I Am Debra Lee
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- $25.99
Publisher Description
From the former CEO of Black Entertainment Television (BET), a riveting "must-read" memoir about the glamorous and ugly moments of being a high-powered Black female executive in the entertainment industry (Alicia Keys).
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
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
In her powerful memoir, Debra Lee charts her own transformation from shrinking violet into one of the entertainment industry’s most powerful executives. Raised with ladylike Southern manners, the Harvard-educated lawyer joined fledgling cable network BET in the 1980s and spent decades wading through corporate toxicity and rampant misogyny. (Her anecdotes include the male colleague who would read a newspaper while she spoke and the boss who manipulated her into an intimate relationship.) The story of Lee’s slow rise to becoming head of the network testifies to her relentless will, and we loved how honest she is about her journey to finding her voice and learning how to say no. Despite her admitted disdain for public speaking, Lee handles her audiobook narration with gripping sincerity. I Am Debra Lee is a valuable lesson in speaking up and standing firm.
