Echoes of My Skin
A Black Man's Story
Book Launch
Echoes of My Skin
“Echoes of My Skin: A Black Man’s Story” is a searing memoir chronicling one man’s journey of survival, ambition, and resilience as a Black man navigating systemic racism in America. From childhood in Bakersfield, California, to the corporate struggles of adulthood, Melvin Harris Jr. shares raw, unfiltered stories of perseverance—through poverty, discrimination, family loss, and faith. This powerful narrative pulls readers into the emotional weight of being overlooked, underestimated, and mistreated solely because of the color of one’s skin. Yet at every turn, Harris defies expectations, pursuing education, leadership, and self-worth in a world that rarely offered him space to breathe.
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Part coming-of-age, part social critique, Echoes of My Skin exposes the invisible burdens many Black Americans carry and the personal cost of trying to succeed in systems never built for them. Honest, unflinching, and deeply human, this memoir is both a personal reckoning and a call to see, hear, and believe those whose stories are too often ignored.
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Critical Acclaim
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Glowing Praise
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Meet the Author
Melvin C. Harris Jr. is a business professional, community advocate, and storyteller whose life journey embodies the resilience, complexity, and strength of Black America. With over 15 years of leadership experience across corporate, government, and nonprofit sectors—including Amazon, IKEA, Kern County, and the Community Action Partnership of Kern (CAPK)—Melvin has spent his career breaking through barriers and giving voice to the voiceless.
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A proud graduate with an A.A., B.S., and M.B.A. in Business Administration, Melvin’s achievements have earned recognition from the California Senate, U.S. Congress, and local government for innovation and community leadership. But beyond his professional accolades lies a deeper story—a testimony of overcoming racism, poverty, workplace injustice, and generational hardship.
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In his memoir, Echoes of My Skin: A Black Man’s Story, Melvin chronicles his lived experience as a Black man in America, weaving together childhood struggles, systemic discrimination, spiritual growth, and perseverance. His writing offers a rare window into the heart of a man determined not only to succeed but to uplift his community in the process.
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When he’s not writing or mentoring, Melvin continues to serve as a program coordinator and advocate, working to improve equity, education, and empowerment throughout Kern County and beyond.