Essay contest on the life of Reginald F. Lewis offering $5K in grants; deadline is Jan 11

An African American millionaire in the ’80s

Five scholarship grants of $5,000 each are being offered to New York City high school seniors through an essay contest on the life of Reginald F. Lewis, the late CEO and chairman of TLC Beatrice International with the deadline for submission on January 11.

Students in their senior year at a New York City public school who have demonstrated academic achievement, financial need and an interest in business can submit an essay of approximately 1,000 words. Details can be found at http://www.nycgrads.org/rflfoundationscholarship.
The essay contest is being funded through a grant from The Reginald F. Lewis Foundation and is being administered through the New York City Fund for Public Schools. Winners will be announced at a ceremony on January 18.

Community leader and philanthropist Loida Nicolas Lewis drew parallels between her husband and Jackie Robinson, the first black baseball player who made the major leagues. Reginald was born to humble beginnings in Baltimore and became a global leader in business in the 1980s and the richest African American in his time.

With wife Loida Nicolas Lewis

“My husband was the Jackie Robinson of finance. He broke the ceiling. Now he’s an inspiration to contemporary black businessmen,” said Loida in a Hampton event honoring black entrepreneurs led by music mogul Sean Combs.

As CEO of TLC Beatrice International, Reginald Lewis presided over a business empire that included 64 companies in 31 countries. His remarkable career was cut short when he passed away at the age of 50 on January 19, 1993. Today, his name graces the International Law Building at Harvard Law School, a building at Virginia State University and the Museum of Maryland African American History& Culture.

Coinciding with the 25th Anniversary of Reginald Lewis’ acquisition of the international division of Beatrice Foods, a special commemorative edition of Mr. Lewis’ biography, “Why Should White Guys Have All the Fun? How Reginald Lewis Created a Billion-Dollar Business Empire,” is being reissued by Black Classic Press.



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  1. […] Coinciding with the 25th Anniversary of Reginald Lewis’ acquisition of the international division of Beatrice Foods, a special commemorative edition of Mr. Lewis’ biography, “Why Should White Guys Have All the Fun? How Reginald Lewis Created a Billion-Dollar Business Empire,” is being reissued by Black Classic Press. – The FilAm […]

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