Sheila Johnson, Walk Through Fire

The 32nd Edition of the Book Festival of the MJCCA Presents Sheila Johnson, Walk Through Fire: A Memoir of Love, Loss, and Triumph

Author Talk, Q & A & Book Signing

In Conversation with Rodney Bullard, CEO of The Same House

PRESENTED BY URBAN AIR AND ATLANTA MAGAZINE

The cofounder of BET and first African American woman billionaire shares her deeply personal journey through love and loss, tragedy, and triumph—an inspiring story of overcoming toxic influences, discovering her true self, and at last finding happiness in her work and life. From humble beginnings as a schoolgirl and young violinist in Maywood, Illinois, Sheila Johnson rose to become one of the most accomplished businesswomen in America. A cofounder of Black Entertainment Television, she became an entrepreneur and philanthropist at the highest levels. But that success came at a painful personal cost.

Filled with sharply drawn, emotionally powerful scenes, Walk Through Fire traces the hardships Sheila faced in her marriage and her professional life. Despite her skills as a violinist and music teacher, as well as her obvious entrepreneurial talent, she had to fight to overcome self-doubt and fears of failure. Sheila vividly details her struggles, including battling institutional racism, losing a child, suffering emotional abuse in her thirty-three-year marriage, and plunging into a deep depression with her divorce. And yet, out of that pain came renewed purpose and meaning. In the third act of her life, Sheila Johnson has not only made her mark as the founder of Salamander Hotels & Resorts and the only Black female co-owner of three professional sports teams, she has also, finally, found true love. Walk Through Fire is a uniquely American success story. And it is the deeply personal portrait of one woman who, despite heartache and obstacles, finally found herself and her place in the world.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Sheila Johnson is an American entrepreneur and philanthropist, cofounder of BET, founder and CEO of Salamander Hotels & Resorts, and the only African American woman to have a principal shareholder stake in three professional sports teams: NBA’s Washington Wizards, NHL’s Washington Capitals, and WNBA’s Washington Mystics.

ABOUT THE MODERATOR

Rodney Bullard is the CEO of The Same House, a community-driven movement addressing the social and economic challenges facing our world today. He previously served as Vice President of Global Corporate Social Responsibility at Chick-fil-A, as an Assistant United States Attorney, and is a veteran of the United States Air Force Academy and Duke Law School.

Additional books will be available for purchase on the evening of the event from our partner bookseller, A Cappella Books!