Fall Issue
AALI Hosts Breakfast and Roundtable
African-American Leadership Initiative (AALI) recently held a Leaders Breakfast and
Roundtable Discussion attended by more than 100 managers from diverse business
sectors. The event informed attendees on the education achievement gap in the
African-American community. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina and
Mechanics and Farmers Bank sponsored the breakfast held at the Radisson RTP.
“Black completion rate for high school is 84 percent compared to 92 percent completion rate for whites,” said Evelyn Booker. “Consider that 95 percent of the positions available at Capitol Broadcasting Company require a college degree and you begin to understand the impact on our business.” Booker volunteers with YMCA’s Black Achievers Program as one way to give back and help youth understand the value of continuing their education.
Chief Clarence F. Birkhead of the Town of Hillsborough echoed Booker’s remarks when he said, “Police work is different today than it was year’s ago, 95 percent of law enforcement jobs require a high school diploma and many require a college degree.”
Roundtable panelists included:
- Kim Saunders, CEO, Mechanics & Farmers Bank
- Clarence F. Birkhead, Chief of Police, Town of Hillsborough
- Bruce Bunyan, Vice President, Corporate Communications and Public Policy, Talecris Biotherapeutics
- Evelyn Booker, General Sales Manager, Fox 50
- Gwynn Swinson, Special Assistant to the CEO, Duke Raleigh Hospital
- Craig Chancellor, President and CEO, Triangle United Way
- June Costa, Vice President for Institutional Advancement, Shaw
University
Gayle Hurd, Event planner/Talent, Ballen Media and past president for the Triangle Association of Black Journalists, moderated the lively panel
discussion. Jasmine and Queron Smith, AALI co-chairs, recognized past volunteer c0-chairpersons, announced a goal of 60 new members, and
encouraged guests to join AALI.