(Photos: ©risingafrica.org)

Mark Dean - Computer engineer, scientist, and inventor

Dr. Mark Dean co-created the IBM personal computer in 1981—helping to modernize the computers many of us use today in homes, schools, and offices. Dean holds three of the nine patents that IBM received  for its orginal personal computer. Dean also helped develop the first color PC monitor and the first gigahertz computer processor chip which sped up the computer. Because of his trailblazing work, he became the first Black person to be named an IBM fellow in 1999—the highest honor given to a person for technology contributions to the company.

By: Tammy Pitts, MNA Communications & Marketing Director

Late author and Nobel laureate Toni Morrison once said, “Black women are the touchstone by which all that is human can be measured.” As a Black woman on the leadership team at Michigan Nonprofit Association, I was so honored to interview a trailblazer in Southeast Michigan: Priscilla Perkins, president, and CEO at Accounting Aid Society and current MNA member. When she popped on the Zoom screen for our interview, I was immediately captivated by her bright smile which lit up the entire screen. There was also an infectious energy that I could feel even in a virtual format. The following is an excerpt from our conversation.