Mel King
Author
Mel King Books
About the author
Mel King's career has been marked by a series of unique experiences and challenges. In the Air Force, he held a leadership role overseeing a department consisting of both military and civilian personnel. Despite consistently outperforming his colleagues, Mel received little recognition for his achievements.
He witnessed the lack of representation of Black Americans in senior positions and encountered biases that hindered their advancement. Frustrated by these systemic issues, Mel wrote "Uncommon" as a documentation of the glass ceiling, unfairness, and challenges faced by Black Americans in the corporate world.
Uncommon: A Black Man's Journey (Volume 1)
As the title suggest, Mel King has had many "uncommon" experiences and this book only begins to document the beginning of them. In high school, he held an elected office, made the honor roll, lettered in sports, and wrote for the school newspaper-all while having a part time job and contributing to the family household. He is a Black American and in high school, his friends didn't use the word, uncommon, but often said that he was different. Growing up in center city Los Angeles, he didn't smoke, drink, or take drugs, yet he was frequently asked to go out with the gang. As Mel entered the Air Force, during the Vietnam War, he continued to break grounds for people of color. At every assignment, in some form or fashion, he had been recognized for performance, dedication and his leadership ability.
Uncommon: Black Can Make a Difference (Book 2)
As the title suggest, Mel King has had many "uncommon" experiences and this book, volume II, documents the continuation of them. The book highlights the many challenges that a Black individual face in regards to recognition, promotion, and acceptance in the corporate arena. Mel had just left the Air Force after his four years of service and began his career in the corporate world. It was in the early seventies, only about six or seven years after a group of ladies helped America put a man into space and orbit our planet by the ability to preform calculations that computers do today; and, they received very little recognition for their effort. However, those ladies proved that, "Black can make a difference." Not much had changed by the time Mel left the service and entered the job market.