It is hard to believe we are half way through the month of January, and half way through the first decade of the 21st century, but here we are.  If the holiday rush prevented you from taking time to reflect upon your life’s mission and purpose, now is an excellent time to do so.

As I begin to look forward, I find my gaze still clouded by the tremendous devastation that resulted from the tsunami that swept across the Indian Ocean.

My prayers go out to those who lost loved ones, and to those who survived but are now in need of medical attention, food, clothing and shelter.  My prayers also extend to those who are providing humanitarian aid and are assisting in the clean up.

While the scale of the catastrophe exceeds human comprehension, the outpouring of aid and support by the world community has provided a much needed sense of hope and reassurance.

Some experts estimate that it will take a decade or more for the regions affected by the tsunami to recover fully.

Whenever catastrophic events occur, recovery takes time and the persistent application of resources.  This reality applies not only to physical recoveries, but also to social and emotional recoveries as well.

As our nation pauses to celebrate the words, achievements and aspirations of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., it is important to put those words, achievements and aspirations into proper context.  We celebrate Dr. King’s legacy not because he was a great orator or a nice man with great ideals.  We celebrate Dr. King because he played a decisive role in helping our nation to emerge from the devastation brought on by the twin-tsunamis that were slavery and segregation.

Although our nation has made significant progress in becoming a more inclusive society since the death of Dr. King, we continue to be a nation in recovery.  I realize that this might be a difficult notion for some to accept, but if one looks objectively at the lingering disparities between African Americans and White Americans, and between African Americans and subsequent immigrant populations, one can link many of the disparities to America’s dark and extensive history of slavery, segregation and discrimination.

Many Americans would prefer to simply forget the past.  “What’s done is done,” they say as they urge individuals and institutions affected by past discrimination to “get over it and move on.” They believe it is possible for the survivors of America’s social tsunamis to engage society as though the tsunamis never happened.  Despite such wishes, the devastation brought on by any tsunami, whether physical or social, is not easily forgotten or erased.

As we celebrate Dr. King’s life, one must recognize that the scars resulting from slavery, segregation and discrimination echo deep cuts that penetrated the flesh and extended into the muscle, sinew and bone of American society.  Even today, the legacies of slavery and discrimination continue to mar the physical and psychological contour of our national landscape and the integrity of our ideals.

Last November, an article appearing in the business section of the Chicago Tribune stated that local firms were “sluggish in attracting minority execs.” The article highlighted a study conducted by Chicago United, an organization committed to racial reconciliation, in which researchers found that major Chicago businesses lagged behind their national counterparts in attracting minority executives.  The study pointed to examples of New York-based companies that had achieved impressive results in bringing diversity to their most senior ranks. The study noted that African-Americans now head up American Express Co., Merrill Lynch & Co. and Time Warner Inc., and that minorities now hold 22 percent of the director positions at the 50 companies recognized by Fortune magazine as the nation’s best firms for minorities.

While such achievements reflect significant progress towards Dr. King’s dream, the lagging performance of Chicago area firms is but one small example of the work that remains.

Fortunately, in 2005, we have much more to celebrate than to lament.  Many companies recognize the value of developing minority candidates for leadership positions and for significant procurement opportunities.  In fact, eleven days after the Tribune featured its story on Chicago area firms, the newspaper published an article on Kmart’s historic purchase of Sears.  The individual overseeing the acquisition is Aylwin Lewis, CEO of Kmart Holding Corporation.  Lewis is an African American, and a first-time CEO with no previous merchandising experience.

On first blush, one might question Lewis’ qualifications to oversee such as dramatic undertaking, but Lewis comes to the position with impressive management experience and enormous ability.  He is a 26-year veteran of the fast-food industry, and during his tenure there, he distinguished himself as an effective leader.

Lewis’ story is significant because it shows the incredible outcomes that are achievable when individuals and companies open their doors to human potential, and not just pedigrees, as Dr. King urged.

According to the Tribune article, Lewis had planned to pursue a career in education, but because he needed money to pay for school, he took a management-training job at Jack in the Box.   It was there that Lewis fell in love with the notion of serving customers.

The fast-food industry has a special reputation and relationship with emerging communities because it provides individuals who are willing to work hard with passports to the American dream.

If it were not for corporate programs that develop those who aspire to advance, we might not know of Aylwin Lewis, and the retail industry might not see the benefits of his unique talents and abilities.

From Lewis' experience, we understand that the key to increasing the pools of minority candidates available for positions in any field requires the seeding and development of promising talent. Companies that wish to increase the diversity of their boards must be willing to consider capable individuals who, like Lewis, might not fit traditional profiles for such positions. Likewise, companies that want to have significant and sustainable supplier diversity programs must be willing to contribute to the development of their diverse suppliers.  The two go hand-in-hand.

The dream of Dr. King will never be fully realized without the shared commitment of those that aspire to achieve more and those that have been endowed with abundant provision and have it within their means to open the doors of opportunity.

In 2005, diversityinbusiness.com will celebrate those individuals and organizations that contribute to the development of emerging individuals and institutions.

I hope you will join us as we explore this exciting chapter of American business.

I also wish all of you the very best in the New Year.

Dan Perkins