Black History Month Series: Living Legends

Growing up, he used to intimidate me. He was so tall and intense all of the time. The tides turned one Thanksgiving. Someone said or did something that was hurtful to me and he came to my defense. The way he laid into that other person, I almost felt sorry for them; but inside I was secretly grinning. MY uncle had intervened. I remember him picking me up and placing me on his shoulders. I put my hands on top of his head and felt like I was on top of the WORLD.

At the time, I didn’t realize that Uncle CurVie would make a career out of helping people strive to get to the top of their chosen vocational worlds. So, it is my great joy, at the close of this Black History Month, to honor MY uncle, Mr. CurVie L. Burton.

Last evening, CurVie was honored with the prestigious BEN Legacy Award from Hewlett Packard. The award letter heralds his accomplishments in this manner,

For this award, you were selected because of your continuing effort over more than two decades to cultivate 21st century leadership skills in youth of African ancestry to achieve higher levels of performance in the IT industry through your support for academic excellence. You began these contributions in 1998 with EDS when you led the formation of the 1^st African American Employee Resource Group, Unity in Action (UIA). You served as the UIA Chair for the next 10 years with a number of key accomplishments. During that time you created a Mentoring Program, organized and led the Annual Celebration of Black History Month and established African American Achievement Awards recognized throughout EDS.

You helped start the Information Technology Senior Management Forum (ITSMF) in 1996 as a founding member and are past chairman of the organization from 2004 to 2008. You served on the ITSMF Executive Board from 1996 to 2012.

As a founding member of ITSMF you worked collaboratively to design, develop, and execute the strategies and tactics that were foundational in seeding the organization we see today. The current ITSMF Mission is to increase the representation of black professionals at senior levels in technology, to impact organizational innovation and growth. ITSMF does this by developing and nurturing these dynamic leaders through enrichment of the mind, body and soul.

Excerpt from Award Notification Letter, Hewlett Packard Enterprise Black Employee Leadership Council

Mr. Burton continues to seed into the future through his role as
Founder/CEO of TheRoadB4U, a consulting firm that specializes in assisting individuals and organizations achieve their full potential. CurVie believes that every individual is unique and has his/her specific pathway to success. TheRoadB4U helps you to discover your pathways.

Business Consultant, Advisor, Coach, Mentor, Uncle, Father, Husband, Brother, and Friend. In each of these roles, he tries to help others strive to be their very best. His experience as an executive level leader in corporate America has uniquely positioned him to sit at tables that few others dare dream; particularly women and people of color. Uncle CurVie has spent a lifetime trying to make room at the table for others.

Here’s to many more years of hoisting people on your shoulders and helping them reach the top Uncle!