Africa’s Best & Worst Persons of the Week - March 29, 2009
March 29, 2009 | 2 Comments
Best African of the Week - Tidjane Thiam: From Ivory Coast to Prudential:
Instead of screaming with a hyperbole, we can begin with a simple statement: last week, it was announced that Tidjane Thiam, a black man of Ivorian descent, will take over as head of UK insurance giant Prudential, which is in the FTSE 100. The FTSE 100 Index – informally called the “footsie” – is a share index of the 100 most capitalized UK companies listed on the London Stock Exchange.
And so what, you might ask: after all Barack Obama is now the leader of the free world, and was Obama’s father not an African from Kenya? Well, for one thing, this is the other side of the Atlantic, where an arguable case can be made that racism is less violent but insidiously more deep rooted. For another, this is the business world, and its another arguable proposition that political achievements for minorities always run ahead of economic ones. Consider these facts, for instance: The FTSE got its first female chief executive, Pearson’s Marjorie Scardino, in January 1997 and its first Asian chief, Standard Chartered’s Rana Talwar, in June 1998. However, before the appointment of Mr Thiam, there had never been a black chief executive.
So, now to the hyperboles: TT (as we will now fondly call him) was born in Ivory Coast to a father who would become a political prisoner. The younger Thiam, studied in France and after a stint with McKinsey & Company, returned to Ivory Coast in the 1990s to head several public bodies, including a ministerial appointment. He returned to McKinsey after the Ivorian coup of 1999 to become a Partner (another wonder), eventually joining Aviva as Head of Strategy. Prudential snatched him from Aviva and made him a Group Finance Director.
Go get more details on the life journey of this remarkable African (never mind the French connection), all you need to do is Google his name, or check Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tidjane_Thiam). So we will spare you the details and the significance of his ties to Africa here. However, TT himself has always played down the significance of his racial background. In an interview a few years ago: “I spent a lot of my childhood in Africa and I just cannot see myself as a minority - I see myself as a human being. If you start wondering when something happens to you, whether it is because you are not or whether it is because you are a minority, life becomes very complicated.”
Well said. For being one of Africa’s freshest and most uplifting voice, Tidjane Thiam is Black Herald’s Best African of the Week. In particular, and for those who believe that their African accents might impede their progress in the West, TT said he finds it especially odd considering he is a product of the French education system and not a native English speaker.
Worst Africans of the Week - President Kgalema Motlanthe of South Africa:
But for preventing the Dalai Lama from attending a peace conference in Johannesburg last week, President Kgalema Motlanthe is Africa’s Worst Person of the Week! Mothlanthe’s excuse, wait for this, is that South Africa did not want to strain its relationship with China. The president’s spokesman added that South Africa did not want to be “the source of negative publicity about China.”
This is a disappointment on an astonishing scale. Whatever realpolitik South Africa’s new placeholder president is playing is ignoble. Among those with strong words of anger and condemnation are South Africa’s Retired Cape Town Archbishop Desmond Tutu, former president Nelson Mandela, the Nobel Institute Director Geir Lundestad. And if as an African you are not saddened by this, consider this: apartheid’s last president, F.W. de Klerk joined in the chorus of condemnation - when apartheid’s last man standing thinks you are intolerant and against peace, you have to be worst person earth.
And so South Africa’s President Kgalema Motlanthe is Black Herald’s Worst African of the Week.
Worst Africans of the Week: First Runner Up: Ibinabo Fiberesima:
Our runner-up for Worst Persons in Africa this week is Nigeria’s “Nollywood” actress and former beauty queen who killed a man in a reckless drunk-driving traffic accident four years ago. Ms Fiberesima was essentially given a slap on the wrist by a silly magistrate who found that she had caused the death of one Dr Giwa Suraj in a car crash on a highway in Lagos earlier in 2005, but nevertheless said Ibinabo had the option of paying a 100,000 Naira (about $600) fine instead of going to jail. Yes, you heard it – a man’s life is worth just 600 bucks to Ibinabo and the magistrate!
Luckily, the prosecutors appealed against the judgment and the higher court found Ibinabo guilty of manslaughter, calling the original magistrate’s fine “judicial recklessness” and sentenced her to five years in jail. Ms. Fiberesima had appealed against her five-year sentence but did not attend the hearing in Lagos. Judge Deborah Oluwayemi, who was obviously angry, told the court that Miss Fiberesima should be in jail while she files her appeal. “There are so many innocent persons in prisons awaiting trial while a convicted person is allowed to work about freely. We should not give Nigerians the impression that because someone is related to a ‘big man’ in the society then such individual can ignore court order.”
We agree – and for trying to use the weak judicial system to avoid responsibility, Ibinabo Fiberesima is our second runner up for Worst African of the Week.
These are our judgments, but you may know someone who is more heroic than our hero this week, or viler than our villain. If so, send us your comments at saint.james@blackherald.com.
D.C. Business Leaders Raise $3 Million at 22nd Annual Leukemia Ball 2009
March 25, 2009 | Leave a Comment
March 23, 2009 (Washington, D.C.) – Despite the troubled economy, the National Capital Area Chapter of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) raised $3 million at the 22nd annual Leukemia Ball in support of its mission to cure blood cancer and improve the quality of life of patients and their families.
More than 2,000 guests enjoyed the humor of actor, comedian and impressionist Frank Caliendo and danced to legendary American funk band Earth, Wind and Fire. Guests also enjoyed a silent auction with 400 unique packages, many including airfare from American Airlines, and had a chance to win one of two vehicles as a part of the Mercedes-Benz raffle.“In an unprecedented economic climate, we are so grateful for the extraordinary generosity shown here tonight,” said Donna McKelvey, Executive Director of LLS’s National Capital Area Chapter. “We greatly appreciate the business leaders who have worked tirelessly to ensure the success of the Leukemia Ball, our most important fundraising event of the year.”
The Leukemia Ball is recognized nationally for its unmatched fundraising accomplishments in support of LLS’s mission. A highlight of the evening was the recognition of the 2009 Mission sponsor—PhRMA the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America. This award was a first in Leukemia Ball history.
“PhRMA is a long-time supporter of the mission we celebrate tonight and we honor our shared goal,” said McKelvey. “Tonight we pay tribute to PhRMA’s dedication to discovering new technologies and treatment methods to fight blood cancer and improve the lives of patients and their families.”
In addition, LLS also honored two Titans of Business & Philanthropy—Eli Lilly and Company and Jim Beers and John Cutler, co-founders of accounting and consulting firm Beers + Cutler. The 2009 Titans of Business & Philanthropy are recognized community leaders who have not only been successful in their own business endeavors, but equally noted for the impact they have had in both business and community environments.
“The funds raised by the Leukemia Ball over two decades have contributed to truly remarkable achievements - yet with blood cancers still claiming a life every 10 minutes, we are more committed than ever to supporting the important work of LLS, ” said Ball co-chair Joseph B. Kelley, Vice President, Government Affairs, Lilly USA, LLC who lost his wife to leukemia six years ago.
“It has been inspiring to work with our dedicated team of more than 60 of the region’s business leaders to make this evening a reality,” continued Ball co-chair, Ed Offterdinger, managing partner of Beers + Cutler. “What a testament to the power of a team of accomplished business leaders coming together in support of such a worthy cause.”
Guests included the 2009 Nurse of the Year recently announced by the National Capital Area Chapter of the LLS, Sabrina Bielefeldt of Georgetown University Hospital. Erin Madison, celebrating 10 years as a Leukemia survivor, was also in attendance to celebrate. Both women exemplify how patients are empowered and lives are saved each day thanks to the work of the LLS.
For photos or for additional information about the 2009 Leukemia Ball, contact Rebecca Lestner at 703-399-2905.
# # #
About the Leukemia Ball
The Ball began in 1988 as a way for the accounting industry to give back to the community. The event founders chose The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (formerly the Leukemia Society of America) as the beneficiary. In its first year, the Ball attracted 400 guests and raised $80,000. As the event has grown over the past 22 years, it has enjoyed far-reaching support from every corner of the Metro region’s influential business community. Since its inception, the Leukemia Ball has raised more than $36 million dollars. As this support has continued to grow so dramatically, so have the remarkable research results.
About The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society
The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) is the world’s largest private organization concerned solely with funding research toward cures for blood cancers such as leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin’s disease and myeloma, and improving the quality of life of patients and their families. LLS was established in 1949 as the deVilliers Foundation, named in memory of Robert Roesler deVilliers who died of leukemia at the age of sixteen. LLS is dedicated to being one of the top-rated voluntary health agencies in terms of dollars that directly fund the mission: LLS’s expenditures are directed to research, patient and community services, advocacy and education. Since its founding in 1949, LLS has invested more than $600 million in research specifically targeting leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma. Last year alone, LLS made 6.3 million contacts with patients, caregivers and healthcare professionals.
About the National Capital Area Chapter
LLS has 68 chapters, and the National Capital Area Chapter is one of the highest revenue-generating chapter in the nation. The National Capital Area Chapter serves Washington DC; the Maryland counties of Prince George and Montgomery; and the Virginia Counties of Loudoun, Fairfax, Arlington, Alexandria and Prince William. More than 2,500 patients and families are served by the chapter each year.
Cornell MBA Essay - Please Write the Table of Contents for the Book of Your Life Story (400 Word Limit)
March 20, 2009 | Leave a Comment
“The highest courage is to dare to be yourself in the face of adversity. Choosing right over wrong, ethics over convenience, and truth over popularity…. these are the choices that measure your life. Travel the path of integrity without looking back, for there is never a wrong time to do the right thing.” …..Anonymous.
NOTE: Be creative. Approach this essay in any way you choose; there is no ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ response.
PART I: THE YEARS OF CHILDHOOD
Chapter 1: Conceived in the Heat of Passion and Born in the Ghetto………………..10
Chapter 2: Greater Tomorrow Elementary School, Oak Cliff, South Dallas…….40
Chapter 3: Ain’t Notin’ Good in the Hood……………………………………………….80
Chapter 4: On our Block We Still Pray……………………………………………………109
Chapter 5: The Formative Years ………………………………………………………….130
PART II: HIGHER LEARNING
Chapter 6: Oak Cliff Historically Black Kommunity Kollege, Texas………..170
Chapter 7: Devry University (on 15th & Q Street)………………………..200
Chapter 8: Professional Certifikations……………………………230
Chapter 9: Dropping Out of Kollege…………………………..280
PART III: KORPORATE AMERIKA
Chapter 10: All Animals are Equal, But Some Animals are More Equal than the Others (George Orwell)……300
Chapter 11: Stand Up & Be Counted For Executive Leadership…320
Chapter 12: Difference is both a personal and professional liability………..340
Chapter 13: The Kubicule Narratives of a Negro……380
Chapter 14: Back of the Bus & How To Rig Promotion Interviews - A Step By Step Approach……..400
PART IV: THINKING OUTSIDE THE KUBE
Chapter 15: Invest In Yourself - After All Is Said & Done, All Man Works For Himself…450
Chapter 16: And I just Can’t Wait to be King…..500
Chapter 17: Better to be the Head of a Dog than the Tail of a Lion…….550
PART V: THE THINGS THAT MATTERS MOST
Chapter 18: Indefatigable Optimism……………. 570
Chapter 19: Love is Divine…………………..……600
Chapter 20: Family is Important…………………630
NOTA BENE: This is a draft and designed to help you with your MBA applications. Created under the Creative Commons rule and it is copyleft. Use as a guide for your essays. I plan to collate and refine the essays I have posted on Black Herald and publish a book of MBA essays in the future. If you like this essay, stayed tuned for our essay on Corporate Governance - you are gonna love it 
.
Black Engineer of the Year Awards 2009
March 14, 2009 | Leave a Comment
(Baltimore, MD) February 19 – 22, 2009 marked the 23rd anniversary of the Black Engineer of the Year Awards (BEYA) Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Global Competitiveness Conference hosted by Lockheed Martin Corporation, US Black Engineer & Information Technology magazine and The Council of Engineering Deans.
Heading this year’s list of accomplished engineering and technology inductees is the 2009 Black Engineer of the Year Dr. Wanda Austin, President and CEO of The Aerospace Corporation.
Other award categories recognized individuals who have achieved exceptional career gains in government and industry, in lifetime achievement, and in pioneering feats. Black Engineer of the Year Awards Alumni and the most promising students were also recognized during the four-day event. The major goal of the event is to showcase the remarkable accomplishments of black engineers so that their achievements can serve as motivation for young men and women to pursue their own goals relentlessly. Apart from the award ceremony, the 2009 STEM & Global Competitiveness event featured different seminars and conferences on leadership and career building. Below is a list of 2009 Black Engineer of the Year Honorees.
| Name | Title | Company | Award |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wanda Austin, Ph.D. | President & CEO | The Aerospace Corporation | Black Engineer of the Year |
| Cmdr. Roger Isom | Command Of_cer, USS Wyoming | U.S. Navy | Career Achievement - Government |
| Lloyd Reshard | Chief, Flight Vehicles Integration Branch | U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory | Career Achievement - Government |
| James Wigfall | Vice President, Supplier Management - Shared Services Group | The Boeing Company | Career Achievement - Industry |
| Moses David Wilkins | Vice President, Contracts | The Raytheon Company | Career Achievement - Industry |
| Muluwork Geremew | Process Simulation Scientist I | Corning Incorporated | Most Promising Engineer - Industry |
| Alana Tyler | Senior Mechanical Engineer II | The Raytheon Company | Most Promising Engineer - Industry |
| Shanee Pacley | Materials & Research Engineer | U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory | Most Promising Engineer - Government |
| D'Lorah Small | Civil Engineer | U.S. Army Corps of Engineering | Most Promising Engineer - Government |
| Percy Gilbert, Ph.D. | Vice President, Technology Development | IBM Corporation | Outstanding Technical Contribution |
| Ayn Fuller | Advisory Engineer | Northrop Grumman Corporation | Outstanding Technical Contribution |
| Col. Clarence Dave Turner | Commander, Far East District | U.S. Army Corps of Engineers | Professional Achievement - Government |
| Frank Robinson | Deputy Director, Safety & Mission Assurance Directorate | NASA Glenn Research Center | Professional Achievement - Government |
| Colin Parris, Ph.D. | Vice President, Digital Convergence | IBM Corporation | Professional Achievement - Industry |
| Dennis Copeland | Principal Information Systems Engineer | The MITRE Corporation | Professional Achievement - Industry |
| Kenneth Banks | President & CEO | Banks Construction | Entrepreneur |
| Nikki Boone | Senior Electronics Engineer | Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company | Community Service |
| Reginald Smith, Ph.D. | Chief, Interagency Coordination - Advanced Distributed Learning & Joint Knowledge | Booz Allen Hamilton | Community Service |
| Johnny Graham | Small Arms Team Leader, Soldier, Systems Branch, Material Systems Analysis Activity | U.S. Army | Affirmative Action |
| Reginald Williams, Ph.D. | Technical Lead, Small Business, Innovative Research | Naval Air Systems Command | Affirmative Action - Supplier Diversity. |
| Vallen Emery, Jr., Ph.D. | Outreach Program Manager | U.S. Army Research Laboratory | Deans Award - Government |
| Phillip Campbell | Distribution Sales Manager & Technical Sales Engineer | Freescale Semiconductor | Deans Award - Industry |
| Scott Kelly | Senior Vice President, Service Operations | DPL Inc. | Presidents Award |
| Olabisi Boyle | Director, Product Engineering & Program Management | Chrysler LLC | Presidents Award |
| David Anderson | President & General Manager Hospital Supply | Cardinal Health | Lifetime Achievement |
| Jeannette Mills | Senior Vice President, BGE Customer Relations & Account Services | Baltimore Gas & Electric Company | Pioneer Award |
| Monorama Talaiver | Director | Institute for Teaching through Technology & Innovative Practices | Promotion of Elementary Education |
| Veronica Nelson | Manager, Career Pathways Program, Electronic Systems Section | Northrop Grumman Corporation | Promotion of Higher Education |
| Will Minter | Division Director | Oak Ridge National | Promotion of Higher Education |
| Midshipman Jordan Blake | Midshipman First Class - Ocean Engineering | U.S. Naval Academy | Student Leadership |
| Ryan Clark | Student | University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign | Student Leadership |
| Jabbar Miller, Ph.D. | Electrical Engineer - Electronic Systems Sector | Northrop Grumman | GEM Student Leadership |
| Oscar Barton, Jr., Ph.D. | Professor of Mechanical Engineering | U.S. Naval Academy | Educational Leadership |
| Glenn Arnold | Director CDO Program Management & Operations | EMC Corporation | Special Recognition |
| Felix Bartholomew | Principal Associate & Senior Technical Specialist | Parsons Brinckerhoff, Americas | Special Recognition |
| Louis Brothers, Ph.D. | Engineering Technical Director | BAE Systems | Special Recognition |
| Patrick Gerdes | Senior Principal, Healthcare Division | Noblis, Inc. | Special Recognition |
| William Glass | Senior Engineer for Crashworthy Systems Branch Naval Air Warfare Center | U.S. Navy | Special Recognition |
| Charles Henry | Vice President, Verizon Telecom IT Revenue Assurance | Verizon | Special Recognition |
| Henry Jeffress, III | Senior Microelectronic Design Engineer, Electronic Systems Sector | Northrop Grumman Corporation | Special Recognition |
| Krandall Jones | Vice President of Quality Assurance | Turner Broadcasting, Inc. | Special Recognition |
| Joachim Kupe, Ph.D. | Chief Engineer, Delphi Powertrain Advanced Engineering | Delphi | Special Recognition |
| Trena Lilly | Project Manager | The Johns Hopkins University, Applied Physics Laboratory | Special Recognition |
| Jenae Moore | Co-op & Intern | General Motors Corporation | Special Recognition |
| Paul Spraggs, Jr. | Senior Network Specialist | Science Applications International, Corporation | Special Recognition |
| Ellisa Taylor | Vice President & Associate General Counsel | Cardinal Health | Special Recognition |
| Leo Brooks, Jr. | Vice President, Business Development | The Boeing Company | Stars & Stripes |
Mohammed Al Amoudi is the richest black man in the world in 2009.
March 12, 2009 | 13 Comments
WASHINGTON DC, MARCH 2009 - If the recently released Forbes Magazine list of richest people in 2009 is anything to go by, then Mohammed Al Amoudi (Ethiopian & Saudi Arabian) - is the richest black man in the world with a networth of $9B - though sometimes considered an Arab, as far as race is concerned, he is a black man see picture above (Yemeni father and Ethiopian mother). Oprah Winfrey, 55, American television icon is the richest black woman (2nd richest black person) with a networth of $2.7B. Aliko Dangote, 51 (Nigerian) is the third richest black man with a networth of $2.5B. The fourth richest man is Mo Ibrahim (Sudanese-born, now UK Citizen) with a networth of $2B. The fifth richest black person is Patrice Motsepe, 47, (South African) with a networth of $1.3B slightly ahead of Femi Otedola, 42 (Nigerian) with a networth of $1.2B. To read more about these billionaires, click on their names for a direct link to Forbes Magazine.
Africa’s Best & Worst Person’s of the Week - March 08, 2009
March 9, 2009 | Leave a Comment
Africa’s Worst Person of the Week: el-Bashir of Sudan:
He stands accused before the international community of five serious crimes against humanity: murder, forcible transfer, torture, rape, and extermination of whole communities. And that is because this week the International Criminal Court in the Hague, Netherlands, decided to leave out the most heinous of the charges in the rap sheet against Omar el-Bashir: that of genocide. But even then, the charges against el-Bashir, and more painfully the atrocities against the people of Darfur that underlie those charges are unimaginably horrendous, even by Africa’s tortured and appalling standards. In the past few years, about 300,000 people have been killed, and a further 2.7m have been forced to flee their homes.
el-Bashir now joins an axis of infamy that includes Jean Kambanda of Rwanda, Slobodan Milosevic of Yugoslavia and Charles Taylor of Liberia as heads of state subject to international justice for mind-numbing crimes. el-Bashir’s singular distinction, of course, is that this is first time a sitting head of state is being brought under international justice.
There are those who have argued against the indictment, principally because el-Bashir and his thugs will now ramp up their atrocities, and they have already started driving out aids groups helping the Darfuris. And there is that uncertain business of the practicalities of affecting the arrest. And yet Black Herald believes this a significant triumph for justice.
The megalomaniacal el-Bashir remains defiant– at least in public. The BBC reports that he is accusing the United States (the bogeyman of every nasty dictator, from Robert Mugabe to Saddam Hussein) of genocide against Native American Indians, as well as in Vietnam and in the atomic bombing of Hiroshima in 1945. “One day we will take them to justice,” he is reported to have harrumphed.
No, Mr Bashir. It is you, whose day of justice is here. You are a murderer. You are a disgrace to humanity. And you are Africa’s Worst Person of the Week!
Our Runner Up for title of Africa’s Worst Person of the Week: Regina Chiluba: Jailed this week for receiving stolen state funds to buy three houses and a commercial property while her husband was in office, Regina Chiluba, who is the wife of Zambia’s former President Frederick Chiluba is runner-up for title of Africa’s Worst Person of the Week.
Her husband, Frederick, was found guilty in the UK in 2007 for stealing close to $50 million while in office. Both husband and wife are well known as smart dressers, and the president paid an exclusive boutique shop in Switzerland $1.2m (for someone who earned at most $100,000 a year while in office).
Regina, as we put it in Africa, shed crocodile tears when her three-and-a-half year jail term was announced. For her shameless pillage of poor people’s money to finance glamorous lifestyles, Regina Chiluba is our runner-up this week as Africa’s Worst Person of the Week.
Africa’s Best Persons of the Week
There is a persistent, almost ubiquitous image of Africa, that almost everyone has at least since the publication of Josef Conrad’s “Heart of Darkness” in 1902: a continent where life is nasty, brutish and short. Or in a more modern translation, a continent where you would be raped or murdered in broad day light. While some maniacs (such as our Worst Person of the Week, Sudan’s el-Bashir) give some credence to these charges, the view that the whole continent is dangerous is simply wrong.
Some of us write about the wrong perceptions. But there are others who are taking concrete actions to prove the positive images: Chioma and Oluchi Ogwuegbu. The two Nigerian sisters are embarking on a continent-wide tour to promote a positive image of Africa. There may be widespread poverty, but the continent is peopled with warm, colorful and happy people who have the same concerns as people anywhere else.
Chioma says their mission is to “first tell Africans about what is here, what we have here.” And they are documenting their experiences on their website: www.CelebrateAfrica.net.
For their boldness and courage, Nigeria’s Ogwuegbu sisters are Africa’s Best Persons of the Week.
These are our judgments, but you may know someone who is more heroic than our hero this week, or viler than our villain. If so, send us your comments at saint.james@blackherald.com.
