The Pomegranate Principle

INTRODUCTION: Growing Up as a Pomegranate

So that you understand where I am coming from, it is important for you to know where I came from. After all, this is a book about recruiting diverse professionals and leaders to your organization, and how I came to propose this framework is rooted in both my career experiences as a Black man, as well as my personal background.

My childhood was steeped in Black excellence. I grew up in New Orleans, Louisiana, in the 1970s and 1980s in a blue‐collar neighborhood in New Orleans East. My parents, who intentionally moved to this all‐Black neighborhood to be role models in the community, were doting, loving, stern, and fun. My father, who had to leave middle school to support his mother during the Depression, was a World War II veteran, cement mason, and president of his local union. He was also the president of our church, his civic club, and the founder of a Black voter education initiative. My mother was a brilliant student, professor, and university administrator. She was valedictorian of her high school class in New Orleans, her college class at Dillard University, and her master's degree class at NYU. She graduated with a PhD in biology from Tulane University and served as professor, dean, and provost at three Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and a state university. She was awarded two Fulbright scholarships. I've come across a lot of smart people in my life, but my mother, Dr. Joyce Verrett, is the most brilliant ...