Fashion Week Flash: Tracy Reese Fall 2012 (PHOTOS)
54 Ways to Say "I Love You" In Africa
Where is the next generation black CEOs who will fill the corner offices at some of the top companies in America?
Black CEOs in training might be in the fifth grade. And it's time to get them ready.
Earlier this month, Stan O'Neal retired from Merrill Lynch & Co. and Time Warner Inc. Dick Parsons' announced that he too will retire at the end of the year, which will leave just four black CEOs running Fortune 500 Companies.
Alfred Edmond Jr., editor-in-chief of Black Enterprise magazine told The Associated Press that "The bulletproof CEOs of the '80s -- those days are long gone, even for white men." He predicts there will be a dozen black CEOs or so in 20 years.
"The numbers are so small that any improvement will seem like a giant leap forward," he said.
After all, in 1995 there were no African American CEOs on the Fortune 500 roll. At that time, it was easier just to say, "Oh, corporate America is a white man's world and always will be."
So how can we get 50 black CEOs in the top 500? Like anything, you have to catch them while they are young. Sadly, there are only rare opportunities for this to take place.
Recently, Percy Miller (aka Master P) launched MoCo U, a site dedicated to showing young people how to build wealth. And about 10 years ago Black Enterprise started the annual Kidpreneurs Conference, which teaches children the fundamentals for creating, operating, and maintaining a business.
Kids become what they see. And if we want children to become CEOs, from kindergarten through college, we have to spend more time exposing them to the profession, teaching them about being business minded entrepreneurs and spend less time exposing them to sports and entertainment careers that can be a gamble, at best.
And it's not just the top 500 companies we should help them aspire for.
After Parsons resigns there will be only four black CEOs of Fortune 500 companies: Aylwin Lewis, Sears Holdings; Kenneth Chenault, American Express; Ronald Williams, Aetna; and Clarence Otis, Darden Restaurants.
Let's challenge them to find the next generation of CEOs and start recruiting their proteges to fill their shoes.
Related Content
Xerox Pres Makes Most Powerful Women List
Comments: (28)
Add a comment
By: Cecil Jones on 11/13/2007 3:05PM
In the current ruthless corporate environment the only young CEOs that could survive in this world are in jail. The environment eats the weak and shoots first and nobody asks questions. There are no rules of fairness and there is no reward for loyalty. The smart young prospects walk away like good gunslingers who want to live. The old man sits in an ivory tower with a golden parachute waiting for his time to run out. Should we be teaching our kids the power of what we all know is wrong? Cannibalistic Capitalism is like Columbine without the weapons because your words make it legal. Nobody cares and nobody knows why you're gone.
Reply to this Comment | Report This
By: JC on 11/13/2007 3:49PM
Exposing Our Children To The Business Environment And Successful "Business Minded" Individuals, Definitely Helps Our Children. We Should Do All That We Can To Get And Keep Our Children Focused On Successful Self-Development.
Instantly Turn your Computer into a Super TV!
http://www.television-on-internet.com/
Reply to this Comment | Report This
By: Kimm on 11/13/2007 3:49PM
Why does this have to be about what WE want kids to be? Why can't it be about raising and nurturing smart, productive members of society and let THEM decide what they want to do with the rest of their lives? Just because a person grows up not wanting to be a CEO,or maybe isn't equipt to be a CEO does not make them a failure. Putting too much pressure on them will surely set them up to rebel or fail.
Reply to this Comment | Report This
By: Tsicar Ton M'i on 11/13/2007 9:22PM
Encourage education. Knowledge is the key that unlocks doors.
Reply to this Comment | Report This
By: utopia on 11/13/2007 9:00PM
Um I'm confused, I thought Parson would still stay on as Chairman of Time/Warner Board? Somebody please clarify?
Reply to this Comment | Report This
By: Gary Cross on 11/13/2007 11:36PM
Let's not limit our kids to our own fears! If we provide and produce the resources for them to utilize then they can determine which way they want to go. Hence they go into the music business because it's in their face. They go into the drug / hustler business because it's in their face.... Lets at least expose them to the big businesses so they can have choices... I was exposed to Donald trump long before he became popular as today... Now I mange a hotel! the system works if we work it!
Reply to this Comment | Report This
By: jojo on 11/14/2007 8:32AM
Black CEOs,I feel very proud for blacks. I'm a black. It seems many people discriminate us for our color. Luckly, i found my ture love at http://www.interracialconnect.com where told us love is color blind
Reply to this Comment | Report This
By: Ro on 11/14/2007 11:56AM
I think black people need to start training to be CEO's of their own companies. We've made enough money for the others. We should be tired of clanging our head on their glass ceiling and begging for a seat at the top.
Reply to this Comment | Report This
By: Margie on 11/14/2007 6:45PM
U all need to wake up and smell the coffee! I'm Black, but I realize that it doesn't matter what color, or nationality u r, eventually all Ceos get kicked to the curb!!
Reply to this Comment | Report This
By: Dr. Christine Johnson McPhail on 11/15/2007 11:31PM
African Americans should be attracted to this phrase that has been attributed to Marcus Garvey: "What humans have done, humans can do." Let's get off the "whining bus" and get on the "can do bus" and raise our children to apsire to be whatever they want to be--scientist, CEO's, lawyers, doctors, engineers, preachers, teachers, etc. There's plenty of room for world class people.
If we take our minds out of "prison" we just might be able to stop our young people from going there.
Peace and Love
Ya Asantewa
Reply to this Comment | Report This