This hour-long, one-on-one interview program provides a historical look into the life of legendary publisher and business icon, Earl Graves, Sr., founder of Black Enterprise Magazine. Taped in Chicago, Illinois in front of a live audience, Earl Graves was interviewed by civil rights activist and politician Julian Bond.  

Publisher and business leader Earl Graves has done more to change the landscape of the African American business community than anyone in the United States. In the late 1960s, when African Americans were starting to enter corporate America, Graves decided to start a newsletter. The idea for a newsletter quickly grew into Black Enterprise Magazine. Since launching the business publication in 1970, Graves has helped to foster the growth of a vibrant African American business community. Today, Black Enterprise is a multimedia company with properties in television, radio, events, digital media and the Web. The author of the New York Times best-seller How to Succeed in Business Without Being White, Graves is the recipient of more than 60 honorary degrees from colleges and universities nationwide and abroad, and countless awards for his business success and civic contributions.

Through the use of film footage and images, An Evening With Earl Graves provides a rare look into the wonderful life and legacy of this publishing giant.

The HistoryMakers would like to thank its staff, Earl Graves, his staff, all our volunteers and corporate sponsors for making An Evening With Earl Graves, one of the organization’s most successful fundraisers!

The HistoryMakers staff has created a finding aid for this event. View/Download below: 

Finding Aid To An Evening With Earl Graves.pdf

Earl Graves, Sr.
 
Publisher and business leader Earl Graves has done more to change the landscape of the African American business community than anyone in the United States. In the late 1960s, when African Americans were starting to enter corporate America, Graves decided to start a newsletter. The idea for a newsletter quickly grew into Black Enterprise Magazine. Since launching the business publication in 1970, Graves has helped to foster the growth of a vibrant African American business community. Today, Black Enterprise is a multimedia company with properties in television, radio, events, digital media and the Web. In 1999, Graves was awarded the 84th NAACP Spingarn Medal, the highest achievement award for African Americans. Also, Graves was immortalized in wax when ExxonMobil commissioned a likeness of him to be exhibited in the National Great Blacks in Wax Museum in Baltimore, Maryland. In August 2006, he received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) for his contributions to the field of journalism and the publishing industry. 

Julian Bond
Civil rights activist and politician Julian Bond was born on January 14, 1940, in Nashville, Tennessee. In 1960, Bond was one of several hundred students who helped form the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC). In 1965, he was elected to the Georgia House of Representatives but was barred from taking his seat until December 1966 when the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in his favor and he served four terms as a state representative and six terms in the Georgia State Senate. Bond hosted America’s Black Forum for many years. Bond continues his tradition of activism as Chairman of the NAACP. He is also a distinguished scholar in residence at American University and a faculty member at the University of Virginia.

 Executive Producer

Associate Producer 

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Honorary Co-Chairs 

Co-Chairs

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Benefit Committee