2 comments about Jesse: The Life and Pilgrimage of Jesse Jackson.

1. Neither a smear sheet or puff piece, this is a very objective and thorough look at the Rev. Jesse Jackson.

   Here you see both the good and bad. The infamous "King's blood" incident, the womanizing, the crudity and rudeness (that I've had the misfortune to expereince once), and the scandals are all here minus the Angela Parker case in 1971, oddly.

   However, Frady does not let the reader forget the good that Jesse Jackson has done for society. We also him getting tearful Israeli and Palestinian children to come together in peace. We see him trying to unify poor Whites and Blacks in America (who even THINKS of doing that anymore?), we see him encouraging Black kids to forego delinquency and do better in school (I first saw him on one such occasion in 1978), and we see the successful instances in which he helped in the release of hostages. We also see that contrary to popular (mis)beleif, he has encouraged far more cooperation among the races than this far lesser contemporaries among what remains of "Black leadership."

   Frady lets the reader know that in spite of Rev. Jesse Jackson's considerable and numerous flaws, the good that he has done cannot be dismissed.

   In spite of this, there is a minor complaint. Frady gets to be a bit much with the dialect in trying to capture Rev. J/J's speech patters ("Yawl," "Great Gawd a mighty," "Looka heah," etc.).




2. "Jesse" is a compelling examination of the fascinating life and times of an American original, civil rights leader and two-time presidential contender Jesse Jackson. This detailed, nuanced biography benefits from the author's nearly thirty years covering Jackson as a journalist, as well as the access Frady was granted his subject as a frequent traveling companion and from many interviews with Jackson, his family and colleagues. As a result, Frady has been able to create a intimate account of his subject's life and thought which seemingly allows the reader to get inside Jackson's head and understand his motivations and actions. Striving for a balanced portrayal, Frady does not shy away from Jackson's faults; commendably, he deals with them in a frank, fair manner while avoiding sensationalism. Ultimately, Frady suggests, all of Jackson's activities, from his early work with PUSH and Operation Breadbasket in Chicago, to his presidential campaigns and his incessant world travels, have been motivated by a common spirit of "gospel populism" and a desire to be seen not simply as a black leader but as a moral leader with a vision that transcends racial, cultural and economic boundaries. "Jesse" is not a perfect book; it seems at times a bit lengthy, and often Frady devotes seemingly endless attention to minor or obscure events and breezes over major ones (example: we repeatedly hear references and anecdotes about Jackson's 1989 trip to earthquake-stricken Armenia, but his 1988 speech at the Democratic National Convention - probably his most memorable public moment - is cursorily dispatched in two sentences). "Jesse" is probably not, as one reviewer suggested, the definitive biography of Jesse Jackson, but it is an important key to understanding the man, and in the absence of a definitive portrait, it will no doubt be the best Jackson biography available for a very long time.

4 comments about We Won't Budge: An African Exile in the World.

1. Having read Professor Diawara's "IN SEARCH OF AFRICA" and been struck by his outspokenness, I was left with a puzzling question. How could he rail in that book against racism and exploitation in the West, while also taking African societies to task for failing to get on board with modernity? I'm used to views advocating that Africans be encouraged to respect their own traditions, to "be themselves"; the notion that certain aspects of Africans' cultural identity are holding them back is provocative, especially coming from an African intellectual like Diawara.

   He elaborates on this seeming contradiction more fully in "WE WON'T BUDGE," while fulminating at length on the very divergent meanings of difference in French and American societies. His focus is modern migration, which he analyzes through his own experience as a young migrant in Paris and then in Washington in the 1970s, then again in Paris (now as a tenured professor and visiting researcher) at the turn of the millennium. Through his remembered interactions in all these settings with friends and family, with policemen and poets, with bureaucrats and bosses, he helps the reader come to grips with the meaning of exile.

   "Exile" is an apt word for Diawara's life: like James Baldwin, or even Hemingway, it's something he's chosen, rather than something forced upon him. He's neither a refugee nor a labor migrant looking only to support his family back home. In fact he's severed many of the bonds that connected him with Mali, his native country. He's turned his back on his family's religion and tried to ignore its demands that he conform to what he considers stifling customs. For this reason it's refreshing to read his perspective on migration, identity, and home in the modern world.

   Diawara's voice can be jarring, however, as well as contradictory at times. While he wears the mantle of ethnographer in telling his story, he doesn't tell us what his narrative authority rests on. In "WE WON'T BUDGE," all the dialogues with various persona appear to be reproduced verbatim, but I suspect they are merely paraphrased since he never mentions recording his conversations with people. Maybe he occasionally puts words in his interlocutors' mouths to illustrate a point. Moreover, he shows us the full text of letters he both wrote and received while a young man in Paris and DC. Did he keep copies of letters he sent, or get them back from their recipients? To do either shows tremendous ego; more likely, he's paraphrasing again to the best of his recollection. By presenting these memories as hard fact, Diawara tries to come off as both social scientist and memoirist, blending objective analysis with subjective experience.

   This approach doesn't always work. Does the author contradict himself? Very well then, he contradicts himself. Nonetheless, or maybe because of this, "WE WON'T BUDGE" is a fascinating, quixotic, and lucid glimpse into the life of an African exile in the modern world.




2. Professor Diawara in this book speaks directly to what seems to be a generation of multicultural, intellectual nomads who are knowledgeable about numerous world cultures but not truly comfortable in any of them. His voyage to New York, beginning in Bamako and stopping for a time in Paris, is an interesting one and raises serious questions about the ever-kinetic lives of Africans who must shuttle between the Continent, London, New York, Paris and the other major cities of their colonizers in an unceasing uphill battle whose sole goal is a better standard of living.

   His discussions of the culture clash between West Africans and the French are also salient and will seem familiar to anyone living in one of the world's multi-culti magnet cities. It is through his descriptions that we learn that we are all, in many ways, dealing with the same problems of modernity and negotiating the distance at which two cultures can peacefully coexist.




3. I have always enjoyed looking at life through another's eyes and now I have been able to do it from an international perspective. The title "We Won't Budge" does not give away the true meaning behind the text. It is just enough to invite the reader to pick it up and explore all that it has to offer. Diawara takes you on a journey of personal and intellectual moments that impact his life and the way he sees the world. It's a very honest and brave reflection of one's self. I am glad that he has decided to share his experience with world.



4. I stumbled across this book by chance and debated for a while whether or not I should buy the hardback edition or wait till it came out in paperback. Thankfully I spent the money and have no regrets - only shame that I even debated whether to get it or not! This is a wonderfully written book and one that should appeal to a wide audience. For readers who are longing for a book that is hard to put down - this is your book. For readers who are interested in learning more about Africa, Africans, France and America - this is your book. For readers who interested in issues of race, identity and belonging- this is your book. For all global souls and Africans who are dying to see parts of their world and experiences described on paper - you must buy this book. It's a rare gem that made me laugh and want to cry. I highly recommend it.

1 comments about Do I Dare Disturb the Universe?: From the Projects to Prep School.

1. A little girl whose father casually names all the stars in the various constellations can hardly help but reach for those stars, even if he's no longer a presence in her life. It's those early years that truly matter in the very special relationship of a father and his daughter. I know this for a fact, as my father and I shared a similar background.
   
   Ms. Lyles was named for her elusive father, and used his teachings as a springboard to a more challenging educational experience. Even though his presence wasn't a constant in her life, his love for words and books opened her young eyes to the world, and she never looked back.
   
   Her story proves that intelligence and education go hand-in-hand in creating an anachronism, such as she was while a teen-ager. Her early promise, however, was fulfilled many times over as she continued to achieve beyond what the rest of the world might have thought possible for this sassy, skinny Black kid from the projects of inner-city Cleveland.
   
   Her love for books and words prompted her teachers to goad her into continually improving herself, until at age 14, she found herself in totally new territory. A three-year scholarship to a private school (where all the rich, white kids went) meant she left her own home to live with a teacher, but still meant a bus-ride to the rural campus.
   
   Having learned at an early age that race was *Important*, she also learned that some things are only important if you let them be. Conspiracies could be found anywhere, if you looked hard enough to find them. Fortunately for the rest of us, Ms. Lyles decided to look beyond them and find the truth of a larger world. Granted, she had a lot of encouragement and support from folks she didn't know and had never met, but she also used her own store of gumption to push or pull herself to a higher plane.
   
   This wonderfully readable book is not only a non-pretentious biography of a graceful writer/poet but also a demonstration that gems are to be found in the most unlikely of places. It's also a great slice-of-life look at a world not very familiar to those of us who happen to be white, and from a different economic structure. If you remember--or even if you don't--the river that burnt or the Hough riots, your memory will be challenged by her view of these events.
   
   Follow along as she experiences the beginnings of the Black Power movement while still a pre-teen, graduates from Hawken and Smith College and takes her place in a world of letters, as poet, writer and editor.
   
   Do I Dare Disturb the Universe? is an inspirational story that should be read by anyone who can read, regardless of age or color or social position. For those who cannot themselves read it, a spoken version should be created so that no one is left out.

No comments about Inheriting the Trade: A Northern Family Confronts Its Legacy as the Largest Slave-TradingDynasty in U.S. History.

2 comments about A Matter of Law: A Memoir of Struggle in the Cause of Equal Rights.

1. Judge Robert Carter gives a blow by blow account of the legal fronts of the civil rights struggle: the personalities involved, the infighting among them, the battles won, lost, and nearly neglected. Brown v. Board is well-told elsewhere, while other struggles receive overdue attention (e.g., the battle for the NAACP to preserve its member lists from scrutiny by officials striving to break the organization's back).
   
   Carter perceives himself as the uncharismatic technocrat of the struggle, an unheralded leader in a fight who was unceremoniously jettisoned from its core despite his impressive contributions.
   Accordingly, his account is that of a dutiful documentarian, rather than a labor of love, and the writing suffers for a dearth of passion.



2. When reading about the history of the NAACP's and the Legal Defense Fund's struggle for human rights, we tend to hear more about Thurgood Marshall and not enough about Robert Carter, who was a integral part of the fight. After many years, Robert Carter has shared his perspective with us.
   
   Tales from Carter's childhood and schooling are simply stated. Given the discrimination and hardship with which he grew up, these tales are more aptly labeled, "simply understated. His accomplishments through adversity are clearly laudable, but we don't get all the detail we would hope for. He does discuss a falling out between Marshall and him, and he also discusses grabs for power as Thurgood left. However, we don't get this level of detail on the cases.
   
   Regardless of the level of detail, this is a very informative read. I would recommend that anyone wanting to know more about our continuing struggle with civil rights should read this book.

No comments about African-American Firsts: Famous, Little-Known and Unsung Triumphs of Blacks in America.

No comments about Life of William Grimes, the Runaway Slave.

1 comments about Bricktop.

1. I bought the book for a friend Yve Evans thet was playing Bricktop in a stage play. It was very helpful. Yve enjoyed the book and it helped her better understand the woman she was playing.....

5 comments about A Knock at Midnight: Inspiration from the Great Sermons of Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr..

1. This set of Dr. King's sermons/speeches is a dream come true. To hear his powerful words coming from his own mouth is so inspirational. I'm really glad I purchased these. Arthur Dunklin, Ph.D.



2. It's hard to believe Martin Luther King was 39 when he died. His eloquence can be heard in his famous speeches but the fullness of who he was, his spiritual depth, can only be heard in his sermons. These CDs are inspiring and profoundly moving. He is one of the greatest American preachers of all time and the greatest in the twentieth century.



3. I have had A Knock at Midnight in book and cassette tape form for many years, and at least twice a year I listen to them. The sermons are timeless, and make clear that we were in the presence of greatness when Dr. King was alive. Listening to this CD truly is inspirational. I have given them as gifts for years, and always receive heartfelt thanks.



4. What a blessing to listen to these sermons of my brother in Christ Dr. King. Never throughout my life did I hear these. Why?
   
   America, wake up!!! You are a great nation, because of the freedom bestowed upon us by none other than Jesus, the Messiah (Christ).
   
   And those people, brought here as slaves (believe me I've heard it ad nauseam going through school, but just listen), have helped make us a great nation!
   
   Now listen - we are ALL slaves - every one of us. To who? To ourselves!
   
   If you think I'm a religious zealot - absolutely, freakin' not. I am a former slave, that's all. No more, no less. Saved by the blood of the Lamb. And now filled with the love of His Spirit, and loving my fellow man, regardless of color or background.
   
   I look forward to meeting you in heaven Dr. King!
   
   (Let's pray for Dr. King's constituents, that they would come to know the Lord, and love all, black and white, and gain God's strength as Dr. King did.... and keep loving one another, faults and all - 'cause we know we all got faults, but our hearts should be turned towards perfection! Thank you Jesus, King of kings and Lord of lords!!!)



5. The sermon series is awesome!!! Each sermon has an introduction that gives the listener valuable tidbits about the sermon. You can feel the effect of MLK's powerful oration abilities. All of the sermons are still relevant today and anyone who has a pulse can benefit from listening to the set.

5 comments about Composition in Black and White: The Life of Philippa Schuyler.

1. I had a newspaper cut out of the picture that is on the cover of this book for years. It is faded and delicate but I never rid myself of it because I found the beautiful face that was on it so enchanting. All I knew was that this girl was called Philippa. I thought she was Indian or an old Bollywood star. Then I saw the photo again but on the cover of a biography in a bookshop called Foyles in London.
   
   Composition in Black and White: Life of Philippa Schuyler by Kathryn M. Talalay is a very well written and comprehensively researched biography about a child prodigy. The opening chapters are compelling and written with such confidence that it suggests that this biography is going to be a classic. Unfortunatly the subject matter lets Talalay down as the middle section of the book demonstrates because it is simply an extended list of her engagements and travels. That said the book sparks back into to life in the later chapters as the mature Philippa is explored. I would like to have known when she had her first real sexual encounter, as this would have put the later exploration into her sex life into context.
   
   There are some questions that are left unresolved which I supposed adds too the mystery of this difficult character. Also as Philippa grows she becomes more selfish and self-centred. Less sympathetic. Her world really does revolve around her and only her even if she is in a war-zone. My personal view is that in latter life she became something of a Machiavellian sexual predator. I can't see how she can be labelled a humanitarian. Her main concerns were solely for herself. She had an abortion simply because the baby came from a Blackman. Yes she was brave, talented and beautiful yet she was also cruel, stupid and brutal. Someone who had too much emotion baggage to be around for long.
   
   Where is Philippa's music now? Was it really any good? Are there any recordings of it?
   
   I can find none available. Maybe that speaks for itself.



2. Richard Powers puts Philippa Schuyler (1931-1967) to the centre of his novel "The time of our singing". Halle Berry (this time as a producer instead of as an actress) wants to film her life ["Composition in Black and White"] and has found Alicia Keys as a principal actor -- also a coloured pianist and an admirer of Philippa Schuyler by whom Alicia feels deeply inspired. These two current marginal notes should already unlock us to read this book written by Kathryn Talalay about Philippa Schuyler. If one has started to explore the facts of this extraordinary biography, then one quite surely will be tied up of what this exemplarily strong woman experienced: At the beginning of her life she was, aged 11, on tour as a "child prodigy" celebrated on concert stages in about 80 countries -- also America needs his Mozarts (at first the present U.S. Foreign Secretary Condoleezza Rice was on this track, too, before she still discovered more essential). Philippa Schuyler (got adult) changed her name because of the racialist injustices , which made the USA particularly to the axis of the bad in the Mccarthy era -- for children from mixing marriages absolutely also. Philippa Schuyler tried to award a South American Spanish touch to herself with the pseudonym Felipa Monterro. (Jennifer Lopez today is an example, too, that this sort of identity absolutely gets more acceptance than a clear origin from a black American ghetto. ) Philippa Schuyler started with a second life as a (very successful) journalist, getting more awake for political discussions. She, an "American Sheroe" -- she died at the age of 35 years... at a report refund over Vietnam during a helicopter crash in 1967.



3. This book is PACKED with details. The author really did her homework on this book. The author takes you on a journey beginning with the lives of her parents, Phillipa crossing the world on adventures and finally ending in pure tragedy. Phillipa was a very gifted child pianist. She grew up in New York as a multi-racial child. Her mother was a white southern heiress, her father was a talented black journalist. The two fell in love in a time where inter-racial couples were worse than taboo.
   
   Phillipa traveled the world performing for royalty. Sometimes at dilapidated venues in fourth world counties. Although some times were rough for Phillipa (when she was older) she continued touring to get away from her demanding mother.
   
   The book is packed with dates, locations, pictures and names. You can tell that the author, Kathryn Talalay, put a lot of effort into this book to give you the full picture of this girl's life. This is the reason why I gave it 3 stars and not 4 or 5. From reading so much info the book kind of lost its momentum.
   
   NOTE: Be on the look out for the motion picture of "Composition in Black and White" staring Alicia Keys as Phillipa.



4. I loved this book and couldn't put it down. Very well written and researched. Philippa Schulyer was a fascinating woman! I highly recommend this book.



5. As a social historian and african-american writer I enthralled when I read the NY Times Book Review of Kathryn Talalay's bio of phillippa Schuyler. Schuyler made her mark as a musical child prodigy and later, as an adult, a celebrated composer-pianist. Schuyler's life as an international performer in one sense mirrors that of another but more recognized "tragic mulatoo", Dorthy Dandridge. And her last career as a grounbreaking war correspondent in South Vietnam is particularly entriguing. Overall, Talalay's book is marvelous but the high brow and sordid realities of Schuyler's life are especially deserving of a major made-for-cable TV treatment. Similiarly to what recently afforded Dandridge. That way Talalay's thought provoking examination of Schuyler's achievements could be made accessible to a greater number of african-americans and others alike.