Thursday, October 30,1997
The University Daily Kansan
Section A·Page 5
Business leader promotes economic empowerment
Earl Graves, author and businessman, discusses the speech he was to give as part of the Anderson Chandler Lecture Series. Graves spoke at a news conference before his appearance last night at the Lied Center. Photo by Geoff Krieger/KANSAN
Speaker founded 'Black Enterprise'
By John Wilson Special to the Kansan
With trademark mutton-chop sideburns and a smile, Earl Graves, founder of "Black Enterprise" magazine, spoke about how African Americans can succeed in business.
Graves spoke about economic empowerment for all people, African-Americans especially, and about the importance of affirmative action.
About 1,000 people attended last night's lecture at the Lied Center. It was the first of the Anderson Chandler Lecture Series, sponsored by Anderson Chandler, president and CEO of Fidelity State Bank and Trust Co. of Topeka.
This summer, he released a book,"How to Succeed in Business Without Being White." His speech focused on several of the points made in the book.
Graves, a long time friend of Chandler, received a nominal fee for his services, said Tom Sarowski, dean of the School of Business.
"I would not want whites to give us anything; I merely believe in a level playing field," Graves said. "Economic empowerment will give African Americans a true voice in the world."
After working as an administrative assistant for presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy, Graves started "Black Enterprise" magazine in 1970 with a bank loan of $25,000.
Graves now serves as chairman and CEO of Pepsi-Cola of Washington, D.C., the largest minority-controlled Pepsi-Cola franchise in the United States. He also is involved in the management of several Fortune 500 companies, including Aetna Inc., American Airlines and the Chrysler Corporation.
"I would not want whites to give us anything;I merely believe in a level playing field."
Earl Graves
author, entrepreneur
Graves said that he wrote the book primarily for African Americans because of the indignities they face every day in the United States.
"It's not right when your wife has been pulled over for driving [because she is] black or your Ivy-League educated son is complimented in a business setting for how well he speaks," Graves said. "These things would never happen to a white person."
Graves said that he believed in a level playing field and that affirmative-action policies were a part of this field.
"When a white lady gets on an elevator with me in a building I own and jumps, I don't think affirmative action should be discontinued," Graves said. "I can't see that racism like that will be overcome before the end
Graves said that networking was a way to become powerful in any profession.
of my lifetime."
"You should always offer assistance to and work with suppliers and customers and anyone else you come in contact with," Graves said. "You have to think of yourself as a brand name that has to be constantly upgraded in the marketplace."
Graves said that while he believed the University of Kansas was educating its students as well as other national schools,he did not think it was equipping its students for the real world.
"It would be healthy to promote greater diversity here in Kansas," Graves said. "The school will be doing students a disservice unless they reach out and get greater diversity to prepare them for the world."
"I want to take my message to as many African Americans as possible," Graves said. "The fact that I was asked to speak tonight in the middle of Kansas shows that we have come a long way."
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