There are more than 18 African American CEOs currently leading
corporate America (Fortune 500 companies). It is a significant
acheivement, that would be foolhardy to overlook. However, it
concerns me that this achievement may allow people to be deceived in
the belief that because of these acheivements, that Black men have
"overcome" and are part of the "network".
Those Black men are part of the network. If you read their bios you
will see reoccurring themes and come to understand how exceptional
they are and that they faced many overwhelming obstacles to get their.
Very few, if any had the key to the executive suite handed to them.
The profiles I rad indicated that they learned how to use the system
to get what they want, take a lot of crap and literally wrench the key
away to get access to the executive suite.
While it does not surprise me that a lot of whites look at these guys
and say Black men are part of the network, it horrifies me that
African Americans who interact in the Black community could believe
this myth. This is not just my opinion. There is tons of redundant
data that supports what I'm saying. But hell, if Black men are part
of the "network" then somebody please tell me why the black community
seems to be disintegrating.
I know I'm fired up, but I have spent the past decade, studying this,
reporting on this, creating a section of my website on this, host
events on this, talked to people who managed the studies/surveys,
speaking on this at workshops and conferences, been interviewed on
this, and have interviewed a few of the people discussed on this, so
it is a subject close to me heart and my livelihood.
Some resources you may want to check out:
Cracking the Corporate Code: The Revealing Success Stories of 32
African-American Executives by Price M. Cobbs
Breaking Through: The Making of Minority Executives in Corporate
America by David A. Thomas
Black Enterprise Titans of The B.E. 100s: Black CEOs Who Redefined and
Conquered American Business (Black Enterprise Books)
Leading in Black and White: Working Across the Racial Divide in
Corporate America (J-B CCL (Center for Creative Leadership)) by
Ancella B. Liver
Take a Lesson: Today's Black Achievers on How They Made It and What
They Learned Along the Way by Caroline V. Clarke
--- In scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com, [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
>
>
> In a message dated 1/4/2008 1:35:59 PM Eastern Standard Time,
> [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:
>
> Stan O'Neal ousted at Merril Lynch and Richard D. Parsons about
> to retire at Time Warner, Kenneth Chenault remains at American
> Express, Ronald Williams at Aetna, Clarence Otis Jr. at Darden
> Restaurants, Aylwin Lewis at sears and John W. Thompson at Symantac.
> I don't believe there is a similar list of African-American women.
> The top eschelon of corporate America remains an old boy club.
>
> ~rave!
>
>
>
>
> I could not remember their names. I just did not want to say the
Merril Lynch
> guy.
>
>
>
> **************Start the year off right. Easy ways to stay in shape.
> http://body.aol.com/fitness/winter-exercise?NCID=aolcmp00300000002489
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
