Ursula M. Burns

The month of February is a time of reflection of history; a tribute to those who have overcome suffering and injustice; and praise for a powerful and sustaining God. From the Amistad to the presidency, the United Church of Christ is forever entwined in the history of a people who stood with courage and pushed forward with faith. The Church House honors this rich legacy each February through worship, education and events. Use these resources to join us in celebrating an empowering history that defines us not only as people of color but as people of faith.

Ursula M. Burns
CEO of Xerox , 1958-

Ursula Burns is the daughter of Panamanian immigrants. She was raised by a single mother in a New York City housing project. Her mother worked two jobs so she could attend private schools. In school, Burns was known as a math ace. Her talent for math and science earned her an engineering degree from the Polytechnic Institute of New York. She earned a graduate degree from Columbia University. The Xerox Corporation helped pay for part of her tuition. Burns also had a summer internship with the company in 1980. After she received her master's degree, she went to work full-time for Xerox. She worked her way up the corporate ladder and, in 2009, she was named CEO of Xerox, making her the first African-American woman CEO to head a Fortune 500 company. Burns is also the first business woman to succeed another business woman as head of a Fortune 500 company. Forbes magazine rated her the 14th most powerful woman in the world.

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UCC Resources
A wide selection of great titles on multiculturalism

Smithsonian
National Museum of African-American History & Culture

The Barber of Birmingham
The election of Barack Obama through the lens of the Civil Rights Movement

Amistad Research Center
The nation's oldest and largest African American history archive

This Far by Faith
The African-American religious experience through three centuries on PBS