No entrepreneur can remain in business or grow an operation without a steady and supportive clientele. I am no exception, and I am so appreciative of the partnership I have had with Amtrak for many years. When I started the Multicultural Symposium Series in 2008 Amtrak was there to back me. Despite a very turbulent economy, federal government shutdowns, business failures, slowdowns and reorganizations, companies like Amtrak have found a way to support my business when I could have papered my walls with the NO’s I received from other organizations.
The beauty of my relationship with Amtrak is that it has lasted through three sets of decision makers! Enter Mike Esposito, who inherited his company’s commitment to minority business development and continues partner with me and The Multicultural Symposium Series. We will learn more about Amtrak’s commitment to diversity when he delivers a compelling Roundtable presentation during the November 6th Multicultural Conference. State Street Corporation is the LEAD SPONSOR of the Multicultural Symposium Series. In his 34 year career with Amtrak, Mike Esposito has attained extensive knowledge and experience in various areas within the Amtrak organization. He is currently the Manager of Sales and Marketing for Amtrak New England. Mike received a Bachelor of Science Degree from the University of New Haven and majored in Hotel Restaurant Management, Tourism and Travel. We hope that YOU will attend this upcoming conference. It will be held at the University of Massachusetts - Boston Campus on Thursday November 6, 2014 from 8am to 3pm. Tickets are only $99, which includes a 12 month membership in the Multicultural Symposium Series. Click Here to register for the Multicultural Conference. Click Here to learn more about the Multicultural Conference. For further information contact Carole Copeland Thomas at 508 947-5755 or email carole@mssconnect.com
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Ebola. The very word scares us all. With thousands dead in West Africa and the recent death of Thomas Duncan in Texas who then infected two staff nurses at the hospital where he was being treated, what should we know about Ebola? And how can we prepare for new cases or other transmittable diseases that frighten us to death?
Rev. Dr. Gloria Cater to the rescue. Veteran nurse. Retired college Dean. Minister to those in need. Dr. Cater will be a Roundtable Presenter at the November 6th Multicultural Conference at UMass Boston. She’ll be on hand to detail the timeline of Ebola, while addressing its impact for a healthcare perspective. It’s a session you won’t want to miss. State Street Corporation is the LEAD SPONSOR of the Multicultural Symposium Series. Gloria Harris Cater, PhD, RN, FNP-BC,’10 was the first African-American graduate of the PhD Program at University of Massachusetts Boston. She is the Dean Emerita of the Health Science Division at Roxbury Community College. Her research interests are Faith Community Nursing and its Impact on chronic disease in the African American community, and the retention of African American nursing students. She is an ordained minister in the African Methodist Episcopal Church and serves as the Minister for Health and Wellness at Charles St. A.M.E. Church in Roxbury. She is a member of the New England Regional Black Nurses Association and the Faith Based Cancer Disparities Network at Dana Farber Cancer Institute. She is also a Consultant to the Dotson Program at the Simmons College School of Nursing. We hope that YOU will attend this upcoming conference. It will be held at the University of Massachusetts - Boston Campus on Thursday November 6, 2014 from 8am to 3pm. Tickets are only $99, which includes a 12 month membership in the Multicultural Symposium Series. Click Here to register for the Multicultural Conference. Click Here to learn more about the Multicultural Conference. For further information contact Carole Copeland Thomas at 508 947-5755 or email carole@mssconnect.com The Latin American community has every right to be proud of Jesus Lopez Cervantes, CFA and the contributions he is making to our society. He is a successful executive at State Street Corporation and serves on the leadership team of the Latin American Professionals Group (LAPG) at State Street.
Jesus will share his insights and best practices of LAPG at the November 6th Multicultural Conference at UMass Boston. And as a native of Mexico, Jesus will share with us the importance and significance of first and last names in the Mexican culture. State Street Corporation is the LEAD SPONSOR of the Multicultural Symposium Series. Jesus Lopez Cervantes is an assistant vice president for State Street Corporation. In this capacity, he oversees over $600 million in IT allocations across business units. Mr. Lopez is also a member of State Street’s Latin American Professionals Group’s steering committee. Prior to joining State Street in 2011, Mr. Lopez was manager, financial analysis for the Boston Options Exchange, an all-electronic equity options market that is jointly owned by the TMX Group and seven broker dealers. Before that, he was a senior financial/systems analyst for the Boston Stock Exchange. Mr. Lopez holds his Master of Science in Finance from Suffolk University, and a Bachelor of Business Administration, Finance from the Universidad Autonoma de San Luis Potosi, Mexico. He also earned the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation and is a member of the CFA Institute and the Boston Security Analysts Society. We hope that YOU will attend this upcoming conference. It will be held at the University of Massachusetts - Boston Campus on Thursday November 6, 2014 from 8am to 3pm. Tickets are only $99, which includes a 12 month membership in the Multicultural Symposium Series. Click Here to register for the Multicultural Conference. Click Here to learn more about the Multicultural Conference. For further information contact Carole Copeland Thomas at 508 947-5755 or email carole@mssconnect.com The Multicultural Symposium Series is pleased to announce its Luncheon Keynote Speaker at the upcoming November 6th Multicultural Conference. Newly appointed Chief of Education for the City of Boston Rahn Dorsey will deliver an exciting message that will present his vision of global diversity and education for the region. Rahn served in the non profit community for many years before Mayor Martin J. Walsh appointed him for this newly created position. Prior to joining the Mayor's Cabinet, Dorsey served as the Evaluation Director for the Barr Foundation. A native of Detroit, Michigan, Dorsey has his pulse on the issues in greater Boston and will use his strategic background to serve as an important liaison across all educational platforms in Boston. We hope that YOU will attend this upcoming conference. It will be held at the University of Massachusetts - Boston Campus on Thursday November 6, 2014 from 8am to 3pm. Tickets are only $99, which includes a 12 month membership in the Multicultural Symposium Series. Click Here to register for the Multicultural Conference. Click Here to learn more about the Multicultural Conference. For further information contact Carole Copeland Thomas at 508 947-5755 or email carole@mssconnect.com ### Mayor Walsh announces Cabinet-level Chief of EducationFor Immediate Release
September 03, 2014 Released By: City of Boston For More Information Contact: Mayor's Press Office BOSTON—Today, Mayor Martin J. Walsh announced that he will appoint Rahn Dorsey his Chief of Education for the City of Boston. The newly-created position is reflective of Mayor Walsh’s campaign promise to implement a long-term strategy based on equity, access, accountability, transparency, and collaboration among all educational platforms in the City of Boston. “Boston is a city deeply rooted in education, and to create groundbreaking, innovative milestones in this world, we have to start making significant changes in the way we focus on education across the board,” said Mayor Martin J. Walsh. “Rahn Dorsey will be an exceptional addition to my cabinet. He shares my vision for this position creating a bridge between City Hall and all facets of education, from colleges and universities, to BPS, to parochial and private schools, to adult continuing education.” “In his five-plus years with the Barr Foundation, Rahn has made significant contributions to our education work, always keeping us grounded in the needs of students and families and helping us build relationships with countless partners across the city to improve educational outcomes,” said James E. Canales, President of the Barr Foundation. “The City of Boston will be the fortunate beneficiary of his considerable skills and thoughtfulness, and we look forward to a new phase of partnership with Rahn in this new leadership role for Boston.” As the Chief of Education, Dorsey will be responsible for Boston’s education landscape and tasked with crafting and executing an education agenda for the City. From early childhood education, to kindergarten, to junior high, to higher learning institutions, to educations for seniors, Dorsey will implementthe Mayor’s vision for academic excellence across the City — including nontraditional and traditional practices. Since 2009, Rahn Dorsey served at the Barr Foundation as Evaluation Director, leading development and implementation of data monitoring and evaluation frameworks for Barr’s investments. Prior to Barr, Rahn gained over 15 years of experience as a program evaluator and researcher with Moore and Associates and Abt Associates. During these years, his work spanned public policy, education, community change, and public health issues. Dorsey currently sits on several Boston and New England boards and community organizations such as: The Black Philanthropy Fund, Boston Afterschool and Beyond, Third Sector New England, Bethel A.M.E. Church, The Boston School Quality Working Group, and Project Hip Hop. ### by Carole Copeland Thomas, MBA, CDMP Last week I had the privilege of working with seven remarkable young teenagers who participated in a FREE week long workshop called JSHOP. Sponsored by the National Association of Black Journalists. JSHOP transformed these students from curious young adults to working journalists in five short days.
The vision of veteran journalist Russell Lacour JSHOP is in its fifth year, with a goal of bringing out the best in student critical thinking. The NABJ JSHOP is an opportunity for high school students all over the country to experience a hands-on journalism workshop in conjunction with the NABJ national conference. Held in Boston between the Hynes Convention Center and Boston University the students crafted story ideas, were given deadlines and covered key events during the 39th Annual Convention of the National Association of Black Journalists. At the end of an intense week, the students completed a newsletter and several video clips featuring their personal profiles and the convention's Town Hall meeting. I congratulate Russell and his team of seven faculty members, the parents who encouraged their children to participate and the students themselves who worked long hours to complete their assignments. No one dropped out of the program. Every student graduated! It was indeed a joyous opportunity to shape the lives of student power in action. Visit their website and read the student articles and learn more about JSHOP: www.highschool.nabjconvention.org To learn more aobut the National Association of Black Journalists visit: www.nabj.org ====================== Your comments are welcome. From Left to Right: Atty Tanisha Sullivan (Moderator), Atty Juan Concepcion, Carole and Melanie Brennard Mueller
by Carole Copeland Thomas I had a wonderful time serving as a panelist at this weekend's Educator of Color Leadership Conference at the UP Academy in Boston. Nealy 200 educators attended this second annual conference and my session was titled: "Leveraging Best Practices for Diversity and Inclusion In the Workplace." Below is my presentation and my thoughts on why educators matter in the diversity equation. Enjoy. By Carole Copeland Thomas
Necessity Is The Mother Of Invention. Black people have always been inventive, creative and industrious. Go on any African street corner today and you’ll find talented entrepreneurs selling, making and distributing their wares. That talent was expanded as Blacks were exported, sold and enslaved to distant shores. This industriousness continued in America where discrimination, slavery and Jim Crow never stomped out the willpower of Black people to create businesses. Fast forward to today’s Black economic trail and we celebrated several entrepreneurs at the February 11th Black History Breakfast held at the University of Massachusetts Boston Campus. Two of them share the stage as a powerful husband and wife team and owners of separate businesses. Today we recognize the accomplishments of Patricia Bonner DuVal and John Aki Duval. Patricia Bonner-DuVal is a community activist who has dedicated her life to opening doors of opportunity for Boston’s vulnerable populations of youth, women of color and the elderly. She is the president of Bonner Enterprises a fundraising firm, with a track record of raising an average of $2 million every year since the firm was launched in 1999. She also serves as an adjunct professor at Tufts University in Medford. Patricia has a Bachelor of Science degree from Lincoln University and a Master in Education from Harvard University. She has received 16 community service awards from the State, City and several non-profit organizations. Patricia serves as a member of the Grimes-King Foundation’s Board of Directors and Trustee of the Josephine B. Dial Trust. She is married to John Aki DuVal and has two adult daughters. John Aki DuVal and his sister Beth Deare launched JAD Fine Upholstery Company in 1990. Serving residents of the Greater Boston area JAD Fine Upholstery soon became the place to go for the very best craftsmanship available in the market place for exceptional upholstery of all types of furniture in Marine, Residential and Commercial environments. After the passing of Beth Deare, John Aki DuVal sustained the excellence of the firm’s work as the President and Director of Operations for the firm since its inception. If your desire is to have the furniture you own repaired to its original form, or if you are ready to step out into the world of custom goods made specifically for you with the care, please give us a call and see for yourself why the JAD difference can`t be beat for quality and price. ===================== Your Comments Are Welcome Necessity Is The Mother Of Invention.
Black people have always been inventive, creative and industrious. Go on any African street corner today and you’ll find talented entrepreneurs selling, making and distributing their wares. That talent was expanded as Blacks were exported, sold and enslaved to distant shores. This industriousness continued in America where discrimination, slavery and Jim Crow never stomped out the willpower of Black people to create businesses. At the February 11th Black History Breakfast we’ll examine that Black economic trail and why Elizabeth Keckley, Elijah McCoy and Madame CJ Walker were the forerunners to Wilson Copeland, Pat Bonner DuVal, John Aki DuVal, Ron Walker, Leonard Egerton and Clarrissa Cropper. We salute these entrepreneurs past and present and learn more about the February 11th Black History Breakfast that pays tribute to Black Entrepreneurs everywhere. Today we profile our Breakfast keynote speaker, Beth Williams, President and CEO of Roxbury Technology. She owns the largest African American female owned business in Boston and routinely gives back to the community. You'll hear an inspirational message by attending this upcoming power-packed event. (Click Here To Learn More About The Breakfast) Elizabeth (Beth) Williams President & CEO, Roxbury Technology Corporation Beth Williams is the President and CEO of Roxbury Technology LLC (RTC), a Boston based remanufacturer of sustainable and environmentally friendly, imaging supplies, products, services and solutions. After graduating from Brown University, Beth began her career working as a Production Control Manager in one of her father’s earlier companies, Freedom Electronics. After 3 years of training and guidance from her father, she decided to expand her practical knowledge and experience inside a major corporation. Beth joined Raytheon Company’s Missile Systems division as a sub‐contract administrator and small minority business liaison officer. After 5 years at Raytheon and a desire to move into a more impactful role serving as a conduit for women and minority entrepreneurs and large corporations, she left Raytheon to join Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts procurement team and soon thereafter became the Director of Business Diversity for BCBSMA. Then, upon her father’s sudden death in 2002, Beth left Blue Cross Blue Shield to succeed her father as President and CEO of his 8 year old distribution business, Roxbury Technology Corporation. Roxbury Technology is a remanufacturer of sustainable printing solutions that are good for the environment, the economy and the customer’s bottom line. More importantly however, is Beth’s commitment to being a socially responsible entrepreneur. She is driven by her social mission and that is to provide good, wage earning jobs to people who are far too often left out of the system. She is strongly committed to providing second chances to not only her products, but to people as well. She has been a long time supporter of CORI reform and more than 15 percent of her work force are ex-offenders, ex-gang members, etc.. Her belief is that “desperate people do desperate things and we all deserve a second chance and unless given an opportunity to change, we only perpetuate a cycle of dysfunction and ultimately a cost to us all. We either pay them or pay for them”. Being driven by that philosophy, in her role as President & CEO, Beth served as the catalyst to RTC’s successful transformation from being solely a distributor of toner cartridges to becoming a manufacturer of toner and ink cartridges, resulting in strong revenue growth and profit portfolios. Today, RTC is a strategic diversity partner of Staples, Inc. and is their preferred supplier of their DPS brand remanufactured toner and ink imaging supplies. RTC has a strong base of direct customers as well; most recently being awarded the m/wbe subcontractor and supplier of imaging supplies to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. RTC is a Green company, committed to job creation and environmental sustainability. As Beth describes it, “We are a social, environmental and economically responsible business. We contribute to the economic sustainability of the city of Boston and to the Commonwealth of MA. We provide over 50 good wage earning jobs, with a set percentage of our hiring targeted towards individuals with a CORI. We are a committed to creating remanufactured and recycled products, equal to, if not better than their OEM counterparts, while providing a cost effective solutions to our customers that make a difference while helping their bottom lines.” Among Beth’s many achievements and awards, some highlights include being awarded one of American Express and WPO 50 fastest growing women business‘s in 2010. In 2011, WBENC’s shining star award; one of the largest and most recognized women business award nationally. The Presidents award from GNEMSDC ; a significant regional minority business award. The Presidents and community leadership award from The Eastern Ma Urban League, and finally the Ernst & Young Social Entrepreneur of the Year for New England.; a prestigious Global business award recognizing her social responsibility. She serves on several business and community boards, including AIM (associated industry of MA), RCC (Roxbury Community College) and NFTE (National Foundation for Teaching Entrepreneurship). She has previously served on the boards of Zoo N.E., The Commonwealth Institute, and CWE (The center for women and enterprise) Yet her greatest pride and accomplishment is her 19 year old son who’s academic and athletic accomplishments far surpass any job, award or recognition she could ever receive. by Carole Copeland Thomas
As we celebrate what would have been Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s 85th birthday, here are my thoughts: Dr. King would marvel at the election and reelection of our first Black president...but would cringe at the racial backlash President Obama has received since being in office. Dr. King would celebrate the 49th Anniversary of the Voting Rights Act...but would cringe at the new voter suppression laws around the country and the countless Americans/African Americans who are too lazy to vote. Dr. King would applaud the numerous business giants in the Black community, but would cringe at the wealth gap between Whites and people of color. Dr. King would want to shake the hand of every educational achiever, but would cringe at the achievement gap among urban youth in the US and beyond. These are four areas of opportunity and concern from a “King” perspective. ............. Below are 10 Useful Websites to help you go AND grow in personal and professional success. ================ 10 Useful Websites www.bbc.com www.census.gov www.religioustolerance.org www.storycorps.org www.whitehouse.gov www.lynda.com www.un.org www.wikipedia.org Black Eyed Peas,
Watch Night, and The Power Of Prayer Dear Family, Valuable Friends, MSS Members, Clients, and Colleagues: From my home to yours, I wish you rich blessings into the New Year. Here is a special article I created about the history of Watch Night Service in the African American community. The tradition predates the importance of the famous 1862 Watch Night Services and originated with the Moravians in Germany many years earlier. However, it is particularly important in the Black Church, with its evolution in the early to mid-1800s. Happy New Year! Carole Copeland Thomas --------------------------- The History Of Watch Night Services In The Black Church by Carole Copeland Thomas With the festivities of Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa now on full display, there is still time to reflect on the ritual of my ancestors and many other African Americans, whose forefathers sat around campfires and wood stoves in the twilight of December 31, 1862. There they sang spirituals acapella, prayed, and thanked the Good Lord for what was about to happen the next day. A Look Back...151 Years Ago Tonight... It was on January 1, 1863 amidst the cannon fire, gun shots, and burnings at the height of the Civil War that President Abraham Lincoln sealed his own fate and signed the Emancipation Proclamation. It begins with the following decree: Whereas on the 22nd day of September, A.D. 1862, a proclamation was issued by the President of the United States, containing, among other things, the following, towit: "That on the first day of January, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, all persons held as slaves within any State or designated part of a State, the people whereof shall then be in rebellion against the United States, shall be then, thenceforward, and forever free; and the Executive Government of the United States, including the military and naval authority thereof, will recognize and maintain the freedom of such persons, and will do no act or acts to repress such persons, or any of them, in any efforts they may make for their actual freedom. "That the Executive will, on the first day of January aforesaid, by proclamation, designate the States and parts of States, if any, in which the people thereof, respectively, shall then be in rebellion against the United States; and the fact that any State, or the people thereof, shall on that day be, in good faith, represented in the Congress of the United States by members chosen thereto at elections wherein a majority of the qualified voters of such State shall have participated, shall, in the absence of strong countervailing testimony, be deemed conclusive evidence that such State, and the people thereof, are not then in rebellion against the United States." CAROLE' S TRANSLATION: Effective January 1, 1863 all slaves in the states in rebellion against the Union are free. Technically that is all that President Lincoln could do at the time. He used his wartime powers as Commander in Chief to liberate the "property" of the states in rebellion of the Union. The act did not free the slaves of the Union or border states (Delaware, Maryland, Kentucky, Missouri, or West Virginia) or any southern state under Union control (like parts of Virginia). It would take the 13th Amendment (that freed all slaves in 1865), the Union Army winning the Civil War (April 9, 1865), and the assassination of President Lincoln (shot on April 14th and died on April 15, 1865) for all of the slaves to be freed. That included the liberation of the slaves in rebellious Texas on June 19, 1865 (Juneteenth Day) and finally the ratification of the 13th Amendment on December 18, 1865, giving all black people freedom and permanently abolishing slavery in the US. So in 1862 on the eve of this great era, the slaves "watched", prayed, and waited. My ancestors, including Bishop Wesley John Gaines of the African Methodist Episcopal Church (AME) and the other four million slaves prayed for divine guidance and an empowered Abraham Lincoln to do the right thing. It is as important today as the tradition of black people eating black eyed peas on New Year's Day for good luck. That is the history of Watch Night in the African American culture. May you and your family enjoy a spirit filled New Year throughout 2014. Thank you for ALL of your support you have given to me and my business throughout 2013. -Carole |
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