What an era! I recently came across two articles in The New York Times I thought I’d share in light of the inauguration of our first black president.
The first related to Ursula M. Burns who is taking over as CEO of Xerox upon Anne Mulcahy’s retirement. Unique is that this is the first time a female chief executive has replaced another female chief executive at a Fortune 500 company. It is also the first time that an African American woman is running a Fortune 500 company with revenue in excess of $17 billion a year. Truly remarkable at both levels! http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/22/technology/companies/22xerox.html
The second hearken from Philadelphia, Mississippi, which in 1964 witnessed the murder of three civil rights workers by members of the Klu Klux Klan. I’m sure most of us remember the haunting storyline immortalized in Mississippi Burning. Of unique note is that this mostly whiteout central Mississippi town has recently elected its first black American Mayor. Again – extraordinary.
Read both of these articles to get some flavor for their significance. I continue to remain mindful, in suggesting that, how truly momentous have the shifts in the United States become.
Original writing date: May 27, 2009
Article writing dates: May 26, 2009