Special to the AFRO
History was made in 2005 when Baltimore’s Inner Harbor became the home of the Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History and Culture – established to preserve the experiences, contributions and culture of the African diaspora with an emphasis on the state of Maryland.
Two decades later, the Lewis Museum now has on display a groundbreaking exhibit, “Titan: The Legacy of Reginald Lewis,” which salutes the museum’s namesake and highlights the business tycoon’s roots, which can be traced back to Baltimore, the city in which he was born and raised. And while Lewis’s self-confidence, ingenuity and uncanny business acumen would prove instrumental to him becoming America’s first Black billionaire, those who knew him well remember him as a man committed first to his family and friends.
“I was only 13 when he died, but I have so many positive memories of him that I could talk about my uncle all day long,” said J. Russell Fugett, whose father, Jean S. Fugett Jr., took over as chairman and CEO of TLC Beatrice International Holdings Inc., upon the death of his older brother. Lewis died of brain cancer in 1993 at the age of 50…