Marking Progress
I have to take a moment to acknowledge and thank the many advertisers who supported this publication because with each placement, MCCA® is able to increase the number of high quality editorials for our readers to enjoy.
MCCA's Annual Report on General Counsel of Color Leading Fortune 500 Companies is perhaps our most-anticipated and widely read report. We believe this year's report is no exception and expect that it will be a "keeper" you will refer to all year long. You may notice that this May/June issue is also one of our largest to date. I have to take a moment to acknowledge and thank the many advertisers who supported this publication because with each placement, MCCA® is able to increase the number of high quality editorials for our readers to enjoy.
As in prior years when the Fortune rankings are released, there is lots of movement among the companies that comprise this elite group. In several cases, company performance resulted in general counsel of color being listed among the leaders of the second 500 largest companies this year. Overall, however, the list of Fortune 500 general counsel of color has continued to grow, notwithstanding the loss of a few from the top 500 due to company performance, resignations, or retirements.
The increase in the number of Hispanic and Asian American general counsel is particularly noteworthy. In fact, the rise of Al Gonzalez-Pita and Larry Tu as chief legal officers will serve as inspiration for countless young Hispanic and Asian American attorneys to reach for similar heights. However, one appointment in particular underscores gains made in the area of diversity. When David Andrews, an African American, retired from the chief legal officer spot at PepsiCo, the company's management chose Larry Thompson to succeed Andrews. Aside from being one of the nation's top lawyers, Thompson is also an African American. This appointment marks the first time in our nation's history that successive men of color have held the general counsel spot at a top American corporation.
So, you may wonder what subject dominated discussion among these three very busy, and very talented leaders when they meet for the first time at the cover shoot. Concern for their families was the number one topic. Each had gone through the experience of relocating to a new city as a result of career moves. They were most interested in sharing perspectives about making a major move, helping children to adjust, and the importance of being and having a supportive spouse.
In addition to our general counsel report, there are lots of other great features in this issue:
- May is Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. Therefore, it seems particularly fitting to examine Asian American progress in the legal profession. In so many ways, Asian Americans continue to break barriers and shatter myths. However, certain advances have been particularly hard-won in the face of challenging stereotypes that continue to influence perceptions of Asian American lawyers.
- Mental Health Awareness is also a theme for the month of May. You won't want to miss the article about how to offer more effective organizational support to our colleagues for whom mental wellness is a formidable challenge.
- The "White Men and Diversity" column has become a must-read for many. Be sure to make time to give critical consideration to the points raised in this issue's column, "What White Men Often Don't Get and What White Women and People of Color Often Don't Understand." You can be sure it will prompt a lively and informative discussion of current issues.
We hope you'll agree that this issue is definitely a keeper, and we welcome your feedback for this and future editorial content.
Veta T. Richardson
From the May/June 2005 issue of Diversity & The Bar®