Preview of "A White-Collar Profession"

In the midst of making my decision to pursue the undertaking of Noir CPA, I came across a book that I knew would be imperative for me to read. A White-Collar Profession: African American Certified Public Accountants since 1921 penned by Theresa A. Hammond is a book I think every African American in the accounting profession should have on their bookshelves.

Synopsis

Among the major professions, certified public accountancy has the most severe underrepresentation of African Americans: less than 1 percent of CPAs are black. Theresa Hammond explores the history behind this statistic and chronicles the courage and determination of African Americans who sought to enter the field. In the process, she expands our understanding of the links between race, education, and economics. 

Drawing on interviews with pioneering black CPAs, among other sources, Hammond sets the stories of black CPAs against the backdrop of the rise of accountancy as a profession, the particular challenges that African Americans trying to enter the field faced, and the strategies that enabled some blacks to become CPAs. Prior to the 1960s, few white-owned accounting firms employed African Americans. Only through nationwide networks established by the first black CPAs did more African Americans gain the requisite professional experience. The civil rights era saw some progress in integrating the field, and black colleges responded by expanding their programs in business and accounting. In the 1980s, however, the backlash against affirmative action heralded the decline of African American participation in accountancy and paved the way for the astonishing lack of diversity that characterizes the field today. (via Amazon)


If that doesn't spark your interest in grabbing a copy of the book, here's a review from Amazon which might be the tipping point for you:

Hammond chronicles the stories of the remarkable individuals who blazed the trail for African-Americans in the accounting profession. Or I should say, began blazing the trail, because as Hammond points out it is still by far the most segregated profession. When most people hear "accounting" they think of something very dry and technical. But this book is far from that. You learn about the profession and how institutional racism operates, but always as a context for the amazing stories, struggles, and personalities that Hammond conveys. She obviously spent many hours interviewing these pioneers and she tells their stories with academic rigor, but also with compassion, respect, and a sense of humor. - Daniel M. Mont

Well alrighty then...I don't know about you, but I'm sold! I've had the book for a couple of months now and I can't wait to delve into it. Afterwards I'll be sure to post a review. You know what would be pretty cool though? If you guys also got your hands on a copy and read it too! Don't you think so? *nods head up and down*

Oh! I almost forgot. So the book I purchased is a used copy from Amazon, but check out what's in the front cover:

Now, I'm no expert on signatures, but that right there folks looks like it was written by none other than Theresa Hammond herself. You mean to tell me I inadvertently received a signed copy of the book?! Dopeness indeed. It's funny how the stars sometimes align.


If you enjoyed this post and want to see more from Noir CPA, please let me know by using the social buttons on the left! -LVH :)

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Insane in the Membrane

As a CPA candidate do you ever find yourself feeling like you're on the verge of total insanity from the excessive studying? Don't worry you're not alone. Rest assured I experienced it too. Ah yes...I remember it like it was yesterday. It was a typical night back in December of 2010 when I was studying for REG. My brain was not about that study life in the least bit. During that time, Xtranormal commercials were super popular (remember the Geico ones?) and I was already a fan of the company due to other accounting humor videos that were created with it.

As I mentioned, my brain was not trying to get down with partnership distributions (or whatever I happened to be studying at the time) so I decided to give it a shot and make my own. Granted, I wasted a lot of valuable studying time since it's a pretty intricate process if you want to do it right. Nonetheless, I think I came up with a pretty entertaining product that many of you can relate to. I also managed to immortalize a sliver of my CPA candidate experience. Over a year later and my creation is still funny to me...and that right there my friends is priceless.

So Noir fam...what do you do to keep yourself from going insane while studying for those coveted letters? Holler at me.

If you enjoyed this post and want to see more from Noir CPA, please let me know by using the social buttons on the left! -LVH :)

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Are You an Eagle or a Chicken?

Anyone who knows me well is aware that I love Twitter. If used correctly, you can find an abundance of opportunity out in the twitterverse as I like to call it. (Look forward to a future post explaining the value of Twitter to CPA candidates). One thing I refer to Twitter for are nuggets of inspirational words that resonate with me and feed my soul. I follow Alfred Edmond Jr., Senior Vice President/Multimedia Editor-at-Large of Black Enterprise on Twitter and I appreciate the value he adds to my timeline. Two tweets of his really jumped out at me that I thought would be perfect to share with my eFam:

Mr. Edmond's words instantly made me think about life of an accounting major and CPA candidate. Pursuing a degree in accounting and becoming a CPA are not for the faint at heart. I look back on my journey to this point and recollect how difficult it was. It takes an extreme amount of dedication and determination to come out on top. There are lots of sacrifices that have to be made, but I can testify that they were all worth it.

I accepted from the moment I declared accounting as my major that I was an eagle and there would be turbulence ahead. I also had to accept flying solo when I committed to passing the CPA exam. As Mr. Edmond tweeted, if you're not willing to make the necessary sacrifices then stay on the ground with the chickens. Period. Yes, soaring high above the clouds can be lonely at times, but those that truly matter in your life and genuinely support your endeavours will be there in the end. There were countless times "No i have to study" came out of my mouth last year, but my folks were right there after I passed. Now we're right back to our regularly scheduled shenanigans in these Chi-town streets! It's up to you to determine if you have what it takes to commit to your goals and follow through.

So ask yourself Noir fam...are you an eagle or a chicken?



If you want to receive other great words of inspiration, follow Alfred Edmond Jr. on Twitter at: @AlfredEdmondJr.

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Noir CPA Is Here!

If you're reading this, that means this blog has officially gone live. Finally! After 2 months of being in mad-scientist mode I can finally share my eBaby with you, Noir CPA. So I welcome you, and appreciate your visit.

This isn't my first experience with blogging. I previously was the writer behind 3 Letters, 1 Day at a Time, a blog documenting my journey to CPAdom. Towards the end of the process I lost my mojo to blog and solely focused on passing the exam. I must admit I left my readers hanging in the midst of studying for BEC. I was lucky enough to pass all 4 parts on my first attempt and hoped to get back to blogging to update everyone. That never happened. I think I was just over all things CPA related and needed a break.

A couple of months ago the itch resurfaced to blog again, however, I had no clue what to write about. My blog was out in the interwebs just collecting eDust and I felt bad about it, but the desire to continue with 3 Letters was non-existent. What to do? Hmmmm...

One fateful morning while at work a tweet caught my eye. It was a link for a story on Nathan T. Garrett, Esquire, CPA, the first black CPA to open a practice in North Carolina. 'Other suggested reading' revealed something even more captivating. "The Vanishing Black CPA." I most certainly clicked on the link which took me to an episode of Black Issues Forum on UNC-TV. The 20 minute or so video discussed the low representation of blacks in accounting and spawned the integral seed for Noir CPA. While I know that blacks make up a very small percentage of all CPAs and I'm aware of various diversity initiatives, I had to ask myself a very real question: What was I doing about it? That morning I felt an undeniable responsibility to take action. A need to pay forward my knowledge and experiences.

I eventually came across a quote which perfectly articulates what Noir CPA represents for me:

"It is better to light one candle than to curse the darkness." 

I could no longer complacently stand on the sidelines, wishing that I saw more faces like mine in the accounting field. I had to contribute in a meaningful way, even if it was on a small scale. No longer am I cursing the darkness...Noir CPA is my candle. Fast forward 2 months later and here we are. I hope you'll spread the word that Noir CPA is on the scene to your friends, cousins, and your sister's boyfriend's nephew who may have an interest in accounting. I also hope that you will frequent the blog regularly and become a part of my eFam. Stay tuned...there's plenty work ahead. In the meantime, galavant around and let me know what you think so far. - LVH

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