For immediate release:

Contact:
Kristin Aguilera
Museum of American Financial History
Communications Director
212-908-4695
kaguilera@financialhistory.org

FINANCE MUSEUM AND NYU STERN PRESENT LECTURE ON THE HISTORY OF AFRICAN AMERICANS ON WALL STREET
Author Gregory Bell to speak on ground-breaking new book

Financial District, New York City - In a celebration of Black History Month, New York University Stern School of Business and the Museum of American Financial History will co-host a lecture and book signing by Gregory S. Bell, author of the recently-released In the Black: A History of American Americans on Wall Street, today at 6:00 p.m. Introductory remarks will be offered by Richard Sylla, noted Stern professor of economics, entrepreneurship, and innovation. The free public program, part of the Museum's winter calendar of events, will take place in the Commons at the Stern School's Kaufman Management Center, located at 44 West Fourth Street in Manhattan.

With the January 2002 release of In the Black, Bell became the first to tell the many heroic stories of pioneers who battled against overwhelming odds to succeed in the demanding world of high finance. In his lecture, as in his book, Bell will relate the experiences faced and obstacles overcome by African Americans to gain acceptance and admiration on Wall Street over nearly a century.

"As the CEO of the first black-owned company to be publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange, I appreciate the difficulties and challenges that African Americans must face," stated Robert L. Johnson, CEO of BET Holdings. "In the Black does a remarkable job of chronicling the work of so many pioneers who have fought for change in the Wall Street arena."

Gregory Bell is the son of the late Travers Bell, whose firm Daniels & Bell, Inc. made history when it became the first black-owned member firm of the New York Stock Exchange. Since the release of In the Black, Bell has been featured in The New York Times, CNN, Black Enterprise, and NPR's The Tavis Smiley Show, among others.

"Our partnership with the Museum of American Financial History is an outstanding example of how NYU Stern maximizes its New York City location," stated George Daly, dean of NYU Stern. "We strive to present our students with opportunities to partner with the business world every day, since we truly see Manhattan as an extension of the Stern classroom."

The Museum of American Financial History, an Affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution, is the nation's only independent public museum dedicated to the history of growth, opportunity, and entrepreneurship. Educational programming promotes financial literacy and empowerment, drawing upon the Museum's unsurpassed document collection. Its current exhibit, "America's Coin Banks," will be on display through March 6 in the Museum's gallery at 28 Broadway in lower Manhattan.

New York University Stern School of Business prides itself on providing a global perspective to its business education. Nearly half of the faculty come from around the world, and Stern consistently attracts a diverse and international student body. In fact, for the past several years, one-third of Stern's students have come from outside the US. Situated in the heart of NYC's Greenwich Village, Stern maximizes its location through partnerships with business and its leaders from Wall Street, Silicon Alley and the entertainment and media industry to provide a value-added, "real-world" business education. For additional information on New York University Stern School of Business, visit www.stern.nyu.edu.