For the first time since 1973 comes "Boardroom Power"—a roster of African-American corporate clout. “A small but clear business elite” as an editor at Black Enterprise put it.
BE has been working since early Summer to identify the true African-American movers and shakers in corporate America. This year’s list paints a very different picture than their first list did thirty five years ago. “It wasn't so hard to compile the first roster in 1973 because there simply weren't too many black corporate leaders to be found in America. We found 73 names that year,” said founder, president, and CEO Earl Graves Jr. in an address to guests.
In 2008, 35 years on from 1973, BE has identified 250 African-American directors serving on corporate boards across the spectrum of American industry. And more than twenty of the honored showed up last night. Richard Parsons, chairman of Time Warner was playing host to the party in a way, as we were standing in his digs after all (Time Warner HQ at Columbus circle was the locale). Another VIP was Vernon Jordan, that scion of pax-Clinton who now serves on the board at American Express and Xerox Corporation. Over catfish and white wine, we talked business, Barak Obama and television.
John W. Rogers, Chariman and CEO of Ariel Capital Management, proudly sported a Barak Obama tie. “I know we're all proud of what Barak is doing for us,” he said to wide, if not complete, acclaim. Mr. Rogers sits on the Barak Obama 2008 finance committee.
Graves Sr. also spoke to the guests. He urged African-Americans who have attained high degrees of corporate success to look beyond self-interest and show consideration for the sacrifice and effort that was expended in the past that helped them to succeed, to help secure, build, and establish an even better future for African-American businesspeople. “Please, don't pull the ladder to the top floor up with you: Help the future generation attain that success....because, let's be clear, you didn't get here because they ran out of smart white people,” Graves said. |
