Gene washington biography

1947—

Football player, business executive

Gene Washington made his name on the field as a wide receiver for the San Francisco 49ers in the 1970s, but he made his mark after leaving the gridiron, becoming one of professional football's most high-profile executives.

His success reflected a philosophy that he expounded upon in a speech he gave at Stanford University in 2004 entitled "How to Make Black America Better." "If you want to compete in the real world, you're going to face a lot of ‘isms’—sexism, racism, nepotism, and you've got to be as educated as you can be," as quoted by the Daily Stanford. He pointed to the examples of business leaders such as Kenneth Chenault of American Express and Stanley O'Neal of Merrill Lynch who relied on education to become successful and wealthy.

"If you want political equality, you better have some money," he continued according to the Daily Stanford. "Money is the mother's milk of politics." He concluded by encouragi