BAMSTRONG.COM - BRIAN A. McCLELLAN WEBSITE
“The no nonsense book on success African-Americans have been waiting for! This is an extraordinary book. Brian has truly created a masterpiece -- meticulously researched, beautifully written, uncompromisingly insightful, and ‘get-out-of-your-chair’ motivating. Be forewarned. “Love Letter” is only for those who are committed to success, unwilling to allow another unfulfilling second to go by, and who refuse to “live down to the expectations” of the mainstream.”
André Taylor
Entrepreneur and Author of “You Can Still Win!”
“Brian McClellan’s book, A Love Letter to Black People: Audaciously Hopeful Thoughts on Race and Success, is a powerful appeal to African Americans to re-embrace ways of thinking that were crucial to our incredible legacy of resilience and accomplishment.
Through an artful use of reflection, McClellan examines the pathology of how our Blackness evolves within us, flagged by ‘mile markers’ of experiences that define our personal perception of what it means to be Black.
More importantly, McClellan has researched how the Young Black and Successful (YSBs) have trumped long held assumptions, cultural archetypes and stereotypes by ‘ignoring the evidence’ that statistics overwhelmingly imply about the inevitability of Black failure. McClellan’s message is one of self love and love for the Black Community, without which our glorious Black culture cannot survive.
In a nutshell and through the insights of YSBs, McClellan expresses the love and optimistic ‘mindset’ that Black People require, not just to achieve success, but to be RESILIENT in the face of the setbacks that we will ALL inevitably encounter.
McClellan has created a ‘Best Practices’ manual for loving ourselves and the Black Community. He has equipped us to ‘ignore the so called evidence’ of inevitable failure so we can continue to add to the incredible legacy of the greatness of our people.”
Raymond W. Lucas
President, 100 Black Men of Maryland, Inc.
"From the first chapter of this book I was touched by the heartfelt plea of Brian McClellan for black people to rise up and experience the power of love. Finally, we have real intelligent dialogue that does not use words of hate or bitterness but rather gives black people a reason to believe in their own destiny, dreams, and success. A Love Letter to Black People speaks to us at the most defining moment in our history as we hold on to the audacity of hope through the candidacy of Barack Obama for the president of the United States. This book exposes the powerful principles to live a life of success despite the obstacles that you might face. Read it, love it, and live it.” Rev. Trent Ogilvie Founder/President, WMRB 910 AM-Columbia, Tennessee President, Maury County Branch of the NAACP (2007-2008) Pastor, Bethel Chapel AME Church -Columbia, Tennessee “Real. Raw. Refreshing. Love Letter is truly a welcome and long-awaited departure from the standard, recycled coverage of Race in America with a modern, fresh approach and forward thinking focus on success, empowerment & self-love.
Kudos to Brian McClellan for penning what is clearly a selfless labor of love that has everything needed (wit, intellectual depth, and common sense) to be a best seller ... not to mention a college text, motivational reference, and personal improvement / inspiration guide.
Love Letter is but a continuation of the zest for life and love of community that I (and many others) saw in Brian nearly a decade ago during my tenure as a senior administrator at Columbia Business School.”
Dr. Benfred Clement Smith
President, National Resume Center.com
Former Executive Director / Chief Executive, UNITY: Journalists of Color, Inc.
[Representing 10,000 media professionals of color]
“The destruction of the self-esteem of Black people by the negative images, distorted history, and negative self-fulfilling projections is one the great challenges of American Society today. The book A Love Letter to Black People presents hopeful thoughts on race and success to help provide mental empowerment to Black people to overcome any adverse challenge and to take control of their destiny to achieve success both individually and as a community. Thanks Brian McClellan.”
Daniel Laroche MD
President Empire State Medical Association
“This book is thought-provoking. Whether or not you agree with all of the concepts expressed in the book, the notion that one should strive for success in spite of adversity is a most valuable concept; one that we all should strive to follow. The positive growth of our community very likely depends upon it!”
Jean-Pierre Francillette, Esq.
President, Wiley W. Manuel Bar Association of Sacramento County (2007, 2008)
Director, EM Representative North, Conference of Delegates of California Bar Associations – (2008 to 2011)
“Self-love, self-reliance and self-respect, Brian McClellan has brought the issues of race, class and politics full circle with his insightful analysis Senator Obama's historic run and why African-Americans are poised to finally turn the page and move forward.”
Van Turner, Jr.
Attorney, Community Organizer
“As someone who was once accused of ‘talking white,” I know first-hand how these detrimental comments can divide our communities and foster resentment. Mr. McClellan masterfully illustrates the importance of intellectual, vocational, and political diversity within the Black community as well as the necessity of moving beyond the racism game. His interviews with successful young African Americans provide tremendous testimony to his belief in the unlimited potential of Blacks when the invisible shackles of ‘The Man’ have been broken. Excellent piece of work!”
Denise Hooks-Anderson, MD
President, Wellness Healthcare Associates
"A simple read with some messages that should become a part of our personal mission statement."
Amani Ali
Executive Producer, Clear Channel Communications
President, Colorado Association of Black Journalists
“A Love Letter to Black People: Audaciously Hopeful Thoughts on Race and Success reminds us of the true signature of the African-American community, "unselfish loyalty and allegiance to one another." Each of us has an interest in development and resolve in the African-American community. And, this book brings together a diverse network of African-Americans whose thoughts, experiences and advice you will feel compelled to share with your family and friends. From beginning to end, A Love Letter to Black People: Audaciously Hopeful Thoughts on Race and Success is captivating, insightful, and empowering - a ‘must read’ for all Americans who want for progressive change in the African-American community.”
N. Lynnette McNeely
Past-President, 2008-09, Wisconsin Association of African-American Lawyers
“I must first commend the art of your masterful command of language in such a way that in this book, you were able to speak to the academic and the man on the street alike with equal clarity. This book invokes the deepest and most insightful thoughts of what constitutes the very nature and fabric of our relationships as a people and could inspire a revolutionary transformation in our way of thinking.”
Samuel Nwafor MD FACP
President, Arizona State Medical Association
President, Arizona Society of Hospital Medicine
“Brought about by the need for a concise and relevant outlook on the black race at this defining moment in our history, Brian McClellan has dealt head-on with issues swept under the rug for far too long. Brian, you are on time and on target.”
Chief Andrew Smalling
President, National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives (NOBLE) –
South Florida Chapter
"Brian brilliantly chronicles the ebbs and flows of being black in America and how to reach different levels in our personal and professional lives by stepping out of the box and out of what society and the media brainwashes us to believe. Read the questions within the book, ponder on them for awhile, self-identify and know that we can always do better."
Deena Pierott, President, Mosaic Blueprint
Commissioner, Commission on African American Affairs, Washington State
"Brian McClellan is head over heels in love! His love though cannot be defined by the typical notions associated with a monogamous relationship, because it is a love for his people. In A Love Letter to Black People, Brian poignantly expresses this love in a heartfelt conversation with the reader that reflects his deep adoration for the black community and his commitment to social uplifting. A Love Letter to Black People is a passionate plea for individual responsibility infused with audaciously hopeful words of encouragement and inspiration. Read this book and you cannot help but fall in love too!"
John “Jay” Weaver
Founder, StriversRow.com
“A Love Letter to Black People is not just a call for change in Black self perception. It is a roadmap to that change, securely grounded in Black history and popular culture. Through its chapters we see what we’ve come through to make it through to tomorrow. Brian McClellan’s uses positive landmarks of Black history to open our eyes to our own prejudgments of ourselves... prejudices that block the road toward a natural Black unity of enduring and personal self love.
Historical situations and people are mixed in easy to read and powerfully revealing combinations. McClellan collides the seemingly incongruous lives of Harriet Tubman and M.C. Hammer to shine clear light on once useful survival techniques now evolved into cancerous “Keeping It Real” to maintain possession of a “Black Card.” And like crabs in a barrel we harbor resentment and distrust for those who “escape,” be they strangers, neighbors, kinfolk, or our own faces in the mirror. This is but one example of McClellan’s insightful mixing of past and present to reveal the next steps that we, as a people... as one people... must take to secure our promised land.
It is worthy to note that A Love Letter to Black People opens with “The Obama Epiphany.” Instead of his epiphany prefacing the book, that he began in 2004, McClellan created an entirely new, opening chapter. His epiphany points out, among other things, that Obama “...is not carrying the same mental weight due to his race that so many of us do.” I am reminded of Roberta Flack, sometime in the 1960s, singing, “All you gotta do to let him go is let him go. Just wake up one morning and say bye, Pharaoh.” McClellan has given us a map to make the final leg of the journey into our each own and individual self epiphany.
And finally, Brian McClellan has gathered and shares the thoughts, approaches and advice from YSBs... from entrepreneurs and educators to members of Fortune 100 companies and government agencies. No platitudes. No easy answers. And no excuses for failure. Read this book and then pass it forward!"
Valetta Anderson
Playwright
Resident Teaching Artist at Atlanta’s Alliance Theatre
“A Love Letter to Black People is a healing and inspiring education to all of us. The prayer that our hearts and minds may dwell in a place of love and respect for ourselves and our communities resonates in McClellan’s words. I think we’ve all heard before that the black community must be accountable and responsible, but the one thing that McClellan points out that most omit is that we must first and foremost love. And, from this love all of our dreams shall come true.”
Lisa Fritsch
Talk Show Host and Writer
"A Love Letter to Black People is a thoughtful, insightful and provocative book on what we, as a people, need to do to succeed and prosper despite some of the disparity and roadblocks that still exist for us. Through examples and commentary from Young Successful Blacks (YSB's), Brian shows us how and why we need to not only love each other, but also, most of all, ourselves. We need to let go of the baggage of past wrongs; the voices of acceptable failure and get back to the greatness we are (and should continue to be) as a people. A must read for our youth.
Lisa Steptoe
President, DC/BALTIMORE Chapter, National Sales Network
“This book is a must read for anyone who loves black people and wants to see us do better. It is beautifully written and will enthrall you from the beginning to the end. It will inform you and inspire you. It will even make you laugh at times such as when Brian writes about the silly reasons we pull someone’s ‘black card.’”
Felicia Kemp
Georgia District Governor for Toastmasters International, 2005-2006
“As a coach and consultant, I daily take a look at how the World occurs for people (me included), the barriers we have continued to hold onto from generation to generation, and challenge the possibility of having Life occur powerfully to spite what may be seen as true. A Love Letter to Black People is a heartfelt and boldly conscious look at the collective view of the World through African-American eyes which challenges the reader at every turn and provokes introspection then, calls for personal action. Brian has shined light on the inner conflicts, joys, turmoil, and pains of a community, tied them in with historical roots and perspectives, and gracefully laid out a realm of possibility for a community to create the truth for ourselves and live into the greatness which is in each one of us. A Love Letter to Black People is an example of the love he has for the community and is absolutely timely. I'm proud to have it on my desk.”
Sidney Gaskins
CEO / President, Enterprising Life LLC
"Brian has captured the essence of the struggle we face as a people and presents a case on how to collectively take advantage of the opportunities in this global marketplace. Brian clearly represents the new voice of leadership in our community. I highly recommend reading A Love Letter to Black People and encouraging others to do the same to produce change in our communities around the world."
Chris Gloss "The Possibilitarian"
Author – Speaker – Entrepreneur
Comments from readers of the excerpt:
Pearl, Seattle
All I can say about this excerpt is WOW. Never before have I seen the results of the true examination of a behavior in a people. You have the "courage of your convictions" to eloquently and articulately display it in words that are real but not insulting, to the point at a very high level, yet any age gender or race can understand the interpretation of the truth!!
Absolute genius! Please finish! I can’t wait to read the rest. Reading the excerpt in and of itself has been a life changing, reality check. I am a high level executive who will through this book learn how to "take back" what has been stolen from me, by me!!
Greatness, pure greatness we are waiting for the completion of this masterpiece!!!
Torin, Baltimore
So far....so very good. LOVE is a powerful thing. Once you get it, you got it. And as the saying goes, once you got it you gone! You got it BAM.
Theresa, Fairfield, CA
All I can say is WOW! This is going to be a very strong and powerful book to read and to many very inspirational. It touches on black on black issues and I personally cannot wait to read it.
Lance, Toledo
Love Letter will be a book every black man and woman should own. I know I will be seeking out my copy.
Dwight, Sugar Hill, GA
This a great piece of work. It hit to the heart of what has slowed us down for years. It is a must read of ALL BLACK FOLKS. Thank you for waking us up again.
Lucretia, Atlanta
You are doing great things my brother. Keep up the good work!
Janel, Indianapolis
After reading a sample of Love Letter, I cannot wait to have the opportunity to enjoy the actual book.
Krystal, Upper Marlboro, MD
I cannot wait until your book comes out! Love Letter is just what we as YSBs need! It puts a twist on romanticism with its title but serves to inspire us as Blacks.
Earsell, Sachse TX
Can't wait until this one rolls out! And yes, I have cc’d several of my friends as well. Good Luck!
Etoyi, Quincy FL
I ignored the evidence!!!!
Hillary, Norcross, GA
Just wanted to say great job on the book. I'm looking forward to reading it! We definitely need a truthful plea to our community in order to make change. Love and truth are the keys to our success.
Phil, San Dimas, CA
BAM! I think I just saw the Les Brown of our time! Thanks, Brian. Your message does apply to everyone. We all need to rise above our stereotypes.