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Karen Boykin-Towns Takes her Talents to Sard Verbinnen

NNPA NEWSWIRE — “I want people who are going to be able to tell it straight. People who will assess a situation and then be able to give you the realities of what it is,” Boykin-Towns said of her expectations in her new role.

Published

5 years ago

September 11, 2019

Oakland Post

After 22 years at Pfizer, and a lifetime of community and social activism, Boykin-Towns has taken her talents to Sard Verbinnen & Co. (SVC). (Photo: naacp.org)

By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Correspondent
@StacyBrownMedia

Ask Karen Boykin-Towns what motivates her, and you’re sure to get an earful because her list is extensive.

After 22 years at Pfizer, and a lifetime of community and social activism, Boykin-Towns has taken her talents to Sard Verbinnen & Co. (SVC).

SVC is a global strategic communications firm based in New York with offices in Chicago, Washington, Houston, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Boston, London, and Hong Kong.

As a Senior Counselor, Boykin-Towns will advise clients on a wide range of issues, including public affairs, healthcare, diversity, crises, and environment, social and governance matters. She will also contribute to SVC’s continued growth through business development and strategic counsel across the firm’s practice areas, according to company officials.

“I think there are a lot of things that motivate me,” Boykin-Towns told NNPA Newswire.

“Growing up in Harlem with a mother who was a nurse’s aide and not really being clear in terms of what path I would take, but having great people around me who came into my life at different points and added direction, really helped to get me focused,” she said.

A graduate of The College of Mount Saint Vincent and Baruch College, Boykin-Towns is revered for her work as vice chairman of the NAACP National Board of Directors.

Boykin-Towns leverages her talent as a coalition-builder and social change agent through her active participation in various organizations, according to her bio on the NAACP’s website.

For 12 years, Boykin-Towns served as a member of the NAACP National Board of Directors.

In 2018, she was elected Vice-Chairman of the Board.

Boykin-Towns also serves as chair of the NAACP’s National Health Committee.

Savoy Magazine named Boykin-Towns a “Top Influential Woman in Corporate America” in 2016, and she earned features in Black Enterprise, Bloomberg Businessweek, Ebony, Crain’s, African American Career World, Network Journal, and Crisis Magazine.

“Karen Boykin-Towns is an amazing talent that the NAACP is honored to have as its Board Vice-Chair,” Leon W. Russell, the NAACP Board Chairman, said in a statement.

“She brings a level of accomplishment in the public and private sector, breaking glass ceilings and serving as a model for women of color everywhere,” Russell said.

Boykin-Towns said she accepted the new position at SVC for various reasons, including that she liked the direction of the firm.

“I thought it was an opportunity to make a shift. My oldest daughter is an engineer at Microsoft, and my youngest daughter was going off to college, and I decided to try something different,” Boykin-Towns said.

“I was blessed to have had a lot of experiences that could be deployed in other places,” she said.

At Pfizer and through her civic work, Boykin-Towns said she was able to leverage her experiences to enhance her ability to add value to various spaces.

At Pfizer, Boykin-Towns held leadership roles in government relations, public affairs, global policy, and human resources. She served as the company’s first-ever Chief Diversity Officer.

“I thought I could expand outside of healthcare, so I took a little time off. They say I retired from Pfizer, but my challenges did not reflect someone who was retired because I was busy all of the time,” she said.

“Over time I thought [SVC] is a great firm with great people and great clients that have a lot of varying issues for which my background could be a really great fit,” Boykin-Towns said.

At SVC, Boykin-Towns said the firm would get exactly what she gave Pfizer each day for 22 years.

“I want people who are going to be able to tell it straight. People who will assess a situation and then be able to give you the realities of what it is,” Boykin-Towns said of her expectations in her new role.

“You don’t always have to agree, but as long as the message is delivered respectfully and delivered truthfully, that’s what matters,” Boykin-Towns said.

SVC presents an opportunity for individuals who are open to ideas and those who are ready to do some great work. Boykin-Towns said.

“I pushed myself to try and have more of an impact because that’s what’s needed today and we need everybody to step up and give a bit more than what they’re already doing,” she said.

After helping to lead the NAACP’s national convention, changing jobs, and some extensive travel, Boykin-Towns said the past several months had provided a time also for reflection.

She said she’ll continue to fight the good fight, particularly with critical issues like the 2020 Census and presidential election ahead.

“One of the things I will be looking at, and with the clients that we work with, is to help people realize the power of the Black Press,” Boykin-Towns said.

“I appreciate [National Newspaper Publishers Association President and CEO] Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr., and the Black Press of America,” she said.

“As we look at issues, whether they are issues of election or education or whatever it may be, we must know the trusted and credible news vehicle is the Black Press, and that’s where the African American community goes to for information,” Boykin-Towns said.

“The Black Press is vitally important more so now than ever before, and so I continue to appreciate and applaud all that they do and the information that they bring to our communities,” she said.

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IN MEMORIAM: Ramona Edelin, Influential Activist and Education Advocate, Dies at 78

NNPA NEWSWIRE — Born on September 4, 1945, in Los Angeles, California, activist Ramona Edelin’s early years were marked by a commitment to education and social justice. According to her HistoryMakers biography, after graduating from Fisk University with a Bachelor’s degree in 1967, she pursued further studies at the University of East Anglia in England. She earned her master’s degree before completing her Ph.D. at Boston University in 1981.
The post IN MEMORIAM: Ramona Edelin, Influential Activist and Education Advocate, Dies at 78 first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

Published

3 weeks ago

April 3, 2024

Stacy M. Brown

By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent
@StacyBrownMedia

Once upon a time, Black Americans were simply known as colored people, or Negroes. That is until Ramona Edelin came along. The activist, renowned for her pivotal roles in advancing civil rights, education reform, and community empowerment, died at her D.C. residence last month at the age of 78. Her death, finally confirmed this week by Barnaby Towns, a communications strategist who collaborated with Dr. Edelin, was attributed to cancer.

Born on September 4, 1945, in Los Angeles, California, Edelin’s early years were marked by a commitment to education and social justice. According to her HistoryMakers biography, after graduating from Fisk University with a Bachelor’s degree in 1967, she pursued further studies at the University of East Anglia in England. She earned her master’s degree before completing her Ph.D. at Boston University in 1981.

Edelin’s contributions to academia and activism were manifold. She was pivotal in popularizing the term “African American” alongside Rev. Jesse L. Jackson in the late 1980s.

Jackson had announced the preference for “African American,” speaking for summit organizers that included Dr. Edelin. “Just as we were called Colored, but were not that, and then Negro, but not that, to be called Black is just as baseless,” he said, adding that “African American” “has cultural integrity” and “puts us in our proper historical context.”

Later, Edelin told Ebony magazine, “Calling ourselves African Americans is the first step in the cultural offensive,” while linking the name change to a “cultural renaissance” in which Black Americans reconnected with their history and heritage.

“Who are we if we don’t acknowledge our motherland?” she asked later. “When a child in a ghetto calls himself African American, immediately he’s international. You’ve taken him from the ghetto and put him on the globe.”

The HistoryMakers bio noted that Edelin’s academic pursuits led her to found and chair the Department of African American Studies at Northeastern University, where she established herself as a leading voice.

Transitioning from academia to advocacy, Edelin joined the National Urban Coalition in 1977, eventually ascending to president and CEO. During her tenure, she spearheaded initiatives such as the “Say Yes to a Youngster’s Future” program, which provided crucial support in math, science, and technology to youth and teachers of color in urban areas. Her biography noted that Edelin’s efforts extended nationwide through partnerships with organizations like the National Science Foundation and the United States Department of Education.

President Bill Clinton recognized Edelin’s expertise by appointing her to the Presidential Board on Historically Black Colleges and Universities in 1998. She also co-founded and served as treasurer of the Black Leadership Forum, solidifying her standing as a respected leader in African American communities.

Beyond her professional achievements, Edelin dedicated herself to numerous boards and committees, including chairing the District of Columbia Educational Goals 2000 Panel and contributing to the Federal Advisory Committee for the Black Community Crusade for Children.

Throughout her life, Edelin received widespread recognition for her contributions. Ebony magazine honored her as one of the 100 Most Influential Black Americans, and she received prestigious awards such as the Southern Christian Leadership Award for Progressive Leadership and the IBM Community Executive Program Award.

The post IN MEMORIAM: Ramona Edelin, Influential Activist and Education Advocate, Dies at 78 first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

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Tennessee State University Board Disbanded by MAGA Loyalists as Assault on DE&I Continues

NNPA NEWSWIRE — Recent legislative actions in Tennessee, such as repealing police reform measures enacted after the killing of Tyre Nichols, underscore a troubling trend of undermining local control and perpetuating racist agendas. The new law preventing local governments from restricting police officers’ authority disregards community efforts to address systemic issues of police violence and racial profiling.
The post Tennessee State University Board Disbanded by MAGA Loyalists as Assault on DE&I Continues first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

Published

3 weeks ago

April 3, 2024

Stacy M. Brown

By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent
@StacyBrownMedia

Tennessee State University (TSU), the state’s only public historically Black college and university (HBCU), faces a tumultuous future as Gov. Bill Lee dissolved its board, a move supported by racist conservatives and MAGA Republicans in the Tennessee General Assembly, who follow the lead of the twice-impeached, four-times indicted, alleged sexual predator former President Donald Trump. Educators and others have denounced the move as an attack on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) and a grave setback for higher education.

Critics argue that TSU’s purported financial mismanagement is a manufactured crisis rooted in decades of underinvestment by the state government. They’ve noted that it continues a trend by conservatives and the racist MAGA movement to eliminate opportunities for Blacks in education, corporate America, and the public sector.

Gevin Reynolds, a former speechwriter for Vice President Kamala Harris, emphasizes in an op-ed that TSU’s financial difficulties are not the result of university leadership because a recent audit found no evidence of fraud or malfeasance.

Reynolds noted that the disbanding of TSU’s board is not an isolated incident but part of a broader assault on DE&I initiatives nationwide. Ten states, including Tennessee, have enacted laws banning DE&I policies on college campuses, while governors appointing MAGA loyalists to university trustee positions further undermine efforts to promote inclusivity and equality.

Moreover, recent legislative actions in Tennessee, such as repealing police reform measures enacted after the killing of Tyre Nichols, underscore a troubling trend of undermining local control and perpetuating racist agendas. The new law preventing local governments from restricting police officers’ authority disregards community efforts to address systemic issues of police violence and racial profiling.

The actions echo historical efforts to suppress Black progress, reminiscent of the violent backlash against gains made during the Reconstruction era. President Joe Biden warned during an appearance in New York last month that Trump desires to bring the nation back to the 18th and 19th centuries – in other words, to see, among other things, African Americans back in the chains of slavery, women subservient to men without any say over their bodies, and all voting rights restricted to white men.

The parallels are stark, with white supremacist ideologies used to justify attacks on Black institutions and disenfranchise marginalized communities, Reynolds argued.

In response to these challenges, advocates stress the urgency of collective action to defend democracy and combat systemic racism. Understanding that attacks on institutions like TSU are symptomatic of broader threats to democratic norms, they call for increased civic engagement and voting at all levels of government.

The actions of people dedicated to upholding the principles of inclusivity, equity, and justice for all will determine the outcome of the ongoing fight for democracy, Reynolds noted. “We are in a war for our democracy, one whose outcome will be determined by every line on every ballot at every precinct,” he stated.

The post Tennessee State University Board Disbanded by MAGA Loyalists as Assault on DE&I Continues first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

Stacy M. Brown

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Braxton Haulcy and the Expansion of Walker|West Music Academy

May 24, 2023 – Walker West Music Academy gets an early start on expansion. Join us for a Wednesday episode of The …
The post Braxton Haulcy and the Expansion of Walker|West Music Academy first appeared on BlackPressUSA.