"You're Hired!" A Chat with the Only African-American Winner of "The
Apprentice"
Dr. Randal Pinkett has established himself as an
entrepreneur, speaker, author and scholar, and as a leading voice for his
generation in business and technology. He is the founder, chairman and CEO
of his fifth venture, BCT Partners, a multimillion-dollar consulting firm
headquartered in Newark, NJ that provides organizational development and
capacity building services to public and nonprofit sector organizations. He
is also a partner in the Chicago-based joint venture, Blackwell-BCT
Consulting Services, which specializes in management consulting and
information technology solutions for the Federal government and Fortune 500
corporations.
A Rhodes Scholar, Dr. Pinkett holds five degrees including: a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Rutgers University, where he competed as a high jumper, long jumper, and captain of the men's track and field team; a M.S. in Computer Science from the University of Oxford in England; and a M.S. in Electrical Engineering, MBA, and Ph.D. from MIT. Most notably, he's still the only African-American-winner of Donald Trump's reality-TV show, "The Apprentice."
Born in Philadelphia and raised in New Jersey, Dr. Pinkett is a proud member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Incorporated and attends First Baptist Church in Somerset, NJ, where he resides. He is happily married to his wife, Zahara, and they are both proud parents of their daughter, Amira. Randal firmly believes that "for those to whom much is given, much is expected," so throughout his endeavors, he places great emphasis on his desire to give back to the community.
Dr. Pinkett is the author of Campus CEO: The Student Entrepreneur's Guide to Launching a Multimillion-Dollar Business and No-Money Down CEO: How to Start Your Dream Business with Little or No Cash. Here, he talks about his latest book, Black Faces in White Places: 10 Game-Changing Strategies to Achieve Success and Find Greatness.
Dr. Randal Pinkett - The "Black Faces in White Places" Interview
with Kam Williams
Kam Williams: Hi Randal, thanks for another interview. How have you
been?
Randal Pinkett: Great! Great. I appreciate this opportunity
to reconnect.
KW: Same here. I really enjoyed "Black Faces in White Places." Why
did you write the book?
RP: The book is a reflection both of my own experiences and
of those of many other African-Americans, particularly folks who have
progressed in their careers. Although I was born in Philadelphia, I was
raised in East Windsor, NJ, a predominantly-white suburb where we were among
a handful of black families. That trajectory has continued in my careers in
college, grad school and as an entrepreneur in corporate America where I
have found myself one of a few, if not the only, person of color. Anyone who
has been in those types of environments knows that it gives rise to a unique
set of challenges characteristic of the struggles that America faces as it
relates to leveling the playing field for everyone. So, the book is designed
not so much to lament racism but rather to be proactive by helping to
address the issue by providing strategies, tools and solutions to make it
easier for the next generation.
KW: I made a reference to Ellis Cose's classic study, "The Rage of a
Privileged Class," in my
review of your book. He has just published a
follow-up report, "The End of Anger," which suggests that educated blacks
who have made it are by-and-large content with the state of affairs in
American society. Have you read it yet?
RP: No, I haven't but I'm eager to get a copy of Ellis' book.
KW: His basic thesis is that well-educated blacks are no longer an angry
class by-and-large but are comfortable with how they've fared in corporate
America. Do you agree?
RP: That's a fascinating question. We did see "The Rage of a Privileged
Class" as one of the bodies of work which we were attempting to build upon,
but looking at it through a generational lens. Our argument in the book is
that the anger and the rage are no longer in play, although the challenges
that gave rise to those emotions still exist. However, I think this
generation of professionals has learned to navigate these corporate
environments in ways that they don't internalize the discrimination,
stereotyping or attempts to pigeonhole them as much as they seek to be
empowered by the talents they bring to the table. So, when I speak to people
like Roland Martin,
Hill Harper or Ben Jealous, I don't detect a sense of
rage, but a sense of acknowledgment that there are still challenges, that
they are accepting of those challenges, and that they have resolved to
overcome them. The generation addressed in Ellis' earlier book faced the
tacit expectation that you had to change who you were in order to succeed.
That assumption has now been shattered. America has at least progressed to
the point where people are accepted as they are. But that's not a panacea;
there's still much work left to do.
KW: From what I've seen, this recession has really devastated the black
middle-class, between unemployment and home foreclosures. A lot of folks
have suffered very serious setbacks after losing their job or being denied
coverage by their health insurance company. So, I was quite surprised by
Cose's conclusion.
RP: That's a good point. I think the economy has exacerbated those
challenges and highlighted how racism rears its head. In the book, I looked
at the unemployment statistics for college-educated African-Americans, and
the numbers were pretty stark. There's certainly a large segment of the
black community whose discontent has recently been amplified, but I also do
believe that there are those members of the black intelligentsia who, while
not angry, are still frustrated at the pace of change.
KW: Dante Lee, author of "Black Business Secrets," asks: What was the best
business decision you ever made, and what was the worst?"
RP: My best decision was to not go into business alone, but to find strength
in numbers with three other classmates of mine at Rutgers University. I can
say, unequivocally, were it not for that friendship and that brotherhood we
wouldn't be where we were today. Curiously, my worst business decision was
prematurely allowing others into the partnership who hadn't proven
themselves to be worthy, and then later having to figure out how to escort
them out the door. [Laughs]
KW: How would you say winning on "The Apprentice" has impacted your life?
RP: It has created a platform for me as an author and as a speaker that
would've been more difficult to accomplish otherwise. Businesswise, it has
enabled me to get access to decision-makers more easily, because they're
already familiar with me from the show. Not everybody returns my phone
calls, but the pros far outweigh the cons.
KW: What did you think of Donald Trump's aborted Presidential campaign, and
his making such a big thing about Obama's birth certificate?
RP: [Chuckles] I spoke to Donald about a week or two before he bowed out of
the race. I reached out to him to bring to his attention that the way in
which he was couching his attacks on the President was alienating and
offending not just African-Americans, but Americans in general. It was my
sense that there weren't many people, if any, in his inner circle who were
challenging him in that regard. So, I raised the issue to let him know that
I was personally offended by some of the things he'd been saying, and that
he needed to learn how to relate to all Americans if he seriously aspired to
be President.
KW: How did he respond?
RP: I don't know that that message was initially well-received, but it
certainly was by the end of the conversation after I simply lamented that I
was approaching him in the spirit of sharing some constructive criticism.
KW: Do you think he was ever serious about running, or was it all just a
publicity stunt to boost the ratings of his TV show?
RP: I don't know. Only he would know. Nevertheless, I think he did learn
some lessons from the heightened public scrutiny, and I hope he took those
lessons to heart.
KW: Didn't he recently invoke your name when he was being labeled a racist?
RP: Yes, he said, "How can I be a racist, when I hired Randal?" That was
another reason why I called him. I said, "Donald, you've got to be kidding.
There have been 11 Seasons of The Apprentice and I'm still the only person
of color ever to emerge victorious." It's unbelievable!
KW: I'll never forget how on the finale he tried to twist your arm to get
you to agree to share the title with the runner-up, when you should
obviously have been the runaway winner.
RP: I also mentioned that to him. I said, "To add insult to injury, I'm the
only person you ever asked to share the title."
KW: Is there any question no one ever asks you, that you wish someone would?
RP: How can we create greater economic opportunity in the African-American
community? It's not surprising, but studies have shown that black-owned
businesses employ a far greater percentage of African-Americans than other
companies. So, I really do believe that the way to deal with the high, black
unemployment rate is by encouraging African-American entrepreneurism. By
moving into that realm of thinking like an owner instead of like an employee
will have a ripple effect of creating more opportunities right in our
community.
KW: The Tasha Smith question: Are you ever afraid?
RP: I'm seldom afraid. My greatest fear has been of letting God, my parents,
my family or my community down. I'm the first to acknowledge that I've
really been blessed, but that also means that I've got to be a blessing to
others. I think I often work myself too hard, Kam, out of fear of letting of
letting other people down.
KW: Do you ever wish you could have your anonymity back?
RP: No, I don't mind it at all. I'm not in the category of celebrity that I
can't go to the grocery store. It's actually humbling when someone does
recognize me and approach me, because they're always so proud, respectful
and encouraging. And they invariably say: "I will never forget that
Apprentice finale." [LOL]
KW: The Teri Emerson question: When was the last time you had a good laugh?
RP: Other than the one I had a second ago? [Laughs some more]
KW: That'll do. What is your guiltiest pleasure?
RP: Either a nice slice of apple pie or a good peach cobbler.
KW: The bookworm Troy Johnson question: What was the last book you read?
RP: "Entrepreneurial
Finance" by Professor Steven Rogers of the Kellogg School.
KW: The music maven Heather Covington question: What are you listening to on
your iPod?
RP: I just got
Jill Scott's new CD and I absolutely love it.
KW: What is your favorite dish to cook?
RP: Curried chicken with rice and peas and sweet plantain. I got the recipes
from my Jamaican roommate when I lived in England for two years.
KW: The Uduak Oduok question: Who is your favorite clothes designer?
RP: A good friend who was a college classmate of mine, Jarvis Parker. He
does all my suits.
KW: When you look in the mirror, what do you see?
RP: I see a husband, a father, an entrepreneur, a speaker, an author, a
community servant and a child of God.
KW: If you could have one wish instantly granted, what would that be for?
RP: For true equality in society.
KW: The Ling-Ju Yen question: What is your earliest childhood memory?
RP: Wow! It's of my mother explaining to me when I was about 5 years-old why
I couldn't sell my toys to other kids in the neighborhood because she had
bought them for me.
KW: The Judyth Piazza question: What key quality do you believe all
successful people share?
RP: Persistence! Without question. I believe that the race is won by he who
endureth. If you desire to be successful, and you work at it long and hard
enough, you will almost inevitably get there. Those who throw in the towel
too quickly or too easily will never find success.
KW: The Tavis Smiley question: How do you want to be remembered?
RP: As a man who was blessed and a blessing to others.
KW: Thanks again for the time, Randal, I really appreciate it.
RP: Thank you, Kam. I'll definitely give you a heads up the next time I'm in
Princeton. In the meantime, let me know if there's any way I can help you
out.
Related Links
AALBC.com Author Profile for Randal Pinkett
http://aalbc.com/authors/randal_pinkett.htm
Black Faces in White Places: 10 Game-Changing Strategies to
Achieve Success and Find Greatness
http://www.aalbc.com/reviews/black_faces_in_white_places.html
Campus CEO: The Student Entrepreneur's Guide to Launching a
Multimillion Dollar Business
http://www.aalbc.com/reviews/campus_ceo.htm
