Chapters from My Books on Young Urban Black Girls...

Vol. 1:
So you think you're ready to party?
Boyfriends, and boy friends
What a high school freshman should never do!
Peer pressure/parent stress
Sex is good; it's timing that can be bad
Image and perception
Confidence: the ultimate form of self-defense
Assertive vs. aggressive (there is a difference)
Black men's perceptions of American Black women
When your hood is a war zone
Rewards and dangers of using the Internet
What most dads want from their teen daughters (what this dad wants)
So hard to say goodbye; even harder to say I'm sorry
I hate you, you hate me!
It's your life but,..

Vol. 2:
Check your self (and not just your accessories)
Your parents' baggage is not your handbag
Girl bullies
The skin color game
White boys who like to kick it with Black girls
Bisexual or dl boys, and why they'be frontin'
Developing a relationship with yourself first
Back to the weight thing
Love upside down
The 1-2-3's of communicating
Depression (the other mirror)
Tetimony: lunch with dad
How to be a stress-free parent?
When water is thicker than blood
Dear dad



Note: The male counterpart to these books is scheduled for release September 2011.

Get Out Their Way!

The youth don't trust us cos of our contradictions and they refuse to take advice from anyone who buys into a system that they know fails them. When we gripe over their use of the N word, we forget we're still using National Association of Colored People and United Negro Fund. The way they look at it, if we don't mind still calling ourselves 'colored' and 'negro' then 'nigga' should be the least of our problems. Cos they got much more important sht on their minds. Like being forced to find jobs under the table, since having a Black President turned out to be another scam. And so they hustle, like we hustle but without the fear of being themselves. Cos our tradtions are their restrictions. Our expectations are their tribulations. Our religions, mental slavery. And our preoccupation with sexuality is their comic book passtime. Are they angry? Sure you right. And they wear their rage like they flash their pant buckles and exaggerated eyelashes. So now we want their votes again cos without them there is no progress. But progress always has a price. Make some noise or get out their way!

For my young ones...

Black culture is not street culture, and street culture is what your music videos and the suit n ties who push them want you to believe Black culture is.

-- Excerpt from my next book of poems, Throw

Male Youth Book Update...

Dr. Raymond A. Winbush (The Warrior Method) has joined grassroots literary guru Louis Reyes Rivera and ex-gang member Aqueela Sherrills who helped broker a truce betwen the Crips and Bloods to review my book...When you're on your divine path, the blessings come to you directly and effortlessly. Thank you!

Don't Just Buy Him Sneakers...

Don't just buy him sneakers. Help him start his own book collection, so later on he doesn't think it's a White or punk thing.

Malcolm X and Betty Shabazz Educational Center

This Sunday, July 24th I'll be speaking at the Malcolm X and Betty Shabazz Educational Center in NYC on the mis-education of our youth. It's gonna feel a lil weird joining other educators and youth psychologists this sunday at the same sight Bro. Malcolm was assassinated...
Gonna feel even more weird knowing that this same spot that wasn't ours before is still not ours today. Nonetheless, it's an opportunity to meet other professionals committed to the overall development of our youth. It's also a chance to read excerpts from my upcoming book on young urban Black males. Here's one section of the book where I speak directloy to our sons--

A friend of mine told me to come at you with love and not disgust, so I’m hoping my words and tone have been proper to you. I’m hoping you take it the right way when I tell you to clean up after yourself and respect others’ belongings; to remember to wash, especially your underarms, your privates (the inside of your foreskin, if you weren’t circumcised), to always flush after relieving yourself and wash your hands; to keep your nails short and cleaned, your clothes off the floor; to watch what you eat, how you treat your neighborhood, how you come off to people. And yes, pull your pants up some. Because I want more from us, and I want you to want more from you. I may not always get you, but I love you just the same. I love you enough to tell you what you need to hear; and to tell young fathers to try not to be so hard with their sons, to hold their hand when walking with them and not ahead of them because that’s how we create emotionally healthy males.



The center is located at 3940 Broadway and 165 th Street. Conference starts at 4pm.

NYC Writers Group Assignment

So I gotta do this fatherhood assignment for our writers group and not sure which direction to take. The part about stop being in love with your child and raise them or missing my own dad but noticing him everywhere...