Black Faces in White Places -Discussed in RBS spaces!

By: Anjum Malkana

The Rutgers Business School Black and Hispanic MBA Association (BHMBAA) held a novel new event last Monday, Nov. 1 – a lecture and book-signing event with Drs. Jeffrey Robinson and Randal Pinkett, two accomplished entrepreneurs and business scholars. Dr. Robinson is serial entrepreneur and an RBS professor associated with the Center for Urban Entrepreneurship, and Dr. Pinkett is an entrepreneur, consultant (founder of BCT Partners), former Rhodes Scholar, and recent winner of NBC’s The Apprentice (season 4). Drs. Robinson and Pinkett met as classmates in college, and have since continued along similar lifestyle and career paths through graduate school, entrepreneurial endeavors, and fatherhood. Their close personal friendship and mutual respect was evident in their conversation styles and banter, turning a large auditorium lecture into an intimate and genuine conversation about their lives and the lessons they seek to impart through their new book, Black Faces in White Places: 10 Game-Changing Strategies to Achieve Success and Find Greatness.

Black Faces in White Places is an insightful advisory playbook for ambitious minority professionals who seek to adapt and thrive in their field or function. The book is divided into ten strategies which build upon each other to enable minority achievers to perform, adapt, and eventually, “redefine the game” entirely. The authors introduce the concept of the “ever-changing game,” which they present as a metaphor for the contests we face in our careers and every day. They argue that the “glass ceiling” metaphor is no longer applicable, as the challenges faced by women and minority professionals are no longer invisible (“glass”) nor impenetrable (“ceiling”), and that the upcoming generation of achievers will need to learn to play and master the ever-changing game. You can catch part of the event at the Rutgers Business School website, or below:

Black Faces in White Places

The Rutgers Business School Black and Hispanic MBA Association rewarded the first twenty-five attendees with free copies of Black Faces in White Places – and yes, I was one of the lucky 25! After the lecture and question-and-answer session, the attendees were able to purchase copies of the book, and even get them signed by Drs. Robinson and Pinkett. If you order the book, make sure you let Dr. Robinson how you enjoyed it when you see him around the RBS building!

Many thanks to the BHMBAA Executive Board for organizing such a fantastic and motivating event: Patrice Senior and Dasheeda Dawson (Co-Presidents), Brian Fraser (Executive Vice President), Bert Lacy (VP of Finance), and Cindy Birch (VP of Administration). We are looking forward re-defining the game with you and the incoming BHMBAA Executive Board (Shandan Meng (President), Jason Barado (Executive Vice President), Evita Salles (VP of Administration), and Duberliz Anaya (VP of Finance)).