Geoffrey Canada - appears on 60 Minutes talking about The Harlem Children’s Zone

It was good to see this being brought to light. I had no idea that the late Ed Bradley had one of the initial interviews with HCZ about 3 years ago! I hope the good people of Richmond saw this show!!!


Watch CBS News Videos Online

Vote on the January, 2010 selection

You may vote for two (2) of the following nominations:

David Alan Grier, Barack Like Me: the Chocolate Covered Truth

Daniel H. Pink, A Whole New Mind: Why Right-Brainers Will Rule the Future

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, On the Shoulders of Giants: My Journey Through the Harlem Renaissance

William Jelani Cobb, The Devil and Dave Chappelle & Other Essays

Bikari Kitwana, The Hip-Hop Generation: Young Blacks and the Crisis in African-America

Cornel West, Hope on a Tightrope

Book Glutton: New Feature for the Group?

Guys,

You may have seen this story on All Things Considered.

Check out the video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TkCoknkwua4&feature=player_embedded

I'm not proposing the site as a replacement for our discussions.
I'm proposing that members that may want to use the "mark" feature within a discussed book can do so to add comments about a page, paragraph, etc.
I usually make notes on the margins of books as I read and bring the notes to the discussion.
This online comment will us to see comments prior to the formal discussion which may contribute to further in-person discussion. The "chat" feature could be used for mini-discussions before the formal meeting.

Just an idea.
BTW, sorry about the multiple invites to join the Glutton group I created.
The site was sending error messages which led me to believe the invitations were not going out.

Here's the link

http://withinthepagesofmylife.mypodcast.com/

Listen to our podcast

Yeah, I'd love to meet up. Also, check out the podcast of the Coates book.

A Mid-Summer Night's Maintenance Meeting...

Gentlemen:

Wondered if we might meet for dinner at Cafe Guttenberg's next month and discuss Black Men Read?!---just some scheduled maintenance, if you will, regarding how things are going, what we're doing, what have you.

I'm going to throw out Saturday, July 18th at 7:30 p.m. for a meeting date and time. I'm hoping we can get as many brothers---if not all of us---to attend as possible...

Can anyone make it?

Fiction Writing Contest - Congrats Brother Hobbs

I'm skimming (not perusing.. ) the Style Weekly when I come across a section detailing the fiction writing contest that they recently held. Brother Hobbs was given honorable mention for his work "Still Waiting". Great work, Hobbs!

Ta-Nehisi Coates

Another great discussion, my brothers---enjoyed it tremendously, and even though I missed the after-talk hangout, since it was a Thursday it couldn't be helped. Also missed Mark's and Rodney's input around the table, but that couldn't be helped, either...

Coincidentally, what with all that talk about works of art and connecting-the-dots and such that we chewed on at the meeting, here's Mr. Coates himself weighing in on art on his terrific blog (which I recommend you read regularly, if not daily): http://ta-nehisicoates.theatlantic.com/archives/2009/05/just_when_i_thought_i_was_out.php ---be sure and read the comments, as well; there's a reference to The Beautiful Struggle, as well as some ways of thinking about art that are interesting....

Whatever It Takes...

…both describes our tenacious mindset as we struggled through an arduous book selection and rescheduling process as well as the name of the book we’ll read next November. Whatever It Takes: Geoffrey Canada's Quest to Change Harlem and America, by Paul Tough, appeared on every ballot except mine this last go 'round, so the choice seems pretty clear-cut.

We meet at 7 p.m. at UR tomorrow---Thursday---to discuss Ta-Nehisi Coates’s The Beautiful Struggle before we shut it down for the summer.

Here’s a taste of tomorrow’s book:

http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid1460906593?bctid=1542695370

As Clear as Mud

It continues to be a strange, weird trip to bountiful, my friends.

First, based on the availability survey, we're meeting on Thursday, May 21, at 7 p.m. at the usual room and building at the University of Richmond.

Now. About the book vote. Here's the way the final tally played out:

Whatever It Takes [4 votes]
Why Black Men Love White Women [4 votes]
Hope on a Tightrope [4 votes]
Slumberland [5 votes]
Sweet Release [2 votes]

Now, you'll notice that Slumberland did get more votes than the others, but the preliminary nominating/voting process is in place to identify two finalists, from which we vote at the meeting to decide the actual selection. The only way the preliminary process can end up with a singular book selection is when one book is far and away the outstanding selection, making the meeting-vote unnecessary. Cleary, that ain't the case here.

So why don't we try this: let's try again, but this time we get TWO votes instead of three. We'll slice Sweet Release, and re-vote with only the four---four?---finalists available for voting. If one breaks out and is the far and away winner, that'll be our book. If, as seems far more likely, we have two or more bunched up the way we have four---four!---bunched up now, I suppose we'll just have to vote it out at the meeting.

So get to voting---no more than two votes, now---and we'll see what happens....

Interim Step

Two things: one, we're still waiting on some votes for book preferences, so I'd rather not reveal the book-vote tally just yet. Two, we're going to reschedule our Saturday meeting, but it's still up in the air as to whether it'll be Thursday or Friday. I hear that some of us prefer Friday, for obvious reasons. But remember, we're rescheduling so we can have the maximum number of brothers in attendance, and if that means Thursday, we're duty-bound to go that way. One of our number won't know until Sunday at the earliest whether he can make Thursday or Friday---or either---so I hope to announce which one it is on Monday.

And I hope to announce the book-vote tally some time tomorrow.

Time to Vote

I can’t make it Saturday—it’s my daughter’s Senior Prom. Damon can’t make it Saturday—he’ll be in Philadelphia. Rodney can’t make it Saturday—it’s his wedding anniversary. As heartbroken as I am that I won’t be able to attend the discussion, on a purely organizational level I’m delighted that we have enough members that we're not forced to reschedule, even though three guys can’t make it. The meeting will go on as scheduled with the remaining five brothers (Lindsay, Mark, Hobbs, Nate, and Aubrey, all of whom, presumably, can make it at the usual time. I’m obviously not going to be there to open the room, but Aubrey’s got the UR credentials to get into the building and open the room like usual).

So. Gentlemen: nominations are officially closed as of now. Please begin voting, and you have until Friday at 12 NOON to vote. You have three (3) votes. Here, in alphabetical order, are the six books nominated for our November, 2009 selection:

Paul Beatty, Slumberland

Fox Butterfield, All God's Children: The Bosket Family and the American Tradition of Violence
James Davison, Jr., Sweet Release: The Last Step to Black Freedom

Rajen Persaud, Why Black Men Love White Women: Going Beyond Sexual Politics to the Heart of the Matter

Paul Tough, Whatever It Takes: Geoffrey Canada's Quest to Change Harlem and America

Cornel West, Hope on a Tightrope: Words and Wisdom

Nominations Are Now Open...

As always, Black-Men-Who-Read?!,

you may nominate up to three (3) books for our November selection, beginning now. Nominations will be open for one solid week, and then on Wednesday, May 13, we will close nominations and vote on the books nominated. If one is the clear, far-and-away winning vote-getter, that will be the book we'll read in November (we're already reading Colson Whitehead's Sag Harbor for September). If more than one book is bunched together when the voting is done, the book will be voted on at the meeting.

We're meeting on Saturday, May 16th, at the University of Richmond, in our usual building, in our usual room, at 5 p.m., our usual time. The usual post-meeting hangout, I'm absolutely delighted---overjoyed---to announce, will be at our usual spot, the Cafe Guttenberg!

Let the nominations begin!

How Could She Do It?

Thanks for that article, Nate.

It's easy to say I agree with August Wilson, and the above full statement he made on the matter---and never backed down from, apparently---explains his position in no uncertain terms.

What I don't understand is how his wife could approve of this director. Isn't this really about respecting the wishes of your departed spouse? I mean, it seems obvious to me that she disagreed with Wilson on the matter, or else she would never have approved the white director. But I'm still astonished: even if she disagreed with Wilson, how could she ever, knowing how strongly he felt about it, approve a white director? To me, her only responsible response is to say, "If it were up to me, I'd say yes. But this is my husband's work, and he took it very seriously, and he also took very seriously who was allowed to direct his work. He clearly wouldn't want this to happen. I now make decisions on his behalf, and how I, personally, feel about whites directing his plays is completely beside the point. He doesn't want it; therefore, it won't happen."

How else could she responsibly rule? She didn't write the plays! Why can't she not just honor his work, but also honor his wishes? (And as his statement makes clear, he'd prefer for his work not to go forward if the powers the be don't ascede to his wishes; Fences never got made, after all; his statement was published in 1990!)

I know you didn't post the article to talk about life after death and the responsibilities the living have to respect---or violate---the wishes of the dead, but I have to say, this whole deal comes off to me as a beware-who-you-marry cautionary tale....

August Wilson Controvery

Interesting article. Your thoughts...

Conveyor Belt, anyone?

Thought you guys might find this interesting, and if some of you haven't read William Rhoden's $40 Million Slaves, you might want to check it out. His concept of the "conveyor belt" is profound, and I couldn't help thinking about it when I read this: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/22/magazine/22basketball-t.html

A lot of folks have been talking about it, and I can see why. What do you guys make of this Allonzo Trier individual? And is this article connected?: http://vault.sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1153364/index.htm

Left to Tell Review

BMR members,

How about a few sentences to summarize your reviews of Left to Tell since I had to leave the meeting early.

March 14, 2009 Is A Go!

That's right people..

The March 14th is the date; Bottega Bistro is the location;

The Bottega Bistro is located at: 11400 W Huguenot Rd, Midlothian, VA 23113

We are set with a private room for 20. Please arrive between 5:30 - 5:45 pm for introductions.

This will be a grand affair and a good discussion. I look forward to seeing everyone on March 14th.

If you have any questions, please feel free to shoot me an email @ rodney_mullins@msn.com.

Thanks.

Live in Richmond

Yes, my brothers! Good Live music can be hard to find in Richmond, but once you find the right place , the right band and the right crowd, it can be melodic, heavenly and bumping! Last night, we ventured out to The Camel. The Camel is a small venue known for hosting live shows near VCU's campus. I've been too a few gigs here in the past, but last night, the band was awesome.

The doors opened around 8:00pm but as usual, we were running late. I want to say we waited almost 30 minutes to get inside, but once inside we were treated to the sounds of the NO BS Brass Band. NO BS! is a Richmond, Va. band that is on some New Orleans kick with over 10 members. They combine funk,jazz,calypso, blues and yes.. "afro-beat" to create an awesome gumbo stew of vivacious sounds. I want to say most of the band members are/were students at VCU musical department at one point in time.

Last night they released their new album called "Alive in Richmond". They had well over 150 in attendance and put on an amazing show. Check them out at http://www.nobsbrass.com

March 2009 Book is LEFT TO TELL

All,

Left to Tell will be our selection for the month of March 2009 (14th day). It beat out the Human Stain which for me will be added to my GoodRead's book shelf. We are still looking for a location to conduct our session in March the 14th day so be on the look out for an email detailing the Time and place.

-Rodney

Finalists for meeting

Including Aubrey's votes, the top two vote-getters are Ta-Nahesi Coates's The Beautiful Struggle and Cornel West's Hope on a Tightrope. We'll vote at the meeting Saturday, January 17th, 5 p.m., at UR.

see you then...

Decisions, Decisions.... Time to VOTE

Reminder: we will meet this Saturday, January 17, at Ryland Hall, University of Richmond, in the usual room, at 5 p.m..

Nominations are now officially closed. See the previous post for links to Amazon.com for book descriptions, and then return to this post and vote---using the "comments" section below---for no more than three (3) of the following (listed in order of their nomination). I'll tally them Friday night, and we'll have our May book by Saturday morning. If it's a tie, we'll break that tie at the meeting:

Blonde Roots, by Bernardine Evaristo

The Beautiful Struggle: A Father, Two Sons, and an Unlikely Road to Manhood , by Ta-Nahesi Coates

The Paradox of Choice: Why More Is Less, by Barry Schwartz

Misquoting Jesus: The Story Behind Who Changed the Bible and Why, by Bart Ehrman

Capitol Men: The Epic Story of Reconstruction Through the Lives of the First BlackCongressmen, by Philip Dray

Whatever It Takes: Geoffrey Canada's Quest to Change Harlem and America, by Paul Tough

Hope on a Tightrope, by Cornel West

Come on People, by Bill Cosby & Alvin Poussaint

Tough choices; good luck and godspeed with your deliberations.

NOMINATIONS are open NOW

Okay, folks. Rodney’s deal with the ladies sounds exciting, but we’ve got voting business of our own to take care of.

What do you say we meld our March meeting into the second-week-of-March meeting we’ll have with Fusion Bookclub. So I’m hereby officially opening nominations for the May meeting. As always, you are free to nominate no more than THREE books, beginning now. Please use the “comments” section below for your nominations. We’ll vote for one book, for May, next Wednesday, on January 14.

Now, just in case you’re wondering why we aren’t voting for two books this time, here’s why: I was really looking forward to voting in May for the next two books that we’d read in September and November. It’s always a struggle for me to carve time to read the November selection---I won’t speak for Hobbs, but he might well have a similar struggle---because there’s no break ahead of the meeting. For our January selection I have semester break to read it; for the March meeting I have spring break; the semester ends early enough in May for me to read the May selection; for the September meeting I have the summer. It’s only the November selection that forces me to cram an additional book into all the other reading I have to do in order to be prepared for class. But if we select the November book in MAY, then I can read that, too, over the summer. So, if you brothers don’t mind, I’d appreciate it if we could only select one book this time, for May, and then do another two-fer in May for September and November.

So: bring the nominations, mes amis. Bring them sooner rather than later, so brothers can figure out what they prefer, and we’ll vote on Wednesday. If a tie-breaker is necessary, we’ll do it at the meeting on Saturday, January 17.

Steve Coakley on the Boule

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pw8EcJDazEE (PART 2)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ELuxHKoC0Bk (PART 3)