Walkman93

Sounds good. I'll make sure to keep it as unbiased as possible. Thank you!

Hi all, I'm writing a mini history booklet (with illustrations) on the history of Detroit with regards to its Black population. My question is, what permissions do I need when discussing historical figures, many of whom are still alive? I just read, Lies My Teacher Told Me and there's no way the author consulted with the heirs of Lincoln and Ho Chi Minh. Is it free game? It's nothing scandalous or inflammatory. Just history.

I've been on a binge, reading the journals from the Spanish conquistadors when they first encountered Natives and all of them speak on how they were either dark, or brown. The Yemassee from Florida were said to be my color (I'm dark brown). When I went to Oaxaca in Mexico, all the natives were my color (and very short. Like incredibly short but that's outside the point). George Catlin did many paintings of Native Americans in the early 1800s. Although many had European contact for quite some time by then, some of his paintings still show some of them as being very brown and or dark. "Now if Black people do get reparations in the form of significant financial remuneration. This is of course highly unlikely, but lets continue with the thought experiment: Do we think Black women would be more or less desirable marriage material by white men?" - I think about this often and believe so. I also believe we would see A LOT more people claiming a black grandmother or whatever, who were shunning us before then. I knew a Native American girl (her grand parents had went through the whole process of being "assimilated" by the Europeans, taken from the home etc) who had a kid by a mixed black guy (he was light skinned). Her older family members were VERY concerned that the baby would come out with dark skin. That also explains a lot of where their color went. The attached image is a Mojave guide from 1871. I am in central California, not far from the Mojave Desert and know a "Mexican" guy who looks JUST like that. Color and all. He has to have some Mojave in him. I'll ask him next time I see him.

Won't save you at all. He should've stayed home for his "pop pop" and "Big Mama".

Nice. I'm an hour and a half north of LA. Next time I'm down there, I'm going to stop in.

Just finished this book. I expected it to bash those in the Civil Rights Movement who identified with "non violence". I myself am not a "non violent" and this book changed my perception of the "two" strategies. I originally thought "non violence" was weak. But now see it can be an effective tool that must be accompanied with people willing to defend. The author (Charles Cobb) did an amazing job of showing how the two worked hand in hand. Often, when direct physicality wasn't an option, we resorted to other, more creative ways to fight against the system. Work stoppages, slow downs and most notably, running away. There are many anecdotes of the self defense black Americans used in the struggle for freedom. Cobb even covers rebellion during slavery and shows the long history of us standing up to the power structure, with our backs against the wall. I really liked when Cobb spoke on the struggles that CORE, SNCC and other groups, had when bringing their non violent way of organizing to a southern culture where the gun was a daily part of life, as was the terroristic violence. The southern men and women opened their homes and lives to these student organizers and often times protected them from attacks. Charles Cobb was a field secretary for SNCC and provides first hand knowledge and experience of the horror that was (and in a lot of ways still is) the American South (the north, where I'm from, is bad as well but it wasn't the primary focus of the book). I could go on and on but this is a very well written and researched book that gives a perspective of the Civil Rights Movement that isn't often showcased. I recommend everyone to check it out. "Black resistance to white supremacy is deeply rooted in grassroots community organizing and best describes black peoples' effort at gaining freedom and full citizenship; efforts that began long before the demonstrations and protest in public spaces associated with the 1960's." - Charles E. Cobb Jr

@TroyOn the point about selling more books in June of this year versus all of last year, let me ask you this. I see this as problematic because to me (not just in the publishing industry), this new wave of "black support" came in the wake of all the protests and unrest around the country. Don't get me wrong, the support is a beautiful thing but I don't think it's coming from a place that will allow it to be sustained. Soon, I fear it will die down again and will return to us not supporting the businesses, especially when it comes to books. What do you think about that? And how do we make it sustainable?

I'm on the same page as you all. Couldn't get pass a minute or two haha. Besides, she doesn't speak for us.

I saw a video of this "officer" walking around a grocery store just living his life.

Contact Name: D’Andre Walker Media Liaison fwoodwardpublishing@gmail.com FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Detective novel puts a turbulent post-rebellion Detroit at the forefront ‘The Man Across Eight Mile’ will publish on January 26, 2021 Farmington Hills, Michigan – Florence Woodward Publishing will release a new novel by Detroit born author, D’Andre Walker. ‘The Man Across Eight Mile’ is the story of Dominique Broddie, a young detective trying to rise through the ranks of a newly integrated Detroit Police Department with the hopes of salvaging the thing that matters most to him; his family. When the mysterious Reverend Brown’s son goes missing, Dominique is put on the case. It soon hits way too close to home and challenges everything he thought he knew about manhood and life. The Man Across Eight Mile is about fatherhood and a man learning what he needs to do to keep his family together. But at its heart, it’s about a man navigating daily life in 1970s Detroit, one of the city’s most pivotal time periods while being chased by the demons of his own expectations as well as his experiences in the Vietnam War. “We usually look at what’s happening in the present without any regard for the past and how or why we may have reached this point,” says Walker. “I hope this book is not only a positive ode to parents everywhere who do the best they can, but also gives a basis for the state of affairs that Detroit has been under for the past sixty years. Though the book is fiction and provides a dramatic depiction of Detroit, having spent my childhood there, the book was very personal for me to write.” Florence Woodward Publishing is a Michigan based trade book publisher. It was formed in May 2019 and comprises of adult and young adult fiction. Florence Woodward Publishing prides itself on being a small, independent publishing firm that is committed to releasing unique stories from typically unheard of points of view. The publication of The Man Across Eight Mile comes a year after D’Andre’s debut novel, Not Only in Blood which was called “a modern classic” by the website Indies Today. Author and publisher are just two of the many hats that D’Andre wears. He is also a civil engineer by day and hard hitting amateur boxer by night. You can follow him on Facebook DreWalkTheAuthor and Instagram @walkman93_ or follow him on his website drewritesbooks.com. D’Andre currently lives in central California working on his next project. ###

Yeah that's a no from me. I only watched the first. This is the type of comedy that makes other races laugh. They are very comfortable with this image of how black people talk. That's why videos like this can and will always have hundreds of thousands or millions of views. If you ever want any viral fame or be popularity, just act out a black stereotype that makes people comfortable. Maybe I'm getting old, but I didn't find it funny at all. We don't even talk like that among each other. There's a youtube channel (I won't name it so I won't promote it) that basically reviews books but the guy does it in a "thug" style. Durag, gold chain, bucking his eyes, screaming. It is a very popular channel and goes off the same premise. People watch to see the buffoonery.

@Troy https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/florida-coronavirus-cases-surge-spring-breakers-express-regret-n1168686 Your boy is pulling back on his statements haha

@Troy It's basically from his perspective. I wrote it with a YA audience in mind so I had that figured out. One of my beta readers brought up the profanity and violence and said it might be too much for YA, that's where the concern is coming from. My editor said that YA audiences are pretty mature but I just wanted a little more insight from others. Appreciate the response!

What's up Forum? I have a question. My second novel is a thriller that follows a naive sixteen year old who finds himself in trouble with some rough folks in Detroit in 1990. While it is centered on teens, there are many adult characters and the content is laced with profanity (this is how we spoke growing up) and instances of violence (it is a thriller). There are also characters that have had bouts with drug addiction (there is no drug use in the book). Teens can learn so much from this book, as can adults, giving them the insight on the behavior of the teens and what can be done to help the kids but I am torn between marketing it towards YA or going for adults. I have been researching and there are some YA books with profanity and lewd scenes but those are typically controversial. I was reading how John Green's "Looking for Alaska" is seen as controversial for the language, themes and sex in it. I think The Hunger Games has lots of violence. In order to keep the story authentic, the language has to remain. I wouldn't say that the cursing is gratuitous (there are "F bombs", the n-word) and the violence is typical of a thriller but does anyone have any opinion on this? The overall reception I'm getting from people I've asked is that teens have all that and more going on in their lives and often look for books that reflect it as long as there is some message to it. Any thoughts?

I long to join the "chitlin circuit". I'm like you, I don't like the term but it is what it is. My book(s) deal with topics that probably won't go over well with PWI institutes due to the subject matter but I know for a fact that the African American audience is resonating with them. I'd rather stick with the circuit, that's my audience. "Mainstream" success would be cool, but I feel like there would be pressure to change what and how I write and that would alienate my original audience. I found events through this website and I had my first event planned to sell some books for next week but this damn virus cancelled it haha.