Black Faces in White Places: 10 Game-Changing Strategies to Achieve Success and Find Greatness

  • 4h 48m
  • Jeffrey Robinson, Philana Patterson, Randal Pinkett
  • AMACOM
  • 2011

Rethinking the African-American experience—now and in the future.

If the name Randal Pinkett sounds familiar, it may be because Pinkett was the first African-American winner on The Apprentice. When he won, this black man also became the only contestant to be asked to share his victory—with a white woman. The request (and Pinkett’s subsequent refusal) set off a firestorm of controversy that inevitably focused on the issue of race in the American workplace and in society.

For generations, African-Americans have been told that to succeed, they need to work twice as hard as everyone else. But as millions of black Americans were reminded by Pinkett’s experience, sometimes hard work is not enough. Black Faces in White Places is about “the game”—that is, the competitive world in which we all live and work. The book offers 10 revolutionary strategies for playing, mastering, and changing the game for the current generation, while undertaking a wholesale redefinition of the rules for those who will follow. It is not only about shattering the old “glass ceiling,” but also about examining the four dimensions of the contemporary black experience: identity, society, meritocracy, and opportunity. Ultimately, it is about changing the very concept of success itself.

Based on the authors’ considerable experiences in business, in the public eye, and in the minority, the book shows how African-American professionals can (and must) think and act both Entrepreneurially and “Intrapreneurially,” combine their collective strengths with the wisdom of others, and plant the seeds of a positive and lasting legacy.

About the Authors

RANDAL PINKETT, PH.D. is the co-founder, chairman and CEO of BCT Partners, an information technology and management consulting firm. He was the season four winner of The Apprentice.

JEFFREY ROBINSON, PH.D. is a leading business scholar at Rutgers Business School.

PHILANA PATTERSON is a business news editor for the Associated Press.

In this Book

  • Introduction
  • Establish a Strong Identity and Purpose
  • Obtain Broad Exposure
  • Demonstrate Excellence
  • Build Diverse and Solid Relationships
  • Seek the Wisdom of Others
  • Find Strength in Numbers
  • Think and Act Intrapreneurially
  • Think and Act Entrepreneurially
  • Synergize and Reach Scale
  • Give Back Generously
  • Is Success the Standard or Is Greatness the Goal?
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