I've known of the work of Dr. Laquita Blockson for over a decade. I consider Dr. Blockson to be one of the leading experts on minority female entrepreneurship in the entire United States. Given that the single black female has been found in numerous studies to have the lowest average net worth of any race/gender group, the work of women like Laquita Blockson has a level of importance that is beyond words. It is because of her commitment to helping her sisters experience the freedom of socially-responsible entrepreneurship, education and wealth building that Dr. Laquita Blockson is today's Dr. Boyce Watkins Spotlight on AOL Black Voices:

What is your name and what do you do?
I am Dr. Laquita Blockson, an Assistant Professor of Ethics and Entrepreneurship at the College of Charleston's (SC) School of Business. I am an expert in entrepreneurial ethics, minority-owned businesses, urban economic development, and corporate-community relations. Currently, I am conducting a nationwide study of the success and growth factors of African American women-led entrepreneurial ventures (thanks to funding from the Kauffman Foundation). In addition to teaching business students and conducting research, I also own Blockson Management Advising, through which I facilitate workshops for and provide guidance to organizations that aspire to operate in a socially responsible and ecologically sustainable manner. I also provide lectures and motivational speeches to various organizational audiences.


What made you decide to become a university professor and what do you like/dislike about it?
Ever since I was a youngster, I always enjoyed school -- at one point, I wanted to become a teacher. I also loved business as a teenager (especially accounting and marketing), and was quite an enterprising high school student. I did not realize until I began my undergraduate business program at Florida A&M University (FAMU) that I could develop my love for business and my love for education into a successful career. I enjoyed my professors, and appreciated the time they devoted to me and my classmates by imparting knowledge and skills that would help us become successful business professionals. The lifestyle of a professor appealed to me, particularly the aspects of learning new things (through research) and sharing what I learned (through teaching). Also, as "entrepreneurs of ideas," we professors have a lot of autonomy and flexibility inside and outside the classroom.

Admittedly, the one "necessary evil" is grading student assignments; nonetheless, it is important for professors (and teachers in general) to administer and grade assignments so that we can ascertain and ensure that students have gained the knowledge and skills necessary to be productive professionals.

What is your educational and professional background?
I earned both a Bachelor of Science degree and a Master of Business Administration degree from Florida A&M University's School of Business and Industry. I earned a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Business Ethics and Public Policy from the University of Pittsburgh's Katz Graduate School of Business. After I completed my MBA and before I began my doctoral studies, I worked for Taco Bell Corporation as an Associate Real Estate Manager, where I helped the company source locations for new restaurants across the country. While a student at FAMU, I completed internship assignments with AT&T and with Louisville Gas & Electric Company.

I have been a professor for eleven years. Before joining the College of Charleston faculty, I served on the faculties of Florida International University and the University of Northern Iowa.

You were recently featured in Black Enterprise Magazine. Why did they write about you?
I am the June 2009 winner of Black Enterprise's ongoing Financial Fitness contest. I was profiled because I was striving to recover from some financial challenges that stemmed from my outstanding doctoral program debt and from my paying two home mortgages (it took me almost a year to sell my house in Iowa after I moved to Charleston in 2006). I have employed successfully a number of personal financial strategies in the past; however, the circumstances I faced while I owned two homes limited my ability to employ such strategies in an ideal manner. So, I wanted to seek advice from a personal finance professional to determine how I could take a new (and possibly more appropriate) financial course of action. As a business professor, I am always interested in learning new ways to do things.

Do you have any advice for aspiring young African Americans who wish to follow in your footsteps?
Being a professor is a wonderful career choice, especially if you want to work with college students -- they help keep me "young at heart." For those aspiring young African Americans who wish to become a professor, performing well in high school and in college is a great first step. The knowledge and skills you gain during high school and during your undergraduate degree program -- regardless of your discipline -- will serve as a great foundation for pursuing graduate studies and for preparing you for a career in academe. I also encourage young African Americans to gain some full-time work experience after graduating from a bachelor's and/or master's degree program. After you pursue a Ph. and become a professor, the work experience you have will help you "bring to life" what you teach your students in the classroom.

Is there anything else you'd like to share with our AOL Black Voices audience?
I would like to share my personal motto: "As you climb each rung up the ladder of success, never forget the ones who hold the ladder from the bottom."

Dr. Boyce Watkins is the founder of the Your Black World Coalition and the author of the bookBlack American Money To have Dr. Boyce commentary delivered to your email, please click here. To suggest a subject for a Dr. Boyce Watkins Spotlight, please click here. To follow Dr. Boyce on Facebook, please click here.