New Book Honors Black Generals

In 2011, Doug Melville was thrilled to be invited to an advanced screening of George Lucas’s Red Tails. However, the film fictionalized the story by omitting the names and details of the heroes – including Benjamin O. Davis Jr, the founding commander of the unit and the patriarch of his family – from the story entirely.

Melville’s book, INVISIBLE GENERALS: Rediscovering Family Legacy, and a Quest to Honor America’s First Black Generals (Atria/Black Privilege Publishing; Hardcover; On Sale: Nov. 7), is a story of legacy, inheritance, and hidden American military history. Melville celebrates the everyday heroes behind the scenes, reminding readers to understand their own ancestors’ victories to broaden their vision of what is possible. The book recounts the lives of a father and his son who always maintained their belief in the American dream.

This year marks the 75th anniversary of military integration by President Truman and the 25th anniversary of President Clinton’s elevating Benjamin O Davis Jr. to the rank of 4 Star General.

The Davis Top Facts:

• Ben Sr. becomes 1st Black general in US history
• Ben Sr. helps create and Ben Jr. would command the Tuskegee Airmen
• Ben Sr. is lead advisor to President Truman on the desegregation of the US military
• Ben Jr. draws the oceanic line that separates mainland China and Taiwan.
• Ben Jr. led the creation of the US Air Marshal program and commercial airport security to keep the skies safe
• Nicknamed “Mr 55” Ben Jr. led efforts for the national 55 mph speed limit
• Wright Bros Museum has a portrait of Davis on display until Dec.17, 2023.

This is a true story of America’s first Black generals who always maintained their belief in the American dream. Publisher: Atria/Black Privilege Publishing, hardcover, available Nov. 7.

Doug Melville, as a fifth-generation leader with a family that has worked under 10 different presidential administrations, is a global head of diversity, equity and inclusion in the luxury industry. He has given three TEDx Talks and has been featured in numerous periodicals, including Forbes, USA TODAY, The Washington Post, Time, and more. Invisible Generals is his first book. Find out more at DougMelville.com.