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1 of 1 copy available
Debra Lee has been the visionary responsible for elevating Black images and storytelling for decades with timeless television shows like The Game and Being Mary Jane. Now she's telling her own story, in a page-turner filled with electrifying behind-the-scenes stories that reveal how she went from a girl raised in the segregated South to leading the first Black company traded on the New York Stock Exchange—and how she juggled social responsibility while managing a company targeted towards the Black community.
Lee answers all of our questions about building an unapologetically Black enterprise as a Black woman. I Am Debra Lee addresses her personal struggles with motherhood and "having it all," navigating reproductive choice, fertility, and #MeToo. In this book, she opens the door for others to come after her, by sharing the truth behind her own inspiring story of power, perseverance, and success.
"Debra Lee is a force! I love her candor and vulnerability within these pages. I Am Debra Lee is designed to make an impact." –Alicia Keys
"I was glued to Debra's every word in this memoir."–Taraji P. Henson
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Creators
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Publisher
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Release date
March 7, 2023 -
Formats
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OverDrive Listen audiobook
- ISBN: 9781668620724
- File size: 263365 KB
- Duration: 09:08:40
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Languages
- English
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Reviews
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October 1, 2022
From her shy and proper childhood in Greensboro, NC, Lee moved on to Brown University and Harvard Law School and finally rose to become the CEO of Black Entertainment Television, breaking race and gender barriers along the way. Her story is interleaved with career advice of special interest to Black women seeking leadership roles. With a 100,000-copy first printing.
Copyright 2022 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
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February 1, 2023
The former CEO of Black Entertainment Television Networks tells the story of the unexpected journey that took her away from a fledgling career in law and into the world of entertainment media. "Coming of age in the segregated South idolizing Angela Davis and Malcolm X, I used to be staunchly opposed to surrender," writes Lee. "No justice, no peace!" While she and her friends sought a Black revolution, her father, a career military man, wanted something different for his daughter. "Of course, it all started with Dad," she writes, "who'd mapped out my life from the womb--law school, law firm, and then the Supreme Court." At first, Lee dutifully followed his "road map" to a notable Washington, D.C., law firm, where she discovered that "nothing about Big Law felt right." Yet it was at this firm that Lee found the mentor who pointed her in the direction of BET, a Black-owned cable TV network. In 1986, she accepted an offer from CEO Bob Johnson to become the company's legal counsel. Over time, Johnson became Lee's mentor and sponsor, challenging her to take on the extra nonlegal assignments that prepared her for future roles as COO and CEO. The author admits that the increasing workload created imbalances in her life, which eventually led to the breakup of her marriage. Lee is candid about her relationship with Johnson, which "went from platonic to intimate to toxic and even abusive." Yet for all the struggles she endured with him and with other "boys' club" executives, Lee never stopped believing that the work she did empowered her to offer viewers a space in which to unapologetically celebrate Black culture. This compelling book about finding success in a professional environment severely lacking in Black female mentors and sponsors offers women of color bold lessons in how to make a difference while surviving--and overcoming--misogyny in the corporate world. A provocatively frank and inspiring memoir.COPYRIGHT(2023) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
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