Diddy To Receive First Reginald F. Lewis Award
July 01, 2008
- RB Hip-Hop
By Hillary Crosley, N.Y.
Sean "Diddy" Combs will be honored with the first Reginald F. Lewis Award on Sunday, July 6. The award will commemorate Lewis' legacy as the first African-American billionaire.
"Mr. Combs, like my husband, came from humble beginnings and has become internationally successful," said Loida Lewis, the wife of the late Reginald Lewis. "My husband was the Jackie Robinson of finance, he broke the ceiling. Now he's inspiration to contemporary black business men and this event will bring awareness to his legacy."
Reginald Lewis was also the head of TLC Beatrice International Holdings Inc. and co-founded the first African-American law firm on Wall Street, Murphy, Thorpe & Lewis. In 1987, he was the first African-American to negotiate a leverage buy-out, where he purchased the Beatrice Foods International company for $985 billion. He died in 1993 and Loida Lewis now runs his foundation.
Combs will be honored along with philanthropists Frank and Lolita Savage who will be inducted into the Reginald F. Lewis Museum Millennium Circle. Loida Lewis will present the awards at her Hampton Estate and all proceeds from the event will go to the Reginald F. Lewis Foundation.
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