Black Faces in White Places: 10 Game-Changing Strategies to Achieve Success and Find Greatness
AMACOM, October 2010
As an African American, you've heard the adage that you need to work twice as hard as white counterparts to succeed. So you play "the game" and anticipate being rewarded for your talents and hard work. Now you're up for a prized promotion, landmark business deal, or other professional breakthrough -- this is your moment. . . .
It's at this point that many African-American professionals
experience a "black faces in white places" moment: a point at which it
becomes all too clear that just playing well isn't enough -- because
the rules can change on you in a heartbeat. This scenario plays out
countless times each day in American workplaces, and for Randal Pinkett
it played out on national television -- when Pinkett's seemingly
storybook ending during the finale of The Apprentice was about
to get an unexpected twist.
Black Faces in White Places is about that very game -- the one
played in the competitive world in which we all live and work. While
exploring the ideals and realities of identity, meritocracy,
opportunity, and society, the book lays out ten concrete strategies to
help you become a "game changer." The ten strategies will advance you
to the next level of personal and professional success and unleash the
greatness that lies within you.
Along the way, you will:
- Learn how to use your ethnicity as an asset
- Expand yourself beyond your comfort zone
- Recognize and demonstrate the four facets of excellence
- Build beneficial relationships and powerful networks
- Identify different mentors and learn from others' experiences
- Discover ways of working with others to facilitate collective action
- And much more
The book also examines social responsibility, institution building,
and longstanding traditions of giving throughout African-American
culture and history.
Based on interviews with dozens of prominent African Americans and the
authors' considerable experience in business, in the public eye, and in
the minority, Black Faces in White Places shows how as an
African-American professional you can (and must) think and act both
entrepreneurially and "intrapreneurially"; combine the strengths of
your peers with the wisdom of others; and plant the seeds of a positive
and lasting legacy.
Hardcover | ISBN: 9780814416808 | Publication Date: October 2010
Reviews:
"Randal Pinkett and Jeffrey Robinson's book has much to say about solutions to our challenges in the Age of Obama. Don't miss it!"
--Cornel West, Princeton University
"There are three types of people in this world: those who make the
rules, those who follow the rules, and those who redefine the rules.
Drs. Pinkett and Robinson have given us a revolutionary roadmap for
people of color to accomplish the latter, and to do so in a way that
benefits everyone."
--William H. Cosby, Jr., Ed.D., and Camille O. Cosby, Ed.D.
"An intriguing exploration into the personal, professional, and
spiritual dimensions of being Black in 21st century America. If you
care deeply about the future of our communities and our country, you
should care about this book."
--Benjamin Todd Jealous, President and CEO, NAACP
"This book is a 'must read' to fully understand the Black experience in
any professional setting. Black Faces in White Places takes a
look at race and professional accomplishment in post-Obama America.
Drs. Pinkett and Robinson interview entrepreneurs, corporate execs,
educators, religious and community leaders to identify 10 clear
strategies to be successful oneself -- and to help others as well."
--Soledad O'Brien, Anchor and Special Correspondent, CNN
"The '10 Game-Changing Strategies' in Black Faces in White Places
are so powerful, so compelling, and so simple, it made me wonder why
someone didn't think of them sooner! Thank you, Dr. Pinkett and Dr.
Robinson."
--Judge Glenda Hatchett
"Pinkett and Robinson's '10 Game-Changing Strategies' should be for
people of color what Stephen Covey's '7 Habits' were for highly
effective people."
--Roland S. Martin, Analyst, CNN Host, Managing
Editor, Washington Watch, TV One Cable Network Senior Analyst, The
Tom
Joyner
Morning
Show
"At last, a one-stop resource that addresses the particular issues
associated with being a minority within a majority culture. This book
could not have come at a better time. Thank you, Drs. Pinkett and
Robinson!"
--Stephen R. Covey, Bestselling Author of The 7 Habits of Highly
Effective People and The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Families
"At last, a book that isn't narrowly focused on how to become
'successful.' Black Faces in White Places challenges each of us
to look beyond our individual agendas and chart a course for
'greatness' -- a collective agenda of helping others, thus creating a
ripple effect that is felt for generations and generations to come."
--Marc H. Morial, President and CEO, National Urban League
