"No Excuses" - Making the Effort to Success June 2013

Every person would like to envision their life similar to someone who has achieved success. Kobe Bryant made $60 million and Bill Gates is worth $67 billion. I would like to add my personal favorites, Warren Buffett with a net worth of $55 billion and Bob Johnson with $550 million.  Which person and which field of endeavor does your mind gravitate towards? Some African Americans chose to take a less traveled road to success.  These individuals understood the obstacles they would face, and dedicated themselves to challenging those obstacles.  A set of trailblazing African American CEOs accepted the incredible challenge of becoming leaders of multibillion dollar enterprises. They accomplished an incredible feat and one that should be analyzed.  Consider that African Americans make up less than 1% of the CEOs of the Fortune 1000 companies today. 

They sought the education, the experience and most of all beating the "perception" of incapability. They probably hung on to an inner belief in "no excuses" during the many difficult times in their journey. Black Profiles illustrated the top 6 African American CEOs of the Fortune 500 largest companies in the United States.  They represent $171.2 billion in revenue, $21 billion in profits with 855,000 employees worldwide. Many may not know the individual names, but the  enterprises they manage have recognizable names. 

1. Kenneth C. Frazier  -          Merck & Co., Inc.
2. Roger W. Ferguson, Jr.  -  TIAA-CREF
3. Kenneth I. Chenault  -         American Express
4. Don Thompson  -                McDonald's Corporation
5. Ursula M. Burns  -               Xerox Corporation
6. Clarence Otis, Jr.  -            Darden Restaurants (Olive Garden,etc. )

President Obama gave an incredible  "No Excuses" speech. What's your excuse? 

President Obama's May 19, 2012 Speech   

Welcome to Positive Directions (MIA) Minorities in Action

Welcome to the new Blog – Positive Directions (MIA) Minorities in Action.  Positive Directions will highlight the incredible accomplishments by Minorities are contributing to this great country.  Too often, the negative imagines capture the spotlight.   During Black History month 2013, I posted on Facebook inventions by African Americans every day of the month.  These inventions were sourced from an incredible book by @Raymond B. Webster, African American Firsts in Science & Technology.  The feedback that I received from my American, British, French, Latin American, Singaporean and Indian friends were very encouraging. It highlighted how overlooked the incredible odds that individuals powered through to get patents soon after Slavery.  When you hear about these accomplishments under those circumstances, you quickly realize that there isn't any excuse to accomplishing your goals if you dedicate yourself to achieving them.  They can be achieved if you develop a  "no matter what" mind set. I hope to interview Mr. Webster and share his inspiration for publishing such an incredible book.

We will counter the negative imagery and give readers facts, success stories and encouragement to continue reshaping and positively contributing to society.  Whether it is in Science, Finance, Global Business, Engineering, Academia, etc., we want to provide a forum that individuals can congregate every month to explore contributions that they were not aware of.  You will witness contributions of the past and present that are rarely picked up by the Media.  Minorities are successful in more than just Entertainment and Professional Sports.

 

Consider that in 1753, an African American scientist, Benjamin Banneker constructed the first clock in the United States.  It was hand carved out of wood and was reported to have kept time for 40 years.  What are the odds of this invention occurring during turbulent time? Especially since the Emancipation Proclamation did not happen until 1863!