Earl Gilbert Graves Sr. (January 9, 1935 – April 6, 2020) was an influential American entrepreneur, publisher, and advocate for African American businesses. Born in Brooklyn, New York, he graduated from Morgan State University with a degree in economics in 1958. Graves founded Black Enterprise magazine in 1970, aiming to educate and empower African American entrepreneurs and professionals. He also served as CEO of Pepsi-Cola of Washington, D.C., making it the largest minority-controlled Pepsi franchise in the U.S. at the time. Throughout his career, Graves received numerous accolades, including the NAACP’s Spingarn Medal in 1999. He passed away on April 6, 2020, at the age of 85.
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