There’s an old expression? “If you want to hide something from a Black person, put it in a book.” Surprisingly, I’ve actually been told only twice in my life, once as a joke and the other I believe was serious.
There’s long been a stereotype that Black people don’t like to read. The unfortunate fact is that some people, even Black people have accepted this lie as truth. The thinking is that some prefer to rely on oral communication to document history and to communicate, in general.
The reality of proving racial discrimination, harassment or retaliation at work requires a worker to become a voracious reader, as well as a person who consistently documents everything happening around them. I have often written about race in addition to many other topics, but once a few people over the past few weeks, “What am I reading?” or “What books have I read?” So I thought that I’d list a few of them. I have a bad habit of starting another book while reading another one. Some books I read for reference and some just because they interest me.
The one thing you should know is that I’ve never been too interested in novels, but would read one if it is of someone I know. But you’re not going to find me with a Wally Lamb or Zane book. They have my respect as great writers, but I’m more interested in certain types of books. As you will see from my list. It gives you a little insight of what I generally like to read. Although it’s not exclusive to my current list of books.
I’m currently starting the process of writing a book, “The Party of Lincoln No More: Before Lincoln and After Obama” that will explore what has and continues to make for the United States racial political polarization and what can be done about it. It’s may have reactionaries upset on the surface, but once they read what I have to say it will be difficult to make the claims some may likely make of it being an attack on the right or left. It’s not an attack, but a revealing of the right and left. So this is the reason for reading such old and serious books. There other books I’ve read and set to read, but here are a few of the most recent ones.
This is what I’m reading…
By: Harold Holzer
By: Dr. W.E.B. DuBois
By: Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Clayborne Carson & Peter Holloran
By: Rabbi Brad Hirschfield
By: Earl H. Brill
