Recognizing African American Leadership in the Workplace

The celebration of Black History Month began in February 1976, as a tribute to two icons –Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln – whose birthdays occur in February. The month was originally established as Negro History Week in 1926 by African American historian and scholar, Carter G. Woodson. Dr. Woodson was known as the “Father of Black History,” and was second to W.E.B Dubois in receiving a doctorate from Harvard. Dr. Woodson dedicated his career to African American history and authored the influential text “The Miseducation of the Negro.” ^[1]

In many work places, schools, universities, and other contexts, Black History is celebrated. For our monthly column, we call attention to historic figures who contributed to the legacy of African American leadership in the U.S.; many of these individuals are unknown. We also call attention to icons who have led by example.

Historic leadership

There is an extraordinary legacy of African American leadership in the United States that inspired the Civil Rights Movement. Among these were many women who often go unrecognized. For example: ^[2]

• Amy Ashwood, and later Amy Jacques Garvey, were instrumental in the success of the United Negro Improvement Association, founded in 1914, prior to World War I. The goal of the association was to bolster racial pride, economic self-sufficiency, and the formation of an independent Black nation in Africa.
• Ella Baker worked behind the scenes advising, mentoring, and supporting Civil Rights leaders like W.E. B. Dubois, Thurgood Marshall, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and Rosa Parks.
• In 1955, Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat and move to the back of the bus in Montgomery, Alabama.
• Jo Ann Robinson distributed over 50,000 flyers calling on African Americans to boycott the city buses after the arrest of Rosa Parks.
• Daisy Bates played a key role in desegregating public schools and is considered the “guiding force” for the Little Rock Nine.
• Dorothy Height was a key organizer of the 1963 March on Washington and helped to establish the National Women’s Caucus in 1971.
• Shirley Chisholm, of Texas, became the first African American woman to be elected to the House of Representatives in 1968.
• In 1992, Mae Jemison became the first African American woman to travel into space. A scientist, she served as co-investigator on a bone cell experiment during the eight-day mission.

The historic male leadership is recognized because many of the men were visible leaders in the Civil Rights Movement or held other national positions. A few individuals will be noted herein:

• Thurgood Marshall was the first African American to be appointed to the Supreme Court; he served from 1967-1991.^[3] He was the attorney in Brown vs the Board of Education that led to the desegregation of public schools in Kansas, and eventually other public schools across the nation.
• The Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. is the icon for the Civil Rights Movement for his social justice advocacy for all marginalized groups, his use of non-violent protests, and his inspirational speeches. In 1963, he delivered his “I have a dream” speech at the Washington Mall. Dr. King’s life was ended at age 39 when he was assassinated in Memphis, TN.
• Representative John Lewis, an activist in the Civil Rights Movement, currently serves in the House of Representatives and continues to be outspoken on numerous social justice issues.
• President Barack Obama became the 44th President of the United States in 2008 and the first African American to be elected.

African American Leadership in Corporate America and American Universities

The passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 opened opportunities for African Americans to have “equal” access to education, employment, and housing. Up until 1964, overt discrimination was practiced in these areas. As a result, the presence of African American leadership is still minimal in corporate America, university ranks, the entertainment industry, and other industries that are hallmarks of the U.S. economy. Though the number of individuals is not exhaustive, it is necessary to identify the CEOs, university presidents, elected leaders, and others who are making contributions.

• Since 2013, seven small, highly selective liberal arts colleges not known for diversity have for the first time chosen college presidents who are African American. These presidents are at Swarthmore, Kenyon College in Ohio, Trinity College in Connecticut, Wellesley College, the University of Puget Sound, Muhlenberg College in Pennsylvania, and Pitzer College in California, part of the Claremont College System.^[4]

• The peak of African American CEOs in Fortune 500 companies was seven in 2007, still comprising less than 2% representation overall. Since then, the trend has stalled and reversed. The number of African American women CEOs in Fortune 500 companies has returned to 0.^[5]
  • Ursula Burns, left Xerox in 2016 after serving 7 years.
  • Ken Chenault, American Express is retiring in 2018
  • Roger Ferguson, TIAA-CREF, current CEO
  • Kenneth Frazier, Merck, current CEO
  • Marvin Ellison, J.C. Penney, current CEO

References:

1. Biography.com. (n/d). Carter G. Woodson biography. Retrieved from https://www.biography.com/people/carter-g-woodson-9536515.
2. Blain, K. N. (2018). The hidden history of Black Nationalist women’s political activism. Retrieved from https://theconversation.com/the-hidden-history-of-black-nationalist-womens-political-activism-89695.
3. History.com. (2009). Black history facts. Retrieved from http://www.history.com/topics/black-history/black-history-facts.
4. Lewis, N. (2016). New faces on campus: Students of all races welcome first Black presidents to largely White colleges. Retrieved from http://hechingerreport.org/new-faces-campus-students-races-welcome-first-black-presidents-largely-white-colleges/.
5. White, G. B. (2017). There are currently 4 Black CEOs in the Fortune 500. Retrieved from https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2017/10/black-ceos-fortune-500/543960/.