Next Meeting(s)

We'll discuss Oxherding Tale, by Charles Johnson, on January 19, 2008, at Ryland Hall, Room 500, at 5 p.m. We'll talk about the novel for no less than two hours, more if necessary, and then repair, as usual, to Cafe Guttenberg in Shockoe Bottom to eat and talk about whatever until we pack it in.

THEN, on March 15, 2008, we'll discuss One Drop: My Father's Hidden Life--A Story of Race and Family Secrets, by Bliss Broyard.

(By the way, the Craig's List move didn't work. Nobody responded. On to plan B.)

Searching for the Elusive Dozen...

Here’s the deal: we didn’t have a discussion on Saturday night, although we did have a meeting. Hobbs was out of town, Lindsay got caught in traffic coming out of D.C., and Nate was delayed, so at 5:30 Mark and I went to get something to eat and try and brainstorm ways to increase membership.

But since we were there and ready to meet, Mark and I did decide a couple or three things: one, the group will discuss Charles Johnson’s Oxherding Tale at our January 19th meeting; two, we selected a book for our March 15th meeting: One-Drop: My Father's Hidden Life--a Story of Race and Inheritance, by Bliss Broyard; three, Mark has agreed to do the communications for the next calendar year’s meetings. He’ll be conducting the nominations, sending out reminders, etc. Thanks, Mark.

We also came up with some ideas for pumping up membership:

Classified ads in the Free Press and Style Weekly
A day-sponsorship on WCVE-FM
A Craig’s List ad
A Google Group
Opening up the Black Men Read?! blog to unfettered Internet traffic
Asking Michael Paul Williams to feature us in a column

We still think it’s a good idea to have cards we can hand out to brothers in bookstores, and I’ll get that done as soon as I can find a spare minute. I’ll also check on how much the items above cost—those that cost anything at all, anyway.

Do you guys have any additional ideas?

Mark thought, and I agree, that we should gradually platform the above ideas, because what we don’t want is to get deluged with more brothers than we can handle. Remember, a cool dozen is what we’re looking for, when it’s all said and done. So what we’re proposing—for discussion, before we implement anything—is that we initially place ads in the Free Press and Style Weekly.

Then, if nothing comes of that, we move on some sort of sponsorship on WCVE-FM, figuring the guys we’re after likely listen to NPR. I have no idea how much the day-sponsor is going to cost (I went to the web-site to see if the amount was there, but they want to be contacted; so that’s what I’ll do, and I’ll let you know).

Fact is, my friends, our efforts to expand are going to cost us some cash, one way or another. I wish there was another way, but if there is, I’d love to hear about it. As far as I know, though, the Craig’s List, Google Group, and Black Men Read?! blog-opening won’t cost a cent, though.

Well, now that I think of it, let me throw this out for discussion: we try the free stuff first, and then do the print ads if necessary, then do the NPR day-sponsor if necessary, all the while passing out cards on a momentary, one-on-one basis. Then, as an absolute last resort, the Michael Paul Williams column. I hope it won’t come to that, and I don’t think it will.

As Mark and I agreed, with right around a million people in the greater Richmond area, and with the large percentage of blacks in the metro area, as well, we just have a hard time imagining that the five of us are so doggoned special, y’know? Five? Please. There’s got to be brothers out there who read as a habit, as a lifestyle, as Mark suggested, and that what we need is to somehow signal to them that we’re here, and they’ll quickly, gladly and gratefully join the group, same way each of us would—and did. They just need to know we’re here.

That’s why I feel like the NPR move is our ace in the hole. I’m betting our potential members listen to WCVE, and we have a good chance of finding them there if it comes to that.

Well, that’s what we came up with. Why don’t you guys share what you think, additional ideas you have, ways to get our membership up so that if two guys can’t make it, we’re not reduced to a trio, but still have a good-sized group.

What say you, gentlemen?

Oxherders Out There?

Just checking to see if ya'll are still there.
Is is correct that there are six of us signed on to this blog?
William you there?
Interesting book.
Every man deserves at least one freak during his lifetime.

The Conveyor Belt Grinds Away...

It shouldn't be surprising that the sports world has served up, in short order, a sterling example of what we talked about last meeting. I can practically hear Bill Rhoden loudly applauding Donovan McNabb for his comments on HBO's Real Sports. I especially appreciate Michael Wilbon's commentary, and we can hear the grinding of the Conveyor Belt groaning underneath his words:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/09/20/AR2007092002688.html

The thing I appreicate about Rhoden's book so much is that he explained so well the context for Vince Young's unfortunate remarks---and Wilbon addressed them spectatularly, as well....

That "Other" Ashe...

Greatly enjoyed the discussion last Saturday night, mes amis---

I’ve got some additional thoughts to share, but first I have to make one thing clear: the idea to delay the start of the meeting three-and-a-half hours was my idea, and my idea alone (and it would have worked perfectly if everyone had checked his e-mail in a timely fashion, ahem, but I won’t go there). Anyway, just wanted to make sure everyone knew that.

I’ve been thinking about Rhoden’s book, and our discussion of it, and the one name that never came up, in the book (as far as I recall) or last Saturday, was Arthur Ashe! Remember when Nate suggested that Rhoden, when he critiqued today’s athletes, wasn’t accounting for the times (particularly, as I chimed in, when he longs for movement-style activism in a post-movement era)? And I said something like, “You couldn’t just float back then, you were forced to take a stance, and if you didn’t, you’d get slammed”? Well, Arthur Ashe got slammed. In the same way Hobbs’s suggestion that Michael Jordan, if he was so inclined, would have been positioned to be a Jim Brown-style activist/catalyst, the way Jordan actually is seems, now that I've considered it, very Ashe-like.

He was a very high-profile athlete in a sport with very few blacks, and he tried to float, and got smacked for it. (You might find Days of Grace, Ashe’s autobiography, a very interesting read; I sure did.) True, he became quite the activist when he retired, but as a practicing athlete, he was mum. If it’s true, as his agent David Falk insists, that it’s just Jordan’s personality to be apolitical, then I wonder if Jordan, had he played in the movement era, might have looked and sounded something like Ashe---not necessarily in terms of voice and manner (they were/are two very different men), but in terms of their approach to politics, and sports, and fame.

Don’t you think if Ashe was a top tennis star today, say, like James Blake, only better, and was consistently challenging (and occasionally beating) Federer for Grand Slam titles, nobody would slam him for not taking a political stance on, say, the Darfor crisis, or the Iraq war, or anything else, for that matter. Keep in mind, just a few months ago, if not more recently than that, LeBron James refused to sign a petition condemning the Darfor situation; I think he said he didn’t know enough about it or something. Obviously his refusal got some pub, or else I wouldn’t know about it. But it wasn’t very big news, after all….

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Book Selection Process

We had an excellent first meeting, Black Men Readers,

and while I’m looking forward to our March 17 meeting where we will discuss Barak Obama’s The Audacity of Hope, we came up a bit short on the book selection question. We did decide that before each meeting we’ll each contribute two possibilities, from any genre, and we’ll choose from them. But we also need some sort of process that will allow us to narrow selections down, especially since we’re not going to limit membership, so there’s no telling how many possibilities could rain down on us every two months. We had nine brothers show up yesterday, but six additional brothers said that they couldn’t make it but will be there next time. That’s fifteen brothers in the mix, with the distinct possibility that more are on the way.

If that’s true, then we’re talking about reading and voting on at least 30 selections in advance of a book selection. Sounds a little daunting to me, since it’s entirely possible that votes would be split widely among the 30 possibilities. Now, it’s true there’s no guarantee that every brother will contribute two prospective selections, but I’m going to propose an interim step, nevertheless, that will allow us to streamline the process somewhat. I hope you guys agree. If you have ways you can improve this, I’d love to hear it.

So. Here’s the way I’m proposing we handle the book selection process:

1. Brothers can submit no more than two (2) book possibilities—of any genre—, and the deadline for submission is the Saturday two weeks before a regularly scheduled meeting. (I’ll send out reminders…)

2. We review the proposed book selections for a week, and then we vote for three (3) preferences on the Saturday before a regularly scheduled meeting. The three books that get the most votes will be viewed as the finalists—and we review them for a week, understanding that we’ll vote for one of the finalists at the meeting that next Saturday.

3. Then, we vote from among the top three (3) finalists at the meeting. (I think it’s important that the final selection, the book that we’ll discuss at the next meeting, be selected at the meeting and not on-line. Brothers who are in the room—at the meeting—should rightfully get voting preference.)

So there it is. The last organizational step, at least as far as I can tell. Once we get this last issue squared away and decided, then we’re mostly about reading and discussing books.

Now, look, I admit it: the above selection process might seem somewhat cumbersome and protracted, but the good news is that it allows us to do two things at once: one, we’ll have a book selection process that is democratic and fair (if, perhaps, something of a pain—we’ll have to see about that. I hope not); and two, it allows us to invite brothers into the group without trying to deal with a sequential, one-brother-chooses-then-another-brother-chooses process that is better suited to a smaller group.

And anyway, there’s no guarantee that all fifteen or more of us will want to participate in the book nominating and voting process anyway. Maybe a good portion of you will just want to know which book we’ll read next, and will find out at the meeting. I don’t know. Like I said, we’ll see. But that’s why we’re headed down this road, and like the genre-free selection idea, we’ll see what happens…

Comments?

Black Men Read?! Code of Conduct

Let’s hope we never need to use it. (There’s a story behind it that I’d be happy to share with you—in person.) But just in case we do need to use it, we’ll have this statement, this code, to invoke:

Black Men Read?! Code of Conduct

This Code of Conduct covers our behavior as members of Black Men Read?! during any official or unofficial meeting at any place or any time.

In Black Men Read?! We treat one another with respect. Everyone can make a valuable contribution to the group. We may not always agree, but disagreement is no excuse for poor behavior and poor manners. We might all experience some frustration now and then, but we cannot allow that frustration to turn into a personal attack. Disagreements happen all the time and Black Men Read?! is no exception. The important goal is not to avoid disagreements or differing views but to resolve them constructively. It's important to remember that a group in which people feel uncomfortable or threatened is not a productive one. We expect members of Black Men Read?! to be respectful when dealing with other members.

Members who violate the code of conduct may be voted out of the group by other members at a regularly scheduled meeting.

Two Black Coaches in the Super Bowl

I don't have our first book. I'm waiting to see if we will do an order through Precious Memories, so I talk about something else before we get into the book.

Sunday, January 21, 2007 was a historic day for Black America. Lovie Smith and Tony Dungy become the first black head coaches to take teams to the Super Bowl. I still can't believe it. I knew it was possible, but I felt that perhaps one of them would win and make it. When I considered the possibility of them both being there, I got chills. I still do when I think about it. I am so proud of them both. It's sports, not politics or another more "influential" position in society, but it's a huge statement to the world. We all know of other black coaches that have been passed over for coaching jobs. For the first time ever, I don't care who wins the Super Bowl. We will have a black coach win the Super Bowl!!!

The Organizational Meeting

These are rough minutes from the organizational meeting for Black Men Read?!, held on January 20, 2007:


I Hate Ice-breakers, But They Work:

We went around the room, introducing ourselves: name, occupation, where’re you from, what you’re reading…


The One and Only Rule: We’ve got plenty to discuss this evening, but as far as I’m concerned, we’re going to discuss guidelines today. As far as rules? There is one, and only one: You’ve got to read the book in order to attend the meeting. (Around this table, we never want to hear phrases like, “Well, I didn’t actually get around to reading the book, but personally, I think…,” or “I didn’t have time to read the book, but it seems to me…” Nope. YOU ARE NOT WELCOME HERE IF YOU HAVEN’T READ THE BOOK. (And that includes me. If for some reason I haven’t read the book, I’ll let you guys in here and then spend time downstairs in my office until you’re done.) One “rule” only: gotta read the book.

I’m sure we’ve all heard about book groups—stereotypically women’s book groups—where this supposed “book group” is really just a pretense to get them to together, so they can eat and chit-chat and whathaveyou.

Well, we just meet and talk about the book here: we serve no food, and we can talk about whatever we want later at a local restaurant for whoever can hang out after the meeting. Got to read the book.


Meeting Format:

We meet every other month, on the third Saturday of the month. We meet in January, March, May, September, and November (we’ll talk about the summer in a minute).

We meet at 5 p.m. here, on that third Saturday, and we talk for no less than two (2) hours. How much farther beyond two hours depends on how the discussion is going. Under ordinary circumstances, we won’t talk longer than three (3).

After the meeting, we roll to a local restaurant and eat and talk about whatever comes up. For me, this is an important part of the process (I like having five or six guaranteed, regularly scheduled Saturday nights when I can have a burger and a beer and sit around a table and have a conversation with other grownups that I’m not related to), but it’s not required. I figure sometimes you’ll be able to, some times you won’t, but it is part of the regular format: meet at 5 p.m. at UR, discuss book ‘til between 7 or 8, after meeting go hang out and eat.


Number of Meetings per Year: I know I told everyone that five meetings a year worked best and we shouldn’t try to meet over the summer, but given the volume of brothers in this room, we might well want to meet over the summer. So I’ll invite you guys to begin thinking about whether you want to do that or not. That would be six meetings a year rather than five. We’ll come back to that. Just think about it and we’ll discuss it in a minute.

It turned out that brothers wanted to meet in the summer, so there’ll be a July meeting, after all.


Book Selection Process:

After a lengthy discussion, we decided that each member would contribute two possibilities, of any genre, and we would vote to get the next selection.


Ideal Number of Members:

We decided there would be no cap on members; invite anyone you like to join the group


Code of Conduct:

See separate post

Simplicity: This thing is built for simplicity, really. When everything symbolic and racially meaningful gets peeled away, the fact is that I organized this thing for one reason, and one reason only: my own personal pleasure. I find it immensely pleasurable and gratifying to read a book and then sit around and discuss it with some thoughtful brothers. At the end of the day, that’s what it’s all about for me. So once we have this meeting and start reading books and meeting to discuss them, I’m banking on simplicity, on a low-maintenance group that basically runs itself. We meet every other month, we choose a book for next time, and then we dismantle and reassemble whatever book is on the table. That’s it. I don’t want this group to do any more than that.

If anyone else in the group wants to start a writer’s group, for instance, or has any other ideas, all of that has to happen independently of—that means apart from—this group. All we’ll do here is meet every other month, read books and discuss them, year in, year out. No more. No less.


Where to Meet? Options: here at UR, in this room; or at a black-owned art gallery in Jackson Ward called Propaganda where the gallery owner has offered to have us meet.

We decided that we would leave open the possibility of meeting at Propaganda occasionally.


Book Ordering?: From a black-owned bookstore named Precious Memories? Group discount; she has to have 50% of money before she orders. Pro: It’s a way to keep our money in the community—Barnes and Noble doesn’t need our money; P.M. does. Con: possibly a pain, ‘cause nobody wants to collect money.

Brothers wanted to support this bookstore; I’ll be attempting to find a way we can effortlessly order books from Precious Memories.


First Selection: To get us started, just this once, I brought in two books for us to choose from: Forty Million Dollar Slaves, by William Rhoden of the New York Times, and Barak Obama’s The Audacity of Hope.

The vote went to The Audacity of Hope

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