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The residents of Writer's Block
Black History Month is a time to reflect on all of the great contributions our ancestors and living elders have given to humanity since the dawn of time. To those greats such as Sojourner Truth, Ramesis II, Queen Ann Nzinga, Marcus Garvey, Harriet Tubman, David Walker, W.E.B Dubois, Madame CJ Walker, Martin Luther King Jr., John G. Jackson, Phillis Wheatley, Jack Yates, Chancellor Williams, Cathay Williams, Frederick Douglas, Drusilla Dunjee Houston, Patrice Lumumba, Clara Brown, Charles H. Wesley and countless unnamed spirits who sacrificed greatly for our sake...we lift up and honor your names.
We at MOCHA Urban Hang Suite believe that it is our duty to continue and expand the legacy our ancestors left before us. In that spirit we would like to highlight some of the many writers for MOCHA Urban Hang Suite and the Houston Ministry of Culture who are making Black History today.
Below is a list of the local residents who live on our "Writer's Block" who are continuing the dialogue of our historical legacy and paving new roads for future generations in the realm of literature and activism. You will find links to their websites and also where you can purchase their material. This Black History Month, let's continue to study more of our historical legacy and support the history makers of tomorrow. We recommend the following website as a great resource for African American history: http://www.biography.com/blackhistory/
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“Providing a detailed, scholarly connection among the institutionalization of lynching, capital punishment, the escalation of the imprisonment of Black youth, and the imprisonment of Black political activists, Loss of Empire presents an intellectual and political challenge to Black public intellectuals and political leaders whose political rhetoric unveils their compromising acceptance of the social, economic, and political control of the Black citizen as well as these high-profile leaders’ relationship to White class privilege. This book provides a most cogent argument for why the destructive nature of capitalism in America will remain intact until we fully grasp the presence of slavery in our national consciousness and understand how this presence manifests in contemporary legal, social, economic, and political systems.”
--Joyce A. Joyce, Professor, English Department, Temple University Author, Black Studies as Human Studies: Critical Essays and Interviews
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Take a trip with the Mine Mind family as they search, find and declare all “mine!” Hear and experience the truth that came to young Mind as the family huddled and hoped. Once good stewards of their community and land, the powerful Mine Mind family begin to take everything and everyone around them for granted. They already possess all that they need, but it isn’t enough. As they grow deeper in forgetting the qualities of reciprocity and compassion, they begin to find and declare all things MINE.
http://www.jgreenwood.com/
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Esodus: Internal Reflections and Conversations with the Sun is a personal anthology that speaks to the heart of contemporary African ontological philosophy.Inspired by classical African meta-physics, Asar Imhotep (aka The Black Lotus) has compiled a compelling collection of essays and poetry that reflects his insights and perspectives on various issues, including the relevance of Satan, the error in obtaining freedom, the conceptual conductivity of the human body, the importance of emotions during a rite of passage, and the self-destructive nature of allowing your enemy to become your deity. Asar introduces to us a poetic discourse that is deeply rooted in an ethnopoetics whose tradition has heavily influenced the art of our time, such as Hip Hop. The themes range widely from the metaphysical (I am that I am), to the bliss of love (Let me love you), to the power of self-affirmation (I’m so Black), to the pure indulgence in classic word wizardry (Still not convinced). Esodus: Internal Reflections and Conversations with the Sun is sure to inspire you to think big, think often, think critically, and expand the boundaries of your imagination.
 Book release Tuesday, February 12, 2008
http://www.asarimhotep.com
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Embracing the Real World: The Black Woman's Guide to Life After College is the first career guide created specifically for Black women making the transition from college to the professional workforce. The book features more than 30 chapters covering a wide range of subjects, as well as personal stories from successful black women and a detailed resource guide. The book has been praised by college presidents, career experts, students, working professionals, other authors, and the proud parents of young black women. Dr. Belinda C. Anderson, president of Virginia Union University, hailed the career guide as a “book that should be on every woman’s bookshelf.” Dr. JoAnn Haysbert, president of Langston University, has described the book as “interesting, well written, and packed with practical information for anyone entering the job market.”
http://www.embracingtherealworld.com
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African American Men in College is a much-needed resource that includes examples of real-world programs and activities to enhance academic success in the college environment for African American men. The examples are collected from a variety of institutions across the country. With contributions from leading practitioners and scholars in the field, African American Men in College explores the factors that promote a climate of academic success. The book shows how participation in extracurricular activities can create a positive social climate and examines the advantages of developing communication and leadership skills. It shows how fostering relationships with administrators and community leaders can promote academic success. The book also describes a proven mentoring program and examines the role spirituality and religion can play in bolstering successful college experiences.
www.lasanahotep.com
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A Walk In My Shoes, takes you on a poetic journey through the author's eyes. She shares some of her own personal experiences and feelings about life. This book will enlighten your heart with the beautiful language of poetry. A Walk In My Shoes, focuses on spirituality, love, romance, death, friendship, motivation, and everyday hardships and struggles. The author provides you with poetic expressions from the soul. She will take you to another level with her words of wisdom. You are sure to enjoy this poetic journey as you take a walk in her shoes.
http://www.gwynitaleggington.com/
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Weapons of Mass Distraction is a compilation of sermons that challenge us to think and act responsibly on current social issues that promise to have a huge impact on the planet's well-being in the coming century.
Globalization, the attack on democracy, the mistreatment of women, and the growing AIDS pandemic are but a few of the topics taken on by these courageous sermons that dare to challenge the prevailing mindset that labels democratic protest as unpatriotic.
www.shrineoftheblackmadonna.com
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