diversity works black history month 2007

8/14/2019 Diversity Works Black History Month 2007

1/40An official publication of the

Winter Edition 2007

DiversityWorks!M a g a z i n e

Urban League

=Vo l u m e 2 I s s u e 1

Did You Hear What I Think I Said:

The Impact of Nonverbal Communication onCorporate Diversity

Building a Solid Family FoundationandSuccessful Business

Remembering Our Legends

African American Quilting: Legacy

=Urban LeagueSan Diego County

Empowering Communities.

Changing Lives.An Affiliate of the National Urban League


2/40


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contents16. African American History -- Black Inventors

Colors of Inovation - Thomas L. Jennings,born in 1791, is believed to have been...

20. History of the African American Quilt - The history of the quilt as it pertains to ...

28. Building A Solid Family Foundation andSuccessful Business - As a husband, father and

business owner...

29. Freeing Our Families From GenerationalPoverty - If your childhood was anything likemine, you grew up...

32. Black Families: A Need to Look at Our Past,Present and Future - While traveling throughEurope, Africa and ...

35. Black Business Association of San Diego Makesits Professional Debut - The Urban League ofSan Diego County welcomes the newly...

36. Strategies For Cross-Generational RelationshipBuilding - Here we highlight what we thinkare the best ways to push past generational...

38. Diversity Works! Employer Partners - As one oover 57000 employers in the region...

4. Message from the Publisher4. Message from the President/CEO

6. Editor-in-Chief -- Speak Your Legacy

8. Remembering Our Legends - The final months of2006, called on Americans to take...

10. NUL -- History of the National Urban League - TheNational Urban League, which has played so...

12. Black Inventions and Inventors - Biscuit Cutter, A.P.Ashbourne; Super Soaker, Lonnie Johnson...

13. FYI -- how much do you know about yourhistory - How much do you know about your BlackHistory?...

14. Book Review - Los Angeles, CA) - Africans andAfrican Americans have been overlooked...

15. Black History Facts - How much do you knowabout African-Americans past and present?...

CREDITSPublisher - Maurice D. WilsonEditor-in-Chief - Pamela S. PerkinsManaging Editor - Sheri L. WilliamsAssistant Editor - Paulette Bartley-RoysterResearch & Development Manager - NJ MitchellGraphic Designer - Graphics by DesignPhotographer - Larry MorganCover Design - Graphics by Design

Cover Design Concept- NJ MitchellContributing Writers - P.S. Perkins, NJ Mitchell, Wil Cason

Walter Davis, S. L. Woods

Nonverbal Communicationwithin the corporate culture isoften overlooked and/or under-valued in its impact upon thehealth of the organization.

Communication Practitionersoften cite that NonverbalCommunication accounts for asmuch as 93 percent of an indi-vidual's believability.

DiversityWorks

Cover Story

22. The Impact of Nonverbal Communication


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6/406 Black History Month

Editor-in-Chief

Welcome to the winter edition of Diversity Works!Magazine. It is an exciting time to witness the vastcontributions of African Americans and other EthnicAmericans to the economic, political, religious andsocial affairs of U.S. American history. In this issue wecelebrate the contributions of Blacks to technology,innovation and invention. We celebrate a legacy ofresilience. There is a lot to be grateful for as well as mat-ters to be concerned about. Not since Post-Reconstruction have African Americans been able tomake the type of socio-political and economic gains ofthe past three decades. With the recent win ofDemocrats to the House and the Senate, we now sit in

some of the most important seats of decision-making inthe history of Black political achievement. We are expe-riencing unprecedented contributions to the fields ofBiotechnology, Neuroscience, Aeronautics, Medicine,Sports, City Planning, Waste Management,Entertainment, Education and the list continues.

I encourage Black families to sit down with their chil-dren and surf the net for the astounding contributionswe are making in every arena of American life; if we donot, our children will continue to be fed what appears to

be an inexhaustible supply of negative images andstereotypes of Black culture. I am purposefully notincluding a list of our heroes and sheroes, because our

"people are destroyed for lack of knowledge"! Do yourhomework and find out why we are the most resilientpeople on the planet. If you do not know who you areor whose you are, there are thousands of people linedup to tell you who you are not! Which brings me to themain point of my letter today

Who are you? Who or what are you named after?Does your name have a meaning? Are you aware that itis a tradition of many Jewish families to name theirchild after the 8th day of their lives so that they mayknow the spirit of the child before they name them andthus mark them for life with a word that will followthem forever? Naming and Identity are incredibly com-

plex issues for people of African descent here in theAmericas due to the scourge of slavery and its identitydestroying legacy. How many young fathers and mothers

brand their children with exotic, ethnic sounding names

not possessing a clue as to what that name means IF ithas a meaning. What about nicknames like Killer orMonster? Where are the names of our AfricanAncestors or the African American forefathers and fore-mothers? How are we keeping their legacies alive?What about personal identity and the urban identifica-tion with pimps, thugs, ho's and "bit@#*#? Have we soquickly forgotten the very recent fallout of the "N" word

blast across the airwaves of media around the GLOBEby a citizen of our own country - the one we built brick by brick? But of course, he used the same word or aderivative of the same word invoked by some Blackfolks in every corner of the nation. What's the problem?

The problem is the POWER of naming and identifica-tion. What you name, you claim! We hear this preachedfrom many a pulpit on any given day of the week, butwe pour forth into the streets spewing toxic garbagefrom our mouths continuing the defeatist legacy thatmany of our children are adopting. "He who owns thewords, owns everything!" Do you own any words?What words do you use to define yourself and thosewithin your community? Could there be a connection

between our naming and the destructive conditions thatexist within our communities? Until we recognize ourGod-given source of power- the WORD - and its impacton our community health, we will continue to bury a

legacy of hope, endurance, brilliance, sacrifice, love andcourage under a pile of self-hate so high we could notdig out of it if we wanted to. Do youwant to claim your rightful her-itage? Do you want our communi-ty to be "transformed by renewingits mind"? Celebrate BlackHistory Month by reclaimingyour incredible legacy! Speakthe word of healing today andclaim it for yourself and yourpeople. Otherwise, there'salways the "N" word -

NOBODY, NOTHING,NADA!

Speak YourWW

Pamela S. Perkins

Legacy!


7/40Diversity Works 7



I'm Black and I'm ProudSay It Loud.

The final months of 2006, called on Americans to take a moment and reflect on the legacy of two great public figures. As I ponder the legacy they leave behind, I remember their immortal words that have left an indelible mark on my psyche. 38th President Gerald Ford callefor "A Time of Healing" during the Watergate scandal, a time when the nation felt deeply shocked and betrayed. The other soul th

danced into our lives sliding across our hearts was the Godfather of Soul, James Brown. I will never ever forget, his call to "Say it Loud; I'mBlack and I'm Proud!" It changed my world. As I began to think about their legacy and recall the numbers that have transitioned over the patwo years within the African American community, during this celebration of Black History Month I thought it time to remember and pay homage to a legacy that speaks volumes about a people of faith, resilience and PRIDE! The origins of Black History Month can be traced to 192when Harvard-educated Black historian Carter G. Woodson founded Negro History Week to celebrate the history, contributions and culturof African-Americans. Woodson chose the second week in February for the new festival to link the celebrations to the birth dates of Blacactivist Frederick Douglass (February 7, 1817) and President Abraham Lincoln (February 12, 1809). Fifty years later, as part of the American b

centennial celebrations in 1976, the week was expanded to become National Black History month. Happy Black History Month!

Remembering Our Legends

James Brown (1933-2006), TheGodfather of Soul, before his transitioncelebrated 50 years in Showbiz. SAY ITLOUD, I'M BLACK AND I'M PROUD!

Coretta Scott King (1927-2005), the wifeof Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. FirstLady of the Civil Rights Movement

Richard Pryor (1940-2005), King of

Comedy/Actor Legend. In the 70's hewrote comedy for Mel Brooks and LilyTomlin. His 1982 album "Live on theSunset Strip" is considered by many to

be his masterpiece. In 1988 he was thefirst recipient of the Mark Twain MarkHumor Award

Rosa Parks (1913-2005), Mother of theCivil Right Movement, she was 42 yearsyoung on December 1, 1955. She wasnot any more tired that day than anyother day, but in her own words "theonly tired I was, was tired of giving in",

on that day, she refused to give up herseat to a white man

John H. Johnson (1918-2005), Founder& Chairman of Johnson PublishingCompany, Inc, "Failure is a word that Idon't accept", read his best selling auto-

biography Succeeding Against the Odds

Luther Vandross (1951-2005) Lutha,R&B Superstar, many famous songsincluding: "Here and Now"

Johnnie L.Cochran Jr.(1937-2005),Famed Attorney and Law Legend, wasone of the most sought after lawyers inthe United States

Wilson Pickett (1941-2006) R&B/Rock& Roll and Soul Singer. Inducted intothe Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1991

Octavia Butler (1947-2006), ScienceFiction Writer. She won both the Hugoand Nebula Awards

Gordon Parks (1912-2006), FamousAfrican American Photographer of the20th Century

Ed Bradley (1941-2006), Journalist CBSNews and 60 Minutes

Ruth Brown (1928-2006), R&B Singer,brought a popular music style to rhythmand blues. She also won a Tony Awardfor her Broadway performance in themusical Black and Blue. The originalsoundtrack won a Grammy Award

George Stevens (1932-2006), San DiegoCity Councilman, Deputy Mayor andBaptist Preacher. Fourth DistrictCouncilman from 1991-2002. CivilRights activist

Gerald Levert , (1966 - 2006) AmericanR&B Singer and son of Eddie Levert Srof the Ojays Gerald blessed us withmany songs including his duet with hisfather that scored as another number

one single "Baby Hold on to Me" Lou Rawls (1933-2006), Singer, Act

and Voice-Overs He was blessed withfour-octave vocal range. The incredibLou Rawls, 60-plus albums, thrGrammy wins, 13 Grammy nomintions, one platinum album, five goalbums and a gold single and a Star othe Hollywood Hall of Fame

Remembering history is ours to do somthing with, to use as we make choices

design our lives and move forward. Let uremember! As we celebrate the legacy Black History Month we are reminded thit is not just a celebration of a history

Black peple, bthe histry America

Remembering Our LegendsNJ Mitchell, Research & Development Manager, Diversity Works! MagazineTT

NJ Mitchell,Research &

DevelopmentManager,

DW! Magazine


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=T

he National Urban League, which

has played so pivotal a role in the

20th-Century Freedom Movement,

grew out of that spontaneous grassroots

movement for freedom and opportunity

that came to be called the BlackMigrations. When the U.S. Supreme Court

declared its approval of segregation in the

1896 Plessy v. Ferguson decision, the bru-

tal system of economic, social and political

oppression the White South quickly adopt-

ed rapidly transformed what had been a

trickle of African Americans northward

into a flood.

Those newcomers to the North soon dis-

covered they had not escaped racial dis-

crimination. Excluded from all but menial

jobs in the larger society, victimized by

poor housing and education, and inexperi-enced in the ways of urban living, many

lived in terrible social and economic con-

ditions.

Still, in the degree of difference between

South and North lay opportunity, and that

African Americans clearly understood.

But to capitalize on that opportunity, to

successfully adapt to urban life and to

reduce the pervasive discrimination they

faced, they would need help. That was the

reason the Committee on Urban

Conditions Among Negroes was estab-

lished on September 29, 1910 in New YorkCity. Central to the organization's founding

were two remarkable people: Mrs. Ruth

Standish Baldwin and Dr. George Edmund

Haynes, who would become the

Committee's first executive secretary.

Mrs. Baldwin, the widow of a railroad

magnate and a member of one of America's

oldest families, had a remarkable social

conscience and was a stalwart champion of

the poor and disadvantaged. Dr. Haynes, a

graduate of Fisk University, Yale

University, and Columbia University (he

was the first African American to receive a

doctorate from that institution), felt a com-

pelling need to use his training as a social

worker to serve his people.

A year later, the Committee mergedwith the Committee for the Improvement

of Industrial Conditions Among Negroes

in New York (founded in New York in

1906), and the National League for the

Protection of Colored Women (founded in

1905) to form the National League on

Urban Conditions Among Negroes. In

1920, the name was later shortened to the

National Urban League.

The interracial character of the League's

board was set from its first days. Professor

Edwin R. A. Seligman of Columbia

University, one of the leaders in progres-sive social service activities in New York

City, served as chairman from 1911 to

1913. Mrs. Baldwin took the post until

1915.

The fledgling organization counseled

black migrants from the South, helped

train black social workers, and worked in

various other ways to bring educational

and employment opportunities to blacks.

Its research into the problems blacks faced

in employment opportunities, recreation,

housing, health and sanitation, and educa-

tion spurred the League's quick growth. Bythe end of World War I the organization

had 81 staff members working in 30 cities.

In 1918, Dr. Haynes was succeeded by

Eugene Kinckle Jones who would direct

the agency until his retirement in 1941.

Under his direction, the League signifi-

cantly expanded its multifaceted campaign

to crack the barriers to black employment,

spurred first by the boom years of the

1920s, and then, by the desperate years of

the Great Depression. Efforts at reasoned

persuasion were buttressed by boycotts

against firms that refused to employ

blacks, pressures on schools to expand

vocational opportunities for young people

constant prodding of Washington officials

to include blacks in New Deal recoveryprograms and a drive to get blacks into

previously segregated labor unions.

As World War II loomed, Lester

Granger, a seasoned League veteran and

crusading newspaper columnist, was

appointed Granger's successor.

Outspoken in his commitment to

advancing opportunity for African

Americans, Granger pushed tirelessly to

integrate the racist trade unions, and led

the League's effort to support A. Philip

Randolph's March on Washington

Movement to fight discrimination indefense work and in the armed services.

Under Granger, the League, through its

own Industrial Relations Laboratory, had

notable success in cracking the color bar in

numerous defense plants. The nation's

demand for civilian labor during the war

also helped the organization press ahead

with greater urgency its programs to train

black youths for meaningful blue-collar

employment. After the war those efforts

expanded to persuading Fortune 500 com-

panies to hold career conferences on the

campuses of Negro Colleges and placeblacks in upper-echelon jobs.

Of equal importance to the League's

own future sources of support, Granger

avidly supported the organization of its

volunteer auxiliary, the National Urban

League Guild, which, under the leadership

of Mollie Moon, became an important

national force in its own right.

The explosion of the civil rights move-

ment provoked a change for the League,

one personified by its new leader, Whitney

History of the National Urban League

=Urban LeagueSan Diego County

Empowering Communities.

Changing Lives.



M. Young, Jr., who became executive

director in 1961. A social worker like his

predecessors, he substantially expanded

the League's fund-raising ability-and, most

critically, made the League a full partner in

the civil rights movement. Indeed,

although the League's tax-exempt status

barred it from protest activities, it hosted at

its New York headquarters the planning

meetings of A. Philip Randolph, Martin

Luther King, Jr., and other civil rights lead-

ers for the 1963 March on Washington.

Young was also a forceful advocate for

greater government and private-sector

efforts to eradicate poverty. His call for a

domestic Marshall Plan, a ten-point pro-

gram designed to close the gap between

the huge social and economic gap betweenblack and white Americans, significantly

influenced the discussion of the Johnson

Administration's War on Poverty legisla-

tion.

Young's tragic death in 1971 in a drown-

ing incident off the coast of Lagos, Nigeria

brought another change in leadership.

Vernon E. Jordan, Jr., formerly Executive

Director of the United Negro College

Fund, took over as the League's fifth

Executive Director in 1972 (the title of the

office was changed to President in 1977).

For the next decade, until his resigna-tion in December 1981, Jordan skillfully

guided the League to new heights of

achievement. He oversaw a major expan-

sion of its social-service efforts, as the

League became a significant conduit for

the federal government to establish pro-

grams and deliver services to aid urban

communities, and brokered fresh initia-

tives in such League programs as housing,

health, education and minority business

development. Jordan also instituted a citi-

zenship education program that helped

increase the black vote and brought newprograms to such areas as energy, the envi-

ronment, and non-traditional jobs for

women of color-and he developed The

State of Black America report.

In 1982, John E. Jacob, a former chief

executive officer of the Washington, D.C.

and San Diego affiliates who had served as

Executive Vice President, took the reins of

leadership, solidifying the League's inter-

nal structure and expanding its outreach

even further.

Jacob established the Permanent

Development Fund in order to increase the

organization's financial stamina. In honor

of Whitney Young, he established several

programs to aid the development of those

who work for and with the League: The

Whitney M. Young, Jr. Training Center, to

provide training and leadership develop-

ment opportunities for both staff and vol-

unteers; the Whitney M. Young, Jr. Race

Relations Program, which recognizes affil-

iates doing exemplary work in race rela-

tions; and the Whitney M. Young, Jr.

Commemoration Ceremony, which honors

and pays tribute to long term staff and vol-

unteers who have made extraordinary con-

tributions to the Urban League Movement.

Jacob established the League'sNULITES youth-development program

and spurred the League to put new empha-

sis on programs to reduce teenage preg-

nancy, help single female heads of house-

holds, combat crime in black communities,

and increase voter registration.

Hugh B. Price, appointed to the

League's top office in July 1994, took over

the reins at a critical moment for the

League, for Black America, and for the

nation as a whole. In the early 90's, the

fierce market-driven dynamic of "global-

ization," was sweeping the world, funda-mentally altering the economic relations

among and within countries and reshaping

the link between the nation's citizenry and

its economy, fostering enormous uncer-

tainty among individuals and tensions

among ethnic and cultural groups.

This economic change and the efforts of

some to rollback the gains African

Americans fashioned since the 1960s,

made the League's efforts all the more nec-

essary. Price, a lawyer with extensive

experience in community development and

public policy issues, intensified the organi-zation's work in three broad areas: in edu-

cation and youth development, individual

and community-wide economic empower-

ment, affirmative action and the promotion

of inclusion as a critical foundation for

securing America's future as a multi-ethnic

democracy.

Among Prices most notable achieve-

ments was establishing the League's

Institute of Opportunity and Equality in

Washington, DC, which conducted a

research and public policy analysis of

urban issues and the Campaign for African

American Achievement, a community

mobilization and advocacy initiative creat-

ed to raise awareness and promote the

importance of achievement through

through the formation of the National

Achievers Society, Doing the Right Thing

recognition in local communities and the

Nation Urban League's Scholarship

Program.

On May 15th, 2003 the board of

Trustees of the National Urban League

Voted overwhelmingly to appoint former

New Orleans Mayor Marc H. Morial as the

league's eighth President and Chief

Executive Officer. As New Orleans Chief

Executive, he was one of the most popularand effective Mayors in the city's history

leaving office with 70 percent approval

rating. After being elected as one of the

youngest Mayors in the city's history,

crime plummeted by 60 percent a corrupt

Police Department was reformed, new pro-

grams for youth were started, and stagnant

economy was reignited.

Since his appointment to the National

Urban League, Morial has worked to reen-

ergize the movement's diverse constituen-

cies by building on the strengths of the

NUL's 95 year old legacy and increasingthe organization's profile both locally and

nationally.

In his first year, Morial worked to

streamline the organizations' headquarters

secured over $10 million dollars in new

funding to support affiliate programs, cre-

ated the first Legislative Policy

Conference "NUL on the Hill', revamped

the State of Black America report, created

profitability for the annual conference, and

secured a $127.5 million equity fund for

the minority businesses through the new

markets tax credit program. He introducedand developed a stronger strategic direc-

tion of the organization with a "five point

empowerment agenda' that focuses on

closing the equality gaps which exist for

African Americans and other emerging

ethnic communities in education, econom-

ic empowerment, health and quality of life

civic engagement, and civil rights and

racial justice.



Biscuit CutterA.P. Ashbourne

Super SoakerLonnie Johnson

Folding BedL.C. Bailey

Bicycle FrameIssac R. Johnson

Coin ChangerJames A. Bauer

Space Shuttle RetrievalArmWm. Harwell

Rotary EngineAndrew J. Beard

Printing Press

W.A. Lavallette Car Couple

Andrew J. Beard

Envelope SealF.W. Leslie

Letter BoxG.E. Becket

Laser FuelsLester Lee

Stainless Steel PadsAlfred Benjamin

Pressure CookerMaurice W. Lee

Torpedo DischargerH. Bradberry

Window CleanerA.L. Lewis

Disposable SyringePhil Brooks

Pencil SharpenerJohn L. Love

Home Security SystemMarie Brown

Fire ExtinguisherTom J. Marshal

Corn PlanterHenry Blair

LockW.A. Martin

Cotton PlanterHenry Blair

Shoe Lasting MachineJan Matzeliger

Ironing BoardSarah Boone

LubricatorsElijah McCoy

Horse Bridle BitL.F.Brown

Rocket CatapultHugh MacDonald

Horse shoeOscar E. Brown

ElevatorAlexander Miles

PacemakerOtis Boykin

Gas MaskGarrett Morgan

Guide MissileOtis Boykin

Traffic SignalGarrett Morgan

Lawn MowerJohn A. Burr

Hair BrushLyda Newman

TypewriterBurridge & Marshman

Heating FurnaceAlice H. Paker

Train AlarmR.A. Butler

AirshipJ.F.Pickering

Radiation DetectorGeo. Carruthers

Folding ChairPurdgy/Sadgwar

Peanut ButterGeorge W. Carver

Hand StampW.B. Purvis

Paints & SatinsGeorge W. Carver

Fountain PenW.B. Purvis

Lotion & SoapsGeorge W. Carver

Dust PanL.P.Ray

Automatic Fishing ReelGeorge Cook

Insect Destroyer GunA.C. Richardson

Ice cream MoldA.L. Cralle

Baby BuggyW.H. Richardson

Blood PlasmaDr. Charles Drew

Sugar RefinementN. Rillieux

Horse Riding SaddleWm. D. Davis

Clothes DryerG.T. Sampson

ShoeW.A. Detiz

Celluar PhoneHenry Sampson

Player PianoJosephDickinson

Pressing CombWalter Sammons

Arm for RecordingPlayer

Joseph Dickinson

Curtain RodS.R. Scottron

DoorstopO. Dorsey

Lawn SprinklerJ.W. Smith

DoorknobO. Dorsey

Automatic GearshiftR.B. Spikes

Photo Print WashClatonia J. Dorticus

Urinalysis MachineDewey Sanderson

Photo EmbossingMachineClatonia J. Dorticus

Hydraulic Shock

AbsorberRalph Sanderson

Postal Letter BoxP.B. Dowing

RefrigeratorJ. Standard

ToiletT. Elkins

MopT.W. Stewart

Furniture CasterDavid A. Fisher

StairclimbingWheelchair

Rufus J. Weaver Guitar

Robert Flemming ,Jr

HelicopterPaul E. Williams

Golf TeeGeorge F. Grant

Fire Escape Ladder J.B. Winters

Motor J. Gregory

Telephone Transmitter

Granville T. Woods Lantern

Micheal Harney

Electric Cutoff SwitchGranville T. Woods

Thermo Hair CurlersSoloman Harper

Relay InstrumentGranville T. Woods

Gas BurnerB.F. Jackson

Telephone SystemGranville T. Woods

Kitchen TableH.A. Jackson

Galvanic BatteryGranville T. Woods

Video CommanderJoseph N. Jackson

Electric Raillway SystemGranville T. Woods

Remote ControllersJoseph N. Jackson

Roller CoasterGranville T. Woods

Sani-PhoneJerry Johnson

Auto Air BrakeGranville T. Woods

Resource: Little Africa.comhttp://www.littleafrica.com/resources/inventors.htm

Black Inventions &

Inventors

Submitted by Walter Davis



FYI

1. Which African American inventor pub-

lished a Farmers' Almanac?

A. Otis Boykin

B. Madame Walker

C. Benjamin Banneker

D. George Washington Carver

2. Who was the first African American

woman to receive a patent?

A. Bessie BlountB. Madame Walker

C. Sarah Goode

D. Marjorie Stewart Joyner

3. Who was the first African American

heavyweight champion as well as an

inventor?

A. Jack Johnson

B. Lewis Howard Latimer

C. Lonnie Johnson

D. George Grant

4. Which inventor's last name became the

real _____?

A. John Lee Love

B. John Standard

C. John Christian

D. Elijah McCoy

5. What was Black History Month origi-

nally called?

A. The African American Festival

B. Black History Celebration

C. Black History Day

D. Negro History Week

6. Which millionaire black entrepreneur andinventor started out by washing laundry?

A. Madame C. J. Walker

B. Granville T. Woods

C. Sarah Boone

D. Rufus Stokes

7. Which one of the following black inventors

did not invent something related to food?

A. Bessie Blount

B. Lewis Howard Latimer

C. George Washington Carver

D. Lloyd Augustus Hall

8. Which inventor invented a railroad car

coupler nicknamed the jenny coupler?

A. George Grant

B. Frederick Jones

C. Andrew Jackson Beard

D. Ernest Everett Just

9. Which of the following black inventors

is alive today?

A. Philip Emeagwali

B. Otis Boykin

C. Henry Blair

D. Emmett W. Chappelle

10. Which of the following black inventorsdeveloped the blood bank?

A. Mark Dean

B. David Crosthwait

C. John Lee Love

D. Charles Richard Drew

For Your Information

Join Our Membership Campaign!Yes, I want to join and support the Urban League. My Annual Pledge Contribution is checked below.

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Address:

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Signature:

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Mail to: San Diego Urban League Membership Campaign, 720 Gateway Center Drive, San Diego, CA 92102.

How much do you know about your Black History?

1.C2.C3.A4.D5.D

6.A7.B8.C9.A10.D

Black HistoryQuiz



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RECOGNITION DENIEDPAYS TRIBUTE TO BLACK

CONTRIBUTIONS IN AMERICAS CIVILWAR AND BEYOND

(LosAngeles, CA) - Africans and African Americans have been overlooked for theircontributions to mankind in most arenas. From developing the original writ-ing form to the science of trigonometry that was credited to Pythagoras the Greek, theachievements of Blacks have been virtually ignored throughout history. Seeking to set therecord straight in at least one arena, author and artist, Kenneth E. Brown recently pro-duced his latest book, Recognition Denied: A History of the Black Soldier in America's Civil War.

Thoroughly researching and supporting his contention that without the use ofBlack soldiers in the war, the Union would not have won, Brown documents the impor-tant roles Blacks played in not only the American Civil War, but in the history of theworld as well. Brown supports his research with detailed summaries of battles, photo-graphs, battle schematics, graphs, and geographic maps, accompanied by a CD with allof the books contents, audio narration, hyper links to major Black Civil War websites anda genealogical link to 200,000 Black soldiers who served in the Civil War.

Not only has Western history significantly minimized Black achievements, some impor-tant Black achievements have been completely ignored as to their Black origins, and someothers have been credited to other races, Brown explained. I am of the opinion that ifBlacks, as well as all people, knew the positive history of the Black race, a number of Blackchildren would take more pride in their heritage and therefore would have more options

that could affect their lives in a positive way. This could even result in fewer Black young-sters in prison.

Author of an historical novel,A View With Rage: Love and War in the Black South, 1850-1900, Brown also created The Black Heritage Collection, a series of miniature sculp-tures consisting of great Blacks up and through the American Civil War including HarrietTubman, Sojourner Truth, Phyllis Wheatley and Frederick Douglass, along with a CivilWar soldier, cavalryman and a gun tower commemorating Africans during the MiddlePassage. The collection is comprised of individual sculptures, business card holders anda chess set.

Also co-creator of the limited edition, "African Legacy" chess set - named so becausechess was created in Africa - Brown modeled its pieces after the most famous WestAfrican masks, which he cast in sterling silver, bronze and pewter.

A Braddock, PA native, Brown graduated with honors from California State Universityat Los Angeles. A computer technician and graphics specialist by profession, Brown isowner of Alphacad Design Solution.A labor of love, Recognition Denied pays tribute to all of the brave Black soldiers who con-tributed to winning America's Civil War. Recognition Denied is available in Los Angelesat Eso Won Bookstore, 4331 Degnan Blvd. and at Amazon.com for African AmericanHistory Month. For additional information contact Brown at (310) 418-7599 or visit thewebsite at blackheritagesculptures.com.

Article by, Rae Jones, RAEDIANT Communications

(323) 294-5280 or [email protected].


15/40

How much do you know

about African-Americans

past and present?

February 1 -

Today in 1926, what is now known as

Black History Month was first celebrated

on this date as Negro History Week. It

became a month-long celebration in 1976.

February 2 -

Today in 1914, artist William Ellisworth is

born in Washington, North Carolina.

Educated at Syracuse University, he was a

student of Florida artist Augusta Savage.

His works were exhibited at Atlanta

University, the Whitney Museum, the Two

Centuries of Black American Art exhibit,

Fisk University, Hampton University, the

North Carolina Museum of Art and privatecollectors.

February 3 -

Today in 1956, Autherine J. Lucy becomes

the first black student to attend the

University of Alabama. She was expelled

three days later for her own safety in

response to threats from a mob. In 1992

Autherine Lucy Foster graduated from the

University with a master's degree in educa-

tion. The same day, her daughter, Grazia

Foster, graduated with a bachelor's degree

in corporate finance.

February 4 -Today in 1986, a stamp of Sojourner Truth

is issued by the U.S. Postal Service.

February 5 -

Today in 1990, Columbia University gradu-

ate and Harvard University law student

Barack Obabma became the first African

American named president of the Harvard

Law Review.

February 6 -

Today in 1898, Melvin B. Tolson, author,

educator, poet, was born. Today in 1961,

Jail-in movement started in Rock Hill, S.C.,

when students refused to pay fines and

requested jail sentences. Students

Nonviolent Coordinating Committee urged

south-wide Jail, No Bail campaign.

February 7 -

Today in 1872, Alcorn A&M College

opened.

February 8 -

Today in 1968, Thirty South Carolina State

students were shot, and three were killed by

police, in what was called the Orangeburg

Massacre. Students were protesting segre-

gation at an Orangeburg bowling alley.

Today in 1925, students staged strike at

Fisk University to protest policies of white

administration.

February 9 -

Today in 1960, 100 Johnson C. Smith

University students staged sit-ins at down-

town Charlotte lunch counters.

February 10 -

Today in 1854, founder and first president

of Livingstone College, Joseph Charles

Price was born

February 11 -

Today in 1996, Penn's Baccalaureate Speaker

was the Right Reverend Barbara Clementine

Harris, a Philadelphian who was the first

woman ever to become a bishop in the

Anglican Communion.

February 12 -

Today in 1900, for a Lincoln birthday cele-bration, James Weldon Johnson writes the

lyrics for Lift Every Voice and Sing. With

music by his brother, J. Rosamond, the

song is first sung by 500 children in

Jacksonville, Fla. It will become known as

the Negro National Anthem.

February 13 -

Today in 1635, America's first public

school, the Boston Latin School, opened in

Boston. Black students were excluded from

attending.

February 14 -

Today in 1867, Morehouse College organ-ized in Augusta, Georgia. The institution

was later moved to Atlanta.

February 15 -

Today in 1848, Sarah Roberts barred from

white school in Boston. Her father,

Benjamin Roberts, filed the first school inte-

gration suit on her behalf.

February 16 -

Today in 1857, Frederick Douglass elected

President of Freedman Bank and Trust.

February 17 -

Today in 1870, Congress passed resolution

readmitting Mississippi on condition that itwould never change its constitution to dis-

enfranchise Blacks.

February 18

Today in 1913, the Delta Sigma Theta

Sorority was incorporated at Howard

University.

February 19

Today in 1942, the Army Air Corps' all

African American 100th Pursuit Squadron,

later designated a fighter squadron, was

activated at Tuskegee Institute. The

squadron served honorably in England an

in other regions of the European continen

during World War II.

February 20

Today in 1927, Sidney Poitier was born i

Miami, Florida.

Today in 1968, state troopers used tear ga

to stop demonstrations at Alcorn A&M

College.

February 21

Today in 1987, African Americans i

Tampa, Florida rebelled after an Africa

American man was killed by a white polic

officer while in custody.

February 22

Today in 1911, activist and social reforme

Francis Ellen Watkins Harper died. Harpe

founded the National Convention o

Colored Women in 1864 and was involve

in other projects for women's rights.

February 23

Today in 1868, Dr. William Edwar

Burghardt DuBois, educator and civil right

advocate, was born.

February 24

Today in 1864, Rebecca Lee Crumple

becomes the first black woman to receiv

an M.D. degree. She graduated from th

New England Female Medical College.

February 25

Today in 1978, Pensacola native Danie

Chappie James, first African America

four-star general, dies in Colorado SpringsColorado.

February 26

Today in 1920, Dr. Carter G. Woodso

founded Associated Publishers.

February 27

Today in 1872, Charlotte Ray graduates from

Howard Law School. She is the first Africa

American lawyer in the U.S.

February 28

Today in 1704, Elias Neau, a Frenchman

opened school for Blacks in New York City

Diversity Works 15


16/40



patent solicitor where he began the study of

drafting. His talent for drafting and his cre-

ative genius led him to invent a method of

making carbon filaments for the Maxim elec-

tric incandescent lamp. In 1881, he supervised

installation of electric light in New York,

Philadelphia, Montreal, and London. Latimer

was the original draftsman for Thomas Edison

and as such was the star witness in Edison's

infringement suits. Latimer had many inter-

ests. He was a draftsman, engineer, author,poet, musician, and, at the same time, a devot-

ed family man and philanthropist.

Born in Columbus, Ohio, in 1856,

Granville T. Woods dedicated his life to

developing a variety of inventions relating to

the railroad industry. To some he was known

as the "Black Edison". Woods invented more

than a dozen devices to improve electric rail-

way cars and many more for controlling the

flow of electricity. His most noted invention

was a system for letting the engineer of a

train know how close his train was to others.

This device helped cut down accidents and

collisions between trains.

Alexander Graham Bell's company pur-

chased the rights to Woods' "telegraphony,"

enabling him to become a full-time inventor.

Among his other top inventions were a steam

boiler furnace and an automatic air brake

used to slow or stop trains. Wood's electric

car was powered by overhead wires. It was

the third rail system to keep cars running on

the right track.

Success led to law suits filed by Thomas

Edison. Woods eventually won, but Edison

didn't give up easily when he wanted some-

thing. Trying to win Woods over, and his

inventions, Edison offered Woods a promi-

nent position in the engineering department

of Edison Electric Light Company in NewYork. Woods, preferring his independence,

declined.

Dr. Meridith Groudine was born in New

Jersey in 1929 and grew up in the streets of

Harlem and Brooklyn. He attended Cornell

University in Ithaca, New York, and received

a Ph.D. in Engineering Science from the

California Institute of Technology, Pasadena.

Gourdine built a multi-million dollar corpo-

ration that is based on his ideas in the field of

electrogasdynamics (EGD). Using the princi-

ples of EGD, Gourdine successfully convert-

ed natural gas to electricity for everyday use.

Applications of EGD include refrigeration,

desalination of sea water, and reducing the

pollutants in smoke. He holds more than 40

patents for various inventions. In 1964,

served on the President's Panel on Energy.

Mark Dean and his co-inventor Dennis

Moeller created a microcomputer system

with bus control means for peripheral pro-

cessing devices. Their invention paved the

way for the growth in the information tech-nology industry. We can plug into our com-

puters peripherals like disk drives, video

gear, speakers, and scanners.

Dean was born in Jefferson City, Tennessee,

on March 2, 1957. He received his under-

graduate degree in electrical engineering

from the University of Tennessee, his MSEE

from Florida Atlantic University, and his

Ph.D. in electrical engineering from Stanford

University. Early in his career at IBM, Dean

was chief engineer working with IBM per-

sonal computers. The IBM PS/2 Models 70

and 80 and the Color Graphic Adapter are

among his early work. He holds three of

IBM's original nine PC patents.

Currently, Dean is vice president of per-

formance for the RS/6000 Division. He was

named an IBM fellow in 1996 and in 1997,

received the Black Engineer of the Year

President's Award. Dean holds more than 20

patents. He was inducted into the National

Inventors Hall of Fame in 1997.

When you can do the common things in life

in an uncommon way, you will command the

attention of the world. - George Washington

Carver.

"He could have added fortune to fame,

but, caring for neither, he found happiness

and honor in being helpful to the world."

George Washington Carver's epitaph sums upa life-time of innovative discovery. Born into

slavery, freed as a child, curious throughout

life, Carver profoundly affected the lives of

people throughout the nation. He successful-

ly shifted Southern farming away from risky

cotton, which depletes soil of its nutrients, to

nitrate-producing crops such as peanuts,

peas, sweet potatoes, pecans, and soybeans.

Farmers began rotating crops of cotton one

year with peanuts the next.

Carver spent his early childhood with a

German couple who encouraged his educa-

tion and early interest in plants. He received

his early education in Missouri and Kansas.

He was accepted into Simpson College in

Indianola, Iowa, in 1877 and in 1891, trans-

ferred to Iowa Agricultural College (now

Iowa State University) where he earned a B.S.

in 1894 and an M.S. in 1897. Later that year

Booker T. Washington, founder of the

Tuskegee Institute, convinced Carver to serve

as the school's director of agriculture. From

his laboratory at Tuskegee, Carver developed325 different uses for peanuts--until then con-

sidered lowly food fit for hogs--and 118 prod-

ucts from the sweet potato. Other Carver

innovations include synthetic marble from

sawdust, plastics from woodshavings, and

writing paper from wisteria vines.

Carver only patented three of his many

discoveries. "God gave them to me," he said

"How can I sell them to someone else?"

Upon his death, Carver contributed his life

savings to establish a research institute at

Tuskegee. His birthplace was declared a

national monument in 1953, and he was

inducted into the National Inventors Hall of

Fame in 1990.

Charles Drew, a Washington, D.C. native,

excelled in academics and sports during his

graduate studies at Amherst College in

Massachusetts. He was also a honor student

at McGill University Medical School in

Montreal, where he specialized in physiolog-

ical anatomy.

It was during his work at Columbia

University in New York City where he made

his discoveries relating to the preservation of

blood. By separating the liquid red blood

cells from the near solid plasma and freezing

the two separately, he found that blood could

be preserved and reconstituted at a later date

The British military used his processextensively during World War II, establishing

mobile blood banks to aid in the treatment of

wounded soldiers at the front lines. After the

war, Drew was appointed the first director of

the American Red Cross Blood Bank. He

received the Spingarn Medal in 1944 for his

contributions. He died at the early age of 46

from injuries suffered in a car accident in

North Carolina.

Percy Lavon Julian synthesized

physostigmine for treatment of glaucoma and

cortisone for the treatment of rheumatoid

Currently, Dean is vice president of performance for the RS/6000 Division. He was

named an IBM fellow in 1996 and in 1997, received the Black Engineer of the YearPresident's Award. Dean holds more than 20 patents. He was inducted into theNational Inventors Hall of Fame in 1997.



arthritis. He is also noted for a fire-extin-

guishing foam for gasoline and oil fires. Born

in Montgomery, Alabama, Julian had little

schooling because Montgomery provided

limited public education for Blacks.

However, he entered DePauw University as a

"sub-freshman" and graduated in 1920 as

class valedictorian. He then taught chemistry

at Fisk University, and in 1923, earned a

master's degree from Harvard University. In

1931, Julian received his Ph.D. from theUniversity of Vienna.

He returned to DePauw University, where

his reputation was established in 1935 by

synthesizing physostigmine from the calabar

bean. Julian went on to become director of

research at the Glidden Company, a paint and

varnish manufacturer. He developed a

process for isolating and preparing soy beanprotein, which could be used to coat and size

paper, to create cold water paints, and to size

textiles. During World War II, Julian used a

soy protein to produce AeroFoam, which suf-

focates gasoline and oil fires.

Julian was noted most for his synthesis of

cortisone from soy beans, used in treating

rheumatoid arthritis and other inflammatory

conditions. His synthesis reduced the price of

cortisone. Julian was inducted into the

National Inventors Hall of Fame in 1990.

So, you want the "real McCoy?" That

means you want the "real thing," what you

know to be of the highest quality, not an inferi-

or imitation. The saying may refer to a famous

African-American inventor named Elijah

McCoy. He earned more than 50 patents, but

the most famous one was for a metal or glass

cup that fed oil to bearings through a smallbore

tube. Machinists and engineers who wanted

genuine McCoy lubricators may have originat-

ed the term, "the real McCoy."

McCoy was born in Ontario, Canada, in

1843, the son of slaves who had fled

Kentucky. Educated in Scotland, he returned

to the United States to pursue a position in

his field of mechanical engineering. The onlyjob available to him was that of a locomotive

fireman/oilman for the Michigan Central

Railroad. Because of his training, he was

able to identify and solve the problems of

engine lubrication and overheating. Railroad

and shipping lines began using McCoy's new

lubricators, and Michigan Central promoted

him to an instructor in the use of his new

inventions.

Later, McCoy moved to Detroit where he

became a consultant to the railroad industry

on patent matters.Unfortunately, success

slipped away from McCoy, and he died in an

infirmary after suffering financial, mental,

and physical breakdown.

Jan Ernst Matzeliger was born in

Paramaribo, Dutch Guiana in 1852. He

immigrated to the United States at age 18 and

went to work in a shoe factory in

Philadelphia. Shoes then were hand made, a

slow tedious process. Matzeliger helped rev-

olutionize the shoe industry by developing a

shoe lasting machine that would attach thesole to the shoe in one minute.

The shoe lasting machine adjusts the shoe

leather upper snugly over the mold, arranges

the leather under the sole and pins it in place

with nails while the sole is stitched to the

leather upper.

Matzeliger died poor, but his stock in the

machine was quite valuable. He left it to hisfriends and to the First Church of Christ in

Lynn, Masschusetts.

Garrett Morgan was born in Paris,

Kentucky in 1877. As a self-educated man,

he went on to make an explosive entry into

the field of technology. He invented a gas

inhalator when he, his brother, and some vol-

unteers were rescuing a group of men caught

by an explosion in a smoke-filled tunnel

under Lake Erie. Although this rescue earned

Morgan a gold medal from the City of

Cleveland and the Second International

Exposition of Safety and Sanitation in New

York, he was unable to market his gas inhala-

tor because of racial prejudice. However, the

U.S. Army used his device as gas masks for

combat troops during World War I. Today,

fire fighters save lives because, by wearing a

similar breathing device, they are able to

enter burning buildings without harm from

smoke or fumes.

Morgan used his gas inhalator fame to sell

his patented traffic signal with a flag-type

signal to the General Electric Company for

use at street intersections to control the flow

of traffic.

Dr. Patricia E. Bath's passionate dedica-tion to the treatment and prevention of blind-

ness led her to develop the Cataract

Laserphaco Probe. The probe, patented in

1988, is designed to use the power of a laser

to quickly and painlessly vaporize cataracts

from patients' eyes, replacing the more com-

mon method of using a grinding, drill-like

device to remove the afflictions. With anoth-

er invention, Bath was able to restore sight to

people who had been blind for over 30 years.

Bath also holds patents for her invention in

Japan, Canada, and Europe.

Bath graduated from the Howard

University School of Medicine in 1968 and

completed specialty training in ophthalmolo-

gy and corneal transplant at both New York

University and Columbia University. In

1975, Bath became the first African-

American woman surgeon at the UCLA

Medical Center and the first woman to be on

the faculty of the UCLA Jules Stein Eye

Institute. She is the founder and first presi-

dent of the American Institute for thePrevention of Blindness. Bath was elected to

Hunter College Hall of Fame in 1988 and

elected as Howard University Pioneer in

Academic Medicine in 1993.

The aroma of sausage and scrapple cook-

ing in kitchens along the east coast of

American has made it a little easier for kids

to get up in the morning. With quickenedsteps to the breakfast table, families enjoy the

fruits of the diligence and hard work of

Henry Green Parks, Jr. He started the Parks

Sausage Company in 1951 using distinctive,

tasty southern recipes he developed for

sausage and other products.

Parks registered several trademarks, but

the radio and television commercial featuring

a child's voice demanding "More Parks

Sausages, mom," is probably the most

famous. After consumer complaints about the

youngster's perceived disrespect, Parks

added the word "please" to his slogan.

The company, with meager beginnings in

an abandoned dairy plant in Baltimore

Maryland, and two employees, grew into a

multi-million dollar operation with more

than 240 employees and annual sales exceed-

ing $14 million. Black Enterprise continually

cited H. G. Parks, Inc., as one of the top 100

black firms in the country.

Parks sold his interest in the company for

$1.58 million in 1977, but remained on the

board of directors until 1980. Parks also

served on the corporate boards of Magnovox,

First Penn Corp., Warner Lambert Co., and

W.R. Grace Co., and was a trustee ofGoucher College of Baltimore. He died on

April 14, 1989, at the age of 72.

Matzeliger died poor, but his stock in the machine was quite valuable. He left it to hisfriends and to the First Church of Christ in Lynn, Masschusetts.



Depicted in the quilt are pictures of:A quilt made by Phyllis, a slave imported fromthe Congo in 1818 when she was 12 or 13 yearsold. She became the plantation cook and quilter.

Arare picture of an African American woman and herquilt after emancipation, around 1890. The quiltappears to be a treasured possession; however, fewslave quilts survived the heavy use and harsh laun-

dering.Larger plantations in the antebellum South hadspecially equipped buildings known as "sewinghouses" or "loom rooms" in which all the sewing,quilting, and weaving took place.

Occasionally, slave women and plantation mis-tresses developed special relationships and coop-eratively quilted. Jane Arthur Bond and her mis-tress Rebecca Bond Routt became friends and

together sewed several quilts which still exist.African American women first learned to sew andquilt as slaves and they sewed for their ownersand themselves. Although men worked with tex-tiles in western African countries, slave ownersinsisted women slaves do the sewing, weaving,and quilting.

Women slaves dominated plantation textile pro-duction during the 18th and 19th centuries; how-ever, they did not own the quilts they made. Slaveswho became skilled quilters often enjoyed higherstatus, better food, clothing, housing, and morefreedom of movement.

Despite the hardships for slave women, theychose to quilt for themselves after working longdays in their owner's fields or house and takingcare of their own families. Quilting offered arefuge from slavery, a creative outlet, and achance to make something for themselves.

African American



The history of the quilt as it pertains toAfrican-Americans during slavery isweaved through stories passed down

from generation to generation. Children sit-ting in laps and at feet listening while BigMama lovingly and majestically dramatiz-es events of the past as it was told to her.

The story begins with the UndergroundRailroad. As rumor has it, run away slavestraveled under the blanket of darkness todestinations of opportunity and freedom.While traveling they were in need of placesto go for restoration and refuge. They need-ed safe houses. As it is told, slave women

would sew pieces of material, ranging fromold garments to empty flour sacks togethercreating quilts. In the center of the quilt wasan image of a log cabin with a black circle forthe chimney hole. This image symbolizingsafety was hung in the windows of the safehouses. Run away slaves would spot thequilts and know that this was a place ofrefuge and safety.

In the minds of the listeners are visions ofblack women sewing pieces of old garmentstogether to form these quilts, taking extrameasures to design the log cabin with a chim-ney hole in the center of the quilt represent-ing safety for those on their way to freedom.We embrace the camaraderie experienced inthis endeavor as homes were opened to helpfellow men and women regardless of theunforeseen consequence if they were foundout. We imagine humanity at its best.

To date no evidence supporting any of thesestories has been found. Other stories toldthat slaves would take pieces of materialfrom a family member's clothing before theywere sold or traded. They would take thetorn garment and sew it along with otherrags into quilts and use the quilts forwarmth. They took pride in taking some-thing that was old and worn and creatingsomething of beauty and uniqueness.

Although no evidence has been found sup-porting the theory of the quilts, one has towonder where the stories originated and ifthere is some truth to the different varia-

tions of this particular story. Be it fact or fic-tion, the teller has weaved a believablestory filled with love, compassion andhope.

Quilting: Legacy

by S.L. Woods



Did You Hear

What I think I Said?The Impactof Nonverbal Communication onCorporate Diversity

P.S. Perkins, Founder & CEOHuman Communication Institute, LLC

Nonverbal Communicationwithin the corporate cultureis often overlooked and/or

undervalued in its impact upon theh e a l t h o f t h e o r g a n i z a t i o n .Communication Practitioners oftencite that Nonverbal Communicationaccounts for as much as 93 percent ofan individuals believability. This 93percent can be broken down into 55percent visual and 38 percent vocal(not to be confused with verbal). Inother words, the old saying actionsspeak louder than words is just astrue today as when it was coined cen-turies ago. Lets take a closer look atthe impact this area of communicationhas on the organizational culture.

What is Nonverbal Communication?As a Communication Practitioner, Idefine nonverbal communication asthe unspoken messages transmittedand received that we are aware of andthose we are not aware of. Yes, thereare times we intentionally transmitmessages such as when we dress for acertain occasion and there are timeswhen we are not aware of messageswe send as when we exhibit a nerv-ous body tic like fidgeting. Oftentimes when we think of NonverbalCommunication (NVC), we immedi-

ately focus on body language orfacial expressions. And whereasNVC does include these elements,they are only small part of a vastarea of behavioral study. One of thefirst things we must be aware of isthat NVC is culturally bound. Thismeans that as language symbols dif-fer from culture to culture, so do non-verbal symbols differ from culture toculture.

Our NVC language is often the biggest cultural barrier. As a result,even though the corporate environ-ment may include workers thatattempt to speak the same verbal lan-guage, many are definitely not speak-ing the same nonverbal language. Asmany diverse cultures attempt toassimilate to the Eurocentric lan-guage patterns of the organization,they still DO NOT assimilate to thenonverbal language patterns of theorganization UNLESS advised orforced to do so. Often this coerciontakes place as a result of someinfringement that can no longer betolerated by the dominant culture co-workers. I bring up the dominant cul-ture here because it is the entity thatdetermines what the acceptable pat-terns of NVC within the organization

are just as

it does theverbal patterns of the organization.

Now lets take a look at some ofthe areas of NVC that affect the orga-nizational communication environ-ment. The following NVC issuesoften create a substantial amount ofmiscommunication and misunder-standing between cultures. NVCincludes arenas such as: silence,appearance, space, time, touching,gestures, facial expressions, smell,paralanguage and rituals. These are-

nas of NVC communication greatlyimpact issues of negotiation, conflict,

boss/worker expectation, deadlines,promotion and EVERY area of orga-nizational progress. So in otherwords, the culturally bound nonver-

bal communication of each employee

Continued on p. 26


24/40



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is added to the mix of all organizationalinteraction. An individual may thinkthey are saying or transmitting one mes-sage and the message is being received

by the listener in a totally different way.Or they may not be trying to transmitany specific message but their nonver-

bal manner is being interpreted in a cer-tain way that impacts the co-workerrelationship and context. Just thinkabout how much miscommunicationexists between people of the same cul-ture, then add to the mix differing worldviews and NVC patterns of communi-cating. Yes, it is a lot to absorb!Lets examine a few NV arenas in an

effort to understand just how great itsimpact is on the organizational setting.First, we will examine paralanguage.Paralanguage can be defined as howyou say what you say; the noise sur-rounding your words. It includes vari-ables such as tone, pacing, accent,

dialect, emphasis, stress and so on.These tend to be regional and ethnicmarkers identifying where a person israised. However, many cultures havetranscended these basic areas of identityto include measurements such as: class,education, intelligence and viability.Yes, we often label people by howthey sound. An example of this might behow the Southern accent often labels aperson as slow or dim witted. We seethis in the television spoofs such as theDukes of Hazard, Hee Haw, and other

caricatures of Southern identity. Wenever tend to hear southern accents onNational News Broadcasts. We general-ly must tune into the BBC to hear anyaccent other than the General Americanaccent. Understand how different thismust be for individuals that live inmuch more globally aware countries.

Some individuals immediately distin-guish between Black and White culture

vocal patterns when determining an indi-viduals worth to the situation. I have anacquaintance who is an African Americanfemale professional that recently experi-enced a very traumatic dismissal from apost she held for well over eight years inspite of glowing appraisals and awardsshe received during her tenure. Sheshared with me and others who were sur-prised by her situation, that several of herEuropean American colleagues statedthat she scared them with what theydeemed abrasive communication pat-terns. They particularly cited her vocalaggression and excessive use of gesturesduring communication altercations.There were of course other variables usedto substantiate her dismissal but theaforementioned factors were included inthe determination.

It is a substantiated fact that AfricanAmericans tend to be more nonverballyexpressive in their paralanguage and

kinesics (body language). It is interestinghow this issue surfaces in many areas ofcollective behavior such as sports andpolitics. Just think of how many rules andregulations are mandated by the NBAand NFL in their attempt to curtail whatis often considered inappropriate behav-ior or apparel based mainly on the cul-tural contributions of African Americans.Notice the attention given to politicalactivist Al Sharptons manner of speakingand cultural hairstyle. Remember whenHoward Dean lost the Democratic presi-

dential nomination when he was caughtacting un-presidential while on the cam-paign trail? This is only one variable ofNVC import impacting the workplace; justthink of the infusion of multiple variables.

We experience this same phenomenonwhen distinguishing male and femalevoices and the fact that male voices andtheir speaking patterns are most oftenequated with power and dominance. So

who is more likely to be promoted andgiven positions of authority?

Time or chronemics is another NVCarena that impacts the organizationalculture. Think about the vast amount ofattention paid to meetings, deadlines,schedules, and other mandates of work-er time and bottom-line results.Remember that NVC is culturally

bound. U.S. American culture iextremely time conscious. We are futur-istic in our focus on time and consistent-ly looking to the future as ameasurement of security and attain-ment. This drives our economy and ourglobal relationships. We expect theworld to adhere to and follow our rushtowards technological and scientificachievement. Everything and I meanEVERYTHING is done according to aschedule, the clock. We punish individu-als who do not adhere to the perceivedprescription of time. When we travel and

do business, we often find it hard to dealwith the slow pace at which negotiationstake place or the lack of punctualityexhibited by others not on our schedule.We can look at structured time in twoways: activity driven (monochronic)and relationship driven (polychronic).This is a very basic way to explain acomplex social behavior. The UnitedStates and most of the technologicallydeveloped countries operate onmonochronic time. Everything is basedon the importance of the activity. The

meeting starts promptly at ___. Thedeadline is hard and fast. We live ourlives by the clock. As a result, we experi-ence a highly stressed culture. Many ofour dis-eases are the result of stress

bought on by mandates on our time.Cultures that are polychronic tend to

base their lives on harmony of relation-ships and to nature as witnessed inNative American cultures. We travel

We are futuristic in our focus on time and consistently looking tothe future as a measurement of security and attainment. This drives

our economy and our global relationships.

The ImpactofNonverbal Communication onCorporate Diversity


27/40

south of the border or to Spain andexperience a siesta in the middle of theworking day. We visit the Caribbeanand are encouraged to slow down - noproblem man.

I remember growing up and beingaware of the cultural marker of CP Time- Colored Peoples Time. As I becameknowledgeable about time as a NVCcode, this cultural proclivity began to

make sense. After slavery, people ofAfrican descent in the U.S. became thevictims of negative caricatures andstereotypes. One of these caricatureswas Step & Fetchit. These distortionswere built on the stereotype that Blackpeople were slow and lazy. Theyrequired consistent oversight in order toget things done in a timely and profi-cient manner. Hmm Could comingfrom polychronic cultures and beingforced into monochronic patterns haveanything to do with the clashing

between the two ideologies concerningrelationship to self, others and nature?As cited earlier, there are many culturesthat have a more polychronicperception of time. I will neverforget listening to a sportcast-ers commentary on a talentedyoung Dominican athlete thathad been recruited to playminor league baseball here inthe U.S. He sang his praisesconcerning his skills and acco-lades while in the Dominican

Republic. Unfortunately, theyoung player could not seemto cut the mustard here inthe U.S. His behavior wasunprofessional and helacked discipline. Why?Well according to the com-mentator, he just could notseem to get to practice ONTIME! It appeared his familyobligations kept getting in theway. Hmm

What about the impact

appearance has on the organi-zational dynamic? We haveyoung workers in urban appar-el. Devout Islamic womenwearing head to floor coveringsfor modesty. We experienceyoung women interminglingsocial and business wear. Many

businesses establish dress codesto deal with the cultural varia-tions, but this is not alwayseasy to adjust as in the case of

cultural/religious mandates. Lastly,ponder the impact on space whenadjusting to accommodate the physi-cally challenged worker. How abouttrying to create ergonomically correctoffice space?

It should be obvious the MAJOR roleNonverbal Communication plays inworkplace dynamics. The organization-al culture thrives positively or negative-

ly based on the Communication envi-ronment and its ability to move the com-pany forward in its mission. And yes,the mission should be the connectingfactor of the organizational culture. Butit is important to remember that we all

bring ourselves to the table. Hopefully,this brief insight into the realm ofNonverbal Communication will assistyou in determining the type of trainingtools you want to incorporate into yourOrientation, Professional Developmentand Educational Training Programs. We

can all learn how to get along, but firstwe must acknowledge that our differ-ences exist and instead of mandating

that everyone become yellow pencilsor assimilate, lets move towardsOrganizational Acculturation (referencefall 2006 article) and understand the

behaviors that make us unique and sim-ilar. I hope you understood what I thinkI said! Otherwise, theres always the

future of robotics, but you did see WillSmith in I, Robot didnt you? Scary!

Diversity Works 27

12

6

9 3



As a husband, father and busi-ness owner, I know the value ofinvesting quality time with my

family. It was Wednesday morning andmy day to take my son, Galen, to pre-school. As we walked inside his class-room, I noticed seven other parentsstanding around the classroomengaged in a conversation. Three ofGalens classmates ran to greet himwith a hug and said, Galen, are yougoing on the fieldtrip?

Galen grabbed my hand and saidDaddy, will you go on the fieldtripwith me? I thought to myself, I forgotabout the fieldtrip and I have a fewwork related tasks to complete. Yes, Isaid, lets go and have some fun. Hisface beamed with excitement. That day,we had an enjoyable time together.

Solid Family FoundationWhile the growth of families

becoming business owners increase,more families are discovering the

benefits of work-life-balance. As a

business owner, people often ask me,How do you do it with four childrenfive and under? Where do you havethe time to grow your personaldevelopment company? My answer,I enjoy doing what I do, I love beingwith my family and building a suc-cessful business - it is a balancing act.

Your balancing act can work for you,your family and your job if you:

1. Commit to focusing on yourfamily before the business.

Your first obligation is family.Keep an awareness of the needs ofyour family. Have each membercommunicate their hopes,dreams, and goals and post it up.

2. Create a family vision statement.Plan family time to develop aFamily Vision Statement. Clearlyidentify the image and futureaccomplishments of your family.

3. Work toward balancing yourtime.

When it is work time, dedicatefocusing on work related tasks.For example, two hour blocks ofuninterrupted time. Schedulethirty minutes for play time withthe kids. Create a balance by hav-ing leisure and fun time. Simplyask family members what theyenjoy doing and make it a point toincorporate their fun time intoyour day.

4. Reduce levels of stress daily.

Discover what you enjoy doing torelax. To reduce stress, I takewalks, listen to music, and read

books.5. Develop supportive relation-

ships with other families.Connect with other families whoare committed to creating a solidfoundation and successful busi-ness. Communicate and share suc-cess stories and areas of challenge.

It may seem difficult at times, how-ever; there is a tremendous joy when

you create a solid family and a suc-cessful business simultaneously. Thefrequent challenge is how to effective-ly dedicate quality family time. Mywife Kimberly and I know that we aremodeling leadership skills that willaffect our children for a life time. Ourchildren are excited to join us as wecreate a legacy of future entrepre-neurs.

Successful Business Approach Just as your family needs you to

thrive, your business does too. Taking

the necessary steps to expand yourbusiness will keep you happy as well.

1. Commit to the vision.A vision statement paints the pic-ture of what direction the busi-ness is going.

2. Surround yourself with peoplethat have an enormous vision oflife and business.Create a network with other pro-fessional business owners and

leverage their strengths withyours.

3. Involve your family in the busi-ness.Family members are innovativethinkers; incorporate some of theirideas into your business. Your kidsenjoy just being in your presenceand they gain an appreciation foryour business. Our kids help dis-tribute seminar flyers in theevenings and weekends.

4. Awareness of business trends.Keep alert of the conductions ofthe market in your industry. Stayahead of the market trends by

being innovative and different. Bethe first to introduce a new prod-uct or service to the market.Expand your knowledge and beopen to learning new things.

The major element to building asolid family foundation and successful

business is appreciating the values andgifts each member contributes.

Furthermore, setting the pace of yourday with your family and work inmind creates life-work-balance.Nevertheless consider, at the end ofyour day, tilting the balancing scalesmore to the family side. The greatestgift families can give each other is theencouragement to go for their dreams.

Wil Cason is a speaker, author, and train-er and resides in Northern California.Email [email protected]

Building aSolid Family Foundationand Successful Business

By, Wil Cason


29/40Diversity Works

If your childhood was anything likemine, you grew up hearing thesame clichs about money day inand day out. This is especially true ifyou grew up in a family or communitywhere money was a consistent issue ofconcern. Actually, I consider myself oneof the more fortunate individuals; atleast my mother and father tried to

discuss their financial hardships awayfrom the impressionable ears of uskids, but we still were not spared the

burden they felt trying to make endsmeet or robbing Peter to pay Paul.

Take a moment to listen to thosearound you. Listen to yourself and thediscussions you have concerningmoney. Is your communicationconcerning finances poverty driven?Are you speaking yourself into finan-cial wealth or financial death? True, weare living in hard times, but when havetimes not been hard for marginalized

groups or the working class poor ofAmerica, the majority of the world forthat matter? However, even the richhave bills and financial concerns. So theissue becomes how do we break thecycle of generational poverty plaguingour community. This article seeks toexamine just one area, but an importantone concerning the question of the per-petuation of poverty within our families.

According to the Current PopulationSurvey (CPS), 2006 Annual Social andEconomic Supplement (ASEC), thesource of official poverty estimates

cited by the U.S. Census Bureau, pover-ty rates remained statisticallyunchanged for Blacks (24.9 percent) andHispanics (21.8 percent) between 2004and 2005. The poverty rate decreasedfor non-Hispanic Whites (8.3 percent in2005, down from 8.7 percent in 2004). Insingle female-headed households, thepoverty rate was at 39.2 in 2005.Obviously, race and class are contribut-ing factors to these numbers. How dowe break the cycle?

We all understand that education is akey factor in uplifting any individualout of unemployment and underem-ployment. We also understand that it isvital to save and create nest eggs for ourretirement and childrens future. Weveheard the value of creating 401Ks, IRAs,Stock Portfolios and other financial plan-ning safeguards. But how many of us are

really getting the urgency of financialplanning? And do we talk about theseissues at home with our children?According to an article written by TomAbate entitled, Americans Saving Lessthan Nothing, Kevin Lansing, aneconomist with the Federal Reserve Bankin San Francisco, tracks the personal sav-ings rate -- the Commerce Departmentsmeasure of how much consumers haveleft after spending is subtracted fromincome. In November (2005) the savingsrate was a negative 0.2 percent. (SanFrancisco Chronicle, 1/8/2006) These

statistics reflect our nation as a whole. Sowhats the solution?For those of us who were born into a

mentality of poverty, I want to suggestthat we start to SPEAK WEALTH! Weneed to change our language concern-ing money in our homes, in our church-es, in our communities. We need aNEW financial attitude! We need tocompletely refrain, STOP talking aboutwhat we do not have, what we arenever going to have, how broke we are!We expend too much negative energyon thinking and talking about money.

Many of us are acquainted with thebible scripture which states, As a manthinketh, so is he. Now, I am not try-ing to preach prosperity ministry.What I am speaking about is the under-standing that you can not achieve whatyou can not believe! It is a fact. Toomany of us speak poverty and expectriches. Have you ever stopped to thinkthat your thoughts are energy?Everything, I mean everything evercreated was first a thought that became

a word which then became a thing!Why do you think so many of the wisesages and teachers of our past andpresent placed so much emphasis onteaching us to guard our mouths? Inthe beginning was the WORD. This isthe creative power we ALL possess.The universe DOES answer every deepthought and desire. The Law of

Attraction is a real principle thatworks like any other universal princi-ple. I assert that the major factor per-petuating poverty within our house-holds is the absence of positive energytowards thinking, communicating andworking towards wealth.Think about it. How do you communi-cate about money with your children?What is your general attitude concern-ing finances? I am sure if you take aclose look and start to monitor the wayyou think and speak about money, youmay find that it is the mentality of lack

that is keeping you and your familyimpoverished. Yes, it all begins in themind, even the effort it takes toredesign your life. Finding work, going

back to school, finding a new job, build-ing a dream - IT ALL TAKES POSTIVETHOUGHT - FAITH! We need to breakthe cycle of poverty in our homes whichwill then ripple out into our communi-ties and into the society-at-large. Freeyour mind and the rest will follow. Itonly takes a word - YOUR WORD!

Freeing Our Familiesfrom Generational PovertyThe old ball and chain. Money doesn't grow on trees. I'm not made ofmoney. A paycheck away from poverty. From hand to mouth. We can't

afford that. When I win the lotto. I'm just waiting for my ship to come in.Do I look like Rockefeller to you? Do I look like Santa Claus?

By, P.S. Perkins


30/40

1. List nominee name, address, phone number, ax number,e-mail address and number o employees.

2. What has your frm or organization done to develop amulticultural understanding and appreciation in yourcommunity?

3. What has your frm or organization done to develop amulticultural understanding and appreciation in the SanDiego region?

4. How has your frm's commitment to diversity made adierence within your proession or industry?

To nominate a deserving frm (yours included), briey answer theollowing questions on your company letterhead:

N O M I N A T I O N C R I TE R I A

March 29, 200711:30 a.m. -2:00 p.m.

Marriott Hotel & Marina333 W. Harbor Drive, San Diego, Ca. 92101

Submission Deadline: Feb. 23, 2007

5. What programs or other strategies are implemented withinyour own workplace to recognize or promote diversity?

6. List nominator name, address, phone number and e-mailaddress.

7. List two reerence frms with contact inormation(such as law frm and accounting frm).

8. Mail or e-mail high resolution color logo and one or twocompany or sta photos to one o the addresses below.

2007 Keynote

Speaker

7

To celebrate the multicultural spirit oour region, the San Diego Business JournalsMulticultural Heritage Awards will honorSan Diegos most prestigious frms, largeand small, or their commitment to diversityin their company and community.

Companies can be nominated byollowing the simple instructions below.

Award recipients will receive specialrecognition at the event and in the BusinessJournal. Nominees will also be recognizedin the newspaper.

Presents theMulticultural Heritage

Awards 07

For more information contact Sara Wiese at 858-277-6359, Ext. 3143.Fax nomination information to 858-277-2149, e-mail to [email protected] or mail to

San Diego Business Journal Events Department 4909 Murphy Canyon Road, Suite 200 San Diego, CA 92123.

Co-Sponsored by:

Ruben BarralesPresident & CEOSan Diego Regional

Chamber oCommerce

30 Black History Month



At Raytheon, an inclusive culture is one of the things we believe gives us a competitive advantage. By recognizingthe uniqueness of individuals, empowering employees, and truly valuing their input, our company consistently performs

beyond all expectations. Its a philosophy well always embrace. Its right for people, and its right for business.

A diversity of great technology and solutionsstarts with a diversity of great people

2006 Raytheon Company. All rights reserved. Raytheon is an equal opportunity, affirmative action employer and welcomesa wide diversity of applicants. U.S. citizenship and security clearance may be required. Customer Success Is Our Missionis a registered trademark of Raytheon Company.

Were proud to feature Raytheon employees in

our ads. To join them in a rewarding career, visit

www.rayjobs.com



While traveling throughEurope, Africa and TheMiddle East in the 1980's, I

was simply amazed at how the Greeks built a temple over a Roman one,which in turn had a Greek one on topof it, which in turn had a Roman oneon top of it and so on up to 12 levels.

Photos of statues from the MiddleEast and Africa had been mutilated asthe picture to the right to disguiseAfrican features.

As I traveled the world and

studied different historical accountsof people, I realized the powers incharge of telling the history of multi-ple cultures practiced covering upand distorting history to benefit andadvance their personal world view.

Talk to people about the origin of theword Europe. Have you ever heard ofPrincess Europa? Neither had I until I

began to search more deeply into the his-tory of Blacks throughout the world.

In wonderment, I have witnessed ourBlack History Month celebrations whit-tled down to a few hundred years of

Black contributions from American slav-ery to the present. This is not enough tohonor the legacy of a people incrediblysignificant to world history.So, why focus on the past? Why is itimportant?

Black people must understand whothey are in order to move forward.

Hate kills the hater. Those who hateus, never win, until we hate them, thatis when we destroy ourselves, saidRichard Nixon during his impeach-ment.

Some Black people are consumed

with hatred. It results in us killing our-selves. It results in our families beingdestroyed. It results in the proliferationof shame. Shame is the driving emotion

behind an out of control chemicaladdiction rate. A large portion of the

Black populationis incarcerated bya judicial systemthat treats the ill-ness of addictionas a penal issueinstead of a med-ical one.

The civilrights movementwas stopped bythe introductionof drugs into ourneighborhoods.

Now, drug usehas spread widelyto rural areas with

gang violence, the destruction of fami-lies and prisons bursting at the seamswith people who should be in treat-ment.

Many

diversity works black history month 2007

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