There is also a fairly vocal group of students on many college campuses that say they won't even consider working in corporate America, because they think that African Americans have to sell-out to be successful there. Whether influenced by extensive media attention given to the Texaco Corporation when its African-American employees successfully waged a million dollar lawsuit against the firm alleging rampant racism or other negative scenarios such as the recent lawsuit against a major corporation for unfairly stopping and searching one of its African-American customers, many African-American college students today seem to be cautiously assessing the prospects of working in corporate America. 

To explore this matter further, I decided to interview several African-American college students for their perspective and also several African Americans working in corporate America, to see if they would address the students' concerns. On the basis of my student interviews, I came up with several key questions: 

• How much is diversity changing the culture, and how much will I have to change? 
• Does an African American have to sell-out to succeed in corporate America? 
• Will my identity and culture have to be sacrificed on the altar of corporate  
• What are some of the issues related to personal identity and corporate life that I will still confront? 
• What value-added attributes does an African-American student have to offer to corporations today?

Hashim Jibri is the minister of council for an organization called the United Afrikan Organization (UAO) at the University of Cincinnati. When asked whether an African American has to sell-out to succeed in corporate America? he responded, No, when an individual sells-out, it is the equivalent to selling your soul, a form of prostitution, giving up that which is most valuable for the sake of financial benefit. When an individual is advancing the cause that goes against his/her beliefs and ideologies then that individual is a sell-out.  

Anika Lackey, also a student at the University of Cincinnati, shared her perspective: 

To me, selling out is completely compromising your belief system for the sake of financial gain and prestige I don't think it is necessary to sell out, but it is often necessary to conform to organizational norms, beliefs, ideologies, and social activities in order to advance to the desired position. In doing that, you will be able to be successful, and serve as a role model for those to follow in your footsteps, if you do it without selling out. Also you will be in a position to help other African Americans in obtaining opportunity. 

When asked what is the difference between conforming and completely compromising?,  
Anika responded, The difference is when an individual has done what was necessary in order to obtain success, but doesn't reach back to help others seeking opportunity. For example, Clarence Thomas filled Thurgood Marshall's position, to keep an African American on the Supreme Court. It is my opinion that Clarence Thomas has not done much to help the plight of African Americans. Therefore, Clarence Thomas has completely compromised himself. 

Monique Brown, a senior at Ohio State University, felt that it is important for individuals to avoid assimilation in their pursuit of success, but that there is a great deal of pressure to conform. When people look at me they see an African-American woman. I think it's important to maintain my individuality and culture. If I were an employer I would look for people with different cultural backgrounds so above individuals could bring different perspectives to the company. I possess unique talents unlike others. In striving to be successful, I recognize who I am, where I came from, and what talents I have to bring to an organization. 

Vernon Martin, director of External Relations at Philip Morris, feels that African Americans are at a pivotal point in the workforce and that everyone needs to take time to assess the current situation. He says, With the implementation of California's Proposition 209 and other challenges to diversity efforts in organizations, it is important to remind African -American students that affirmative action and diversity are very important tools to help organizations change and adapt the culture to be more accepting of diverse cultures. In fact, diversity is helping to change the organizational culture to recognize the strengths and potential contributions of everyone, regardless of race, gender, age, physical ability, ethnicity, sexual orientation or any other differences. So any assault on these kinds of efforts must be of grave concern to any African American College student considering going to work in corporate America. 

Our students must pay close attention to the organization they are considering going to work in and be aware of the cultural influences already existing there. Sometimes there is a single culture and sometimes there are multiple cultures. In other words, you may find that the manufacturing work environment is very different from the marketing environment and both may differ from the corporate environment. 

Organizations like mine are changing a great deal and in positive ways that support diversity. How much will the individual have to change? That depends. Some African American students will have to change very little. Like any student, they have had good co-op or internship experiences that have introduced them to the work and the culture of an organization and they have determined whether it is a good fit. They have learned from insiders some of the unwritten rules and feel that they can still make a contribution. For these students, little change will be necessary. For other students who have had less direct contact, they may have to make changes based on what they are presenting to an organization. For example, if you have never lived away from home, you may have to make that change. If you have never flown before, you may have to make that change too. As far as cultural changes, you may have to tailor your appearance to a more corporate look, for example, if you are in sales or work in the corporate offices. Despite the fact that some corporate organizations have moved to 100% dress down attire, they may still have a requirement for strictly business attire when meeting clients and your dredlocks just might not do. Sisters who like to wear loose, long, flowing African garb may not be able to wear it in some manufacturing environments for safety reasons. So, some change may be required in some instances. But culture is far more than a particular style of dress or hairstyle. When I first started my corporate career (not at Phillip Morris), I was asked to shave my mustache. But I considered this part of my personal identity and refused to shave it. A buddy who shaved his is now a corporate VP! Did that mean that I should have shaved mine? Absolutely not! Did this affect my rise to the top? Not sure, but the higher you go in corporate America, even today, it seems the less hair you have! In life, you are constantly confronted with making choices. There are some trade-offs that are worth making and others that are not. This is where your values play a key role. If something is fundamental to your core identity then don't change it. 

Just be ready to handle the consequences. The most important thing you can do is find out about the culture before you accept the job so that you can make informed' choices. He also points out that corporate culture is also, influenced by the surrounding community. So dredlocks or cornrows are far more likely to be accepted in corporations in major metropolitan areas where they are seen at the time, rather than in a small town. 

Do students have to sell-out to achieve corporate success? Have to, no. Vernon defines sell-out as changing or compromising ones values. He feels that values will always be challenged because people who you will be working with will have different values, in addition to the values that may exist in an organization. Basically, if your values are so different from the organization and your co-workers, and you see no hope of changing them, then either move on or better still, don't choose that organization in the first place, not unless you just want a job not a career, 

Do your values have to be sacrifices on the altar for success? Not if you understand how to be a winner. To be a winner, you must know what is important to you and the organization. Remember that you are always making choices. And you can choose to not be involved with something that would compromise your values. You simply have to be ready to deal with the consequences. For example, went those brothers and sisters at Texaco when forward with their allegations, they knew what the potential pitfalls and consequences would be. Maybe not all, but enough. When you pursue success, make it on terms that you believe in. Then you will have a win-win situation. 

Crystal B Washington, Vice President, Sales Training Manager, Provident Bank, has realized fast track success in her corporate career. When asked, is it necessary for African Americans to sell-out to succeed in corporate America? Crystal responded, No, however I think it's important to; maintain balance. It's important to know where you came from. African Americans should know and understand their history, When African Americans are afraid to communicate and congregate because they are too concerned with what others will think, they are developing a sell-out mentality. We must insist on being who we are and not be afraid to link with each other to insure our mutual success in corporations. 

Q. - /What are some of the issues that African Americans face related to personal identity and corporate life? 

In the corporate arena, the issue of being able to adapt will always-; be a challenge, for example something as simple as a meeting place. If a corporate meeting is held at a country club as opposed to the Urban League, naturally I could adapt more easily to the Urban League environment than some country clubs, but the odds of the meeting being held at the Urban League are unlikely, therefore I will adapt to the country club. 

Although I believe I acquired my position strictly on merit, I intend to be true to myself. The banking industry is one of the slowest industries to change, as far as diversity is concerned. There are not many African Americans in key positions or as shareholders. Most women and minorities are in entry level positions, I am the first, African -American woman to become vice president in the history of my bank. To sell-out now, would truly be a set back and I understand that I must help to pave the way for others to follow. 

As a Black man having advanced to the executive suite in corporate America, O. LaVelle Bond, Vice President for Worldwide Diversity at The Procter & Gamble Company, now has a top down view of the acceptance of African American culture in corporate arenas. LaVelle offers these insights: 

In my opinion, culture is not an abstract concept - therefore, Neither is corporate culture. People who populate an organization determine the culture. Certainly, in the past, the people who were the dominant culture in corporate America were white and male. However, that is changing so drastically, that it is having very significant impact on the corporate culture at Procter & Gamble. As we look at our management cadre over the last 10 years, we have averaged in our new hires, about 40% women and 20% minorities. Procter & Gamble has over 106, 000 employees around the globe and over 1/2 of them live outside North America and are not US citizens. This is changing the face of P&G internally. When you couple that with the fact that our consumers are also changing, with over 75% of future business coming from consumers in Asia, Africa and other emerging countries, clearly our culture, in a corporate context, is and will continue to be significantly diverse. The diverse sources of new markets and new employees will keep redefining our corporate culture. So African-American students will find organizations such as ours looking for them to bring their competencies, their unique insights and special understandings to help P&G win new markets around the world. We seek flexibility, not changes. They will need to demonstrate acceptance of and adaptability to a changing world, a passion for learning and applying that learning to business leadership and new business opportunities anywhere in the world. 

Does an African American have to sell-out to succeed in corporate America? No! To be successful at Procter & Gamble, you must have strong attributes that cut across cultural lines. We look for people when we recruit on college campuses, who have an outstanding track record in leadership and a strong sense of who they are as a person. We're not looking for assimilation. We are looking for individuals with character and principle. If that person is willing to sell themselves out or be untrue to themselves in pursuit of success, then they lack the kind of integrity that my organization values. 

What value-added attributes can African Americans bring to corporations? At Procter & Gamble, we are looking for exceptional people who have already leaped over hurdles, have already had to discover and work through campus politics, who have persisted despite obstacles and have been successful both in the classroom and in their extra-curricuiar activities. So we want them to bring all of those skills plus the sensitivity and flexibility to appreciate and incorporate into their knowledge base other cultures and/other points of view. I think African- American college students who are good students and strong leaders on their campuses may under-estimate just how much added value they can bring to corporation today. They have current consumer understandings, youthful exuberance, the capacity to take on new lifestyles and street smarts, which can be very useful, especially in new market development. A strong set of interpersonal skills will be enormously helpful in bridging communication challenges increasingly we seek individuals who are skilled at negotiating among people with diverse ideas and backgrounds and finding the common ground or the winning combination. Because the majority of top managers of many corporations are still white males, we need individuals who can build alliances and influence advocacy with that top management group. 

Are there continuing challenges around race and culture that African American graduates will face as they move into corporate arenas? Of course there are issues like racism and sexism have not been eliminated. The persistence of these challenges and potential barriers should be acknowledged, but not the sole focus. By focusing on developing your unique insights and by continuing to develop your skills, you can be effective, grow and ultimately become a leader in corporate America. Competency and sustained contribution are the primary keys to upward career mobility. 

I think African-American students have the potential to be all that they want to be in corporate America, if they are willing to be flexible, use their natural talents and cultural insights, work very hard and commit to life-long learning. They must know who they are and how they got to where they are. They must move with confidence into the corporate arena. When confronted by temporary challenges, they must simply work harder and smarter. Learn from mistakes. Focus on the strength and tenacity of parents and grandparents and those who came before and how they endured extraordinary challenges and pressures. They must remember that they stand on the shoulders of heroes and sheroes, so they already have a firm foundation. They must stay in touch with their personal strength, their values, their roots and culture, and not be threatened by experiencing others. They must look at their diversity as a strength, not a limitation. Then, winning in the corporate arena will be an expectation and they will pursue it with the kind of tenacity that our proud ancestors used to get us this far. That has always been the foundation for me and I know it can work for others.