Black Magic: What Black Leaders Learned from Triumph and Trauma
By: Chad Sanders

Black Magic by Chad Sanders offers a first-hand look at the differing experiences of influential Black leaders through personalized interviews, as well as the author’s own experiences throughout his life. Our main discussion for this book focused on what this book changed for us as individuals and what levels of awareness the stories unlocked.

Sanders wrote a book that is sharp, perceptive, deeply feeling, and funny. For our team, the stories in the book brought attention to our own whiteness and what children can gain from a supportive background. 

We happened to have this discussion during the week of the commemoration for the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre, an event many people on our team didn’t learn about in school. That led us to discuss the undercurrent of class and education systems that were present in the book, specifically, what opportunities are available given your status. 

We also did a deep dive into what the stories presented in this book said about workplaces, how much the notion of conformity comes into play, and what that means for a work environment.