Doug Melville is a celebrated author, a three-time TEDx speaker, and one of today’s most innovative and sought-out voices in international equity and inclusion.
He has been featured prominently in the media, including “CBS Saturday Morning,” TIME, the “Daily Show,” the Guardian, the “Breakfast Club,” and the Washington Post, and is also a Forbes.com contributor.
A fifth-generation leader, Doug Melville’s first book, Invisible Generals: Rediscovering Family Legacy, and a Quest to Honor America’s First Black Generals (Simon & Schuster) debuted November 2023 as an Amazon #1 Best-Selling New Release, and has since become the subject of a PBS “NewsHour” Classroom Daily News Lesson.
Throughout his career, he has served as the global head of equity for Richemont, a luxury holding company in Geneva, Switzerland and TBWA, a top ten global ad agency, on Madison Ave in New York. He has traveled to over forty countries to better understand this topic globally.
DOUG AT WORK
Author Family Lineage
Louis Davis (GOV’T)
Unknown – 1930
Louis Davis had one Son, Ben. Louis would become one of the first Blacks to work for the Gov’t in the dept of the Interior. He wanted his Son to follow. But Ben had other plans, he wanted to be an Army General.
Benjamin O. Davis, Sr. (ARMY)
1880 – 1970
Ben Sr, Americas’ 1st Black General, had three children Olive, Elnora and Ben Jr. He wanted his son to live out his dream of being an aviator. That path would require him to graduate from West Point. He was able to make the sacrifices to make that a reality.
Benjamin O. Davis, Jr. (AVIATION)
1912 – 2002
As commander of the Tuskegee Airman, Ben Jr was able to Graduate from West Point. Following in Father’s footsteps, he would go on to become the US Air Force’s 1st Black General, and America’s Second – alongside his Father. While he never had a biological son, he raised his nephew L. Scott from the time he was 6. Ben encouraged him to go into law, to help make the changes needed to make America more equitable. He’d follow Ben’s advice.
Judge L. Scott Melville (LAW)
1933 –
L. Scott was brought up by Ben Jr and his wife Agatha from the time he was 6. He even attended the same Middle School as Ben Jr in Tuskegee, AL. He would go on to Howard Law, and would become one of CT’s first Black Superior Court Judges. L. Scott and his wife Sonja would have three children, Doug being the youngest.
Douglas (Doug) Melville
In 2011 after being invited to a Red Tails screening and seeing Ben Jrs name replaced for that of a fictional character – Doug began a journey to discovering his family story. After hearing his Dad share the struggles Ben Jr went through, he changed careers to become a corporate Diversity Officer in 2012. Since then he has worked with both West Point and USAFA to keep Ben Jrs legacy alive through huge dedications in his honor on both campuses in 2017 & 2019, respectively.
