In ‘Call and Response,’ L. Michelle Smith explores how the Black church helped shape generations of Black leaders The author combines research, history, and personal reflection to examine how lessons learned in church translated into leadership across industries. by Kay Wicker, The Grio The award-winning, bestselling author and certified executive and personal coach L. Michelle Smith was nearly 25 years into her career in corporate media training before…
Dr. DeForrest Soaries invited L. Michelle onto his SiriusXM Satellite radio show, For Your Soul. Listen to the entire show here on Sound Cloud. The interview is in two parts, at the top and bottom of the show. dbsoaries · 2026 Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday Speech
There is something powerful about returning to a university campus to talk about leadership. At Texas Christian University, our conversation around Call and Response: 10 Leadership Lessons from the Black Church (Amistad Books, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishing and JVL Media) was not just about a book. It was about formation. It was about where leadership really begins. About the spaces that quietly shape courage, discipline, and voice…
Rolling Out says Call and Response “reframes power” and “draws a bold line from Sub Saharan Africa to the modern boardroom.” “She has coached Fortune 100 executives, spoken at SXSW and Essence Festival, advised companies from Amazon to the Dallas Mavericks, and hosted her own podcast. But for L. Michelle Smith, one of the most clarifying moments of her career came not in a boardroom, but at a…
Hats off to the academics who have been piling on praise for Call and Response! I don’t know about you, but when the PhDs tell you it’s dissertation-quality work, I get excited—affirmed. Well, after a wonderful event at Texas Christian University where I was flanked by scholars, Call and Response just landed in the Journal of Blacks in Higher Education, listed among other scholarly titles, and I’m over…
L. Michelle Smith appears on Fox 5 DC to talk about her new book Call and Response: 10 Leadership Lessons from the Black Church ahead of her appearance at the MLK Library with A’Lelia Bundles, great great granddaughter of Madam CJ Walker, 7 p.m., Feb 19, 2026.
Jackson and Coos Bay librarians share book picks to build connection By Mike Green, Natalie Golay Public libraries in Southern Oregon are expanding their role beyond traditional book lending, positioning themselves as gathering spaces for conversation, events and shared experiences. Staff from Jackson County Library Services and the Coos Bay Public Library joined the Jefferson Exchange to discuss how programming and curated book recommendations are helping libraries function…
Host Cyrus Webb welcomes author L. Michelle Smith to Cyrus Webb Presents on Amazon LIVE to discuss her new book CALL AND RESPONSE (10 Leadership Lessons from the Black Church). Get your copy of CALL AND RESPONSE on Amazon here: https://amzn.to/4bLgtnn
TCU alum L. Michelle Smith explores leadership in the Black church By Daniel McCree, Staff Writer Published Feb 10, 2026 Although the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. is the most well-known Black leader who emerged from the Black church, he is among a legion of Black leaders rooted in the church. L. Michelle Smith, a TCU alum and former member of the Bob Schieffer College of Communication Board of Visitors, has examined how the Black…
