The American workplace exhibits a growing imbalance when it comes to human identity. Leaders are frequently defined in the absence of their critical social identifiers, but the exclusion of these identifiers is a mistake and ignores essential physical, cultural, and spiritual realities. Their exclusion is especially problematic for leaders of the Black identity and the Christian faith. Color-blind ideology harms people of color, while religion-blind systems damage people of faith, and both are especially problematic for individuals who reckon with both realities. Rather than abandoning an individual's social identities, the ones we choose and the ones we do not, Leading While Black draws on the lived experiences of executive-level leaders of the Christian faith and Black identity, and offers a testament to the power of a living God in the social fabric of public life. Instead of ignoring the narrative arc of social identities and the weight they carry when considering an individual's conception of leadership, Torrance Jones leans into the value of those identities and asserts their integral importance for Black leaders and for those who work with and for Black voices. The reality of those who live with the experience of being Black and Christian in the workplace matters for the grand narrative of leadership in the United States. Through conversations and deep attention to the lived experience of leaders, Torrance Jones explores the intersectionality of these two worlds--Black and Christian--and inspires readers to lead from the context of all that they are.

This book is intended to highlight a phenomenon that occurs daily in the lives of Black leaders who serve in leadership positions in predominantly White organizations. Those individuals are evaluated and critiqued with the normal metrics of leadership, but they are also subjected to an additional set of expectations and challenges that do not apply to their White counterparts. The challenges highlighted in this book – regardless of industry or whether in the public or private sector – are the result of systemic racism that commenced in 1619 and remains alive today. The historical and on-going dehumanization of Black people, and the public policies and laws that have sustained it, have been responsible for the creation and maintenance of contemporary racism and its many manifestations.

Challenges, Hard Truths and Effective Strategies for African American Leaders Author and Retired US Army Sergeant Major Matt Drayton is back with another "While Black" Title "Leading While Black". Matt once again turns the negative connotations associated with the "while black" phrase and turns it on its head. Leadership or the lack thereof are the primary causes of most of the world's troubles. From Financial crisis to pandemics, environmental concerns and corruption, and the political chaos in America and abroad, leadership plays a crucial part in everything that influences our way of life. Matt's leadership journey took him from a poor troubled youth to multiple distinguished careers. Matt candidly shares his struggles, triumphs and lessons learned from his many travels around the world and his relations with government, corporate and foreign leaders. Leading While Black was written to help African American leaders better understand the challenges they face and provide them strategies to help them better navigate through their leadership journeys and succeed. Matt had tremendous access to and worked for many great leaders (corporate and military) over the years. Those corporate, military and government careers allowed him to learn from leaders from many backgrounds and ethnicities. Matt had personal access to senior Military, Government and Corporate leaders that many of his African American peers and subordinates did not have access to. They shared information, leadership strategies and experiences with Matt that changed his life. That is why Matt is uniquely qualified to write about black leadership. Matt Drayton draws from decades as an African American leader in the Military, Corporate, DoD Civilian, and Non-Profit sectors to provide candid, thought provoking, and essential advice and strategies for leadership success. Many of the lessons and strategies in this book applies to anyone in leadership positions regardless of race or gender.

What does it mean to lead while Black in America? How do Black educators lead for equity to ensure a quality academic experience for Black children when calls for equality are routinely discredited in our post-racial context? Through this book, Floyd Cobb passionately and honestly draws from his personal and professional experiences to describe his path to accepting the harsh realities of being an equity-minded Black leader in K-12 schools. Offered through the performance of autoethnography, Cobb highlights and gives voice to the often-unacknowledged vulnerability of equity-minded Black leaders who work in suburban contexts. Using the era of the Obama presidency as the backdrop for this work, Cobb illuminates the challenges and complexities of advocating for marginalized children who come from a shared racial heritage in a society that far too often are reluctant to accept such efforts. Through Leading While Black, emerging and aspiring Black leaders will be reminded that they are not alone in their struggles, but must nonetheless persist if we are to do our part in making education a better experience for our children.

Moore reevaluates the role of this black elite by examining how their self-interest interacted with the needs of the black community in Washington, D.C., the center of black society at the turn of the century."--BOOK JACKET.

A timely resource for Black professionals on how to rise to the top of their organizations or industries and, just as importantly, to stay there. Black Faces in High Places is the essential guide for Black professionals who are moving up through their organizations or industries but need a roadmap for how to get to the top and stay there. Based on the authors' considerable experiences in business, in the public eye, and as a minority, the book shows how African-American professionals can (and must) think and act both entrepreneurially and "intrapreneurially". In this book, you will: 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 Black Faces in High?Places highlights the experiences of other Black faces in high places who were able to navigate various crossroads, reach the top, and stay there, including insights from President Barack and First Lady Michelle Obama, Oprah Winfrey, Cathy Hughes, Angela Glover Blackwell, Ken Chenault, Senator Cory Booker, Geoffrey Canada, and others.

The world was dealt a blow that included a pandemic and economic crisis as well as racial unrest, initiating an energized charge for social justice advocacy. The United States is currently facing an unprecedented challenge in ensuring that all citizens live in a fair, inclusive, and opportunity-rich society. These issues have heightened questions about racial justice that have been placated but can no longer be ignored. Marginalized communities cannot thrive if they continue to be oppressed, neglected, disinvested, and isolated from economic opportunity. The culture of allyship needs to be enacted thoughtfully and not performatively to create sustainable change through a critical mass of engaged advocates and activists. Many organizations enable the status quo by not confronting issues around race, gender, and equity. Leaders of color want a seat at the table as highly valued contributors for the transformation of a just and equitable America. By listening to the voices of Black and Brown leaders, the promotion of change in an era of social unrest will finally occur. Black and Brown Leadership and the Promotion of Change in an Era of Social Unrest amplifies the voices of leaders who identify as Black, LatinX, Indigenous, or people of color as they navigate leadership during a time of tumultuous change and social unrest. More specifically, it portrays dilemmas that marginalized communities encounter while advocating for justice and social change within whitestream organizational systems. The chapters delve into the definitions, perceptions, and lived experiences of Americanism, identity, otherness, and racism as it relates to leadership and discusses the issues, dilemmas, struggles, and successes that persons of color experience in leadership roles in business and education. This book is valuable for practitioners and researchers working in the field of social justice leadership in various disciplines, social justice activists and advocates, teachers, policymakers, politicians, managers, executives, practitioners, researchers, academicians, and students interested in how leaders of color can succeed, navigate hostile spaces, and ultimately create a change in mindsets and practices that will lead to justice.