tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11195499397497870462024-03-14T00:47:17.400-07:00The Literary Tea Room...a place to sit back, relax and unwind with a cup of herbal tea and chat about books, writers and the literary arts. Some people that know me personally have heard me talking about buying a cozy, Victorian home and opening a literary tea room. However, the more I thought about it in this era of globalization; a "physical spot" would be limited to the people that could physically come and visit. However, this virtual Literary Tea room can connect people to "chats without borders."Dr Helen Tinsleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01650218816328185916noreply@blogger.comBlogger51125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1119549939749787046.post-30335920724370389502021-02-28T15:39:00.006-08:002021-02-28T15:39:44.370-08:00 Black History Month - Day 28 Book Recommendation: The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness, by Michelle Alexander<p><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;">This is a very powerful and insightful book that exposes the redesign of the racial caste system into the current system with mass incarceration.</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8U5bAD6ocmfrI1ZUJJH1i0y2h8GUuBQMR_jrQuDkZZNVnpWXD-XxUaLkB84OKj7_6x-TzyrZ-M6Fa9tYKw_68slVkPZxGf4BtfIWsykvAvF3b729yEYR0-DKoBTM-_AK39CVOFneO6Xc/s2048/855A8CDC-DE6C-4379-9EC1-1C9D70BC216D.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1574" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8U5bAD6ocmfrI1ZUJJH1i0y2h8GUuBQMR_jrQuDkZZNVnpWXD-XxUaLkB84OKj7_6x-TzyrZ-M6Fa9tYKw_68slVkPZxGf4BtfIWsykvAvF3b729yEYR0-DKoBTM-_AK39CVOFneO6Xc/s320/855A8CDC-DE6C-4379-9EC1-1C9D70BC216D.jpeg" /></a></div><p></p>
<p style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 15px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">I’m sharing the detailed summary of the book from www.<a href="http://newjimcrow.com">newjimcrow.com</a> </p>
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<p style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 15px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">“<span style="font-family: Helvetica-Oblique; font-style: italic;">The New Jim Crow</span> is a stunning account of the rebirth of a caste-like system in the United States, one that has resulted in millions of African Americans locked behind bars and then relegated to a permanent second-class status—denied the very rights supposedly won in the Civil Rights Movement. Since its publication in 2010, the book has appeared on the <span style="font-family: Helvetica-Oblique; font-style: italic;">New York Times </span>bestseller list for more than a year; been dubbed the “secular bible of a new social movement” by numerous commentators, including <a href="http://newjimcrow.com/?page_id=214"><span style="color: #222222;">Cornel West</span></a>; and has led to consciousness-raising efforts in universities, churches, community centers, re-entry centers, and prisons nationwide. <span style="font-family: Helvetica-Oblique; font-style: italic;">The New Jim Crow</span> tells a truth our nation has been reluctant to face.</p>
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<p style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 15px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">As the United States celebrates its “triumph over race” with the election of Barack Obama, the majority of black men in major urban areas are under correctional control or saddled with criminal records for life. Jim Crow laws were wiped off the books decades ago, but today an extraordinary percentage of the African American community is warehoused in prisons or trapped in a parallel social universe, denied basic civil and human rights—including the right to vote; the right to serve on juries; and the right to be free of legal discrimination in employment, housing, access to education and public benefits. Today, it is no longer socially permissible to use race explicitly as a justification for discrimination, exclusion, and social contempt. Yet as civil-rights-lawyer-turned-legal-scholar Michelle Alexander demonstrates, it is perfectly legal to discriminate against convicted criminals in nearly all the ways in which it was once legal to discriminate against African Americans. Once labeled a felon, even for a minor drug crime, the old forms of discrimination are suddenly legal again. In her words, “we have not ended racial caste in America; we have merely redesigned it.”</p>
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<p style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 15px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">Alexander shows that, by targeting black men through the War on Drugs and decimating communities of color, the U.S. criminal justice system functions as a contemporary system of racial control, even as it formally adheres to the principle of colorblindness. <span style="font-family: Helvetica-Oblique; font-style: italic;">The New Jim Crow</span> challenges the civil rights community—and all of us—to place mass incarceration at the forefront of a new movement for racial justice in America.” (<a href="http://newjimcrow.com">newjimcrow.com</a>)</p>
<p style="background-color: #bbbbbb; color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 15px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 17.2px;"><br /></p>Dr Helen Tinsleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01650218816328185916noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1119549939749787046.post-39172389635907326192021-02-27T19:42:00.000-08:002021-02-27T19:42:00.192-08:00Black History Month - Day 27 Book Recommendation: The Healing Wisdom of Africa by Malidoma Patrice Somé<p><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;">Somé a shaman from the Dagara people in West Africa illustrates the purpose ritual serves in the lives of African people and the manner & ways that</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;"> </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;">spirit, nature & ritual connect and become a powerful force to nurture and support the life and purpose of the people. He also examines, explains and analyzes the connection between African people and nature, and the negative impact this lack of connection has been to the mental, physical, emotional and spiritual detriment of Blacks in the west. “Through The Healing Wisdom of Africa, readers can come to understand that the life of indigenous and traditional people is a paradigm for an intimate relationship with the natural world that both surrounds us and is within us. The book is the most complete study of the role ritual plays in the lives of African people--and the role it can play for seekers in the West.” (</span><a href="http://penguinrandomhousehighereducation.com" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;">penguinrandomhousehighereducation.com</a><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;">)</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;"><br /></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLjN27vos8_fU95JvTkzbtJeBuAmZS6FHw6R93UPEIa7oJ0fzefyHTxV2o7gczhg7qBxjhDXsVOuIcP2yePsTm7bLQA3Du4QC0RwDWJaiyfcFX8p8zb3cvymft61VCfkL4x_9MQNKAmFM/s2048/4FF38C31-A4BC-492D-9274-F2255DA95D27.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLjN27vos8_fU95JvTkzbtJeBuAmZS6FHw6R93UPEIa7oJ0fzefyHTxV2o7gczhg7qBxjhDXsVOuIcP2yePsTm7bLQA3Du4QC0RwDWJaiyfcFX8p8zb3cvymft61VCfkL4x_9MQNKAmFM/s320/4FF38C31-A4BC-492D-9274-F2255DA95D27.jpeg" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;"><br /></span><p></p>Dr Helen Tinsleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01650218816328185916noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1119549939749787046.post-65755689538765969742021-02-26T21:13:00.001-08:002021-02-26T21:13:12.892-08:00Black History Month - Day 26 Book Recommendation: Before the Mayflower: A History of Black America by Lerone Bennett, Jr<p>This book provides a detailed history and analysis of Black history in the US. Bennett “traces black history from its origins in western Africa, through the transatlantic journey that ended in slavery, the Reconstruction period, the Jim Crow era, and the civil rights upheavals of the 1960s and 1970s, culminating in an exploration of the complex realities of African-American life in the 1990s. Here is the most recent scholarship on the geographic, social, ethnic, economic, and cultural journey of "the other Americans, " together with vital portraits of black pioneers and seminal figures in the struggle for freedom. “(Goodreads.com)</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZUakS89F1Vb2qp1CVpVYQBbOBHf6Ue4MQKB2-HR0ZSotxWP4SdfVXzZLNRm14QKOx932Xr8WBzoIvk95bdun6cPC-DGgQniyPAdeGl43ksNEgmXm2zhq5Ghp_HLJA6nk1hO0cZPcxqNQ/s2048/10EBFC46-9507-4075-A461-C21F4D4F8203.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZUakS89F1Vb2qp1CVpVYQBbOBHf6Ue4MQKB2-HR0ZSotxWP4SdfVXzZLNRm14QKOx932Xr8WBzoIvk95bdun6cPC-DGgQniyPAdeGl43ksNEgmXm2zhq5Ghp_HLJA6nk1hO0cZPcxqNQ/s320/10EBFC46-9507-4075-A461-C21F4D4F8203.jpeg" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p>Dr Helen Tinsleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01650218816328185916noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1119549939749787046.post-77642754676882593082021-02-25T17:35:00.005-08:002021-02-25T17:35:58.816-08:00Black History Month - Day 25 Book Recommendation: The Langston Hughes Reader — The selected Writings of Langston Hughes<p style="color: #0f1111; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 15px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #3c4043; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14px;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx96bB0saKXU6blr_dpNMZj7EBpRVul8fjLqAsZRK1MNFu94TP5vYM54oiWY61RNDD2xOae5Z2NeaezWH2RrMshVj5NVO2N1yTb-wFAwA2ELsjJiIkFoETAtV9DiwieAnfQWAzysqlS2g/s2048/5FA81E19-DB68-48FC-8503-B6C7E7F73340.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1696" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx96bB0saKXU6blr_dpNMZj7EBpRVul8fjLqAsZRK1MNFu94TP5vYM54oiWY61RNDD2xOae5Z2NeaezWH2RrMshVj5NVO2N1yTb-wFAwA2ELsjJiIkFoETAtV9DiwieAnfQWAzysqlS2g/s320/5FA81E19-DB68-48FC-8503-B6C7E7F73340.jpeg" /></a></div><br />As a <span style="color: #3c4043; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14px;">poet, novelist, fiction writer, and playwright, Langston Hughes is considered the leader of the Harlem Renaissance. He is known for his insightful, colorful portrayals of Black life in America. This comprehensive anthology of his literary works is once again available. “First published in 1958, this compilation of the writings of Langston Hughes is drawn from every category of his prodigious literary achievement. It combines highlights of the novels, stories, plays, poems, songs, and essays that have established his commanding position in world literature.” (Goodreads)</span><p></p><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 16.7px;"><br /></p>Dr Helen Tinsleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01650218816328185916noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1119549939749787046.post-41898387743359518572021-02-24T22:27:00.005-08:002021-02-24T22:27:42.632-08:00Black History Month - Day 24 Book Recommendation: Hunger by Erica Simone Turnipseed<p>This novel is the sequel to A Love Noire, and continues to explore experiences, love & relationships across the African diaspora. In “Hunger freethinking Noire and Innocent, her urbane African ex, reunite. Noire and Innocent are both having a thirtysomething crisis. His former identity as a successful investment banker and eligible bachelor has disappeared. A beleaguered graduate student, she's got no money, no man, and no Ph.D., yet. A year of predoctoral research in Haiti leaves Noire drained. And a trip home to Cote d'Ivoire offers Innocent little more than intermittent sexual gratification. In the aftermath of 9/11, Innocent and Noire are back in New York City and find solace in each other's bed. But even that arrangement collapses under the weight of Innocent's revelation that he has unfinished business in Africa. For Innocent and Noire, patching together their unraveling lives becomes an exercise in hope and humility. With Hunger, Turnipseed lives up to the promise of A Love Noire and has matured into a writer who fearlessly explores the intersection of sex, love, identity, and loss in a cross-cultural context.” (Harper Collins)</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuJ55gLyfUeQjj9QM-Uw68Pfd0zZNkoytq8MbQElrHtOm96haZh5JBoC0JX6JjdinQ-B8G2BHd4_Th4fzmkNxfUfuvjxNvMC-pUawvYpSwJQ1bUys8XuFGkZzZ4O_9USJ110oMVRG-ATw/s2048/C9186464-D989-4275-93BF-00447D72C65C.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuJ55gLyfUeQjj9QM-Uw68Pfd0zZNkoytq8MbQElrHtOm96haZh5JBoC0JX6JjdinQ-B8G2BHd4_Th4fzmkNxfUfuvjxNvMC-pUawvYpSwJQ1bUys8XuFGkZzZ4O_9USJ110oMVRG-ATw/s320/C9186464-D989-4275-93BF-00447D72C65C.jpeg" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p>Dr Helen Tinsleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01650218816328185916noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1119549939749787046.post-64364378366149315572021-02-23T18:46:00.001-08:002021-02-23T18:46:07.817-08:00 Black History Month - Day 23 Book Recommendation: Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie<p><span style="background-color: white; color: #0f1111; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ_xgU-FDUBVrCaBFsatDDOTtJgkLHVaxSk-JOOxlvcuySHj3EEYKzyj-ZEqB1zCzydaQy7Jzwo1kHao5INmkqod2pVLtHpLZ5OmG3wJ8ce8bIuU9lhrfvGhtsCoBLCqRHLBCJ9lnbMdI/s2048/2C85A319-0558-47C9-B4AF-C1A6CBD2A9EF.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ_xgU-FDUBVrCaBFsatDDOTtJgkLHVaxSk-JOOxlvcuySHj3EEYKzyj-ZEqB1zCzydaQy7Jzwo1kHao5INmkqod2pVLtHpLZ5OmG3wJ8ce8bIuU9lhrfvGhtsCoBLCqRHLBCJ9lnbMdI/s320/2C85A319-0558-47C9-B4AF-C1A6CBD2A9EF.jpeg" /></a></div><br />This novel delves into the topic of race in three countries and continents. The story is about two two Nigerians who spend time living abroad in the US & the UK and the realities they face dealing with questions pertaining to race, identity and belonging as Africans living in the diaspora. They also find upon returning home to Nigeria that they have developed westernized ways and perspectives as a result of the influences in their immigrant experience, which separates and sometimes alienates them from their less traveled Nigerian counterparts. Themes focusing on the search for home, connection and identity are explored. Adiche is a phenomenal storyteller and her words vividly describe people, places and events with meticulous attention to detail. NPR describes Americanah as a “knockout of a novel about immigration, American dreams, the power of first love, and the shifting meanings of skin color. . . . A marvel.” (NPR).<p></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #0f1111; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;"> </span></p>
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<p style="background-color: white; color: #0f1111; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 16.1px;"><br /></p>Dr Helen Tinsleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01650218816328185916noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1119549939749787046.post-45707515728153710212021-02-22T18:36:00.003-08:002021-02-22T20:34:13.169-08:00Black History Month - Day 22 Book Recommendation: The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison<p><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue";">This novel takes place in the fall of 1941 and the main character is a young 11 year old Black girl who is dealing with inferiority issues pertaining to her African/Black physical features. She prays for her brown eyes to turn blue so that she will seen as beautiful and attractive like blond, blue-eyed children are seen. From the onset the US has been a race conscious society and European features (White skin, blond, straight hair and blue eyes) have always been held up as the standard of beauty. Simultaneously, African features (dark skin, thick/curly dark hair, brown/black eyes) were viewed as unattractive and ugly. So naturally it is inevitable that “colorisms” would exist & result in feelings of self hate and issues of low self-esteem in some Black children/people. Morrison explores these themes as only she can, with depth & insight into internalized racial inferiority from a child’s mind & perspective! “Nobel Prize winner Toni Morrison powerfully examines our obsession with beauty and conformity—and asks questions about race, class, and gender with her characteristic subtly and grace.” (</span><a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/117662/the-bluest-eye-by-toni-morrison/" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue";">https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/117662/the-bluest-eye-by-toni-morrison/</a><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue";">)</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRk1oddDDYImgPSSb_OaQCUMQZY-_3j_dDq9As_31ogkRxOaXSk_K9IyA9xDrgl-xAmuewJb9Js-AqItxb8D_81Ti5eZPK2ejc9CUSOYXIDUCSu0nMIzEojAIbQjkxjNUh5nzrvKaCNec/s2048/1F230E9E-FDA2-46CB-B14F-30D55585AB55.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1831" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRk1oddDDYImgPSSb_OaQCUMQZY-_3j_dDq9As_31ogkRxOaXSk_K9IyA9xDrgl-xAmuewJb9Js-AqItxb8D_81Ti5eZPK2ejc9CUSOYXIDUCSu0nMIzEojAIbQjkxjNUh5nzrvKaCNec/s320/1F230E9E-FDA2-46CB-B14F-30D55585AB55.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 11px;"><br /></span><p></p>Dr Helen Tinsleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01650218816328185916noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1119549939749787046.post-19136066006612454282021-02-21T15:24:00.001-08:002021-02-21T15:24:06.630-08:00Black History Month - Day 21 Book Recommendation: The Autobiography of Malcolm X by Malcolm X as told to Alex Haley<p>This is an important book that gives an in-depth look at the background, influences, aspirations, vision, strength, struggles, and life of Malcolm X. He was a Black man, husband, father of 6 daughters, fearless Muslim leader, astute learner, brilliant orator who was wise beyond his years. He was committed to the freedom, justice and liberation of Black people throughout the world. His mission had become more wide spread when he was viciously gunned down at 39 years young on February 21, 1965 — 56 years ago to the date! This book should be required reading for all high school students. It illustrates the serious & vicious trauma Black folks have endured that left cyclical effects & the power of transformation that exists when Black people learn of our true history. He will always be our Black Shining Prince.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfyZbUNgiZLuOcwytuDWWNIP3rC5svfBGsmi9jjk_kDET0H0iOgwrwpymH-RORprNuqh2r0mwHGITUv6FYBiLBlcnjtSQDdm2fDpijFQn0FmHejHEYUPr802Sv9f-qOEzTSWHRT_DHYYM/s609/F42DDE8F-0445-4E33-B294-026FBEED5FFA.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="609" data-original-width="397" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfyZbUNgiZLuOcwytuDWWNIP3rC5svfBGsmi9jjk_kDET0H0iOgwrwpymH-RORprNuqh2r0mwHGITUv6FYBiLBlcnjtSQDdm2fDpijFQn0FmHejHEYUPr802Sv9f-qOEzTSWHRT_DHYYM/s320/F42DDE8F-0445-4E33-B294-026FBEED5FFA.jpeg" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p>Dr Helen Tinsleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01650218816328185916noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1119549939749787046.post-29406202499820889842021-02-20T16:52:00.001-08:002021-02-20T16:52:23.128-08:00Black History Month - Day 20 Book Recommendation: The Warmth Of Other Suns - The Epic Story of America’s Great Migration by Isabel Wilkerson<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHGCF9-suciZC4K_uyhH3Ngw7EmEBYydIgnbdqEZWTNztOvaYdOdeFTC_NxVqEYPUHHTPRQljme2O71Y2slXnsuYaL6b5TX6Sfaa76VDxxC3-XGO3VXLEu6dW3Lu6HL4TSXB2ueSdONkk/s2048/F47CC5B2-46C8-42FE-8D6C-9EE2FF6E766B.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHGCF9-suciZC4K_uyhH3Ngw7EmEBYydIgnbdqEZWTNztOvaYdOdeFTC_NxVqEYPUHHTPRQljme2O71Y2slXnsuYaL6b5TX6Sfaa76VDxxC3-XGO3VXLEu6dW3Lu6HL4TSXB2ueSdONkk/s320/F47CC5B2-46C8-42FE-8D6C-9EE2FF6E766B.jpeg" /></a></div><br />This is a magnificent masterpiece written by Wilkerson who previously won a Pulitzer Prize for her work as a journalist. This book chronicles the path millions of Blacks took from southern cities to the north in the largest migration of people in the history of our country. With striking details, she follows the lives of 3 separate individuals who left the segregated & dangerous south looking for better opportunities in the north. I am currently reading this book at this time and it is so interesting, informative and affirming. I am the “family genealogist” and I am making so many connections to my family who lived in the south for generations & were part of that migration leaving Virginia in 1925 for Englewood, NJ.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div>“Wilkerson brilliantly captures their first treacherous and exhausting cross-country trips by car and train and their new lives in colonies that grew into ghettos, as well as how they changed these cities with southern food, faith, and culture and improved them with discipline, drive, and hard work. Both a riveting microcosm and a major assessment, The Warmth of Other Suns is a bold, remarkable, and riveting work, a superb account of an “unrecognized immigration” within our own land. Through the breadth of its narrative, the beauty of the writing, the depth of its research, and the fullness of the people and lives portrayed herein, this book is destined to become a classic. (www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/190696/the-warmth-of-other-suns-by-isabel-wilkerson/)<p></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Dr Helen Tinsleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01650218816328185916noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1119549939749787046.post-81133557120474703452021-02-19T13:30:00.003-08:002021-02-20T12:04:56.813-08:00 Black History Month - Day 19 Book Recommendation The Water Dancer by Ta-Nehisi Coates<p><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 18px;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf6MrRxkqttjPHe4CGh-jsjngQ6kD9x9Zoe75ybzqZeEOu0RST4GfvzO3ZvsxtaG88VPEOdjMTxnSjhR2S_dhFgZc5IFpWNTY7nGDTWdnGiYKCuLNiMX5u53Xq0dhVteqrP7cBAVafdFk/s2048/CE8D7A04-F0DA-4FFF-837B-02579F464D2C.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf6MrRxkqttjPHe4CGh-jsjngQ6kD9x9Zoe75ybzqZeEOu0RST4GfvzO3ZvsxtaG88VPEOdjMTxnSjhR2S_dhFgZc5IFpWNTY7nGDTWdnGiYKCuLNiMX5u53Xq0dhVteqrP7cBAVafdFk/s320/CE8D7A04-F0DA-4FFF-837B-02579F464D2C.jpeg" /></a></div><br />This is a love story that highlights the emotional ramifications of slavery. The novel focuses on Young Hiram Walker who was born into bondage and escaped through a mysterious power. When his mother was sold away<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 18px;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 18px;">Hiram was a young boy and he lost all memory of her. Yet, he was gifted with a water-driven power called Conduction, which enabled him to travel great distances. Years later,</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 18px;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 18px;">Hiram almost drowns in a river and this power saves his life. This life or death facing moment fuels him with an urgent desire to escape & venture into the unknown. Along his journey from Virginian plantations to the north via the Underground Railroad, he meets legendary people such as William Still and Harriet Tubman.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 18px;"> </span><p></p>
<p style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">In this historical fiction Coates expresses the pain, hurt and scars caused by slavery and the tremendous toll it took on families - psychologically, mentally and physically. “This is the dramatic story of an atrocity inflicted on generations of women, men, and children—the violent and capricious separation of families—and the war they waged to simply make lives with the people they loved. Written by one of today’s most exciting thinkers and writers, The Water Dancer is a propulsive, transcendent work that restores the humanity of those from whom everything was stolen.” (<a href="http://oneworldlit.com">oneworldlit.com</a>) </p><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p>Dr Helen Tinsleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01650218816328185916noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1119549939749787046.post-85529135830005491322021-02-18T20:38:00.002-08:002021-02-18T21:40:10.419-08:00Black History Month - Day 18 Book Recommendation: Mama Day by Gloria Naylor<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc0QUow0sXwln23VRFwjIK_3WL0JmMxx4qAGTMHKGYaFWYIipiUF6zXAWrL_4QTd6Tc0ME25_nrBQHmBNLx7rCqgM_gDUDfIvVzia4EUbw1-MR14pkd0SbGL_vramulSbV4jocH8bDFeY/s2048/D3EDCD89-A59F-470C-87B5-5D4129AFF82A.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1858" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc0QUow0sXwln23VRFwjIK_3WL0JmMxx4qAGTMHKGYaFWYIipiUF6zXAWrL_4QTd6Tc0ME25_nrBQHmBNLx7rCqgM_gDUDfIvVzia4EUbw1-MR14pkd0SbGL_vramulSbV4jocH8bDFeY/s320/D3EDCD89-A59F-470C-87B5-5D4129AFF82A.jpeg" /></a></div><br />This story takes place on Willow Springs, one of the sea islands off the coast of Georgia, located between Georgia and South Carolina yet doesn’t belong to either state. On this small island Black folks have lived since enslavement. The main character is a woman named Mama Day, a deeply spiritual healer who can command lightening and foresee things in her dreams. Her powers are continually “tested by her great niece, Cocoa, a stubbornly emancipated woman endangered by the island's darker forces.” (Vintage Contemporaries). Naylor’s novel is a Black story, yet it expresses in plain language varying complexities, challenges & mysteries people face or identify with in general, across the human spectrum. Mama Day is a powerful novel that spans generations, bridges southern traditions with NYC ways and incorporates faith & belief in healing rituals & traditional medicine.<p></p><p><br /></p>Dr Helen Tinsleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01650218816328185916noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1119549939749787046.post-49381036430749749602021-02-17T18:27:00.001-08:002021-02-17T18:27:35.294-08:00Black History Month - Day 17 Book Recommendation: The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">This novel is about identical twin sisters from a small southern town who were inseparable as children. They ran away at 16 years old and then parted from one another & lived very different lives, in completely separate worlds, with different racial identities. One sister lives in a Black community and the other sister passes for White and immerses herself into a White world, family and life. The book follows the sisters from the 1950’s to the 1990’s through multiple strands and generations from the south to the west coast. The book explores issues of race, identity, class, family, belonging, and the historical legacy of “passing “ in the US. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div>“Looking well beyond issues of race, The Vanishing Half considers the lasting influence of the past as it shapes a person's decisions, desires, and expectations, and explores some of the multiple reasons and realms in which people sometimes feel pulled to live as something other than their origins.” (britbennett.com)<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLsgMhXMtuIGE3qapFohfMGKL3et7djZrM-8f5iADiax3_qQlI5eF9TrxDM1Y6wJ4BgFNaYiT7fU8VbMtV2yOY6J3G1t4IvoIjGn0Ev-EhlbxRLaVGapL84ZOZ4K4ItRhHmnIFrkk0Gvw/s2048/7BAA4435-0AEE-4D8E-8BD0-C8DDF022E3D4.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLsgMhXMtuIGE3qapFohfMGKL3et7djZrM-8f5iADiax3_qQlI5eF9TrxDM1Y6wJ4BgFNaYiT7fU8VbMtV2yOY6J3G1t4IvoIjGn0Ev-EhlbxRLaVGapL84ZOZ4K4ItRhHmnIFrkk0Gvw/s320/7BAA4435-0AEE-4D8E-8BD0-C8DDF022E3D4.jpeg" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Dr Helen Tinsleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01650218816328185916noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1119549939749787046.post-1225893425545799662021-02-16T21:31:00.003-08:002021-02-16T21:36:23.434-08:00 Black History Month - Day 16 Book Recommendation: Homegoing, by Yaa Gyasi<p><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 11px;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-cDvao4WE11GKLJ1CgTtrSNJUYPoSzeDqVL2OlrseJvJFa3lJ608W_k0dslG-EZMGCz1ksdo6tN8ZBhWib6iscROd_Tn_t60eB3eE8L1FL-IO3PK1VaXuwU0Vqrxhyphenhyphenk0juHrH58t16jQ/s2048/60750BA7-DC71-4152-BB82-E83A05683FC1.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-cDvao4WE11GKLJ1CgTtrSNJUYPoSzeDqVL2OlrseJvJFa3lJ608W_k0dslG-EZMGCz1ksdo6tN8ZBhWib6iscROd_Tn_t60eB3eE8L1FL-IO3PK1VaXuwU0Vqrxhyphenhyphenk0juHrH58t16jQ/s320/60750BA7-DC71-4152-BB82-E83A05683FC1.jpeg" /></a></div><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">This book begins at Cape Coast slave castle/dungeon in Ghana - one of the many places where the treacherous Middle Passage began for millions of Africans. More than forty of these fortresses were erected by Europeans on the West coast of Africa, formerly referred to as the Gold Coast. Homegoing follows two half sisters Effia & Esi who are from the Fante and Asante tribes, born in 18th Century Ghana, into different villages, without knowledge of one other. One sister is married off to an Englishman and leads a life of luxury and comfort on the upper level of Cape Coast Castle/Dungeon. The other sister is captured when her village is raided, enslaved in the very same castle/dungeon, and sold into slavery in the US. The book follows the lives of these sisters and their descendants over a 300 year span and through eight generations, from the west coast of Africa to the southern plantations in Mississippi and the city life in Harlem. This book delves into many of the untold aspects, stories and ramifications of slavery. It reveals the generational impact and scars that this strange institution had on both the captives and captors and their families and the life altering changes that forever altered the countries & the mentality of people impacted by the Transatlantic Slave Trade. </p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">I read this book in preparation for my trip to Ghana in 2018 and it gave me insight about the history & background. Although the book is a novel, it is steeped in historical facts & generational references. When we actually arrived and toured Cape Coast & Elmina castle dungeons it was a tremendously painful and heart-wrenching experience for me. I had a profound life-altering moment in the female slave dungeon as the spiritual energy of my ancestors was very present, strong & powerful! I immediately began a travel blog when I returned home to share my journey. </p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">https://drhelensculturaljourneys.wordpress.com/2018/03/04/spiritual-connections-elmina-slave-castle-dungeon/</p><div><br /></div>Dr Helen Tinsleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01650218816328185916noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1119549939749787046.post-53816948787090765782021-02-15T16:51:00.005-08:002021-02-15T18:24:46.799-08:00Black History Month - Day 15 Book Recommendation: It's Not All Downhill from Here by Terry McMillan<p>I have Read all of Terry’s books beginning back in the day with “Mama.” I like her style of writing and her books have been my company to unwind with for a relaxing weekend or so. Her books are sassy, spirited, light-hearted, funny & down to earth. She's the author of many books, including classics: Waiting to Exhale and How Stella Got Her Groove Back. All her books are about Black women and several have been made into movies. It's Not All Downhill From Here, is the latest novel from Terry McMillan. This novel deals with issues of aging, loss, health problems, romance and relationships. Her characters are lively older women living their best lives.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2L1vTY8OSEq367_kBzbMlfbQbxBBIGJNVnLzgIabOGA8JPP8cu0zsDEsOx6grogiPzdB7oMP0DJI-_cxysD4lcokmsyJRADDCmrL4cYXlXGD3TaKlo45Xl5CU2VDmMxg88WVeaFGHCJU/s2048/B27842F5-9F19-46A8-9915-66E8C837F083.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1821" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2L1vTY8OSEq367_kBzbMlfbQbxBBIGJNVnLzgIabOGA8JPP8cu0zsDEsOx6grogiPzdB7oMP0DJI-_cxysD4lcokmsyJRADDCmrL4cYXlXGD3TaKlo45Xl5CU2VDmMxg88WVeaFGHCJU/s320/B27842F5-9F19-46A8-9915-66E8C837F083.jpeg" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p>Dr Helen Tinsleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01650218816328185916noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1119549939749787046.post-20107877750423997412021-02-14T15:08:00.001-08:002021-02-14T15:08:25.078-08:00Black History Month - Day 14 Book Recommendation: A Love Noire by Erica Simone Turnipseed<p> Happy Valentine's Day! - A Love Story for you...</p><p>This is an interesting, soulful and "juicy" Black love story that takes place in NYC with trips to Africa, Europe, and the Caribbean. Themes of Black pride, identity, color, culture, class, intellectualism and privilege are explored in moving prose. This book speaks to the intricacies and complexities of the experiences, motivations and aspirations of Africans in the diaspora.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc7QK1ieerh4g_pOxzH8XCOrOG5HFQvgKkgfcGNJcNkqk-n9ggWlByCkQt7PDGdLiwmMPn-AnVTK5TFK4kUKw41-vXxuvwL4AAK-T6WhwCEoIAe34wxItVWtINw3DlXo8u7U8Nnf2jPbQ/s2048/2E70ACAD-D86A-4AD8-8887-1D9CB828D4DB.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc7QK1ieerh4g_pOxzH8XCOrOG5HFQvgKkgfcGNJcNkqk-n9ggWlByCkQt7PDGdLiwmMPn-AnVTK5TFK4kUKw41-vXxuvwL4AAK-T6WhwCEoIAe34wxItVWtINw3DlXo8u7U8Nnf2jPbQ/s320/2E70ACAD-D86A-4AD8-8887-1D9CB828D4DB.jpeg" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p>Dr Helen Tinsleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01650218816328185916noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1119549939749787046.post-45204020319053282882021-02-13T14:41:00.005-08:002021-02-13T14:43:10.217-08:00Black History Month - Day 13 Book Recommendation: God, Dr. Buzzard, and the Bolito Man: A Saltwater Geechee Talks About Life on Sapelo Island, Georgia By Cornelia Walker Bailey<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">This book is both a historical cultural narrative and memoir, written by Cornelia Bailey, who was a lifelong resident of the island. The book tells the stories of the history & lives of the people of Sapelo Island and the enduring beliefs of Geechee and Gullah people. It’s an interesting read, and shows the transformation and continuation of African traditions in the US during & after enslavement. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiow-jIEeE4gotjV5jfMMp37EAIy3BcgX6wNaf9HAYPqPVaKx0XKEFo8PKNndcWG9fkfw5hg7hYAaHYVV4aThPnu15SrB0ifsDt-O40sWYdS2tog7DHM-qYr4oe17zrqbrqDgCXTYItLH4/s2048/9B150DE6-540B-407B-BE47-1775198C382E.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiow-jIEeE4gotjV5jfMMp37EAIy3BcgX6wNaf9HAYPqPVaKx0XKEFo8PKNndcWG9fkfw5hg7hYAaHYVV4aThPnu15SrB0ifsDt-O40sWYdS2tog7DHM-qYr4oe17zrqbrqDgCXTYItLH4/s320/9B150DE6-540B-407B-BE47-1775198C382E.jpeg" /></a></div><p></p>Dr Helen Tinsleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01650218816328185916noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1119549939749787046.post-12123759751043473302021-02-13T14:39:00.001-08:002021-02-13T14:39:48.599-08:00Black History Month - Day 12 Book Recommendation: Now Is The Time To Open Your Heart by Alice Walker<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_j1BSK5oCE8tiVleMgX3fN2voEW6MzIohcMGctwMOdeLdJGy43A3TAVIaxpy0tOJMH_8c9Y6WatRSz4rDdWzHznxQELT27mIsFxmhZXtFa17jqYmZPZV416yurqUYwhUWfmLQ2JCb8eo/s2048/6E24B9B4-4419-4DB3-8878-E2E69CB28CA3.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_j1BSK5oCE8tiVleMgX3fN2voEW6MzIohcMGctwMOdeLdJGy43A3TAVIaxpy0tOJMH_8c9Y6WatRSz4rDdWzHznxQELT27mIsFxmhZXtFa17jqYmZPZV416yurqUYwhUWfmLQ2JCb8eo/s320/6E24B9B4-4419-4DB3-8878-E2E69CB28CA3.jpeg" /></a></div><br />I am a huge fan of Alice Walker & have read about all of her works. This book delves into a seasoned & adventurous woman’s spiritual quest & search to find her true self.<p></p>Dr Helen Tinsleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01650218816328185916noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1119549939749787046.post-81204334652769283222021-02-11T20:05:00.000-08:002021-02-11T20:05:11.871-08:00Black History Month - Day 11 Book Recommendation: Beloved by Toni Morrison<p>This book won Morrison the Pulitzer Prize in 1987 and exposes the unthinkable horrors of slavery in a comprehensible, moving literary form. The book focuses on a woman, her family and the spirit of her nameless child. It is painful, heart-wrenching, magnificent & powerful. The language is beautifully written & the stories are poignantly expressed. It will move you, push your thinking & expand your understanding of what a mother or a people can do and survive under inhuman conditions. This book should be on every “classic” book list and should be required reading in High School or Freshman college English courses. It is a profound story that solidified Toni Morrison’s place as one of the greatest novelists of all times.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWsVAH9Sa7qeD4y9Ou7Ys5gcyw2eV_9VrDKHwhdgcwfpo5VOf7isLHaxvVs69OO2US0HUt9-Vg40hqs4zp2m6kKgUbs27nI9NqDpT3U2PRQSPlBfSvO7p1BAsh0Id_5BPX7ekyQYA5NxE/s1822/81CB5744-6F46-4914-9C7E-5637A3CD81C8.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1822" data-original-width="1632" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWsVAH9Sa7qeD4y9Ou7Ys5gcyw2eV_9VrDKHwhdgcwfpo5VOf7isLHaxvVs69OO2US0HUt9-Vg40hqs4zp2m6kKgUbs27nI9NqDpT3U2PRQSPlBfSvO7p1BAsh0Id_5BPX7ekyQYA5NxE/s320/81CB5744-6F46-4914-9C7E-5637A3CD81C8.jpeg" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p>Dr Helen Tinsleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01650218816328185916noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1119549939749787046.post-33070708489785993592021-02-10T18:38:00.001-08:002021-02-10T18:38:16.556-08:00Black History Month - Day 10 Book Recommendation: Daughters of the Dust by Julie Dash<p>This book is the sequel to her award winning movie by the same name. The movie is one of my favorites & I’ve seen it over 20 times. She delves into African traditions that were brought to the US and kept alive during and after our enslavement. I was also blessed to take a Master class with Julie Dash. This book explores and extends the story of strong, proud, independent Black women. Julie is a master storyteller & she captures all the nuances & cultural traditions of African people and the power of those traditions to be transferred throughout generations.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYIf0TR2I3M9CW8RNyM2LFmWtUbnJzwLov7c7f-uNrcvcfF0AiY3PZc7Ldyvc_LljtgU-XgQ8fuffULzXelOYSKOTJvoAYkm4kM79AKTce2XPp165z93XIX3YLHwdnM9bnMy1wqJUhMhw/s2048/5DE538A9-F9BA-4636-930A-C49793D76635.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1690" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYIf0TR2I3M9CW8RNyM2LFmWtUbnJzwLov7c7f-uNrcvcfF0AiY3PZc7Ldyvc_LljtgU-XgQ8fuffULzXelOYSKOTJvoAYkm4kM79AKTce2XPp165z93XIX3YLHwdnM9bnMy1wqJUhMhw/s320/5DE538A9-F9BA-4636-930A-C49793D76635.jpeg" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p>Dr Helen Tinsleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01650218816328185916noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1119549939749787046.post-72456438957756751622021-02-09T21:45:00.003-08:002021-02-09T21:45:51.469-08:00Black History Month - Day 9 Book Recommendation: Fifty Words For Rain by Asha Lemmie<p>This is an amazing epic that spans many decades, cultures, continents & traditions. It explores the impact of war on relationships, family dynamics and the challenges facing biracial children in monocultural, traditional societies. This book evoked all types of emotions and made me closely identify and empathize with the main character, Noriko, a child of a married Japanese aristocrat and a Black GI lover. This was one book I couldn’t put down & was sad when it ended... I wanted more and hope there will be a sequel. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh51mfkUa4_hS1sbtsEeYkjxMsUjXD0l_7xa30GvQ-u11BJTcatCCYgqhvEqBd_P-ZOCzj81RWIpt0Fu17ZqGzOsWwNRFTkSZLOIQ0kuh2S8-hDo_7zs74QXWcne3ZajgsiEFONEksdX7w/s2048/CC95D447-05F5-42FF-8F4A-71AAD993D6AB.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1468" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh51mfkUa4_hS1sbtsEeYkjxMsUjXD0l_7xa30GvQ-u11BJTcatCCYgqhvEqBd_P-ZOCzj81RWIpt0Fu17ZqGzOsWwNRFTkSZLOIQ0kuh2S8-hDo_7zs74QXWcne3ZajgsiEFONEksdX7w/s320/CC95D447-05F5-42FF-8F4A-71AAD993D6AB.jpeg" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p>Dr Helen Tinsleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01650218816328185916noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1119549939749787046.post-52871729698136951862021-02-08T13:29:00.000-08:002021-02-08T13:29:02.450-08:00 Black History Month - Day 8 Book Recommendation: Lie Is Short But Wide by J. California Cooper<p>This story follows two families and their faith, determination & perseverance under challenging circumstances. She is a masterful storyteller who weaves all the details & nuances of small towns & every-day folks into moving & vivid stories. I love all of J. California Cooper’s books & they transport me back in time & evoke every emotion in me, because of her descriptive and flowing writing style. She has also published novels & short stories. Every one of her books is a gem.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLopd_kqOwn_t_suTJS_b9RzgcAABY4bqLw4PUbfpi0vB1OclwHZ5iGzQee1QrlQdn3KiEuqAgiaTax3dee9MDZa48zSlG6yCdOenT5caI_EILTViYWD0VqmMUB8C1a5XDAkukuO5Q-w4/s2048/A2ADD430-0FE6-4CE2-832E-70AD9C089FF9.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLopd_kqOwn_t_suTJS_b9RzgcAABY4bqLw4PUbfpi0vB1OclwHZ5iGzQee1QrlQdn3KiEuqAgiaTax3dee9MDZa48zSlG6yCdOenT5caI_EILTViYWD0VqmMUB8C1a5XDAkukuO5Q-w4/s320/A2ADD430-0FE6-4CE2-832E-70AD9C089FF9.jpeg" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p>Dr Helen Tinsleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01650218816328185916noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1119549939749787046.post-90545127392798976542021-02-07T12:41:00.004-08:002021-02-07T12:41:41.430-08:00Black History Month - Day 7 Book Recommendation: The Seasons of Beento Blackbird by Akousa Busia<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0soxs3hYj4nQtIHES8BCC56-AtNDwEBoNmgjucTq_thUrE8GUvFSvpMwDJX5T0t76iRpx038PwPqBU0OIfmoeti90zSmql72_sD6TO4t3iqM7TasaMFKv0xCD11GZsuIxijioDRPVPE8/s2048/CB425B93-93D8-426D-A5F8-F9B34277D765.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1728" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0soxs3hYj4nQtIHES8BCC56-AtNDwEBoNmgjucTq_thUrE8GUvFSvpMwDJX5T0t76iRpx038PwPqBU0OIfmoeti90zSmql72_sD6TO4t3iqM7TasaMFKv0xCD11GZsuIxijioDRPVPE8/s320/CB425B93-93D8-426D-A5F8-F9B34277D765.jpeg" /></a></div><br />This novel explores the intricacies & depth of life, love, relationships, personal interests & needs throughout the African diaspora.<p></p>Dr Helen Tinsleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01650218816328185916noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1119549939749787046.post-36308094218626616012021-02-06T12:31:00.006-08:002021-02-06T12:31:57.076-08:00Black History Month - Day 6 Book Recommendation: The Color Purple by Alice Walker<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY8BHwNF94gD7FW8RY2dDVnD34VoqMUt0iYO_sEhmilSTSq5RvxsFs6FAV_gU0z1dLpYFKJJq0J8ADezk76fM5lPMiS8jXqEpJZQBQPH3TRy_RhqmX47h3t-5zAqfR7KTklTO-hYT8k0M/s2048/75D32C9E-DC62-4290-A969-50C2969DC0D5.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1790" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY8BHwNF94gD7FW8RY2dDVnD34VoqMUt0iYO_sEhmilSTSq5RvxsFs6FAV_gU0z1dLpYFKJJq0J8ADezk76fM5lPMiS8jXqEpJZQBQPH3TRy_RhqmX47h3t-5zAqfR7KTklTO-hYT8k0M/s320/75D32C9E-DC62-4290-A969-50C2969DC0D5.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br />Alice wrote this book in 1982 & received the 1983 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and the National Book Award for Fiction. This book was very controversial especially in the Black community., because it explored many themes folks didn’t want to talk about (rape, incest, abuse, male domination, sexual orientation, blended families, etc). However, it also showed the strength, power & resilience of the Black woman. Since then I have bought all & read most of Alice Walker’s works! I love her energy, spirit & voice! <p></p>Dr Helen Tinsleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01650218816328185916noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1119549939749787046.post-6229263735137497992021-02-05T22:40:00.001-08:002021-02-05T22:40:13.772-08:00Black History Month - Day 5 Book Recommendation: Gordon Parks: Voices in the Mirror - An Autobiography.<blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEaCilLgQOIOW__9sLaaSIYkcZX2qzsMZ9dduPII8t62DqcgxrRNTRJszvwIQUM1x3uJ4GKzbQzg_UogGVVL6K3TsCqlGQ4g1pcPu8FCCisOJGR01gHVWguAxJJ08usjJrkZQnkePLhU0/s2048/F5A01B86-CAB2-43C1-9351-111776EA822D.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEaCilLgQOIOW__9sLaaSIYkcZX2qzsMZ9dduPII8t62DqcgxrRNTRJszvwIQUM1x3uJ4GKzbQzg_UogGVVL6K3TsCqlGQ4g1pcPu8FCCisOJGR01gHVWguAxJJ08usjJrkZQnkePLhU0/s320/F5A01B86-CAB2-43C1-9351-111776EA822D.jpeg" /></a></div></div><p></p></blockquote><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This book details his life from very humble beginnings to a fascinating career as a photographer whose works have been exhibited around the world. He also wrote 12 books of poetry, fiction and nonfiction, including The Learning Tree. As a visual learner myself I recognize the power of a visual image. Gordon Parks captured images of Black life in America for over 5 decades!</div> <p></p>Dr Helen Tinsleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01650218816328185916noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1119549939749787046.post-14849246894612513262021-02-05T22:37:00.002-08:002021-02-05T22:44:28.938-08:00Black History Month- Day 4 Book Recommendation: Their Eyes Were Watching God, by Zora Neale Hurston<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm2GYqsTyiu6sF9MVa3X1WKnQYw5pWpQX6XwGQ1I066-yk5JJmBJcTmTYs_XP8Z4Hua3ErmMnafhsVt-dAI_iYCvuv0tUqO1j43qfr6f7_maYeVa72h7hqwmdImrRNB_5EwFWFmABtHxk/s2048/B69D9A65-1199-4F8E-B83A-AC5D8A3510E4.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1886" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm2GYqsTyiu6sF9MVa3X1WKnQYw5pWpQX6XwGQ1I066-yk5JJmBJcTmTYs_XP8Z4Hua3ErmMnafhsVt-dAI_iYCvuv0tUqO1j43qfr6f7_maYeVa72h7hqwmdImrRNB_5EwFWFmABtHxk/s320/B69D9A65-1199-4F8E-B83A-AC5D8A3510E4.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br />Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston. This book is such an amazing love story between Janey & Tea Cake! It also shows the strength, independence, fearlessness & pride of the main character Janey. Rarely do you read stories about genuine love among Black folks during that time period - so it was heartwarming to read about the love they had for each other! The book is written in Black dialect & folk speech, which was initially difficult for me to read. I put the book down several times back in the 80’s out of frustration with the language - then finally I read it out loud until I got the hang of understanding the spelling & speech patterns & I absolutely loved it! I have read it many times since! </span></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Zora has written many books that portrayed racial struggles in the early-1900s in the southern US. She also traveled extensively and conducted research on praise singers in the southern US & African spirituality in the Caribbean and wrote books about those experiences! I also love Zora, she was a free-spirited, independent Renaissance woman, who was an author, folklorist, anthropologist, filmmaker & sister!! Zora became my literary heroine & one of my role models and has been a major influence in my life as a woman, writer & educator. I have deep admiration for her life & work and I proudly have all of her books in my library.</div><br /> <p></p>Dr Helen Tinsleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01650218816328185916noreply@blogger.com0