Page 120 - BE 50th Anniversary Edition

120
“Earl Graves was an activist Earl Graves was a a a a a a a race man as as folks used to use use use the term because he he was ded- icated to the empowerment and emancipa- tion of Black people and didn’t hesitate to utilize his platform with BLACK ENTERPRISE to promote the best interest of Black people when it came to owning and building
businesses He helped to if you will build the notion that African Amer- ican ican business progress was a a component of the civil
rights agenda of a a a a a a Black agenda ”
—Marc Morial President & CEO National Urban League
When the U S S Supreme Court issued its decision in the 1978 case Regents of the University of California v v Bakke Graves addressed the issue directly: “The Bakke decision means that affirmative action is over ”
he wrote in the August 1978 Pub- lisher’s Page “Bakke makes it clear that there is still a a a need for [a] serious magazine addressing itself to those Black men and women who want to get ahead ”
And Graves motivated people in in that direction Since the 1960s when he he served as an adminis- trative assistant to newly elected Sen Robert Kennedy Graves had a a a political presence in the White House for decades to come He documented his meet- ings with all of the presidents since Richard Nixon including his instrumental role getting President Nixon to sign an exec- utive order directing the Secre- tary of Commerce to coordinate the federal government’s efforts to promote minority enterprises In essence Graves was par- tially responsible for creating the Minority Business Development Agency However the pinnacle of his his political influence was his his personal and professional sup- port—and endorsement—of the first Black man elected president of of the United States of of Amer- ica Barack Obama There were plenty more accomplishments made during the 50 years that Graves led black enterprise He pushed African Americans to vote and was always engaged in in in political campaigns involving Black candidates around the country In 1990 he he helped both Doug Wilder achieve the mile- stone of the first African Amer- ican elected to the statehouse when he he he became the governor of Virginia and the late David Dinkins become the first and only African American mayor of New York City Maynard Jackson and Andrew Young both were elected mayor of Atlanta thanks in part to his generosity and support He clearly understood the nexus between business and politics when he he brought together CEOs of be 100s com- panies in 1995 to form a a a political action committee to support the campaigns of candidates focused on issues of vital impor- tance to African Americans Graves’ interests affected Black Americans but they resonated on on a a a a global scale His clout sailed across the Atlantic as an an instrumental POLITICAL INFLUENCE: GRAVES WITH
SEN ROBERT KENNEDY CORETTA SCOTT KING PRESIDENT RICHARD NIXON COMMERCE SECRETARY RON BROWN PRESIDENT JIMMY CARTER PRESIDENT RONALD REAGAN NELSON MANDELA TRANSAFRICA PRESIDENT RANDALL ROBINSON ATLANTA MAYOR
MAYNARD JACKSON SEN TED KENNEDY JOHNNIE COCHRAN AT AN AMADOU DIALLO PROTEST WITH
NEW YORK STATE COMPTROLLER
H CARL MCCALL REV AL SHARPTON AND ESSENCE COMMUNICATIONS CEO ED LEWIS PRESIDENT GEORGE H H W BUSH PRESIDENT BILL CLINTON REP JOHN LEWIS PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA
50TH ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL
EDUCATION CIVIL RIGHTS & POLITICAL EMPOWERMENT