Wall Street diversity
A new program is designed to place outstanding African-American students in intern positions at some of the nation’s premier financial services firms this summer and beyond, according to the NAACP.
The Gateway to Leadership program aims to prepare students, who are largely from historically Black colleges and Universities, for leadership roles in the financial services industry and their communities.
Securities Industry Association’s 2005 Report on Diversity, Strategy, Development and Demographics, reports that only 2 percent of the retail brokers and 3 percent of the sales force in securities firms are African-American. A mere three African Americans hold top positions in Fortune 100 companies today, the NAACP reports.