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The Apapa Six
Author John Berryman takes the reader on a trip down memory lane, in the 60s. As you read this book, you realize how different the world is today from how it was back then. In The Apapa Six: West Africa from a 60S Perspective, the reader is enlightened about West Africa in the 1960s, how African nations fought for freedom and the impact colonization has, even, today, after African countries gained independence. John Berryman writes about historical events, his encounters with different nationals, and his experience in the continent.
Readers of this book will love how the author makes you feel like you are living in the moment. When talking about family, food, leadership, policy and many other subjects, John Berryman gives a brilliant description of events. This book is an opportunity to learn about various cultures and how different societies live. One major lesson the author offers is learning how to integrate with those from different backgrounds from you. Living away from home may not be as challenging as one could imagine. Reading this book will give you the urge to travel more. By traveling, you expand your mind and become more tolerant of things that you may previously not subscribe to.
The Apapa Six: West Africa from a 60S Perspective has history, real life experiences, and the personal reflections of John Berryman. Reading this book will help you understand the African struggle. As a reader, you get exposed to a different world and understand how the African struggle is a universal struggle. This enlightening book will appeal to readers of history, autobiography’s, travel, and those that love experiencing culture from the eyes of those that have lived it.
Pages: 139 | ASIN : B091TB727Q
Link-Up 2 Lift-Up
Link-Up 2 Lift-Up by educator and author Doreszell Cohen is written from an emic perspective to give a deeper insight into the lives of the descendants of the enslaved Africans in the United States of America. Cohen is a highly qualified educator living in Jacksonville, Florida. After facing institutionalized racism herself, she realized that a significant reason why instances like this still happen is that there is a lack of knowledge not just for people from outside the community but even from within. She went ahead and established an institution called Link-Up 2 Lift-Up Inc. as a helping hand for African Citizens living in the States, who might need assistance to overcome the hurdles of institutionalized racism and even help eliminate it completely.
Link-Up 2 Lift-Up is a “wokebook” intended to eliminate the ignorance about and within the African community. Cohen’s book also aims to help not only eliminate the institutionalized racism but also create a state of pluralism wherein the African community can peacefully and respectfully coexist with the rest of the population of the States.
The book starts with an introduction to the personal story of Cohen, then dives into the beginnings of Link-Up 2 Lift-Up as an institution. Cohen puts all her emotions and thoughts out on the page for readers. There is nothing held back from Cohen’s telling of her story, there are photos, emails, letters, all attesting to the experiences her family has endured. Cohen relies heavily on her faith to get her through some of the hardest moments in her life. When her daughter was brutally stabbed seventeen times she prayed nonstop for her to recover. Those that take comfort in faith will admire how spirituality helps define who Cohen is and impacts the direction of her life.
Link-Up 2 Lift-Up by Doreszell Cohen presents readers with an emic approach to the lives of African Americans and the sheer amount of social impact that Cohen has managed to create. I would recommend this book to anyone who seeks to get a deeper insight into the lives and struggles of the descendants of the enslaved Africans. A cross between a memoir and reference book, readers will see the world through Cohen’s eyes and learn from her experiences.
Pages: 108 | ASIN : B08KSWYZ3M
The Epiphany Moment
The Awakening is the first volume in a narrative history about the descendants of two families that share a common ancestor. What inspired you to write and publish this book?
The epiphany moment for me to write an account about the family was upon the passing of my cousin, Otis Corbitt, on September 6, 2009. Otis was known to everyone in the family, as well as to other African American families in the Wagener-Salley area of South Carolina, for being astute in family history. Before his passing, he instructed me to begin writing a family history book. He said he did not have much time to live and the future of our efforts rested on my shoulders. I agreed. Secondly, I wanted to contextualize the stories of relatives that have been fragmented and forgotten in the past. Many of the relatives featured in the book were well respected in their professions publicly.
I appreciated the amount of history included in this book. What type of research did you undertake to ensure you got as complete a picture as possible?
I conducted several oral interviews with relatives and associates of our family. I also researched primary sources such as newspaper articles and genealogical records. Secondary sources (i.e., history books) were consulted as well.
What was one surprising thing you learned about the family during your research?
I learned that my mother family, The Seawrights, were the first families of both Orangeburg & Aiken County, South Carolina. They lived in the Tabernacle Township in the Orangeburg District during the time Orangeburg County was founded in 1870. Then on March 10th, 1871, the Tabernacle Township in Orangeburg County became a part of the newly formed Aiken County, which was founded by a racially diverse group of men. Out of the group, three African American men who were Civil War veterans and legislators signed the legal document that officially established Aiken County.
What can readers expect in volume two of this family saga?
Volume 2, will be a pictorial history which will have pictures, source images, and captions. It will be an extension of the work in Volume 1, but will include new stories.
Author Links: Facebook | Website
The book includes the famed stories of Floster L. Ellison, Jr., during the Civil Rights Movement, who became the co-founder of the Palmetto State Barbers Association and the first African American Barber Inspector In the State of South Carolina; and Tommy Ellison, whose experiences as a youth singing on the children choir, inspired him to pursue a legendary career in gospel music, affectionately known by many of his fans as “Mr. Superstar of Gospel”.
The book includes an appendix section which consists of individual pictures, documented history of places and events, and primary sources relative to the family saga.
Skinny House
Skinny House: A Memoir of Family, by Julie L. Seely is, despite the title, a story about much more than just a house. It is about the fascinating people of the Seely family that lived within it. Their stories are brought to the reader by one of the family members, the house builder Nathan Seely’s granddaughter. Her experience and some research allow every reader to understand what goes on in the tiny house.
Seely writes in a captivating and detailed way, giving us insights into her family’s inspirational story and helping everyone understand what each family member has gone through during their difficult lives. As a reader keen on details, I appreciated the effort put into researching and describing the lives of the people the author barely met, like her grandfather Nathan and describing his life at the beginning of the 20th century.
The book does a fantastic job of creating detailed portraits of the people in the family, and it really transports readers to that time and place in a fascinating way, but I felt like the book moved slowly because of all these details. If you are looking for a book that dives deep into the lives of interesting people, then Skinny House is a perfect fit for you.
Skinny House: A Memoir of Family tells an emotionally resonant story that I think every reader will be able to relate to in one way or another because of how realistic and authentic these people feel due to the wonderful writing of author Julie L. Seely. I recommend this book to any reader keen on African American entrepreneur success during a time when racism was everywhere, to readers keen on history and for anyone looking for a book on real life stories that are inspiring.
I would like to end this review with my favorite quote from the book: “Despite its title, this book is no simple story about an odd narrow-built dwelling. It’s about the family who lived in the house and the patriarch who built it”.
Pages: 211 | ASIN: B07N8H4N4C
Akil and Jafari
![AKIL AND JAFARI: VOL.1 HOW TO SELL YOUR SOUL by [AYURA AYIRA]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51t1gPwVAGL.jpg)
Akil and Jafari (Volume 1-4) by Ayura Ayira is a story about two boys who are childhood best friends turned rivals. Despite his health issues, life was better for Akil Chistopher than for many others, including Jafari Omar, but he still wanted more. With dreams of escaping a life of poverty in Africa and going to America, the pair hope to gain money and fame by becoming professional mixed martial arts fighters. But then a series of poor decisions leads to Akil accidentally shooting and killing his father. Jafari takes the blame and ends up sentenced to seven years in juvenile detention for the fatal shooting. Will the forced separation caused by the dark secret they share turn out to be the end of their friendship?
I liked the interactions and banter between Akil and Jafari when they were kids and missed that lighthearted tone and bits of humor during the rest of the story after events seemed to place a wedge between the two. I also liked the aspect of the story where the ghost of Akil’s father visited him and offered him encouragement when he needed it most. The story had a happy ending, which I was glad to see after all the struggle and strife that Akil and Jafari went through.
While I enjoyed this impassioned and thoughtful story, I felt that it ended abruptly. I wanted to know what happened after the two former friends were finally reunited, and to learn a bit more details about Jafari’s motivations for his actions. The story was told from Akil’s point of view, but I would have liked to see parts of the story from Jafari’s point of view, as well.
The focus on their close friendship in the beginning, which was my favorite part of the story, seemed to be replaced by a love interest for Akil in later parts of the book, giving this novel a surprising romantic element.
Akil and Jafari is a riveting story that will appeal to readers looking for a rousing and dramatic book of two intriguing men who face adversity in different ways.
Pages: 179 | ASIN: B09B2ZJQXN
My Black Life Matters
Malik is smart. He loves school, and he runs–he has to. He is teased by kids just like him for loving learning. Malik knows this is unfair, and he is tired of living this way. He isn’t alone. His friend, Keisha, knows how he feels. She and Malik have been there for each other through many difficult days. Matt is their friend, too. Not unlike Malik and Keisha, Matt’s days are spent running from trouble in his own way. One afternoon, while the three friends are gathered at Keisha’s house, the doorbell rings and things change in a way none of them could have guessed.
My Black Life Matters, by Michael A. Brown, is the story of young Malik and his friends, three African American elementary students who explain how they deal with the abuse and bullying endured on a daily basis. Malik, Keisha, and Matt live with mistreatment on many levels, the most painful of which comes from their own peers and family members. Readers of all ages will find Malik’s story relatable, and teachers and parents will recognize many children in Keisha and Matt. They represent a large part of the African American population all of whom deserve to have their voices heard.
Author Michael A. Brown brings to light the incredibly challenging lives of children across the country. In making sure that their lives matter, he gives them voices through his vibrant and engaging characters. Brown’s book is a must-have for school counselors. Brown deals with triggering content in a tasteful way that parents and counselors can easily incorporate into important personal discussions. Kudos to Brown for giving readers a story grounded in real-life with a positive and uplifting message.
Pages: 44 | ISBN: 1735604194
Woo Ae Yi – Author Interview
Profiles of KAD Relations with the Black Community helps readers understand how KAD can be a bridge in the Black Lives Matter movement. Why was this an important book for you to write?
I wrote the answer to that within the book itself, but essentially I didn’t feel that there was anything like it in existence, and I thought there should be.
What were some ideas that were important for you to convey in this book?
The role that Korean adoptees play in anti-racism.
What is a common misconception you feel people have about Korean adoptees (KAD)?
That they’re “not Asian enough.”
What is one thing you hope readers take away from your book?
The importance of practicing anti-racism and the importance of getting adoption-based and/or race-based trauma included in the DSM V.
Author Links: Website | Facebook | GoodReads
This book is divided into three parts: profiles, background history, and a how-to. Korean adoptee, Yi Woo Ae, also added a call to action. She first points out how the relationship between Blacks and Korean adoptees is better than what we see in the media, if it’s in the media at all. The author advocates for the inclusion of adoption-based and race-based trauma into the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM). She shares the importance of acknowledging that trauma, as defined in the DSM, is not currently all-inclusive. Whether we believe we chose our present life or not, we are the bridge between worlds. As a Korean adoptee (or Asian adoptee), we can support the Black Lives Matter movement.
The Prodigal Dream
The Prodigal Dream is a thought-provoking coming of age tale following Joe, an ambitious young man battling to escape his neighborhood and achieve the ‘American Dream’. Joining him in his journey for success is his best friend Marlon. However, despite their friendship and similar childhoods, his dreams and plans are quite different to Joe’s
Author P.W. Freeman explores several deep and culturally reflective themes in this book including, setting goals, personal ambition, long-term gain versus instant gratification and friendship. Both main characters in the novel have the goal of bettering themselves. Both Joe and Marlon want to be more financially affluent than they were in their childhood. Financial wealth appears to be their main criteria for ‘success’. However, the journey they take to achieve their goals is vastly different. Whilst one chooses to work methodically through education and long-term commitment the other is in search of more instant gratification. The novel encourages the reader to examine how they define ‘success’. Prodigal Dream also explores the theme of friendship, what it means to be a friend, and how friendship changes over time.
The Prodigal Dream is set in the U.S. and begins in 2020, but then works backwards, looking at Joe and Marlon’s childhood and youth. Freeman adds descriptions of technology, music and clothing to set the scene and time period. The detailed descriptions bring the story alive and give the story an authentic feel.
The story is structured in easy to follow chapters. The chapters are appropriately titled and give a nice flow to the story. The story follows the traditional plot structure but does at times have the reader questioning what the eventual resolution or outcome will be.
The main characters in the story are Joe, and his best friend Marlon. In their younger years they are similar, and described similarly in physical appearance, speech and interests. As the story progresses the two characters are differentiated more and more by their actions and choices. Although they still enjoy the same music, their speech changes, as does their mutual friendships and interests. This change, and the choices that lead to the changes, is the thing I liked most about this novel. There are also some important supporting characters in this novel, including good friends and family members. These characters are well developed and add depth and interest to the story.
The Prodigal Dream is a compelling contemporary fiction novel exploring the challenges urban youth face in modern society. It questions our definition of success and how we achieve success.
Pages: 206 | ASIN: B08QGPG3YL
