Forum/
World's Richest Black Man Has
Traits That Money Could Not Buy
Did you know that the richest Black man working parents as role models. 2. He made
in America ? and probably in the world ? died good grades in elementary and secondary
January 16 in New York City? school, developing good study habits and good
His name is Reginald F. Lew is and his interpersonal relationships. 3. Although he had
personal fortune
is estimated by
conservative
Fortune Maga
zine at $4(X) mil
lion. He was
only .SO years old
and he died of a
cerebral hemor
MINORITY REPORT
BHAMES E. ALSBROOK, Ph.D.
rhage related to
brain cancer. Professionals in finance expected
him eventually to join the exclusive billion
dollar club because of his expertise in manag
ing people and money, acquiring large compa
nies and directing them to greater profit and
value. He graduated from law school only 25
years ago and began investing with $1 million
he saved as a Wall Street lawyer.
Lewis lived in New York but also had a
luxury home in Paris, France, from which he
directed affairs of Beatrice Companies, a pre-'
dominantly European food concern he
acquired by leverage in^1988. -|le learned
French and sometimes ccmducted business in
that language.
He gave millions of dollars to educational
and charitable institutions, including the Har
vard Law College which received $3 million,
its largest gifts ever from an individual. Other
recipients of his millions include Virginia State
University from which he graduated before
going to Harvard, Harlem's Abyssinian Baptist
Church, the scholarship fund of his Kappa
Alpha Psi Fraternity, and various churches and
? shelters for the homeless.
Lewis was born in Baltimore. Md., in
1942. His father was a Post Office worker and
his mother a public school teacher. He did
home chores and carried newspapers when
growing up and preparing for college. Leaving
the Harvard Law School in 1968, he worked at
a Taw firm on Wall Street before establishing
his own venture capital law firm of Lewis and
Clarkson oifly 20 years ago.
Reports indicate that Lewis' life presents
l1fefll'4xcfcllent,t6le, model for today's troubled
Black youth because of several factors: I . He
developed good work habits at home, learning
dependability, diplomacy, and frugality, while
growing up under the tutelage of sturdy, hard
an athletic build along with leadership skills
and was successful in sports competition, he
chose not to try to professionalize these assets
for "quick big bucks" but to concentrate on a
"white collar" career that would last for a life
time. 4. His academic work and personal
behavior were such that he vtas_?(Jmitted to
probably the best law school in the nation. 5.
While at Harvard he continued to broaden his
horizons and interpersonal, persuasive skills,
later using then in something like an "Ivy
League network" of "in " operators who
"know the ropes"" facilitate admired transac
tions and share concepts and confidences
because of school ties or common interests and
experiences. 6. Also while at Harvard, he
learned business law exceptionally well,
broadening his horizons and thinking in terms
of national and international operations not
limited by racial or ethnic considerations. He
was strictly a mainstream lawyer and finance
man. 7. After he had succeeded and was worth
almost a half-billion dollars, he did not aban
don his people or his roots. He did not run
grinning and bowing after rich and powerful
and political white folk as do some Black,
petty politicians. Instead, he counted Jesse
Jackson and his Black Kappa Alpha Psi mem
bers among his friends. With all of his money,
he did not pull a Clarence Pendelton or a
Clarence Thomas on Black people. Instead, he
became a Board member of the NAACP Legal
Defense Fund and a member of several Boards
that research and advise Black Mayor Dinkins
of New York City.
If parents, teachers or leaders want to see
a good role model for Black youth, they should .
stop right now and take a good look at Regi
nald Lewis.
He i^among the very best.
Farewell To Reginald R Lewis
My Fellow Freedom Fighter
business and
i nj e r n a t i o n a 1
entreprencurship.
Reginald F.
Lewis was the
Chairman and
It is indeed difficult to say " Farewell my
brother" to a fellow freedom fighter. Most
appropriately the major national news cover
age concerning the untimely death of Reginald
F. Lewis of January 19. 1993 has focused
exclusively on his
unprecedented
achievements and
accomplishments
in the area of
schools, colleges, research institutions, and to
local organizations that were doing significant
grassroots empowerment work, all of which
helped hundreds of thousands of needy per
sons.
CIVIL RIGHTS JOURNAL
By BENJAMIN F. CHAVIS, JR.
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) ofVhe TLC
Beatrice International, a worldwide food con
glomerate with annual sales in 1991 of more
than a billion dollars.
Reginald Francis Lewis was born in Balti
more, Maryland on December 7, 1942. From
very humble beginnings in Baltimore he rose
through family encouragement, hard work,
academic preparation, and a committed and
disciplined life to the very top of the interna
tional business world.
We first met Mr. Lewis 22 years ago. He
used his Harvard legal training not only for
practicing corporate law, but he also applied
his unique ability to formulate effective strate
gies to help is in the Civil Rights Movement.
Attorney Lewis was one of the counsels for
the Commission for Racial Justice of the
United Church of Christ as we battled the infa
mous political prisoner case down in the state
of North Carolina known as the "Wilming
- ton,N.C. Ten." After nearly a decade of litiga
tion and appeals, we won the case in the Fed
eral Appellate Court.
Reginald F. Lewis was my lawyer and I
became his minister and yet over the years we
became as close as brothers. He exhibited with
his life a principle that he was fond of say
ing,"Do not beg for freedom. Do not beg for
justice. But demand freedom and justice with
kind of economic strength that will ensure the
proper redress."
In addition to being a multi-millionaire.
Mr. Lewis was one of the strongest and most
sharing philanthropist in this nation and
throughout the world. Through Reginald F.
Lewis Foundation. Inc., he gave millions to
As well as being concerned about the
socioeconomic state of the African American
community, Reginald F. Lewis was also com
mitted to helping other people of color com
munities, in particular Latino American, Asian
and Pacific Islander, and Native American.
Very often people who have reached the
top of the economic ladder become arrogant
and socially irresponsible. This brother was
different. As he became wealthy, he never for
got qbput his family, community or his social
responsibility. According to the official obitu
ary, after graduating from Harvard, My Lewis
interned at the Baltimore law firm of Piper &
Marbury and a "partner there recognized his
potential and urged Reginald to 'Go for it big
in New York. It was a move that later put him
on the fast track to greatness."
In 19?2, Lewis established his own law
firm of Lewis and Clarkson on Wall Street. In
1983, he created his own investment
firm.TLC, then just months later he purchased
McCall Pattern Company, In 1987, Lewis pur
chased Beatrice International making him the
wealthiest African American in the world.
Yes, Lewis remained committed to the
freedom struggle at the same time he was
achieving outstanding success in the business
arena. A lesson for young people : "Work
hard, study hard, keep your principles as you
live your life and much success will come."
The reality of racism in this society could not
hold this brother down and our world has been
a better place because he lived.
Long live the memory of Reginald Fran
cis Lewis.
I PONT KNOW ABOUT
YOUR WRENTB, SAM -
THEYPONT SEEM TV
eerm
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TWO LONG MONTHS OF LOYAL
SERVICE TO THIS FAMILY,
ANP WHAT DO I HAVE -
TO SHOW FOR IT? NOTH
ING' NO SAVINGS, MO
PENSION, NO
HEALTH PLAN.
- \
IT'S AS IF 1 PONT EVEN
EXIST. ' ANP ALL BECAUSE
YOUR MOM AND PAP
WANT W AVOfP OW
ING TAXES ON
A SALARY!
WHY PONT SAMEKWA
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THE SILVER- HAVE TOfftY
UJARB * WESONfT.
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rVS JUST AN OUTRAGE, SAM
I'VE BEEN A PROFESSIONAL
NANNY FOR FOUR YEARS
NOW, ANPTM STILL OFF
BOOK! I'VE NEVER BEEN
PUT INTO THE
WITHOUT A SOCJALSECURITY
NUMBER, yOU HAVE NO FAST
ANP YOU HAVE NO FUTURE! TIL
TELL YOU, THIS AU EN BUSINESS
HAS REALLY RAISE? MY
V 1 CONSCIOUSNESS '
LOOK, BOOPS&.I KNQUJyOJ
CANTSM/N6A REAL SALARY,
SO JUST PAY TAX ON MY ROOM
ANP0CARP. WHAT I WANT JS A
pension! the truth is, i cant
STOP WINKJN6 ABOUT TOMORROW '
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THAT'S
RJ6HT.
WHENV
YOUM&
IN Ml MP 2
NEXT SATURDAY.
NOUONPBK
THEREW&&
SOMANYOIP
PEOPIE ...
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