Explorations in Black Leadership
An overview by Phyllis Leffler
This website documents the lives of 51 Black leaders in America. The
Explorations in Black Leadership project, co-directed by Julian Bond and Phyllis
Leffler –both faculty at The University of Virginia -- began as an effort to
document the life journeys of African American leaders, whose personal and
professional stories all too often are marginalized in our public discourse. Many
of the people represented here came to The University of Virginia for a private
videotaped interview and a public lecture. Others featured on this site were
interviewed in other contexts – The Congressional Recording Studio, or venues
tied to a particular individual’s organizational affiliations where they work. Always
the core set of questions were the same: they focused on their life journeys, their
understanding of the most salient factors that propelled them, and their
philosophical reflections on Black leadership in America.
The interviews were carried out between 2000 and 2015. So many of those who
agreed to be interviewed did so because of their respect and even veneration for
Julian Bond. He was the consistent interviewer, because the power of the
conversation often came from the interaction between two Black leaders with a
shared understanding of the American experience.
These oral interviews reveal how leaders are nurtured, and how historical
circumstances shape them. They are stories of identity -- stories about the self,
stories about the group, and stories about value and meaning. They link the
private and the public -- the personal and the professional. You can listen to and
learn from 51 American leaders from all walks of life -- law, education, religion,
public service, journalism, the arts, business. The leaders in this sample span the
full twentieth century, reflecting economic, geographic, gender, and age
diversity. Some experienced the indignities of segregation; others came of age
after major legislation ended de jure discrimination. The people represented
reflect distinctive styles of communication and endorse diverse political and
social visions. Some come from backgrounds of economic deprivation; others
come from places of financial comfort. Access to educational opportunity was a
struggle for some; expectation of educational achievement existed for those of
the black elite. There is no “one size fits all” for leadership.
However, common themes emerge. Through these collective interviews, one can
analyze the forces in play that catalyzed leadership. They demonstrate the
connections between self, family, community, and historical circumstances. They
show us how memory shapes possibility, and how the capacity to channel
memories toward positive ends inculcates leaders. Revealed are their principles
and values, often expressed in terms of lessons handed down from generation to
generation.
Black leaders’ stories are narratives of hardship, determination, and success
situated in local communities and national culture. The memories of black
leaders exist in historical time, underscoring the reality that the past and present
are inextricably linked. These interviews acknowledge the burdens of race but
also celebrate the ability of individuals to overcome adversity. This is ultimately
an exploration of black leadership in America through the eyes and words of
those leaders themselves. They serve as witnesses to history.
This website allows us to hear about Black leaders’ lives and listen to their
reflections on leadership in their own voices. Hearing their voices – incorporating
at times passion anger, reflection, sadness, and hope – not only connect these
individuals to the oratorical traditions of Black America, but also deepen our
understanding of their individual and shared experiences. Listening to them
creates an intimate and vibrant opening into their lives. You can hear Carol
Moseley Braun’s laugh, observe Robert Franklin’s calming demeanor, catch the
dry tone of Earl Graves’s wit, listen to the enthusiasm of Elaine Jones, take note
of Amiri Baraka’s anger, and reflect on the silences and inflections as the
interview subjects relate the ups and downs of their paths to leadership. To
listen directly to these powerful people is to share their life experiences, and
perhaps also to begin to internalize the lessons offered. Now, sadly, too many of
them – including Julian Bond himself – have passed on, but their voices remain
through these interviews.
This site can be used comparatively, as a research tool to learn more about
African American history in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, to understand
the history of the civil rights movement, and to explore the powerful memories of
a group of diverse leaders.
An analytic and synthetic overview of the interviews is now available through a
book, Black Leaders on Leadership: Conversations with Julian
Bond. Individual chapters focus on how leadership is nurtured through family,
education, and networks. Additional chapters explore how black lawyers inspired
a generation of leaders through their successes in ending Jim Crow and how
other grassroots leaders emerged through the civil rights movement. The book
can be purchased through Amazon or Palgrave Macmillan, either as an e-book
or in print version. The book links directly to the website through QR codes and
hyperlinks.