I Am Debra Lee A Memoir

From the former CEO of Black Entertainment Television (BET), a riveting "must-read" memoir about the glamorous and ugly moments of being a high-powered Black female executive in the entertainment industry (Alicia Keys).

Debra Lee has been the visionary responsible for elevating Black images and storytelling for decades with timeless television shows like The Game and Being Mary Jane. Now she’s telling her own story, in a page-turner filled with electrifying behind-the-scenes stories that reveal how she went from a girl raised in the segregated South to leading the first Black company traded on the New York Stock Exchange—and how she juggled social responsibility while managing a company targeted towards the Black community.   

Lee answers all of our questions about building an unapologetically Black enterprise as a Black woman. I Am Debra Lee addresses her personal struggles with motherhood and “having it all,” navigating reproductive choice, fertility, and #MeToo. In this book, she opens the door for others to come after her, by sharing the truth behind her own inspiring story of power, perseverance, and success.   

“Debra Lee is a force! I love her candor and vulnerability within these pages. I Am Debra Lee is designed to make an impact.” –Alicia Keys   

“I was glued to Debra’s every word in this memoir.”–Taraji P. Henson

Debra Lee was named one of the Hollywood Reporter’s 100 Most Powerful Women in Entertainment and Billboard’s Power 100. She serves as a director on the boards of Warner Bros. Discovery, Burberry Group Plc, Marriott International, and Procter & Gamble. Lee is the founder and chairman of Leading Women Defined Foundation, a foundation of Black female thought leaders, which she founded in 2009. She served as the CEO of Black Entertainment Television Networks for thirteen-plus years following the network’s founder, Robert Johnson. She is also the co-founder of Monarchs Collective—an organization wholly dedicated to mentoring, supporting, and empowering women and men of color to serve on corporate boards. She lives in Los Angeles, California.