Speaker and Special
Honoree |
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Rev. Dr. Charles Gilchrist Adams
The
minister of Hartford Memorial Baptist Church, Detroit, MI
is a preacher’s preacher. He is a graduate
of the University of Michigan and Harvard Divinity School.
Adams accompanied President Clinton to witness the signing
of Peace Treaty between Jordan and Israel; he actively
brought business to struggling Dearborn and served on the
Central Committee of the World Council of Churches. He
is the first William and Lucille McPherson Professor of
Practice of Ethics and Ministry at Harvard University Divinity
School. Adams is the recipient of 10 honorary doctorates
and named by Ebony Magazine as one of America’s 15
greatest black preachers and one of America’s 100
most influential African Americans. |
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Inductees |
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Mr. Kent Amos
Succeeding
first as the youngest corporate director in Xerox history,
Amos turned his skills to helping at-risk children and founded
the Urban Family Institute in Washington, DC. In
1994 he founded Kids House and later the Community Academy
Public Charter School, a nationally recognized charter school. |
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Mr. Bill Duffy
With over 20 years of experience representing professional
athletes, he is one of the most successful and respected agents
in professional sports. In 1998 he founded BDA Sports Management,
a full service firm focused on providing NBA athletes quality
career management and the tools and services necessary to enhance
personal growth and achievement. He is one of the first agents
to place American athletes in Europe and bring Europeans to the
NBA. Duffy was named the "Agent of the Year" in 1998
and 2001 by the Black Sports Agents Association and listed as
#20 on Sports Illustrated 2003 101 Most Influential Minorities
in Sports. His firm represents over 40 NBA & WNBA players
including: Carmelo Anthony, Yao Ming, Steve Nash, Greg Oden and
Diana Taurasi. |
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Mr. Phillip Emeagwali
Born
in Nigeria, this computer genius studied for his doctorate
from the University of Michigan. He is best known for
linking 65,000 computers to form the fastest computer on
Earth and founding the Internet. Emeagwali considers
himself to be “a Black scientist with a social responsibility
to communicate science to the Black Diaspora.” |
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Mr. William
R. “Billy” Martin
A
high profile attorney with the Atlanta-based legal firm Sutherland
Asbill & Brennan, Martin is a partner in the Litigation
Group and heads the White Collar Criminal Defense Practice. Notable
clients include NBA starts Allen Iverson and Jayson Williams,
former Atlanta mayor Bill Campbell and Michael Vick. |
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Mr. Raymond McGuire
As
co-head of Global Investment Banking for Citi, manages the
strategic coverage of global industries and clients and executes
strategic transactions. In 2006, Black Enterprise
Magazine identified McGuire as “one of the most powerful
Blacks on Wall Street.” |
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Mr. R. Donahue Peebles
Recognized
as one of the most successful entrepreneurs in the nation,
R. Donahue Peebles is the chairman and chief executive officer
of the country’s largest African
American real estate firm. Peebles is a nationally
known speaker for business and professional organizations
and a role model for aspiring entrepreneurs. |
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The Honorable Congressman Charles B. Rangel
For
19 terms, Congressman Rangel represents the 15th Congressional
District in New York. He is Chairman of the Committee
on Ways and Means and is the principal author of the $5 billion
Empowerment Zone demonstration project. Rangel is a
crusader for jobs for underprivileged youth, veterans and
ex-offenders and passionate about resolving the nation’s
continuing drug abuse issues. |
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Mr. Michael V. Roberts, J.D.
From humble roots in St. Louis, Michael V. Roberts has amassed
a diverse, multi-million dollar empire to encompass a global
portfolio of hotels, real estate, media, aviation, construction
and hotel management companies, to name a few. Recognized
as one of the most successful African-American entrepreneurs,
Roberts is a preeminent innovator and leader in business
and humanitarian efforts. He is the first and only African-American
member of International Council of Shopping Centers Board
of Trustees (ICSC), Chairman of the National Association
of Black Hotel Owners, Operators & Developers (NABHOOD)
and the recent recipient of the prestigious, Ernst & Young
Entrepreneur of the Year Award in the “Emerging Business” category
(2007). Roberts is a lifetime member of the NAACP and Kappa
Alpha Psi. |
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Mr. Blair Underwood
Actor in One Live to Live, Sex and the City and Law & Order:
Special Victims Unit. Underwood co-founded Artists
for a New South Africa, a non-profit organization dedicated
to democracy and equality in South Africa.Currently he
is editor of Before I Got Here for children. |
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Mr. Keith Wyche
As President
of Pitney Bowes, Inc North American Operation Management
Services, Wyche leads 8000 employees in client sites across
the U.S. In 2007 he was named as one of
the “Top 50 under 50 African American Executives” by
Diversity MBA Magazine. |
