NEW YORK (AP) — Earl Graves Sr., who championed black businesses as the founder of the first African American-owned magazine focusing on black entrepreneurs, has died. He was 85. His son said Graves died Monday after a long battle with Alzheimer’s disease. Graves launched his magazine, Black Enterprise, in 1970. He later said his aim was to educate, inspire and uplift his readers, while showing them how to thrive professionally and economically. After gaining an economics degree from Morgan State University, Graves held jobs in law enforcement and real estate before working on Sen. Robert F. Kennedy’s staff. He served on the boards of several major corporations.
