; Dexter Flowers - a freshman graphic design major at his hometown Chicago’s International Academy of Design & Technology; James Hamelin - a Duluth, Minnesota native who is currently a freshman at Fond Du Lac in Minnesota; Keenan Nelson Klein-Winters - a sophomore political science major at Morehouse College from South Holland, Illinois; Antonia Opiah - a sophomore studying business at New York University who is from New York, New York; and Michael Pearson - who hails from Allston Station, Massachusetts and is a University of MassachusettsAmherst freshman, studying sports management. New York Life formed a partnership in 2002 with Rainbow/PUSH Coalition’s One Thousand Churches Connected to provide financial education seminars at community churches across the United States. Through this effort, thousands of families in seven cities receive information on such critical topics as life insurance, annuities, long-term care insurance and college savings plans to enable them to take control of their financial well being. New York Life is also playing a role in its annual Wall Street Project conference, which begins today in New York City. The Wall Street Project promotes inclusion, opportunity and economic growth by encouraging public and private industries to improve diversity practices in its hiring and promotional practices as well as through its supplier relationships. New York Life Insurance Company, a Fortune 100 company founded in 1845, is the largest mutual life insurance company in the United States and one of the largest life insurers in the world. Headquartered in New York City, New York Life’s family of companies offers life insurance, annuities and longterm care insurance. New York Life Investment Management LLC provides institutional asset management, retirement planning and trust services. Other New York Life affiliates provide an array of securities products and services, as well as institutional and retail mutual funds. Visit New York Life’s Web site at www.newyorklife.com for more information.

TEXAS A&M ENGINEERING CONTINUES TO IMPROVE DIVERSITY

or students who are the first in their families to go to college, enrolling in an engineering program may seem a daunting process and being an engineer an unreachable goal. And to these students, attending Texas A&M’s Dwight Look College of Engineering, one of the top engineering schools in the nation, may seem like an impossible dream. So, how do you convince young men and women that a quality engineering education is both attainable and rewarding? Texas A&M knows that the key is not just getting these students here, but in keeping them here, too. “Diversity of viewpoints, backgrounds, experiences, gender and ethnic differences enrich the learning environment,” said Dr. G. Kemble Bennett, vice chancellor and dean of engineering. “We are

striving to create and maintain a climate that affirms diversity of people as well as diversity of views. Diversity is an indispensable component of academic excellence.” Most every university in the country is looking for ways to increase diversity so that its student body is more representative of the nation’s population. At Texas A&M, the Look College already is recognized nationally for degrees granted to minority and women students, but the college is continually learning more about how to help a diverse student population succeed in what has been typically an unwelcoming career field for those not already tuned in to its benefits. For the Look College, the process starts at the junior high and high school level, where the Engineering

“Diversity of viewpoints, backgrounds, experiences, gender and ethnic differences enrich the learning environment,” said Dr. G. Kemble Bennett, vice chancellor and dean of engineering. “We are striving to create and maintain a climate that affirms diversity of people as well as diversity of views. Diversity is an indispensable component of academic excellence.” Academic Programs Office introduces minority, women and honor students to engineering using targeted programs designed to tear down the perceived barriers to an engineering education and then help students from all backgrounds to excel. The High School Outreach Program (HOP) enlists Aggie engineering student volunteers, who talk about engineering to high school students. The volunteers discuss topics from stereotypes of engineers to engineering disciplines, as well as course requirements for earning an engineering degree at Texas A&M.

common sets of courses, taking the same sections of calculus, physics, chemistry and engineering. Texas A&M Engineering first star ted the learning communities in 1993. Dr. César Malavé, assistant dean for recruitment and international programs, said, “The literature shows that all students learn better and are retained at higher rates if they are part of an academic community. Our learning communities include peer instructors, industry projects and curriculum integration.” CONNECTS is another program targeted at increasing retention rates and improving overall grade point averages. The program helps students transition to college and provides financial support for lowincome, high-ability students through scholarships. Lik e the Learning Communities, students take common courses — but in addition, CONNECTS students live in the same residence hall. In the first year of CONNECTS, first-semester retention rates were 87.2 percent and the average GPA was 2.8. Collegewide, these figures were 75 percent and GPA, 2.54.

The High School Conference for Uniting Engineering Students (HS CUES), which began in 2001, is a one-day event each fall for high school juniors and seniors and their parents. Participants visit Texas A&M and meet with engineering faculty, participate in hands-on activities and find out the nuts and bolts of admission and financial aid.

The A&M outreach programs have been proven with time. The 2003 edition of the American Society of Engineering Education’s Profiles of Engineering and Engineering Technology Colleges already ranks Texas A&M 5th in both engineering bachelor’s degrees awarded to women and in engineering bachelor’s degrees awarded to Hispanics.

VIP (Very Important Prospects) invites admitted minority students to campus for one day to talk to engineering faculty, staff and students; admissions and financial aid representatives; and different engineering departments to get a feel for Texas A&M Engineering. Dr. Jo Howze, associate dean for academic programs and a Ford Professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering, said, “These students are high ability who might not otherwise be able to attend a university. We want to help them come to Texas A&M Engineering, but more importantly, we want to keep them here.”

Hispanic Outlook in Higher Education in its May 2004 issue ranked Texas A&M 5th in engineering bachelor’s degrees awarded to Hispanic women.

To that end, first-year engineering students may join a Learning Community where they’re clustered in

This fall, Texas A&M Engineering saw an enrollment increase of 29 percent among African-Americans and 20 percent among Hispanics. Additionally, the ASEE profiles report lists Texas A&M Engineering 3rd in the country for the number of Hispanic tenured or tenure-track teaching faculty members. With past success as a guide, Texas A&M Engineering is focusing on the future of an academic environment rich with diverse opinions — and faces.

COMING HOME TO BUILD MORE THAN HOMES Richard Townsell. Executive Director, Lawndale Christian Development Corp., (LCDC), Chicago, Illinois. Winner of the Leadership for a Changing World award.

Richard Townsell came home to live out his faith; he stayed to rebuild his neighborhoodâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s homes and offer hope to the young. THE CHALLENGE

SEEDS OF COMMITMENT

The Chicago community of North Lawndale, with a median income of $18,342, has a 45 percent poverty rate and an unemployment rate of 27 percent. Between 1970 and 2000, this predominantly African-American neighborhood experienced a dramatic decrease in affordable housing units. Much of the remaining housing is in poor condition, leaving area families burdened with a high rate of violent crime, drug and gang activity, under-performing schools, and a frightening incidence of lead poisoning in children.

Richard Townsell was born into poverty in a basement apartment on the West Side of Chicago. His mother was a single parent who had moved to the city in 1956, leaving behind a sharecropperâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s existence in Tennessee. In 1968, the assassination of the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. spawned violence that left much of the neighborhood burned to the ground; Townsell, his two brothers, and his mother moved to public housing. Then, when Townsell was in seventh grade, his mother suffered a stroke, consigning her to a wheelchair existence. Townsell was a high school student when he

first walked through the doors of a local church, where he requested permission to use the weight machine in the foyer. The pastor told him that if he wanted to lift weights, he had to attend services. Townsell says he “grudgingly agreed.” The religious grounding that followed took him in a positive direction. Townsell won a scholarship to Northwestern University but was unsure about his future. His pastor, however, had a plan; he began to push Townsell and his peers to come back to the neighborhood after graduation to help rebuild the community. And during a summer internship at the church, Townsell “caught the vision,” as he puts it. He read books about community development, visited local agencies, saved his money, and taught summer school. And he did return home: following a five-year stint as a suburban high school teacher, he assumed the directorship of the Lawndale Christian Development Corporation (LCDC). He was just 26, with no organizational or real estate development experience. But he had what he calls a clear religious calling. “Justice,” he says, “is God’s intention.”

ACCOMPLISHMENTS In 1997, LCDC organized North Lawndale citizens to successfully lobby the city of Chicago for $9 million in improvements to their streets, sidewalks, gutters, sewers, and schools. Under Townsell’s leadership, LCDC has subsequently restored 19 single-family homes and 22 condominium apartment buildings for low- and moderate-income households, and 115 affordable rental apartments for low- and very low-income residents. The organization also has developed a $3.4 million multi-service center, which in turn has created 50 new jobs and now provides subsidized care to 217 children. LCDC has provided educational enrichment to over 600 youths through three programs. The first is the Lawndale College Opportunity Program, which boasts an 85 percent matriculation rate of its graduates to fouryear colleges. The second is the Tech Center, which has provided 450 youths with computer training and Internet access since opening in 2000. Third is Young Legacies, an after-school academic enrichment and computer-training program for kindergarten to seventh-graders, which began in 2002. LCDC also has forged successful collaborations with other organizations. It is a founding member, for

“Leadership development is about creating space and tension so that people, particularly young leaders, can champion their own ideas and dreams. Building relationships of mutual respect, trust, and accountability is at the heart of my approach...” example, of United Power, which includes 300 Chicagoarea churches, mosques, synagogues, labor unions, hospitals, business, and civic groups. The coalition procured 125 city-owned lots and subsidies for an affordable home-ownership program; construction of the first ten homes began this year. LCDC and the Resurrection Project, a Latino community development corporation, have further partnered to build two bilingual child-care centers, in Nor th Lawndale and a neighboring Latino neighborhood. Staff and students come from both communities, helping Townsell to realize another goal: helping African-American and Latino children grow up without preconceived notions about each other.

HIS LEADERSHIP STYLE “The key to rebuilding the black community is capturing the men,” says Townsell.“Right now, the gang and drug subculture has a hold on them.” He says he believes that area churches could be the vehicles for rebuilding the lives of the young, turning them “from preying on the community to praying for the community.” He elaborates, explaining how he sees the churches as institutions uniquely situated to liberate the African-American community from its social, economic, and political malaise. “From its founding, [religion] has been a place of refuge for oppressed people,” he says. He lauds the close ties of his organization’s staff to the North Lawndale most call home. “We treat every community meeting, parent meeting, tenant meeting, awards ceremony, any public event as an opportunity to develop leaders.” He has also reached out to the

Latino communities that border North Lawndale. “It is rare for Latinos and African-Americans to cross Cermak Avenue into each other’s neighborhoods,” he says. “But we have built bridges of trust and mutual respect.” To forge more links, Townsell serves on civic organization boards other than LCDC and United Power and is an adjunct faculty member in the urban studies programs at Wheaton College and North Park University. “Leadership development is about creating space and tension so that people, particularly young leaders, can champion their own ideas and dreams. Building relationships of mutual respect, trust, and accountability is at the heart of my approach,” he says.

THE FUTURE Thanks to LCDC’s success in real estate and community development, the local housing market has begun to improve. But to counteract the down side of gentrification-residents priced out of the neighborhood-Townsell wants LCDC to buy all available land parcels, to ensure their affordability. In coming years, he says he hopes to inspire young people to stay put and choose community development as a career. He wants to help rebuild public schools and bring back sustainable businesses, many of which he hopes will be community-owned. Townsell also plans to create skilltraining centers so that residents living a marginal existence can find meaningful, living-wage work.

More about Richard Townsell and LCDC “Richard Townsell [is] a radical social activist with sound business sense. ...His vision is realistic to the most conservative of marketers and business investors. He has credibility because he shows results....He doesn’t lose people’s money.” -Stephen Roberson, Organizer, United Power for Action and Justice “The very purpose of our church - one started 25 years ago by 11 teenagers and four adults - was to be a church for people at the margins, for everyday people ... It was in this church that I learned about God’s heart for the poor, the fatherless, the widow and the alien. It was in this church that I learned that justice is God’s intention. ...This was the ‘good news’ for me.” -Richard Townsell For more information about this program visit its website at leadershipforchange.org

COMING EVENTS

EDUCATING ALL OF ONE NATION REALIZING AMERICA’S PROMISE: EMBRACING DIVERSITY, DISCOVERY, AND CHANGE OCTOBER 6-8, 2005 PHOENIX CIVIC PLAZA - PHOENIX, ARIZONA

BUSINESS REDEFINED:

The Leading National Conference on Diversity and Improving Minority Participation in Postsecondary Education

AN EXTRAORDINARY EXPERIENCE FOR EXCEPTIONAL BUSINESSPEOPLE PALM SPRINGS, CALIFORNIA

KEYNOTE SPEAKERS • M. Lee Pelton, President, Willamette University and Vice Chair, American Council on Education’s Board of Directors • Sara Martinez Tucker, President and CEO, Hispanic Scholarship Fund • Carolyn Warner, Founder and President, Corporate/ Education, Consulting, Inc. and Former Arizona State Superintendent of Public Instruction WHO SHOULD ATTEND? Institutional chief executive officers, governing board members, facultyand academic administrators, deans, student affairs officers, multicultural affairs officers, affirmative action and EEO administrators, directors and deans of admissions, support services directors, academic researchers, education association representatives, businesses with a commitment to diversity and education, foundations, publishers and book distributors, executive search firms, and diversity consultants. GENERAL SESSIONS AND WORKSHOPS The theme “Realizing America’s Promise: Embracing Democracy, Diversity, and Change,” conveys the timeliness of the conference, given America’s changing demographics. The theme is supported by sessions that fall under six broad headings: Academic Access and Success, Leadership Development, Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Human Capital Resources, K-16 Relationships, Business/Corporate Connections, and Education Policies For more information visit http://www.acenet.ed

JUNE 23, 2005 - JUNE 26, 2005 TPC FOUNDATION CHARITY GOLF TOURNAMENT JUNE 22, 2005 Last year, multi-millionaire attorney Willie Gary urged listeners to “strive for success;” small business guru Michael Gerber encouraged entrepreneurs to “spend time in the dream room;” and Mary Kay powerhouse Gloria Mayfield Bank said “confidence” and “determination” are among her “ABC’s of Powerful Solutions” to becoming successful. This year should be as informative and motivating as last year so mark your calendar. For more information visit: http://www.turnngpointmagazines.com

HAVE AN EVENT THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO INFORM OUR READERS ABOUT? Send us the information and we will review it for possible inclusion in our next edition. Not all submissions will be included, inclusion is at the discretion of the publisher. Send your in formation electronically to: editor@blackperspective.com.

XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA IS THE FIRST HISTORICALLY BLACK UNIVERSITY TO PARTNER WITH FELLOWS/USA PROGRAM Xavier University of Louisiana, in New Orleans, has signed a memorandum of agreement with the Peace Corps’ Fellow/USA program. Once Xavier enrolls its first Fellows, the university will become the first successful Fellows/USA program at a historically black institution of higher learning. Xavier, which is the only historically black Catholic university in the country, joins the ranks of the more than 30 Fellows/USA partner universities across the country. Universities that participate in the Fellows/USA program ask returned Peace Corps volunteers to complete internships in underserved U.S. communities, in addition to graduate course work. In return, Peace Corps Fellows receive reduced-cost graduate education. “The Fellows’ agreement with Xavier is a milestone in our efforts to make Peace Corps more representative of America’s population,” said Peace Corps Director Gaddi H. Vasquez. “Americans are as individual as their backgrounds, and it is important that Peace Corps volunteers reflect America’s diversity.” Currently, the Peace Corps is trying to raise awareness of overseas volunteer opportunities for all qualified Americans, especially in historically black and Hispanic colleges. At present, approximately 15 percent of volunteers are minorities and approximately 3 percent are African Americans. At Xavier, Fellows who are interested in teaching math, science, or special education can apply for either of two programs. The summer program offers full tuition assistance, a signing bonus, and a training stipend as part of the university’s Fast Track to Teaching program. These Fellows may earn teacher certification and will have the option to pursue a master of arts in teaching degree. Another option is for Fellows who are interested in teaching in these areas to enter the university’s

alternate certification master of arts in teaching program in the fall. These Fellows receive full tuition assistance for the 36 hours required to complete the courses. Fellows will teach in schools in the New Orleans area. Fellows’ funding will come from a Transition to Teaching grant from the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Innovation and Improvement. The Xavier Fellows/USA program will be coordinated by Rosalind Pijeaux Hale, Ed.D. According to Hale, out of 54,782 teachers in Louisiana, 7,162 teachers or 13.1 percent do not possess certification in the areas in which they teach. In addition, the most recent census states that New Orleans Schools serve 31,904 children who live in poverty. “As a partner with the Peace Corps Fellows/USA Program, Xavier University of Louisiana will offer returning volunteers the opportunity to earn advanced degrees in the unique environment of New Orleans,” said Kenneth G. Boutte, Ph.D., interim dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. “In return, Xavier will be enriched as these individuals add to the culture and diversity of the campus community and the greater New Orleans area. We are excited about the possibilities of this partnership.” For more information about the Fellows/USA program at Xavier University, contact Hale at rhale@xula.edu. For more information about Peace Corps Fellows/USA, please visit the Peace Corps website at www.peacecorps.gov/fellows. Since 1961, more than 171,000 volunteers have served in the Peace Corps, working in such diverse fields as education, health, HIV/AIDS education and prevention, information technology, business development, the environment, and agriculture. Peace Corps volunteers must be U.S. citizens and at least 18 years of age. Peace Corps service is a two-year commitment.

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ADMINISTAFF ALLSTEEL AMERICA WEST AMERICA WEST AIRLINES AMTRAK ARCH WIRELESS AUBURN UNIVERSITY B/E AEROSPACE BAE SYSTEMS BENJAMIN MOORE COVANCE DARDEN RESTAURANTS DATASTREAM DEL LABORATORIES DLZ EMMIS COMMUNICATIONS ESSELTE FINANCIAL TECHNOLOGIES FISERV FOOTHILL IND. BANK FORMICA FRONTIER AIRLINES GAMBRINUS COMPANY GPD GROUP HARTFORD STEAM BOILER HON IOWA FOUNDATION KEMPER INSURANCE KLEMTNER ADVERTISING LEAP FROG LEVEL 3 LIFELINE LINDQUIST & VENNUM MACSTEEL MAGNA SECURITIES MARRIOTT MUTUAL OF OMAHA NU HORIZONS ELECTRONICS NUCLETRON OVERNITE TRANSPORTAION PIRELLI NORTH AMERICA PRATT & WHITNEY QUALIS HEALTH RAPID CITY REGIONAL RAYTECH REHRIG PACIFIC RICOH SAN DIEGO NATIONAL BANK SANTA CLARA WATER SHELL OIL SIERRA NEVADA JOB CORPS SKYWEST AIRLINES SODEXHO THOMSON RIA TITAN AMERICA TITLEIST/ACUSHNET TRANSOCEAN TRIWEST HEALTHCARE US DEPT. OF JUSTICE ZEBRA TECHNOLOGIES

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