“American Frankenstein is written as a timely response to the need to revisit the history and realities of the Black existence in America… As with Dr. Frankenstein’s creature, African-Americans have been aimlessly trying t find their way in society, trying to fit in… Likewise, as with Dr. Frankenstein’s creature, the African-American plight has been filled with hatred, mistrust, neglect, and outright violent rejection...

Society demonized and criminalized the Black man… and relegated him to second-class status, capable only of menial, labor-intensive, low-wage employment… While African-Americans strived to assimilate into society… they were still, by and large, unaccepted and unappreciated… They were generally rejected just as Frankenstein was.

The irony is that if care and fairness had replaced hatred and bigotry, the African-American would have developed into one of the country’s greatest human assets over the last few hundred years… The question is, is there enough compassion in American society to recognize the error of its ways and enough esteem left in African-Americans to correct for past indiscretions?”

-- Excerpted from the Introduction

Given the ascendancy of Barack Obama to the Presidency, and the country’s concomitant cultivation of black billionaires like Oprah Winfrey, and Bob and Sheila Johnson, there are many who point to such successes as proof that America has finally arrived at a point where it should congratulate itself for finally achieving that colorblind society envisioned by Dr. Martin Luther King. Not so fast, suggests Kyle Stanford Cramer who argues that U.S. still has a long way to go to be considered post-racial.

In his thought-provoking book, American Frankenstein: How the United States Created a Monster, Mr. Cramer makes a novel analogy between the history of mistreatment of African-Americans and the way the misunderstood movie villain was so heartlessly hunted down by an intolerant mob of townspeople armed with torches and pitchforks. The author is admirably earnest in his endeavor, recounting in chronological fashion how black folks have repeatedly been denied access to mainstream society, despite exhibiting extraordinary patience, bending over backwards while waiting for that ever-elusive opportunity to assimilate.

He says that the disparity created during slavery was not corrected in the wake of emancipation, given that the government reneged on the promise of 40 acres and a mule. The failure of Reconstruction was followed by the rise of Jim Crow segregation which was brutally enforced by the Klan via a century-long reign of terror which can only be described as domestic terrorism.

Cramer concedes that the Civil Rights Movement of the Sixties made some significant inroads, however even that effort was effectively undermined by the backlash of white flight from the inner cities, the crippling crutch of welfare and the tease of token affirmation action. He persuasively augments his arguments with both statistical evidence and personal anecdotes recounting his own experiences as a black kid growing up in Chicago where he miraculously overcame the odds to earn a master’s degree at Northwestern University.

Seeing himself as an anomaly, Kyle Stanford Cramer is today committed to alleviating the persistently-desperate plight of the bulk of the still-marginalized masses of black people. His solution? While stopping short of a call for reparations, he nonetheless adamantly insists that America ought to opt to make amends by belatedly funding a Federal Reconstruction program which he envisions as incorporating everything from an apology for slavery and subsequent oppression to mental healthcare to an overhaul of the criminal justice system to education reform to job training to social support services to genealogical research critical to retracing roots and thereby knowing oneself.

That’s a man with a plan.

Frankenstein resuscitated as a civil rights figure. I love it, What’s next, using The Joker to make the case for gay marriage? I think I just gave somebody an idea.

To order a copy of American Frankenstein, visit: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1450085687?ie=UTF8&tag=thslfofire-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1450085687

Why Black Women Can’t Find Good Black Men

Every time you turn around sisters say they just want a good black man, but being good is never enough. If it was, there would be no complaining, because there are good black men everywhere… We can’t all be in jail, on crack, trudging through natural disaster areas with plasma TVs strapped to our backs, raping newborns two at a time, sick with the DL, Jungle Fever, or otherwise afflicted.

This book is all about my life, sifting through unreasonable expectations from certain kinds of women… This is a personal journey I’m putting out there in hopes that women will read my experience and maybe it will help them find themselves, wake up, and find one of the good brothers who are far less the exception than the rule.”

 -- Excerpted from the Introduction (pgs. 16-19)

 
Seems like black folks must be craving relationship advice, based on the number of self-appointed love gurus publishing how-to books aimed at the African-American community. This latest one, The Denzel Principle: Why Black Women Can’t Find Good Black Men, was written by a brother who seems like more of an embittered casualty of the battle-of-the-sexes suffering from post-traumatic street syndrome, than a leading authority in the field with legitimate credentials.

A Bachelor’s degree from Cleveland State and a Master’s in Fine Arts from Spalding University doesn’t sound like the appropriate background, but that hasn’t discouraged Jimi Izrael from passing himself off as a cultural critic. And he’s apparently met with considerable success, given his numerous TV appearances as a pundit around the dial on a variety of national cable news networks, at least when he isn’t busy lecturing as a lecturer at Case Western Reserve or other colleges in the Cleveland area.

That fair warning out of the way, you might be surprised to hear me say that I found Professor Izrael’s expletive-laced tome, thoroughly entertaining, if not exactly politically-correct or ready for prime time. For this twice-divorced father is obviously still angry at his two exes (“Both of them were crazy [b-words]!” and he sees them as responsible for the failure of their marriages. 

 And jilted Jimi goes on at length to describe how the first, “rolled me for tuition money and bounced “ a couple weeks after she got her college degree, while the second left him after nearly ten years, moving with the kids into a “nearly condemned house” with an unemployed slacker with dreadlocks who wasn’t “well-educated or particularly handsome.”

At first, I thought this book was just Jimi’s way of getting even, and settling a score in a very public fashion with ex-wives Frances and Leslie. But no, he sees their discontent and behavior as par for the course, since in his eyes black females in general set their standards too high and exchange vows with unrealistic expectations of brothers. So, it is no surprise that he would also blame the fact that two-thirds of all African-American marriages end in divorce “less on black men and more on black women and their inability to make good choices.” 

I doubt that this is the definitive primer on how to find a good black man, unless you’re inclined to take advice from a guy who, for instance, would discourage you from falling for an ex-con by simply saying “That’s [bleep]-ing stupid! Holy [bleep]!” However, as the colorful, comical and relentlessly-raw reflections of a miserable two-time loser with some serious unresolved anger issues, this memoir rates an A+. But when it comes to dating do’s and don’ts, you might want to get a second opinion.
 
To order a copy of The Denzel Principle, visit:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/031253485X?ie=UTF8&tag=thslfofire-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=031253485X

 As a non-angry black woman, I’ve been able to compile these questions because of the level of comfort people felt approaching me and asking them… The questioners have ranged from those who have little or no contact with blacks to those in intimate relationships (some marital) with a black person.

I have received questions so regularly that I am convinced that the publication of answers provides a much-needed service. So with the hope of improving relations and in order to spare other black folks, within these pages you will fid the answers to many of your questions.”

 Excerpted from the Message to the Reader (pages 1-2)

 Over the years, many an unscrupulous author has assumed an alibi in order to pass as a member of another ethnic group. Perhaps the most infamous of these so-called “slippery characters” was Ku Klux Klansman Asa Carter who faked a Native American background to publish “The Education of Little Tree,” a critically-acclaimed memoir about growing up Cherokee which not only topped the NY Times Bestseller List back in the Seventies but won the Book of the Year Award as well.

Truth be told, Carter was an inveterate segregationist and white supremacist who attacked Nat King Cole when he came to Alabama to perform in 1956, and who castrated a black janitor a year later, before being hired by Alabama Governor George Wallace as his speechwriter. So excuse me for being a little skeptical about Why Do Black People Love Fried Chicken, and wondering whether the person posing as the suspicious-sounding Nashieqa Washington was an opportunist or actually African-American.

As it turns out, Nashieqa is, in fact, a sister, although her real name is Pam Moore. Furthermore, the asterisked MBA after her name on the cover came not from her earning a business degree but rather from her being a “Member of Black America.”  She does, however, have a BA in Political Science from Cal State, which I guess is more than enough to set yourself up as an expert on black folks nowadays.

Basically, her book is designed to address 66 of the most common questions that curious white people have repeatedly asked her about African-Americans, ranging from “What is CPT?” (The true black ETA at an affair) to “Why don’t black people get wrinkles?” (Because black don’t crack) to “Do blacks deserve reparations? (Yes, past due wages, plus interest) to “Can black people be racist?” (No.).

Nashieqa doesn’t presume to speak for all black people, instead stipulating that her conclusions were arrived at based upon anecdotal evidence and her own personal observations, not anything scientific. Thus, her responses are intended to entertain as much as they elucidate. Sometimes, she even admits to being stumped, like by the query, “Why do black people talk to the movie screen?”

Some of the answers will inflame African-American readers (See: “Why are blacks so lazy?”) while others are just as apt to annoy whites, (See: “Is everything related to slavery?”) especially since the author is earnest in her endeavor to generate frank conversation across the color line’s cross-cultural divide.

Overall, I found the book to be both fun and thought-provoking, if not at all dispositive or the last word on any particular topic. Ultimately, it probably proved more revealing of the author’s mindset than of any monolithic African-American cultural traits. For who would bother to give such serious as opposed to tongue-in-cheek answers to questions reflecting underlying racist assumptions such as “Why are blacks so paranoid?” “Why do black people speak improper English?” and “Why are black women always angry?” 

Nashieqa Washington would that’s who. I say now it’s Pam Moore’s turn to emerge from the shadow of her alter ego and make herself vulnerable by writing an intimate autobiography tackling similar subject-matter. For it’s easy to read between the lines, here, to sense that Ms. Moore has played her cards close to the vest and might be ready to share a brutally-honest tell-all about what it really feels like to be a black woman in America. 

To order a copy of Why Do Black People Love Chicken, visit: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0977792102?ie=UTF8&tag=thslfofire-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0977792102

 Why Do Black People Love Fried Chicken?

And Other Questions You’ve Wondered but Didn’t Dare Ask

by Nashieqa Washington, MBA

MoreMindful Publishing

Paperback, $13.95

100 pages

ISBN: 978-0-9777921-0-2

“In this book, I will not detail every pathological condition that ever existed in African-American life. You won’t read about the endangered black male, the destruction of the black family, or the welfare queen. It is not a diatribe on the proliferation of drug kingpins, crack addicts, gang violence, or unemployment in the inner cities. Nor is it a bashing of the single mother, a study of the absentee father, or a condemnation of troubled youth…

This book is not about the dearth of good black men… It is not a waxing nostalgic about the mythical days when real community values ruled and everyne marched to the beat of freedom. Nor is this a sentimental dedication to the thrills of thug life...

This book is not a call for black love. Nor is it a call for black leadership. And I’m not asking you to be a role model. This book is not about rap icons or sports figures. This book will not blame hip-hop for society’s ills. Nor will this book uphold heroes you already know about… This book is not black erotica. This book is not street lit [and] will not conclude that prayer is the answer.”

Excerpted from the Introduction (pgs. 1-3)

Post Black opens with the most evocative and entertaining “will not”
disclaimer since The Las Poets’ rhythmical rant in “The Revolution Will Not Be Televised” delineated a laundry list of what the impending black insurrection would not involve.       
Apparently, that coup d’etat must have long since transpired, since author Ytasha Womack now addresses not the mainstream concerns of the oppressed black masses, but those of a diversity of lesser-acknowledged slices of African-Americana, like African and Caribbean immigrants, Buppies (Black Urban Professionals), black gays and lesbians, black transgendered individuals, the biracial community, black bi-culturals, African-American feminists, the Talented Tenth and black Buddhists.

As she explains it, “Post Black is about emerging groups, both vibrant and forceful, whose voices and issues are entrenched in communities but are not part of the social agenda, public discussion, national politics, or collective identity.” Ms. Womack’s salient point is that African-Americans are long past the point of comprising one monolithic interest group. Excuse me for already feeling that way 50 years ago.

Nonetheless, the book is well-written and sensibly organized with chapters devoted to each of the aforementioned “new” constituencies. However, the author bases her conclusions about her assorted subjects more on anecdotal evidence and her own personal feelings than on any social scientific data or empirical research.

Thus, Post Black comes off as the naïve observations of a wide-eyed journalist who only recently woke up to the fact that there are black folks who are gay, or who have a white parent, or who are immigrants, or who are bourgie, or who are geniuses or who are just plain weird. I’m not sure that’s news, unless you haven’t been around African-Americans much. Growing up back in the day, you’d definitely get teased mercilessly about any idiosyncrasy. Consequently, I was burdened with the nickname “Kraut” because I must have looked like the closest thing you could find to a German in my ‘hood. 
           

For better or worse, in these more enlightened, “Post Black” times, I suppose such myriad differences mean one might opt to identify more with a narrowly-defined interest group than with the greater African-American community. Let me know if there’s an organization out there for black Krauts with no German ancestry.  

By Ytasha L. Womack
Foreword by Derek T. Dingle
Lawrence Hill Books
Paperback, $16.95
224 pages
ISBN: 978-1-55652-805-7

 
To order a copy of Post Black, visit: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1556528051?ie=UTF8&tag=thslfofire20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1556528051

Mayor Cory Booker may doing his best to resurrect Newark, but it looks like he’s fighting a losing battle, judging by Brick City, a riveting documentary focusing on the body count and wanton violence in the beleaguered New Jersey metropolis. The root of the problem is black-on-black crime emanating mostly from the neverending, bloody turf war between the Crips and the Bloods as they wrestle for control of the lucrative drug trade.

The problem is that these youngsters without a functioning conscience don’t really wrestle but rather resort to guns to settle their differences. And like the gang that couldn’t shoot straight, when attempting to execute drive-bys, their ricocheting and poorly-aimed bullets tend to knock off as many innocent pedestrians and bystanders as intended targets.

The movie devotes a great deal of attention to a budding romance between a Crip and a Blood, as if that’s some sort of step forward. However, in my mind, the couple would be a lot better off simply leaving both gangs behind for good, especially since they’re expecting a baby. I suppose that’s just not going to happen in a ‘hood where you have to choose a side to survive, and you better know what color to wear as you pass from block to block.

Another theme addressed here is that Mayor Booker is still seen by many as an Ivy League interloper. Consequently, his Police Director, a political appointment from New York City, doesn’t seem to have control of his own police force. There are constant rumors that he’s resigning, and there’s even an attempt to reduce the scope of his powers.

An eye-opening expose’ about a godforsaken town long past its glory days and now in need of far more than an image makeover, if it ever wants to be considered livable again.     

Excellent (4 stars)

Unrated

Running Time: 260 Minutes

Studio: First Run Features

2-Disc DVD Extras: Interviews with co-directors Marc Levin and Mark Benjamin, and executive producer Forest Whitaker, a “Behind-the-Scenes” featurette with Forest Whitaker,  and 25 bonus scenes.

To order a copy of Brick City, visit: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002OIMVOE?ie=UTF8&tag=thslfofire-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B002OIMVOE

To see a trailer for Brick City, visit:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AMMbOAFsjSc

But one question is causing some controversy. Specifically question No. 9 asks "What is Person 1's race?" The answer choices are "White; Black, African-American, or Negro; American Indian or Alaska Native."

The Grio reports that many older blacks preferred to be called "Negro." "Some prefer it because of their complexion, whether they're light-skinned or dark," said Jeanne R. Stanley, a retiree in Richmond, Va. "Others still have a slave mentality. There are a lot of people who still have a color complex."

But younger generations are angered by the use of the term.

Read full story HERE

Take a look at this video and us know what you think?

Consider her account of meeting 99 year-old Walter Scott at the Sulphur Spring Baptist Church, which begins: “Mr. Scott was waiting for me in the fellowship hall, sitting at the end of a collapsible picnic table covered with a checkered red-and-white plastic cloth, surrounded by women in white usher uniforms carrying grits and scrambled eggs in black iron skillets. One hand rested on top of his walking cane, the other held a black Bible in his lap.”

 It’s such well-crafted descriptions which elevated Sugar of the Crop to the top of the list. Thanks to Sana Butler, a bounty of priceless pearls of wisdom and whimsy have been preserved for posterity via this seminal contribution to the nation’s folklore. 
 
2.         Step Out on Nothing: How Faith and Family Helped Me Conquer Life’s Challenges by Byron Pitts
 
Earlier this year, Byron Pitts became the heir apparent to Ed Bradley’s coveted spot on 60 Minutes when he was named a contributing correspondent to the long-running, television newsmagazine. While many might have deemed Mr. Pitts’ ascension to the plum position a natural outgrowth of his Emmy-winning work covering such major stories for CBS as the 9/11 Attacks, Hurricane Katrina and the Afghan War, the truth is that this talented reporter had to overcome a host of seemingly-insurmountable childhood challenges en route to turning himself into a great success story.

Pitts humbly recounts these admirable achievements in Step Out on Nothing: How Faith and Family Helped Me Conquer Life’s Challenges. The moving memoir proves to be as inspiring as it is sincere, with the potential to serve as a source of motivation for any individual who dares to dream big in the face of overwhelming learning disabilities. Bravo to Byron Pitts for having the guts to go public with such an intimate testimonial to the power of passion and persistence, especially when one has faith in God and strategic help along the way from some loving role models. 
 
3.          Between Good and Ghetto: African-American Girls and Inner-City Violence by Nikki Jones
 
The recent murder of an African-American honors student brutally beaten
to death right outside of his Chicago high school by a mob of fellow teenagers failed to generate as much outrage as one would expect. We’ve become so blasé about violence in this country that such attacks are taken in stride and nobody notices that the fastest-growing sector of the prison population are black females

Fortunately, Professor Nikki Jones has dedicated her career to understanding and reversing the alarming phenomenon, and the fruit of those labors has yielded this revealing treatise. The author’s research led her to the conclusion that, “It is that the battle for respect, dignity, and positive life chances is not one these girls should have to fight on their own.” A sobering discourse on the growing problem of social inequality which must be addressed before our rapidly decaying, urban infrastructure turns the prospect of the fall of American Civilization into a culturally-irreversible fait accompli. 
 
4.         Accountable: Making America as Good as Its Promise by Tavis Smiley
 
In 2008, Tavis Smiley took a lot of heat over his reluctance to rubber-
stamp Barack Obama’s candidacy simply on the basis of its symbolism as opposed to demanding to know exactly what the victory would mean for black America. Tavis’ hesitancy ostensibly came from a reasonable expectancy that Obama would have to deliver on his campaign promises, for his historic win to be of palpable value to the masses of black folks who had turned out in record numbers to support him at a rate of 93%.

Now that Barack Obama has proven a disappointment as President, many might look more favorably on Mr. Smiley’s effort to hold him accountable to his most loyal constituency. Each chapter of the book delineates Obama’s campaign promises in terms of such areas in dire need of attention as health care, education, justice, the economy, and so forth. It also includes checklists to enable the reader to assess whether or not the administration is delivering.

A compelling exercise in truth in advertising designed to keep Obama’s feet to the fire.

5.         Brother West: Living and Loving Out Loud  by Cornel West
           
Everybody knows Cornel West, the public intellectual, the popular
Princeton University Professor and best-selling author who has remained dedicated to the plight of the poor and underprivileged over the course of his illustrious career. Yet few know anything about his private life, or about what has inspired him to remain on such a righteous path and in touch with his roots over the years. At 56, Dr. West has decided to share his life story in this moving memoir comprised of the candid reflections of an uncompromising, compassionate Christian with a functioning conscience and an open heart.   
 
6.         Go, Tell Michelle: African-American Women Write to the New First Lady
            Edited by Barbara A. Seals Nevergold and Peggy Brooks-Bertram  
 
This opus is a collection of letters of support for Michelle Obama designed as a way “to send her a special message, grounded in our common ancestry and in the belief that our daughters have not only been inspired by her accomplishments but empowered by her example.” The assorted missives amount to a quite evocative collage of heartfelt correspondence in poetry and prose ranging from the intimate to the light and lyrical.

I found particularly moving the simplicity of Shirley Hanshaw’s entry sharing her favorite recipe for Pecan Pie. “I know that you and Barack are not Southern, nevertheless, I thought you might enjoy this dessert. It is always a hit wherever I take it.” An impressive compendium of eloquent best wishes which together paint a touching tapestry reflecting the depth of sisters’ emotional investment in the First Lady.
 
7.         Down Home with the Neelys: A Southern Family Cookbook
             by Patrick and Gina Neely
 
It’s impossible to say what’s more appealing about this opus, the authors’
sweet love story, or their succulent barbecue recipes. The back story is that chefs Patrick and Gina Neely had been high school sweethearts, but didn’t actually marry until after reuniting in their native Memphis after attending different colleges out of town.

Today, the blissful couple has not only been blessed with two beautiful daughters, but they also own one of the most successful restaurant chains in the country, Neely’s Bar-B-Que, with locations in both Memphis and Nashville. Last year, they also started co-hosting their own cooking show on the Food Network, and in response to the series’ popularity they decided to share their trade secrets in this practical cookbook attractively illustrated with dozens of mouth-watering photographs. Enjoy!
 
8.         Family Affair: What It Means to Be African-American Today
            Edited by Gil L. Robertson, IV
 
Although Barack Obama has generated considerable “hope for change,” Gil Robertson recognized that most African-American communities still exist “in a state of almost perpetual crisis... ... in terms of health disparities, political injustices, crime statistics, and a plethora of social ills.” This led him to wonder, how could the country have its first African-American President while the masses of blacks continue to struggle with so many of the same issues the Civil Rights Movement had attempted to address a half-century ago?

So, the veteran journalist opted to pose the question to a host of prominent black luminaries like Cathy Hughes, Ruby Dee and Congresswoman Carolyn Kilpatrick, and their intriguing responses are the sum and substance of Family Affair. Congrats to the intrepid author for not only figuring a way to take the collective pulse of African-Americana but for distilling the essence of his research into an informative and eloquent cultural tapestry destined to stand the test of time.
 
9.         Why He Hates You! How Unreconciled Maternal Anger Is Destroying
Black Men and Boys
            by Janks Morton 
 
To what do you attribute the underachievement of young African-American males? Poverty and the host of woes permeating inner-city ghettos? Absentee fathers and kids being weaned on hip-hop music promoting a combination of materialism, misogyny, anti-intellectualism and black-on-black crime?

Weighing-in with a unique slant is award-winning filmmaker Janks Morton who sees the source of the problem as unresolved black male anger at their single mothers. He addresses the pressing issue head on and in incendiary fashion in a controversial manner certain to generate thought-provoking debate.

The author’s embrace of intact nuclear family values might not be everybody’s cup of tea, but there’s no denying he makes a persuasive case in this timely tome before offering some sobering lessons in tough love aimed directly at baby mamas and their at risk offspring. 
 
10.       African American History in the United States of America: An Anthology Compiled and Edited by Tony Rose
 
The typical public school curriculum devotes precious little attention to
the considerable cultural contributions made by African-Americans. In fact, most history books divide U.S. citizens into blacks and whites before focusing on whites to the exclusion of blacks and other minorities.

However, as Tony Rose astutely observes in the Foreword to this innovative opus, “There is only one race, the Human race… everything else is culture.”  And he has come up with a novel text teaching U.S. history while dispensing with the terms “black race” and “white race” altogether.

Well-written and informative from beginning to end, African American History in the United States of America is an engaging read that’s every bit as entertaining as it is a worthwhile educational tool. Kudos to editor Rose for creating an innovative treatise to help the nation take a significant step towards his ultimate hope and dream “that we can all call one another who we truly are — Americans.”
 
 
Honorable Mention
 
11.       Shooting Stars
            by LeBron James and Buzz Bissinger 
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/159420232X?ie=UTF8&tag=thslfofire-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=159420232X
 
12.       Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man: What Men Really Think about Love
Relationships, Intimacy and Commitment
            by Steve Harvey
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0061728977?ie=UTF8&tag=thslfofire-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0061728977
 
13.       Daughters of Men: Portraits of African-American Women and Their Fathers  Edited by Rachel Vassel
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0061350362?ie=UTF8&tag=thslfofire-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0061350362
 
14.       Something Torn and New: An African Renaissance
            by Ngugi wa Thiong’o
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0465009468?ie=UTF8&tag=thslfofire-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0465009468
 
15.       The Love Ethic
            by Kamau and Akilah Butler
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0615275192?ie=UTF8&tag=thslfofire-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0615275192
 
16.       Legends: Rare Moments and Inspiring Words
            by the Editors at Smiley Books
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1401924050?ie=UTF8&tag=thslfofire-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1401924050
 
17.       Still I Rise: A Graphic History of African-Americans
            by Roland Laird with Taneshia Nash Laird
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0615275192?ie=UTF8&tag=thslfofire-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0615275192
 
18.       Marriage 101: Building a Life Together by Faith
            by Jewell R. Powell
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0800733320?ie=UTF8&tag=thslfofire-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0800733320
 
19.       The Breakthrough: Politics and Race in the Age of Obama
            by Gwen Ifill
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/038552501X?ie=UTF8&tag=thslfofire-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=038552501X
 
20.       The Hiptionary
            by Mahmoud El-Kati
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0967558174?ie=UTF8&tag=thslfofire-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0967558174  
 
21.       Men Don't Heal, We Ho: A Book about the Emotional Instability of Men
            by Steven James Dixon
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0615306993?ie=UTF8&tag=thslfofire-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0615306993
 
22.       32 Ways to Be a Champion in Business
            by Earvin “Magic” Johnson 
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0609608282?ie=UTF8&tag=thslfofire-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0609608282
 
23.       The Survival Bible: 16 Life Lessons for Young Black Men
            by Jihad 
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0970610246?ie=UTF8&tag=thslfofire-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0970610246
 
24.       Sovereign Evolution: Manifest Destiny from “Civil Rights” to “Sovereign Rights”
            by Ezrah Aharone
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1438938586?ie=UTF8&tag=thslfofire-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1438938586
 
25.       Losing Control: Loving a Black Child with Bipolar Disorder
            by Dr. Cassandra L. Joubert
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1599320606?ie=UTF8&tag=thslfofire-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1599320606
 
 
Worst Black Books of 2009
 
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1439154929?ie=UTF8&tag=thslfofire-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1439154929
1.         Barack Like Me: The Chocolate-Covered Truth
            by David Alan Grier
 
            A transparent take-the-money-and-run rip-off of no substance ostensibly published to cash-in on the president’s popularity. The most out of touch offering since last year’s worst offering, Shelby Steele’s pre-election opus explaining why Obama couldn’t win.          
 
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/039306705X?ie=UTF8&tag=thslfofire-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=039306705X
2.         More than Just Race: Being Black and Poor in the Inner City
by William Julius Wilson
 
Although this much-ballyhooed book arrived with a lot of fanfare
trumpeting it as introducing a new “holistic approach to race,” quite frankly, I found it to be a rather blah rehash of old wine in new wineskins. Quite simply, you’re actually going to have to come up with truly fresh ideas to earn this critic’s stamp of approval as an innovative thinker, Harvard credentials notwithstanding.
Trust me, it’s hard find a more vague assessment of the State of Black America than this one by out of touch, Professor William Julius Wilson: “We can confidently state… that regardless of the relative significance of structural and cultural factors in black family fragmentation, they interact in ways far too important for social scientists and policy makers to ignore.” Zzzz… Zzzz… Zzzz…
 
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1592404758?ie=UTF8&tag=thslfofire-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1592404758
3.         The Conversation: How Black Men and Women Can Build Loving, Trusting Relationships
by Hill Harper
 
For some reason, actor Hill Harper decided to write a relationship advice book even though he’s never been married and freely admits to a checkered past in terms of dating. In this ill-conceived opus, moreover, he makes the tactical error of going public with his private life, relating how “Thi s beautiful Black queen is my great blessing here on earth.” And in his concluding chapter, he waxes romantic about their solid future together, despite the odds against long-distance liaisons when one person’s on the East Coast while the other lives out in L.A.

Regrettably, the couple has reportedly already called it quits, which makes you wonder why Hill’s editors didn’t try to talk him out of mixing business and pleasure on the pages of his book, especially given his spotty track record. Sorry, it’s kind of hard to take any advice from a bachelor-turned-love guru who didn’t see this safe falling from the sky about to land on his head.

Born on September 19, 1966 in Saint James, NY, Maria de la Soledad Teresa O’Brien is the fifth of sixth children born to Edward and Estrella, immigrants from Australia and Cuba, respectively. She and her siblings excelled academically, and all attended Harvard University. But while her brothers and sisters pursued postgraduate degrees in either medicine or the law, Soledad settled on a career in journalism.   

Ms. O’Brien bounced around the television dial for a few years, enjoying stints on The Today Show, NBC Nightly News and at MS-NBC before finally finding a home at CNN where she co-anchored American Morning from 2003 to 2007, often going on location to report such disasters as Hurricane Katrina and the tsunami in Thailand.

Last year, she anchored Black in America, a groundbreaking, two-part series focusing on the state of black society which was watched by over 13 million viewers. In 2008, she was also a member of CNN’s self-professed "Best Political Team on Television" covering the 2008 presidential campaign.

Among Soledad’s many accolades are an Emmy, the NAACP’s President’s Award, the Hispanic Heritage Vision Award, and even the Soledad O’Brien Freedom’s Voice Award which was established in her honor by Morehouse College. Furthermore, the fetching freckle-faced (that’s right, freckle-faced) mother of four has been named one of the 50 Most Beautiful People in the World by People Magazine and one of the “Top 100 Irish Americans” by Irish American Magazine.

Here, the perky, peripatetic journalist took a break from her very hectic schedule to talk about all of the above and about Black in America 2 which is set to premiere on CNN on Wednesday July 22nd and Thursday July 23rd at 8 PM ET/PT.

Kam Williams: Hi Soledad, I’m honored for the opportunity to speak with you.

Soledad O’Brien: Not at all. How are you?

KW: Fine, thanks. I have a lot of ground to try to cover, because my readers sent in so many questions for me to ask you.    

SO:  Blast away!

KW: Attorney Bernadette Beekman asks what originally interested you in making Black in America?

SO: The first time around, we wanted to take a look at where we were 40 years after the assassination of Martin Luther King, because the Black in America series actually started with a two-hour documentary on his assassination. This time around, we were really trying to answer a question that was put to us many, many times by people who said, “I loved the documentary, but what are we supposed to do?” So, really, Black in America 2 was an effort to answer the question “Now what?” by taking a look at what some people are doing very successfully and in ways that can be replicated.     

KW: Are you bringing back that rapper introducing each segment with a poem?

SO: He will not be back this time because we’re doing something different. Did you like him or not?

KW: I hated him.

SO: Really? That’s interesting. I knew the guy personally and was fine with it. But it seems that people either loved or hated it. My mother loved it, my father hated it. My brother loved it, my sister and best friend hated it. And I mean hated. Hated! [Laughs] And they asked, “What were you trying to say with that?” or “Why is he rapping?” or “Why didn’t you have classical musicians playing?” I found it funny because it was something that I’d put very little thought into since I was so focused on the documentary itself. I just thought that as a nice, spoken-word poet he’d make an interesting artist to have introducing the segments. Here’s what was interesting to me about that, actually. With this entire project, people have a very personal attachment to the story in a way that other communities don’t. For instance, my own mother complained to me at the end of the first Black in America, saying “Oh, so no Afro-Latinos. Why none of your own people?” And I was like, “Give me a break, mom!” But I get it, everybody wants their story in there and a personal connection to the material.

KW: Speaking of your mother, was she accepted by your father’s family when they were married back in the Fifties? After all, she was a black, he was white, and interracial marriages were very rare and still illegal in most Southern states.

SO: I’ve asked them a lot about that for a book that I’m working on. They both had left their families to come to the United States. My mother’s from Cuba and Australians didn’t have any particular hostility towards black Cubans. Plus, Australians have very stiff upper lips, meaning, if there were a problem, no one would know. So, my mom says she felt very accepted by my father’s family. 

KW: Were blacks even allowed to enter Australia at the time they were married?

SO: That’s a good question, and I don’t know the answer to that. I know that when I asked them why they didn’t go back during that period, the answer was that my dad was working on his Ph.D. But they did eventually take the entire family at the first opportunity. In fact, my little brother was born there.

KW: It is very impressive that all six of you attended Harvard. What was your parents’ formula for raising geniuses who realized their potential?

SO: It’s less about the O’Briens are geniuses who all went to Harvard, and more about the importance of role modeling. I truly believe the reason we went to Harvard was because my sister, Maria, who was a great student, demystified it for the rest of us, and made it feel readily achievable. I didn’t see her as a genius, but as my sister who was a very hard worker. I could look at her and think, if she could go to Harvard and do well, I certainly could go there and do well. That has made me realize that you are at a giant disadvantage, if you don’t have role models in your life. 

KW: Each of your five siblings is either a doctor or a lawyer. Does that make you the black sheep of the family?

SO: [Chuckles] Yeah, I’m the black sheep of the family, although I think they’d love to get on TV.

KW: When I think of you, I think of the Hurricane Katrina and the tsunami in Thailand. Do you specialize in covering natural disasters?

SO: When I was a morning anchor, a story had to be big for us to do the show on location. And disasters kind of fit that bill, whether it might be the Virginia Tech shooting, Hurricane Katrina or something else. But it was less about disasters than a place from which you could anchor the show for a week. We traveled for many different types of stories. Sadly, the disasters just happen to be the more memorable ones.  

KW: How do you feel about the fact that so many ethnic groups are trying to claim you as theirs? I’m on the NAACP Image Award’s nominating committee, and we gave you the President’s Award. You were also named one of the Top 100 Irish Americans and received the Hispanic Heritage Vision Award.

SO: My dad’s brother saw a photo of me receiving the NAACP Award and he said, [impersonating an Australian accent] “Oh, Solly, you look so Australian!” That was so funny. I think it’s great because I’m multi-cultural in a lot of ways. I invest a lot of my personal time and energy in different communities. Also, as a journalist, I think there’s a big benefit in being both an insider and an outsider on an assignment. There’s value being an insider in terms of compassion and credibility, whether the community you’re covering is women, working moms, black people or Latinos. And then, as an outsider, you have the freedom too ask the tough questions with credibility. So, I find myself to be comfortable in many situations which might be uncomfortable for most journalists. I kind of fit in everywhere and yet don’t precisely fit in anywhere. And that’s a really nice thing for me not only as a journalist, but as a human being.

KW: To what extent do you embrace your Irish heritage? And is it easier because of your last name? 

SO: Funny, I never really think about my Irish heritage unless someone brings it up to me. It’s the same way when someone asks me if I’m black. I don’t have the time to think about it day in and day out. I just see myself as an overworked, crazed mother of four. But then I might meet someone who wants to know where in Ireland my father’s family is from. 

KW: Like me. Which county were they from?

SO: I have an aunt who has traced our genealogy back to County Cork.

KW: Australia was settled as a penal colony. Were your ancestors criminals?

SO: Sadly, no. Down Under, having a convict in your family tree is the equivalent of coming over on the Mayflower in America. My relatives were just poor people who migrated there during the Potato Famine. 

KW: How did it feel to make People Magazine’s 50 Most Beautiful People in the World list? Did you feel any pressure, since most of the women on it are starlets and pop divas?

SO: No, I agree with you. I’m not a starlet, so there was no pressure to live up to anything on that front. The greatest irony is that I was pregnant with my first daughter and threw up the entire time during People Magazine’s shoot for that article. I think it was God’s way of telling me not to get a big head. But it was certainly a very nice thing for People to pick me.

KW: How did you come to get the Soledad O’Brien Freedom’s Voice Award? Is that Lou Gehrig getting Lou Gehrig’s Disease?

SO: That’s a terrible analogy! I was actually floored. It was such a surprise and an amazing honor for Morehouse’s School of Medicine to recognize my body of work and to establish an award in my name, mid-career, and hopefully not end of career, although I have been in the business for 22 years. I ran into Dave Chappelle at the Four Seasons the other day and he asked me how I was doing. When I complained about all the traveling and he said, “Don’t quit! Don’t quit!” I can’t tell you how many people tell me that. 

KW: Dave told you that even though he quit his own show?

SO: That’s what I said to him. And he just smiled and said, “I should know, right?” It’s so incredibly helpful when I’m feeling spent from traveling to have someone say your work matters and we need you around.   

KW: What’s it like raising four your children and being on the road so much?

SO: It’s really hard. I’ve been traveling as much as six days a week for this project. That’s impossible to maintain. That’s non-viable. So, we won’t do that again, because I’m a hands-on mommy. It’s really hard on the kids. Even though they understand what I’m doing, someone needs to be there to kind of run the ship at home, which is me. So, we will do things a little bit differently logistically, because I can’t work non-stop and then be off for three months. I have to create a more sane schedule. And that should be very doable.

KW: Reverend Florine Thompson wants to know what you think of Judge Sonia Sotomayor’s nomination for the U.S. Supreme Court.

SO: I think the fact that you’re looking at a Latino nominee is an indication of a demographic shift that’s actually been going on for a long time. Despite the hoopla around it, if you study the demographics, it’s really no surprise. That being said, her addition to the Court will be historic, although who knows what kind of a justice she’ll be. My sister has argued a case before her, and said that she’s very thoughtful and runs a tight ship. By all accounts she’s bright, smart and hard-working. To me, those things are more important than her being Puerto Rican. But from a history-making perspective, the fact that she’s Latino is obviously critical.

KW: Reverend Thompson was also wondering if you think her struggle with type1 diabetes should be taken into consideration. 

SO: No, her diabetes shouldn’t be an issue at all, period.

KW: Laz Lyles asks, if the election of President Obama makes will Black in America 2 more relevant or less relevant, and what impact the show will have on the country?

SO: I don’t think Obama’s being President doesn’t affect the relevance of the show one way or another. When you examine the breakdown of viewers, the audience is not overwhelmingly black. It’s a mix. I didn’t create the show for anyone or to have an impact on the country. My job was to tell really good stories in a way which would stick with people.

KW: Do you see a declining significance of color in the Age of Obama? 

SO: I talk to teenagers and they’ll just sort of roll your eyes when you talk about race, as if they don’t get it and as if race doesn’t matter. They look at me the same way I looked at my parents when they reminisced about saving up for their first mortgage. It’s as if I’m talking about something that’s completely irrelevant to their lives.

KW: Are they colorblind?

SO: They’re not colorblind, they see the differences, but they don’t matter. They just don’t see race the same way we see race. And in some ways I think that’s good in that race has become completely demystified the way Harvard was for me watching my sister go off to college. So, I have a lot of hope for my kids’ generation. My daughter looks black but is as blonde as could be. And so many of the children at my daughter’s school are just as diverse-looking.

KW: How do people react to your identifying yourself as black, given your appearance and Spanish and Irish names?  

SO: Occasionally, someone will thank me, saying, “You don’t have to admit you’re black.” And I’ll go, “Really? Because I often travel with that beautiful black woman with an afro who’s my mother. What do I do about her?” 

KW: Is there any question no one ever asks you, that you wish someone would?

SO: That’s a really good question… No, but I’m going to have to think about that though.

KW: I’ll consider that a compliment coming from the consummate interviewer. The Tasha Smith question: Are you ever afraid?

SO: I’m rarely afraid physically, because I don’t do stories that are dangerous. The only fear I have is of being inaccurate, of making an error or of getting the story wrong. Any journalist worth their salt should be afraid of that.

KW: The Columbus Short question: Are you happy?

SO: God, I’m so happy, and I don’t know why, because I literally have not slept in two days. But I’m a nauseatingly-optimistic and naturally-happy human being. I enjoy the company of others and feel very, very blessed. My kids are healthy and hilarious… I have a husband [investment banker Bradley Raymond] who is the most-amazing human being. 

KW: The Teri Emerson question: When was the last time you had a good belly laugh?

SO: I have a good laugh all the time. Half of it is so silly it would make no sense to you. I’m here in New Orleans to get an award from McDonalds, and I’m sitting next to my best friend Kim Bondy, my executive producer, who moved back here after Katrina to rebuild her home. And we were just laughing about the fact that I haven’t been to sleep for two days. I flew in from California in on the red eye, arrived at 5 in the morning and never went to bed. So, we laughed about the fact that my life is so chaotic and spinning out of control. Still, I have the best job in television news. I’m not bragging and I don’t mean to sound arrogant. It is such a luxury to be able to do stories that matter. Every day, literally, strangers come up to me and thank me for the work that I do. To hear people say that is so amazing. It’s a great gig!

KW: The bookworm Troy Johnson question: What was the last book you read?

SO: Oh my gosh! I’m in the middle of reading The Soloist by Steve Lopez. It’s fantastic! I didn’t see the movie. A better question would be, what movie did I see last?

KW: I interviewed Jamie Foxx for the film, but I didn’t read the book yet, because I had to review the movie. And whenever I read the book first, I end up hating the movie. The music maven Heather Covington question: What music are you listening to nowadays? 

SO: Anybody who knows me, knows I love Luther Vandross. That’s what I love to listen to. He’s my hero. I love him. He was supposed to be on my show, but canceled, just before he died. It was the saddest thing, because after he died I knew I’d never get to meet the person I was so in love with. I also listen to India.Arie and John Legend who I think I scared when I interviewed because I told him, “I love you so much, you’re the greatest!”

KW: What has been the biggest obstacle you have had to overcome?

SO: What an interesting question! I don’t know. I’m not a big blamer of things on anything but myself. So, if there have been any failings in what I’ve done, it’s been in my not working hard enough.

KW: The Laz Alonso question: How can your fans help you?

SO: You know, you have some really fascinating questions. What I really appreciate is helpful feedback sharing what specifically moved or irked them about a story. I’m a student. I like to learn from what people have to say. And I’ll often write back to a fan and get a good correspondence going. 

KW: When you look in the mirror, what do you see?

SO: [Giggles] That’s so funny. When I look in the mirror, I’m always surprised that I have this face full of freckles. I’m 43 years-old, but feel the same as when I was 26 and just getting some traction as a reporter. So, I look like a mom, but I don’t feel like a mom. I look in the mirror and see a light-skinned black girl with a face full of freckles. And I go, “Oh my God! I’m middle-aged now! That’s crazy!”   

KW: How do you feel about the passing of Michael Jackson?

SO: It’s interesting to me how many people of all ages and from all walks of life have been telling me how saddened they are by his death. Not many an icon’s passing would profoundly affect so many different subsets of people? That’s really an indication that he was truly a world pop star.

KW: We also lost Ed McMahon, Farrah Fawcett, Billy Mays and Karl Malden.

SO: It’s been so sad, that’s a lot of loss in one week.

KW: Marcia Evans said that she found Black in America 1 “painful because it put us in a negative light.” Did you get a lot of feedback like that?  

SO: I had some people say that, but I don’t think that that’s true. My job was to answer the question we had posed, namely, “Where are we today?” For instance, someone asked me why I had to talk about the black male dropout rate. My response was, why aren’t you screaming bloody murder about the low graduate rate? That’s insanity! You can’t have a successful country with a 29% black male graduation rate. And I was curious about why someone would find my pointing that out would reflect on them personally.  

KW: How is Black in America 2 different?

SO: My approach this go-round was to focus on the anatomy of success. 

KW: Did you ever make a faux pas on an open microphone like your colleague Kyra Phillips? Do you have a sister-in-law like her who’s a real control freak?

SO: [LOL] No, my sister-in-law is fabulous. She’s a dermatologist and she recently helped out when my son had a terrible rash. I emailed her a photo from my Blackberry and she diagnosed it for me. I get along great with all my siblings. We are a very tight-knit family, and my parents are alive and happy and well! I haven’t made a lot of open mic faux pas, but I am the same person on and off camera. So, you kind of get what you get with me.

KW: Vanessa Goldstein asks, what did you think of Henry Louis Gates' PBS series African-American Lives?

SO: I loved it. You know, Skip Gates was a professor of mine at Harvard, and I’m a big fan of his, both personally and professionally. 

KW: Marcia Evans has a suggestion for Black in America 3. She asks, why don’t you cover what black America was robbed of and what America owes blacks?

SO: That’s an interesting suggestion. Certainly, the entire structure of economic disparity is built on generations and generations of people whose work went uncompensated. But I don’t see us doing that in the near future, because I want to cover current-day stories which are unfolding in front of us.

KW: What is your favorite meal to cook?

SO: [Chuckles] I don’t cook. I microwave. My mother will drop off food for us. She makes the best black beans and rice. I can make pasta sauce and tacos, but I really do not enjoy the cooking process, and I don’t do it very often. 

KW: What advice do you have for anyone who wants to follow in your footsteps?

SO: My advice would be: stick it out! We’re see some great movement in terms of diversity, and a bunch of different voices are beginning to get heard. It’s been a battle to get those stories done. I would love to have someone say, “Soledad, you’ve done a great job, but you can retire because I’ve come to take over.” Those words would be music to my ears.

KW: And when you retire, how do you want to be remembered?

SO: As a really good mother who tried to include her children in her work, because she thought her work was important.

KW: The Rudy Lewis question: Who’s at the top of your hero list?

SO: My mom’s at the top of that list. She used to say to me when I was younger, “Don’t let anybody tell you you’re not black. And don’t let anybody tell you you’re not Cuban.” And she never cared what other people thought about her. Another thing I inherited from her is the idea that you “Do what you want to do, and don’t worry what other people are going to say about it.” When my parents were getting married in 1958, it was so controversial the ACLU contacted them to see if they wanted to be the couple that would test the ban on interracial marriage. But they were low-key and didn’t care about the crazy stuff or the fact that people would yell things at them when they walked down the street together. 

KW: Where did they marry?

SO: They were living in Baltimore, and they had to go to Washington, D.C. to get hitched. Another hero of mine is Malaak Compton-Rock [Chris Rock’s wife] whose charity work is highlighted in Black in America 2.

KW: Well, thanks again, Soledad, and best of luck with Black in America 2

SO: My pleasure.

KW: If you’re inclined, maybe we can chat again after it airs, and I can come armed with a set of questions based on my readers’ reactions to the series.

SO: Absolutely! I’d love that. Perfect!