Posthumous Memoir Reveals Four-Decade Battle to Diversify Corporate America's Executive Ranks
"They Said No: The Four-Decade Fight to Open Boardroom Doors" chronicles executive recruiter Eral Burks's mission to diversify Fortune 500 leadership. From 1985 until his death in 2025, Burks placed hundreds of Black, Latino, and women executives despite systemic barriers. Co-authored with Dr. Lisa M. S. Barrow, the memoir decodes corporate rejection language—"not a culture fit," "lacks executive presence"—and offers proven strategies.
Cleveland, OH, January 23, 2026 --(PR.com)-- Purple Crown Publishing announces the release of They Said No: The Four-Decade Fight to Open Boardroom Doors, a powerful posthumous memoir by pioneering executive recruiter Eral Burks (1959-2025). The book offers an unflinching look at the systemic barriers facing minority and women executives in corporate America.
In 1985, when advisors warned against it, Eral Burks deliberately named his company Minority Executive Search. "I want them to see me coming," he responded. Over four decades, Burks placed hundreds of Black, Latino, and women executives in C-suite positions at Fortune 500 companies.
Completed with co-author Dr. Lisa M. S. Barrow—herself an executive recruiter and organizational behavior scholar—just before Burks's death in November 2025, the memoir documents not only his professional journey but a multi-generational legacy of fighting for justice. From his grandmother Larah Boykin helping sharecroppers escape Jim Crow during the Second Great Migration in the 1940s, to his sister Earli becoming one of the first Black women to own an executive search firm, the Burks family has spent nearly a century opening doors others tried to keep closed.
"This isn't a book about feel-good diversity initiatives," Burks writes. "It's about forty years in the trenches. About the conversations that happen behind closed doors. About the real reasons qualified candidates don't get hired and what it takes to change that."
The statistics Burks confronted remain sobering: In 1985, there were zero Black CEOs and three women CEOs running Fortune 500 companies. Today, there are nine Black CEOs, fourteen Latino CEOs, and fifty-five women CEOs—while 425 CEOs are still white men.
They Said No reveals the coded language of corporate rejection—"not a culture fit," "lacks executive presence," "great candidate, but..."—and the strategic approaches required to overcome these barriers. As Burks's recurring refrain reminds readers: "They're going to say no. Just keep knocking."
Dr. Barrow, Burks's sister and co-author, completed the manuscript after his passing. "Eral knew he had left this task in good hands," she writes. "He knew his 'Sis' would not let the unfinished work remain."
About The Author
Eral Burks (January 7, 1959 – November 20, 2025) founded Minority Executive Search in 1985 and spent four decades placing minority and women executives in Fortune 500 companies. Raised as one of 15 children on a farm in Jordanville, New York—the only Black family within a 50-mile radius—Burks learned early the lessons of resilience and determination that would define his career.
About The Co-Author
Dr. Lisa M. S. Barrow is a professor of organizational behavior and former executive recruiter at Minority Executive Search (2021-2024), where she worked directly alongside her brother Eral. Author of In Darkness Light Dawns: Exposing Workplace Bullying and Hope for A Healthy Workplace, Dr. Barrow has dedicated her career to examining organizational barriers and leadership dynamics. Following Eral's death, she ensured his vision and wisdom would reach future generations.
Publication Details
Title: They Said No: The Four-Decade Fight to Open Boardroom Doors
Author: Eral Burks with Lisa M. S. Barrow, DM
Publisher: Purple Crown Publishing
Publication Date: January 10, 2026
Format: Print and eBook
ISBN: 9798242115323 (Print)
Pages: 90
Price: Print $9.99 | eBook $3.99
Available: Amazon
For review copies, interview requests, or additional information, contact:
info@purplecrownpublishing.com
In 1985, when advisors warned against it, Eral Burks deliberately named his company Minority Executive Search. "I want them to see me coming," he responded. Over four decades, Burks placed hundreds of Black, Latino, and women executives in C-suite positions at Fortune 500 companies.
Completed with co-author Dr. Lisa M. S. Barrow—herself an executive recruiter and organizational behavior scholar—just before Burks's death in November 2025, the memoir documents not only his professional journey but a multi-generational legacy of fighting for justice. From his grandmother Larah Boykin helping sharecroppers escape Jim Crow during the Second Great Migration in the 1940s, to his sister Earli becoming one of the first Black women to own an executive search firm, the Burks family has spent nearly a century opening doors others tried to keep closed.
"This isn't a book about feel-good diversity initiatives," Burks writes. "It's about forty years in the trenches. About the conversations that happen behind closed doors. About the real reasons qualified candidates don't get hired and what it takes to change that."
The statistics Burks confronted remain sobering: In 1985, there were zero Black CEOs and three women CEOs running Fortune 500 companies. Today, there are nine Black CEOs, fourteen Latino CEOs, and fifty-five women CEOs—while 425 CEOs are still white men.
They Said No reveals the coded language of corporate rejection—"not a culture fit," "lacks executive presence," "great candidate, but..."—and the strategic approaches required to overcome these barriers. As Burks's recurring refrain reminds readers: "They're going to say no. Just keep knocking."
Dr. Barrow, Burks's sister and co-author, completed the manuscript after his passing. "Eral knew he had left this task in good hands," she writes. "He knew his 'Sis' would not let the unfinished work remain."
About The Author
Eral Burks (January 7, 1959 – November 20, 2025) founded Minority Executive Search in 1985 and spent four decades placing minority and women executives in Fortune 500 companies. Raised as one of 15 children on a farm in Jordanville, New York—the only Black family within a 50-mile radius—Burks learned early the lessons of resilience and determination that would define his career.
About The Co-Author
Dr. Lisa M. S. Barrow is a professor of organizational behavior and former executive recruiter at Minority Executive Search (2021-2024), where she worked directly alongside her brother Eral. Author of In Darkness Light Dawns: Exposing Workplace Bullying and Hope for A Healthy Workplace, Dr. Barrow has dedicated her career to examining organizational barriers and leadership dynamics. Following Eral's death, she ensured his vision and wisdom would reach future generations.
Publication Details
Title: They Said No: The Four-Decade Fight to Open Boardroom Doors
Author: Eral Burks with Lisa M. S. Barrow, DM
Publisher: Purple Crown Publishing
Publication Date: January 10, 2026
Format: Print and eBook
ISBN: 9798242115323 (Print)
Pages: 90
Price: Print $9.99 | eBook $3.99
Available: Amazon
For review copies, interview requests, or additional information, contact:
info@purplecrownpublishing.com
Contact
Purple Crown Publishing
Lisa Barrow
844-437-5472
www.purplecrownpublishing.com
Lisa Barrow
844-437-5472
www.purplecrownpublishing.com
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