Trespassing

Book excerpt: “A striking memoir of a gifted black woman’s lonely, difficult, and unsatisfying climb to the heights of American power and prestige.” —Kirkus Reviews Parker’s compelling memoir offers a revealing glimpse inside corporate America through the eyes of a black woman “intruder.” From a nurturing childhood in a middle-class black community, Parker rose in the ranks on Wall Street only to discover that racism and sexism still prevail at the top. Full of both outrage and regret, Trespassing is frank and unflinching but leavened with humor and compassion. “An important, keenly observed work that should be read by everyone who is interested in a good story, as well as by those intrigued by the gripping personal drama that comes from extending token access to a few black professionals and calling that phenomenon—integration” (Lani Guinier, author of The Tyranny of Meritocracy). “The stings and isolation of a career at the top . . . engagingly written and fluidly paced.” —The New York Times “An important voice in Black women’s emerging tapestry of words.” —Jill Nelson, author of Volunteer Slavery “Searching and painfully revealing, depicting each moment with searing clarity . . . Parker shows what it means to be invisible and erased.” —Time “Graceful . . . funny, moving and insightful.” —Newsday