While the rest of America may have Presidents’ Day off, Barack Obama has no time to sit back and celebrate the historic achievement of being elected as the United States’ first African-American President in 2008 at the age of 47. Instead, he is in the throes of a highly competitive and intense reelection campaign. Therefore it is essential to assess how he can most effectively advance the nation concerning issues of healthcare, the economy, education, foreign aid and more. To help in this mission, BlackEnteprise.com called upon the expertise, insight and wisdom of a select few who can relate to being a Black President. Drawing from the worlds of social justice, technology, the environment, media and the arts, we picked the brains of 11 of the nation’s foremost corporate and nonprofit African American Presidents aged 50 and under to share their thoughts on what President Obama needs to do next to truly cement his legacy and make a difference.
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Name: LaVar Young
Organization: Newark Now
Title: President and CEO
Age: 33
What makes him an effective President:
When Newark, NJ Mayor Cory A. Booker wanted to launch a program to empower Newark residents with skills, resources and community support he enlisted, LaVar Young. Young is the former Director of Fathers Now at the Newark Comprehensive Center for Fathers. His achievements have been recognized with an invitation to the White House for a discussion on fatherhood programs with President Obama.
My advice for President Obama:
“The U.S. ranks 14th in reading, 17th in science and 25th in math, according to the 2009 Programme for International Student Assessment, behind South Korea, Finland and Singapore. The lack of quality education across the board puts America’s next generation at a steep disadvantage in the global economy, and leads to employment and social issues that impede the development of adults. Economic opportunity specifically employment is an issue that many of the families we serve are dealing with. The rates of joblessness for minorities are much higher than for the general population. This is an issue that President Obama and the Democratic Party cannot afford to back down on.â€
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Name: Dean Garfield
Organization: Information Technology Industry Council
Title: President and CEO
Age: 43
What makes him an effective President:
Before joining ITI, Garfield has served in high-level positions for organizations such as the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) and the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). For the latter he aided in the development of their intellectual property policy and oversaw several landmark United States intellectual property cases, including the Grokster/Kazaa case. At ITIC he has established public-private sector partnerships and was awarded with the first REACH Breaking Barriers Award in May of 2010, for his success in the technology industry and efforts to support youth to develop essential science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) skills.
My advice for President Obama:
“Our education policies are rooted in the 1800’s; our immigration policies date back to the 1930’s; our tax policies hail from the 1980’s; and our telecommunications and trade policies descend from the 1990’s. I would encourage President Obama to work with the tech sector to update and upgrade these policies in a fashion that will drive investment to the U.S. ‘Smart’ energy, transportation and buildings,
cloud-computing, machine-to-machine communication, and molecular-level manufacturing will likely create millions of new jobs and trillions in revenue. To achieve our potential we can’t work around the edges, but need whole new strategies and bold leadership aimed at attacking our structural challenges.”Click here to continue reading…
Name: Majora Carter
Organization: Majora Carter Group
Title: President
Age: 45
What makes her an effective leader:
In one of the nation’s most environmentally and economically challenged areas, Carter successfully founded the nonprofit, Sustainable South Bronx. She ran the organization from 2001 to 2008 and helped establish a local model in the Bronx for green-collar job training and placement systems. Now with her own economic consulting firm she offers her invaluable expertise to a range of clients. Plus, she is a Peabody Award winning public radio producer and host of “The Promised Land.â€
My advice for President Obama:
“We can use green infrastructure projects to provide accessible jobs for people with significant barriers to employment such as the generationally impoverished, formerly incarcerated and many of our nation’s veterans. Jobs in green infrastructure include urban forestry, urban agribusiness and green roofing. These jobs help adapt our cities to climate change and numerous studies have shown that working with plants provides therapeutic benefits to people who work with them. Furthermore, the most efficient and cost-effective form of crime prevention and social service is a job; so this strategy has the benefit of reducing social service expenses as it improves public health, lowers law enforcement costs and improves quality of life.â€
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Name: William S. Parrish, Jr.
Organization: NobleStratgey
Title: President and CEO
Age: 44
What makes him an effective President:
All it took was one bold move for Parrish to expand his firm from a one-person consultancy to a 25-person company. NobleStrategy has spearheaded a host of high-profile projects including a $60 million New York City School Construction Authority management/mentor training program and a $140 million program for the Cicely Tyson School of Performing & Fine Arts in New Jersey. Parrish also has an environmentally conscious approach to his business as an official Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) accredited professional and serving as sustainability consultant for the $1.8 billion 1 World Trade Center (formerly called the “Freedom Towerâ€) project. This entrepreneur and author also mentors at-risk youth on entrepreneurship.
My advice for President Obama:
“I think President Obama has done a fantastic job in placing energy efficiency and the green economy at the center of a very meaningful discussion; however, there is a tremendous opportunity to incentivize emerging businesses to participate on a larger scale. We all know small businesses drive the economy, but highlighting the market opportunities and speaking directly to minority and women-owned businesses about tax incentives and the green investment this country is making would be extremely attractive. Any opportunity to advance this discussion, inclusive of minority businesses, is critical for job creation and to avoid a ‘green’ divide, similar to the digital divide we encountered several years ago.â€
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Name: Cheryl Duncan
Organization: Cheryl Duncan & Company Public Relations
Title: President and CEO
Age: 44
What makes her an effective leader:
Duncan possesses a keen understanding of the media’s power to influence society, which is why she focuses on generating increased awareness for
social betterment projects. Her company’s past and present clients range from the New York African Film Festival (Lincoln Center) to Surgeons of Hope medical mission to Cambodia. Duncan was also the lead consultant for the Congressional Black Caucus’s “State of the African American Male Conference†and executes an ongoing campaign to promote foster parenting for the New York City Administration for Children’s Services. Further demonstrating her dedication to positive causes, Duncan has provided pro bono work for organizations such as the World Literacy Crusade, The Stay Strong Foundation, and The New York Rescue Workers’ Detoxification Project.My advice for President Obama:
“Non-profits are under siege in this economy. I’m hoping that the health of nonprofit organizations will be top of mind for President Obama as these organizations are key partners in his work to bring back America. As such I’m hoping that his efforts to stimulate the economy will also address the nonprofit sector through direct federal funding. I remember the very inspirational speeches of candidate Obama in 2008. While we do need him to continue to work on the solutions to the many pressing issues facing the country, I’m hoping that President Obama doesn’t forget his unique talent of inspiring people. By constantly painting the picture of the America that people desire and by continually pointing to the big picture and not just the tactical, he can inspire his party and the country overall.â€
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Name: Sheena Wright
Organization: Abyssinian Development Corporation (ADC)
Title: President and CEO
Age: 42
What makes her an effective President:
Under Wright’s leadership, ADC has created a permanent site for the Thurgood Marshall Academy for Learning and Social Change, which is the first high school built in Harlem in over 50 years. Wright also manages a Displacement Prevention campaign to address the needs of low and moderate-income families through civic engagement and preservation purchases of at-risk buildings.
My advice for President Obama:
“The key elements necessary to rebuild and restore America are the same keys needed to rebuild and restore community. Instead of a ‘race to the top,’ we have to build a collaborative community approach where everyone is invested in creating better educational and developmental opportunities for all of our children. While we are rightly focused and invested on job creation we need to be equally focused and invested on making sure our workforce is skilled and prepared for the jobs that are being created, particularly in the Black community. By 2020 only 50 million Americans will be qualified to fill 123 million highly skilled jobs, according to the Institute for a Competitive Workforce. Also the collapse of the housing market is at the root of much of the problems in the economy today. The way to correct this precarious situation is to provide more access to affordable, quality housing with responsible financial products. Regulation is needed in order to hold banks to higher standards to prevent the predatory lending practices that plagued our communities recently.â€
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Name: Shannon Nash
Organization: Nash Management Group, Inc.
Title: President
Age: 41
What makes her an effective President:
Nash isn’t content to just hold one title. In addition to being the president of Nash Management Group, Inc. she is also an attorney, business manager, author and a Certified Public Accountant. Through her entertainment and business management firm she has represented past and current clients, including Terri J. Vaughn
, Chaka Khan, Ne-Yo, Carmelo Anthony and more. She is also co-owner of The Green Room Actor’s Lounge along with Vaughn and producer Roger Bobb.My advice for President Obama:
“I would advise him to support more public/private partnerships in the arts as a way to build our youth, as well as strengthen our communities and provide jobs. We have to come up with creative solutions to help cities and schools with a lack of funding to get the private sector involved in these solutions. Cites like Pasadena, CA have implemented these programs as a way to keep arts education in the school curriculum when money was tight or nonexistent. Through their innovative program called ‘My Masterpieces: Discovering Art in My Community,’ they partner with local art institutions and students take field trips in the community specifically co-designed with the K-6 visual art curriculum.â€
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Name: Arva Rice
Organization: New York Urban League (NYUL)
Title: President and CEO
Age: 43
What makes her an effective leader:
Rice has wasted no time advancing the NYUL’s agenda. She has managed to launch several initiatives for the 91-year-old civil rights organization, including establishing the Girls Empowerment Day and a four-year $50,000 college scholarship in partnership with music icon, Mary J. Blige‘s Foundation For the Advancement of Women Now (FFAWN).
My advice for President Obama:
“President Obama needs to create a jobs bill that is as sweeping, and maybe controversial, as healthcare. At this time we need a bill that ensures non-profits, trade schools and colleges can make relevant training and certificates available to meet the needs of our economy based on up-to date analysis of market trends. This bill must include growth in areas such as technology, energy, and green jobs, but also must challenge banks to free up capital for small businesses while ensuring consumer protection.â€
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Name: Richard Buery
Organization: The Children’s Aid Society
Title: President and Chief Executive Officer
Age: 40
What makes him an effective President:
Mr. Buery is not only the first African-American leader of the Children’s Aid Society but he also holds the distinction of being the youngest since Charles Loring Brace founded the agency in 1853. Prior to joining the organization, Buery graduated from Harvard College and the Yale Law School. From there he co-founded three nonprofit organizations, including Groundwork, Inc., Mission Hill Summer Program and iMentor, which are all focused on enriching the education and quality of life of children in disadvantaged communities. Buery’s honors include the Extraordinary Black Man Award for Humanitarianism from the United Negro College Fund and the inaugural outstanding alumnus award from the Phillips Brooks House Association at Harvard University.
My advice for President Obama:
“I would recommend a strategy that eradicates the educational achievement gap between rich and poor. First, we need to develop a national indicator to measure the educational, economic, physical and social-emotional health of our children–a Children’s Index. Next, I would urge President Obama to propose a massive expansion of head start programs. Each and every child in America should have access to affordable, high-quality early childhood education. And finally, we must make every school in America a community school. The community school model is a proven strategy that ensures the academic success of children by developing schools with three building blocks required: strong teaching and school leadership, expanded learning opportunities through quality partnerships and student and family supports to reinforce learning and eliminate barriers to success.â€
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Name: Christine Carter
Organization: Against All Odds Foundation
Title: Founder, President and CEO
Age: 30
What makes her an effective President:
As a direct product of the New Jersey foster care system, Carter brings passion to her role as an advocate for children. Her organization focuses on a slew of programs designed to enrich the education of children and provide social services for underserved families. Most recently, Carter was featured on The Wendy Williams Show kicking off their “My Black Is Beautiful†initiative.
My advice for President Obama:
“In order to effectively address the complex issues affecting underserved families and at-risk populations, I would strongly recommend that [Obama] assess, identify and respond to the holistic needs of these families by first and foremost connecting directly with them. Their responses will give [him] and [his] administration invaluable insight that will reshape the Human Services arena. I have five suggestions as [he] continues in [his] leadership role. One, remain true to the established platform on which [he] was elected. Two, continue to maintain a close circle of objective advisors. Three, consistently rise above the challenges of partisanship and negative criticism. Four, strengthen [his] legacy by developing the next generation of world leaders and public servants through educational and community development investments. Five, continue to not only have the ‘audacity of hope’ but the audacity to serve.â€
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Name: Chef Kone Abdoulaye
Organization: International Agro-Alliance, Inc. (IAA)
Title: President and Founder
Age: 45
What makes him an effective leader:
Looking back on the environment of his upbringing inspired Chef Abdoulaye, a native of Cote D’Ivoire (Ivory Coast), to found his organization in 2008. Chef Abdoulaye’s mission has been to address issues of hunger and malnutrition by promoting rural social and rural economic development through sustainable agriculture. Prior to IAA, he trained and employed several local citizens to create a source of food security for local villages by operating and managing 92 acres of farmland in Yamoussoukro (government capital of Cote D’Ivoire).
My advice for President Obama:
“[Obama] has also done great focusing on democracy in Africa by putting African leaders on notice. However, the US development strategies in Africa should be focused on agricultural development to strengthen food security. People really do not care much about democracy or education as long they are hungry. Because they are hungry, their learning capacities are considerably reduced and their contributions to the society are insignificant. But people can change the governing process if they can overcome that fundamental basic necessity. From a leadership perspective, I know compromise is the key for moving the country forward. But compromise cannot happen with those determined to make him fail. So he needs to come closer to base, take advantage of the majority we will give him and accomplish something.â€