Dear Friends,

With only five months remaining until the release of Black Faces in White Places, this month we reflect on the Five Major Eras of African American History, leading to the present to which many refer as the “Age of Obama”:

1. Slavery and the Civil War Era (Circa 1619-1865) - Africans did not come to North America; they were brought to North America against their will, in order to satisfy the need for labor in several rapidly growing colonies. While the Civil War to end slavery ensued in 1861, and the Emancipation Proclamation that freed enslaved Africans was made official in 1863, the war did not end until 1865.

2. Reconstruction Era (Circa 1865-1896) - In the post-war, post-slavery South, a series of laws were enacted to deny Blacks' basic activities and fundamental freedoms.

3. Jim Crow Era (Circa 1896-1954) - During the post-Reconstruction era, a new series of laws – known as "separate but equal" - were passed to segregate Blacks from whites.  The landmark legal case that governed this era was Plessy v. Ferguson.

4. Civil Rights Era (Circa 1954-1968) - This era was spawned by the passing of Brown v. Board of Education in 1954, which reversed Plessy v. Ferguson; the brutal murder of Emmett Till in 1955 by two southerners who were later acquitted; and, ultimately, Rosa Parks refusal to give her seat on a bus in 1955.  The Civil Rights Movement was led by a young pastor, Martin Luther King, Jr., until his assassination in 1968.

5. Post-Civil Rights Era (Circa 1968-Present) - Despite the rise of successful entrepreneurs such as Cathy Hughes and David Steward, and successful corporate executives such as Don Thompson and Deborah Elam, and successful public officials such as President Barack Obama and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, there are still very few "Black Faces in White Places."

Today, we live in an era where African Americans have made tremendous progress, but there is still tremendous work to be done.  As we reflect on the past 500 years – from the slave house to the White House – in this month’s newsletter we profile another Black Faces interviewee, Cory Booker, who was recently elected Mayor of the City of Newark, NJ, for a second term. He, a fellow Rhodes Scholar, has led a concerted effort to strengthen Newark, NJ, where my business, BCT Partners, is headquartered. Finally, we pay tribute to the late Dorothy Height, matriarch of the civil rights movement and “game-changer” for us all.

Peace and blessings,

Randal