Black Magic

A powerful exploration of Black achievement in a white world based on honest,provocativeand moving interviews with Black leadersscientistsartistsactivistsand champions. ΓÇ£I remember the day I realized I couldnΓÇÖt play a white guy as well as a white guy. It felt like a death sentence for my career.ΓÇ¥ When Chad Sanders landed his first job in lily white Silicon Valleyhe quickly concluded that to be successful at work meant playing a certain social game. Each meeting was drenched in white slang and the privileged talk of international travel or folk concerts in San Franciscowhich led Chad to believe he needed to emulate whiteness to be successful. So Chad changed. He changed his wardrobehis behaviorhis speechΓÇöeverything that connected him with his Black identity. And while he finally felt includedhe felt awful. So he decided to give up the charade. He reverted back to the methods he learned at the dinner tableor at the Black Baptist church where heΓÇÖd been raisedor at the concrete basketball courtsbarbershopsand summertime cookouts. And it paid off. Chad began to land more exciting projects. He earned the respect of his colleagues. Accounting for this turnaroundChad believeswas something he calls Black Magicnamely resiliencecreativityand confidence forged in his experience navigating America as a Black man. Black Magic has emboldened his every step sinceleading him to wonder: Was he alone in this discovery? Were there others who felt the same? In moving essaysChad dives into his formative experiences to see if they might offer the possibility of discovering or honing this skill. He tests his theory by interviewing Black leaders across industries to get their take on Black Magic. The result is a revelatory and very necessary book. Black Magic explores Black experiences in predominantly white environments and demonstrates the risks of self-betrayal and the value of being yourself.