Local Black Execs Featured In Savoy Magazine

Chicago is the nation's third largest city but one of the top producers of influential Blacks in Corporate America, according to information found in the Spring 2012 issue of Savoy.

American Express Chairman & CEO Kenneth I. Chenault covers the 11th anniversary issue--which profiles people of color in various executive positions at Fortune 500 companies across the country. 

One of the honorees, Don Thompson, made headlines this week by becoming the first African-American CEO of the McDonald's Corporation--which is based in the Chicago suburb of Oak Brook, Illinois. 

But Thompson is not the only person on Savoy's list who is making the Windy City proud. 

Here is a partial list of those with Chicago ties:

Harold Singleton III, 

Pinebridge Investments

- Head of Asset Management Companies and Global Head of Retail and Intermediary Sales

- Bachelor's from Illinois Institute of Technology; MBA from University of Chicago

Rodney Williams

Moet Hennessy USA

- Senior Vice President, Hennessy Brand

- MBA from Northwestern University

Kermit Crawford

Walgreens (Deerfield, IL)

- President of the Pharmacy, Health and Wellness division

Cecilia Carter

Starbucks

-Vice President of Community & Civic Affairs

- B.A. in Psychology, Master's of Management from Northwestern University

Marilyn Booker

Morgan Stanley

- Managing Director

- J.D. from Illinois Institute of Technology-Chicago Kent College of Law

The Spring 2012 issue will available on iPad and iPhone on April 15. 

~ Zack A. Isaacs

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Elderly Chicago Man Shoots Burglar

In a surprising turn of events, an 80 year old man from Englewood shot an intruder in his home and both men ended up getting arrested.

According to the Chicago Tribune, Homer Wright --the homeowner-- was awakened by his wife at 6:30 A.M. Monday morning to learn of someone breaking in.

The offender, Anthony Robinson, was then shot by Mr. Wright.

When police arrived, they charged Mr. Wright with one felony count of unlawful use of a weapon. He was later released on his own recognizance. But Robinson, the uninvited guest, was not so lucky. He was held on $150,000 bond.

Neighbors of Mr. Wright complained to the Tribune about his charges. They feel that he had the right to defend himself. But police saw something different when they checked Wright's background.

He has two prior gun-related convictions, in addition to being convicted of theft in 1990.

While Chicago allows residents to obtain firearm permits, it has not been yet determined if Mr. Wright has received or applied for one.

However, he doesn't own the gun anymore; he surrendered it to detectives.

Now, his family wonders if he'll be able to protect himself should another break-in occur.

~ Zack A. Isaacs

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Young Author Turns New Chapter In Life

Photo Credit: Carlo Rojas

Kyle Chais turned 21 today. 

That's quite an accomplishment given what he has been through. 

He is the author of a new fantasy novel, Nameless, which is about a demon trying to break free of his doomed state. And Chais had some personal demons of his past that appeared to be unconquerable. However, he found a way to use his imagination to free himself  from the limitations of growing up poor. 

As a teenager, Chais spent time in a homeless shelter with his mother. He lived in extreme poverty but found his "ticket" out of poverty without picking up a basketball or a microphone. Instead, he pursued a career at science-fiction writing--a genre with a lack of notable African-American writers.

Now, he's anything but nameless with articles being written about him in The New York Daily News and MSNBC's Afrocentric news site, The Grio. 

But Chais has somebody in his life to remind him that he's still a regular person: his mother.

"My mom will say 'You're not too talented to do the dishes!'," the Medgar Evers College student said.


He's studying social work and psychology as a way of helping at-risk teens one day. And despite a busy schedule, Chais finds time to work on more books including one with a working title of Gagaland. But it's not about the pop star Lady Gaga. Instead, it is a fantasy about breaking the laws of physics.


"Gagaland is a higher realm where you can freely break the laws of physics; 2 plus 2 can equal 5," Chais explains. 


"It's complete nonsense because you can literally make non-sense into sense just like a baby utters 'Goo goo ga ga'." 


After all Chais has overcome, he shouldn't have a hard time helping others make sense out of things formerly thought of as incomprehensible. Keeping with that theme, the young author says that his newest series of books is being made to "defeat Twilight"--referring to the popular book and movie series.


If folks need an example of how to take life's lemons and make lemonade, all they have to do is ask him for the recipe. 


~ Zack A. Isaacs

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New Independent Film Soars Above Expectations

Chicago filmmaker Mark Harris is learning that good things come to those who wait.

His long awaited film, "Black Butterfly", just hit #29 on the Walmart Best Seller's List. 

It is a feat that many peers of Mr. Harris might envy. Breaking into the movie industry as an independent filmmaker can be a formidable task for some. But the 39 year old screenwriter/director/producer managed to pull it off.

"The stunning and unprecedented success of the DVD is proof that there is a large appetite for films featuring great storytelling without using recognizable talent," Harris explained. 

The film stars newcomers Mahogany Monae, Richard Gallion, Keeland Ellis and Lionel Gentle.

The cast, as well as Mr. Harris, will appear at a DVD signing on April 14, 2012 inside Blockbuster Video (1303 N. Milwaukee Ave.)

For more information, visit the Facebook page for A Mark Harris Piece. 

~ Zack A. Isaacs

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Chicago's Black Republicans Part 1

For many in Chicago, the term "Black Republican" sounds like an oxymoron. Since the 1930s, blacks in Chicago have aligned themselves with the Democratic Party to gain political power. But the number of blacks identifying with a conservative set of values is growing. As the election season gets underway, the Republican party is looking at new strategies to attract black voters.

Last weekend, 2CN's production team came to NetUp Cafe (528 E. 43rd St) in Bronzeville to interview two men who have become recognizable black faces for  the GOP in Chicago: Lenny McAllister and Rev. Isaac Hayes. 

In the first segment, 2CN spoke with Lenny McAllister about whether conservative values can help cure the social ills within the city. The Pittsburgh native spoke candidly about the power of language, the state of the school system and how Chicago's black political reputation is in dire straits. 

McAllister, 40, is the host of "Get Right With Lenny McAllister"-- an online talk show airing on LMGI Live daily. He is a dominant African-American voice for the conservative agenda appearing weekly on CNN as a political contributor, as well as blogging for Politic365.com. 

He told 2CN's Tanue David about the negative impact of using the N-word to market popular songs such as the chart topping "N***as in Paris" featuring Jay-Z and Kanye West.

"It's unfortunate that two multi-millionaires can be outside of the conditions that we see on the South and West sides of Chicago are going to perpetuate [negative stereotypes] and call that a bond." 

As a mentor to young black males, McAllister works to improve those same societal conditions by setting a positive example for them. He gives them advice and has even put his job on the line while attempting to save one of theirs. In July 2011, he "parted ways" with his former hosting gig at WVON-AM after requesting that listeners boycott a McDonald's franchise owned by one of the station's sponsors.

One year later, McAllister is still expressing his strong opinions in a variety of media outlets while promoting the conservative agenda. 

He warns parents to be mindful of images exposed to their children. In turn, they are expected to see his point that conservative values are more universal than limited to just one political party. 

"We have to get to a point where we elevate the standard and have a different type of dialogue with one another," McAllister pleaded. 

As next Tuesday's Illinois primary approaches, McAllister will be using his voice and community influence to do just that. 

* * * * 

In Part 2 tomorrow, Rev. Isaac Hayes speaks about how he changed party affiliations and whether or not there should be a separation of church and state.

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Chicago Man Stops Crime With His Feet

As Minister Rahim Aton stood outside of currency exchanges on the city's South Side last Friday, he made customers feel more comfortable about going inside.

He is the founder of the We Care Coalition which  recently created this initiative to ensure that the elderly and disabled can avoid robbery while going to cash their checks. Members of the group stand guard out front while customers make transactions and watch for potential muggers. Without this program in place, the men working foot patrol feel that more people would be in harm's way. 

Across the city, citizens have been experiencing more harm than good in some unsuspecting areas.

On Wednesday, the Chicago police issued a community alert informing residents of Hyde Park, Bronzeville, and Washington Park about people being forcibly robbed while walking down the street or near their vehicles.

According to WBBM's Bernie Tafoya, the alert featured mentions of incidents which occurred early morning, late afternoon and early evening. In addition,  police have not received consisent descriptions about the robbers and there is no one currently in custody. 

Aton believes that the We Care Coalition's foot patrol could help reduce robberies across the city. But he says that it is hard to provide the necessary manpower it will take to see a change.

"I want to be worldwide; I want to be citywide. One of my main [challenges] is getting more people to volunteer," the 54 year-old minister and musician told The Z City.

Formerly known as Darrell Wilson, Minister Aton started the We Care Coalition in 2003 as a nondenominational extension of his first organization called The Original Men In Black. [The group formed in 1991, six years before the film "Men In Black" was released.] 

The group briefly disbanded but reformed recently to alleviate some of the crime in neighborhoods such as Englewood. 

Aton believes that the volunteering spirit of the organization is what makes it work well. 

"Most people do it for money, but I tell people [who I help] to 'pass it down'."

~ Zack The Producer 

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