The Parley in All Blue with Mark Dawson

Ep. 36 Plantation Theory with John Graham Jr.

Episode Summary

On this episode we are joined by John Graham Jr. John Graham’s professional passion is helping global companies uncover who they are at their core. Through award winning employer brand and employee value proposition development, Graham has discovered innovative ways to bring the humanity of employee stories to life. As a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) practitioner and culture transformation consultant, his work centers on improving the lived experiences of marginalized employee populations through bleeding-edge approaches that disrupt the status quo and create equitable and inclusive environments. Graham earned a bachelor’s degree in African Studies and master's degree in Education from Lincoln University. He holds an executive certificate in Fostering Diversity and Inclusion from the Yale School of Management. John is also the best-selling author of Plantation Theory: The Black Professional’s Struggle Between Freedom & Security.

Episode Notes

On this episode of The Parley in All Blue, Mark is joined by John Graham Jr. John is the Vice President of employer brand, diversity & culture at Shaker Recruitment Marketing. John is also an author of the book Plantation Theory: The Black Professional's Struggle between Freedom and Security. In this book John takes the reader through his personal journey,and gives them the accounts of many black professionals in the corporate space and what accountability looks like in those same spaces. John is also a graduate of America's oldest degree granting HBCU Lincoln University. They'll be discussing the promises made by many of the American institutions and companies during the 2020 racial reckoning. Corporate America as a collective, and many individual companies spoke loudly about vowing to do better in its treatment of black employees and the way it engages in the black community/communities that buys its product and services. 

To learn more about John Graham or to order a copy of his book: Plantation Theory: The Black Professional's Struggle between Freedom and Security, go to www.plantationtheory.com

Highlights from the episode:

• Why did John write his book Plantation Theory? (4:17)
• John talks about "Code Switching" and what that means. (10:02)
• What does the term"calling in black" mean? (19:50)
• Are there consequences for companies that don't meet certain diversity goals? (33:33)
• John talks about the oldest degree granting HBCU in the country Lincoln University (48:50)
• John talks about the forward from his book by Dr. Joy Degruy and why he wanted her to write it. (56:31)
• How has John's book been perceived by black professionals and white corporate leaders? (59:20)

Connect with John Graham Jr. 

LinkedIn: @johngrahamcreative

Twitter: @InstaGraham1906

Instagram: @instagraham1906

Connect with Mark Dawson:

Instagram: @iammarkdawson

LinkedIN: @mark-a-dawson

Website: www.bentonmuse.com

Twitter: @Iammarkdawson