How to Succeed in Business Without Being White by Earl G. Graves

Together, they raised three sons, Earl Jr., Johnny and Michael, and were blessed with eight grandchildren.īLACK ENTERPRISE’s legacy lives on now through his son Black Enterprise CEO Earl “Butch” Graves Jr. Graves was also known for his dedication to family, and especially to his wife Barbara Kydd Graves, who passed away in 2012. Graves was also a tireless champion of major corporations doing business with black-owned companies. One of the few African Americans to serve on the boards of major corporations such as American Airlines, Daimler Chrysler, Rohm & Hass and Federated Department Stores (Macy’s), he was a staunch advocate for African American inclusion in the C-Suite and corporate governance. Graves’ influence and reach also extended into the mainstream of corporate America. At one point, Graves would operate two companies on the list, including Pepsi-Cola of Washington, DC, one of the nation’s largest soft-drink distributors owned by African Americans.

As such, Black Enterprise was one of two companies that would appear on the BE 100s-the publication’s annual rankings of the nation’s largest black-owned businesses-each of its 47 years. Driven by that mission, Graves became a trailblazing entrepreneur in his own right, building BLACK ENTERPRISE from a single-magazine publishing company 50 years ago, to a diversified multimedia business spreading the message of financial empowerment to more than 6 million African Americans through print, digital, broadcast and live-event platforms.

How to Succeed in Business Without Being White by Earl G. Graves