Black Books

WEB DuBois:American Prophet is an absolute gem for in the ever expanding field of religious history. Blum's ability to analyze his sources and to use them to discover the spiritual side of DuBois allows the reader to understand the real DuBois. Blum is able to dismiss the idea that DuBois was secular in nature. A must have for all religious historians!!!!

This is a beautiful book, lucid, passionate, rigorous, and engaged. Blum's pathbreaking consideration of DuBois as a key religious figure in America transforms the "black church" model that has needlessly constrained the story of African American spiritual striving, and powerfully dislodges the religious/secular dividing line that has likewise constrained scholarship on DuBois in all of the disciplines that claim him. This is the beginning of a new and needed conversation on prophetic faith in America, one to which historians and scholars who might otherwise have little truck with religion may join their voices without apology.

The spiritual dimensions of W.E.B. Du Bois is the subject of a new book by Edward J. Blum, a history professor at San Diego State University. Blum's compelling work goes against the grain of previous Du Bois biographers, who uniformly claim that Du Bois was either agnostic or atheist.

Blum's volume uncovers Bu Bois's multiple religious selves, and since the biographical details of his life are relatively well known, Blum resists a chronological approach and instead offers an innovative, thematic analysis that investigates The Souls of Black Folk (Enriched Classics Series), Du Bois's sociology of religion, his understanding of Christianity and Communism, the uses of religion in Du Bois's creative work, and the reception of the spiritual Du Bois among students, scholars, and cultural critics. Blum canvasses Du Bois's massive corpus, not only including weighty academic works, but also letters, literary expressions, and even prayers written for students at Atlanta University in 1909-1910, published in 1980 as Prayers for Dark People.

The result of this thematic investigation is a convincing picture of the multiple ways Du Bois engaged religion--and in particular Christianity. One of the book's major contributions is to show when, where, how, and why Du Bois brought spiritual insight to bear on global issues he investigated both historically and sociologically, particularly those related to black Americans. It is interesting to note that Du Bois's commetaries on the issues of his time still resonate deeply with today's concerns--something I suppose prophets are able to do.

Blum's book is clearly an academic work, but unlike many scholarly monographs, it also speaks to students and other curious, interested readers, a notable achievement and something for other writers to emulate. Blum's work is a must read for anyone interested in American history, religious history, or even world history.

There is no doubt _W.E.B. Du Bois, American Prophet_ will stand as one of the most important works for understanding this important historical figure. Be sure to pick up your copy today.

This is without question the definitive study of Du Bois and his relationship to religion, faith, and the church. Not only is the scholarship top notch, but the prose are thoughtful, rich, and compelling. It is so well written, so well-researched, and so engaging for anyone interested in religion in American history, race and religion, and the genius of WEB Du Bois.

Blum delves in to so much with respectable sensitivity, and his analysis and insights go much deeper than all other biographers concerning Du Bois's relationship to religion.

Brilliant. Highly recommended for students, professors, people interested in religious studies, history, identity, etc.

Like many others I had long ago gained enormous respect for W.E.B. Du Bois, one of the outstanding leaders in race relations in the hundred years immediately after the American Civil War. As a writer, lecturer, scholar, and teacher he was a persistent voice for equality of opportunity, integration of society, and the civil rights of African Americans. I had never thought of him, however, as a religious thinker. That is, until now.

In this marvelous new book by Edward J. Blum, an historian at San Diego State University, Du Bois emerges as a major thinker in Christianity and the social gospel. As Blum demonstrates, Du Bois was in no small measure motivated by the life and ministry of Jesus Christ, by the moral teachings of scripture, and by the thinking of theologians throughout the ages. And in this aspect of his life, like all others, Du Bois found ample scriptural and moral teaching advancing equality of all people. It is an eye-opening and unexplored aspect of Du Bois's character and one that all future investigators of his life and career will have to bring into the discussion of his other activities. As Blum shows, Du Bois's work cannot be understood absent his spiritual life.

This work is a fine analysis that progresses through a series of Du Bois's writings to probe the depths of his moral and spiritual beliefs. A major chapter on "The Souls of Black Folk," as only one example, demonstrates the significance of his seeking universal truth in religion. Part sociological analysis, literary criticism, and theological exploration, Blum's work on Du Bois offers a new avenue for understanding one of the towering figures in American race relations. It is a brilliant, authoritative, and seminal study that all scholars of U.S. religion, race relations, and the early twentieth century will find invaluable.

I bought this book this past saturday and finished on sunday. I could not put the book down. It was sooo good. This book should be required reading for whole families to read. The great thing about this book is that it not only gives you guidance in raising Black children but as an adult and a parent it makes you evaluate your approach in dealing with your child and their education. Because we have been out of school for so long we as adults forget how in essence the educational curriculum is really not designed to enhance the identity and self esteem of children of color. White Children will never have to deal with the confusion Black Children have to come to terms with when they are tought for the 1st time that their people were slaves and treated in such inhumane ways. Families sold off, forbidden to learn, and calling other human beings master. I believe a totally breakdown of the educational curriculum is needed and until then we need books like Dr. Winbush to give us guidance and understanding to raise our Black Boys. We are in the midst of a crisis and we have to save our children. Thank you Dr. Winbush. Amazing book!!! I think for single mothers. this would be a wonderful book to read in raising and dealing with solutions to help guide your Black sons.

This is a must read for anyone raising a black male in our "society". It is long overdue and I wish it had been available to me years ago. It is enlightening and thought-provoking.

The Warrior Method is an excellent tool for parents raising black children. While it focuses on Black boys, the book provides meaningful strategies for parents raising Black Children in an environment which places them at the margin of society. Dr. Winbush's ten commandments for raising healthy black boys ought not to be ignored. His practical advice to parents represent a significant gift to Black families worldwide.
A must have for parents!!

The author is excellent and deserves recognition. The book serves as an excellent guide to establishing a structured program to navigate boys to men and men to heroes

PROBABLY ONE OF THE MOST HELPFULL BOOKS FOR BLACK PARENTS GOING INTO THIS MILLENIUM. THE WARRIOR METHOD GIVES YOU A GREAT PROGRAM FOR RAISING STRONG, HEALTHY, CONSCIENCE, & SUCCESSFUL YOUNG BLACK MEN. WE DON'T USUALLY LEARN ANY METHODS OF RAISING OUR KIDS IN SCHOOL, WORK, OR OTHER PLACES THAT WE SPEND A LOT OF OUR TIME. MOST NEVER EVEN CONSIDER OR KNOW ANY OTHER WAYS OF REARING OUR KIDS OTHER THAN THE WAYS SOCIETY TELLS US TO, AND THAT IS NOT ALWAYS THE WAY THAT WORKS BEST FOR US. THE WARRIOR METHOD GIVES A STRONG ALTERNATIVE REARING METHOD THAT ADDRESSES THE NEEDS OF OUR KIDS IN TODAY'S SOCIETY. EVERY BLACK PARENT SHOULD TAKE TIME OUT TO READ AND CONSIDER THE WARRIOR METHOD. THE READING LIST THAT IS SUGGESTED FOR THE PARENTS WILL TREMENDOUSLY BENEFIT YOU ALSO. CHECK IT OUT AND/OR GIVE IT AS A GIFT TO NEW PARENTS, FRIENDS, AND FAMILY.

Everything! Pepper Miller is an industry expert and her knowledge shines through clearly as she defines the African American "Filter". This illuminates African American culture and makes it understandable to all ethnicities in the U.S. - White, Latino, Asian, Everyone!

I discovered from What's Black About It that I fall into the apparently prevalent category of Marketing execs who think that just putting one black face into an ad will make the campaign acceptable to African-Americans. This is a top-notch read with some great insights. Given the huge Census/PR buzz around Hispanic growth figures we are so caught up in allocating monies to Latino targets that we have done ourselves an injustice by virtually ignoring this all-important segment of America.

What's Black about it? Has excellent format, utilizing

sidebars to describe the meanings of the discussions. This book is very easy to read and gives many examples of African American
cultures and habits. This kind of information is certainly important to those promoting marketing in this area.

I think that the book could be used as a suppliment in schools, where Black History is being taught.

John H. Hunter- Chicago, Illinois

DNA for Cultural Cues to Effectively Reach Blacks

As a black moderator I am often asked how black perspectives differ from other ethnic groups. Pepper Miller and Herb Kemp in What's Black About It? both affirm and enlighten me on key cultural cues. They illuminate the black experience while highlighting the best practices needed to succeed in marketing to African Americans. From the importance of brands to blacks' relationship with time (which has been elevated from `CP Time' to Kairos Time) they provide a DNA map of insights to help you capture your share of a changing African-American market.

Lisa Gaines McDonald
President, Research Explorers

This is an absolute must-read for those in the advertising/marketing profession but especially those whose focus is specifically African American advertising. I especially encourage those new to the field to grab a copy "What's Black About It?" because in spite of all of the research, time and preparation it takes to produce a client presentation, at the end some clients still ask the proverbial question - "What's Black About It?"

This is handy tool that brings to the forefront new insights and dispells stereotypes. For those in this industry, you'll find that you spend more time educating clients about who African Americans really are and how much they impact EVERYTHING; "What's Black About It?" is filled with statistics and facts that make the ride much smoother. I give this book two thumbs up and encourage all to purchase. Thanks Pepper and Herb for a job well done.

A. Sikes
Strategic Planner

There aren't too many books written about African American marriage. It's unfortunate because information is the key that opens many doors. Yet we are left with limitations placed on the information we have about marriage. Our ancestors and parents were so busy avoiding the often painful task of analyzing the past of failed relationships. We were left ignorant to the tools of what works. We need to discuss what doesn't work in order to understand what actually works.

Donna L. Franklin has begun to open the doors to communication in this secretive area for us. Thank you, Donna. We need to move forward. Let's talk about our African American relationships. The youth are learning by the failed examples they witness. Let's leave them with more than that.

[....]

This books hit the nail on the head. Not only do we as black people have to constantly fight for our respect, but we also fight each other. I think this should be a book that is read in every book club. The only way black men and women are going to solve our problems is to discuss them and communicate. The only thing I didn't like about this book is all the numbers. I think the author over did it with the statistics. After a while I started skipping whole paragraphs. Other than that this is a must read.

Donna Franklin's new book, What's Love Got To Do With It, is a passionate,unequivocal indictment of racism and white supremecy in American society. Impeccable scholarship becomes a tool for her laser-like examination of what has gone wrong with black male/female relationships, and no stone is left unturned. No-one is let off the hook. Not white males. Not white females. Not black males or black females.

A crime has been committed. Who is guilty of this crime? Who must pay? Who must be held accountable? For the destruction of black male/female relationships? The destruction of the black family? The destruction and denigration of African culture and consciousness? The insanity of homocide, suicide and fratricide in the black community? Slavery is Donna Franklin's answer. Miss Anne and Uncle Charlie out back, in the cabin, in the bushes, in yo bed room, in de school room, in yo mind.

Insanity passing for sanity. Black man walkin' down the street mumblin' to himself, holdin' himself like he gotta piss. Black woman standing on the street corner with a blond wig on her head charging two dollars. Apein' mr charlie. Apein' miss anne! Playing in the dark, writin' blues for mister charlie, wearing black skin and a white mask, with no name in the street!! Because - Nobody knows my name!!! Not even me! What's yo name Boy??

Franz Fanon said it best: "The Negro is a slave who has been allowed to assume the attitude of [the] master. The white man is a master who has allowed his slaves to eat at his table." "Relationships between black men and women in America are in crisis," says Donna Franklin. "The current divorce rate for blacks is four times the 1960 level and double that of the general population." "Interracial marriages have risen from a reported 51,000 in l960 to 311,000 in l997." "The rates of violence between black men and women are higher than those of other races." ". . .Seventy-two percent of the African American husbands reported using a confrontational style of dealing with marital conflict. . ." "Forty-four percent of married black men admit to having been unfaithful to their wives, almost double the percentage for whites." Sixty percent of young black males between the ages of 18 and 24 are caught up in the criminal justice system.

In the end Donna calls for healing. But healing in this instance must be spiritual as well as social. The cancer has spead too far. The community is too sick for surgery or psychotherapy. To heal the rift between black men and women will take time. But time alone won't do the job, as Donna implies. We must understand the history and place today's black male/female relationships within the context of that history. This book goes a long way toward helping us to understand -- to understand that history and context. Holding up a mirror to American society, Donna Franklin reveals strange fruit hanging from the poplar tree. No matter how painful, America, you must have the courage to read this book!!!!

I doubt that I would even consider another relationship, unless I knew that we were both conscious of the information provided by Donna L. Franklin's book.

It contains well written and informative validation to theories and facts that serve to answer the largely ignored phenomenon of why it has been so difficult for too many black couples to enter into and remain in stable relationships.

Even the therapy sessions I once attended, in an attempt to save my family eluded this dynamic. The therapist was seemingly unaware or otherwise unable to implement this information in addressing the unique circumstances associated with black couples...

As a matter of fact, I realize later, and as a black woman herself, she was probably struggling with many of these dynamics in her own relationships...

The answer begins with awareness!!!

This book should be standard required reading for all African Americans and Americans in general need to be aware of this information also. It's just part of the healing process for the whole country.

There is no more time to ignore the combined effects of racism and genderism.

I apologize to no one for being strong, but I sure am sick of being strong all of the time, especially while being resented and disrespected for it in the home...that I bought....

Thank You Donna!

This book provides a much needed historical analysis of the emergence of the current tensions found between black men and women. I have always been interested in africian-american history and this book is one of the best history books I've ever read. It is supebly written and carefully documented. The author even provides hope by asking the reader a series of questions that can help him/her determine (if answered honestly) whether they are part of the problem or part of the solution. This book is both informative and thought provoking and I highly recommend it to anyone interested in the black family or gender relations in the african-american community.

Scandalous! But unlike the sound bite scandals of today, this is scandalous behavior which is also very provocative and thought provoking. Sparsely written in screenplay style, it amazed me how completely it took me into the scenes. It was like tumbling through a magnifying glass into those intriguing background scenes of colored speakeasies in "Fried Green Tomatoes" or "The Color Purple" with the lyrics of the blues moving the story line along.

Despite the title, this fictionalized history goes far beyond anything racial. Author Moncrief suggests that on one level this is a story of acceptance. For me it also stimulates thoughts and debate on many of today's situations: the complicated society of working women, sexual roles and identities, domestic violence, life on the road, the rap artists and the thugs and the players. . . and on and on. This book also inspired me to delve deeper into Bessie Smith research and I guess that is the greatest compliment that can be paid to any author.
"Blues on my mind . . . I said blues."

I loved this book. It gave me the opportunity to enter a world I could never be part of and to see it from the inside. It took me places I never imagined and, as I read, the author's presence faded and I was swept into the world of the characters. I suffered, celebrated, laughed and cried with Bessie Smith and her entourage. I highly recommend the journey.

This book is easy reading so I was able to finish it fairly quick. Actually I couldn't put it down because I was captivated by its subject, Bessie Smith, as well as by the other colorful characters that occupied her world. "When Color Was Cool" is not only entertaining, but also a look into a very significant part of American history that we don't often hear about. After finishing the book, I ran out to purchase a couple of Bessie Smith cds. What an amazing woman! What a delightful reading experience.

When Colored Was Cool is an amazing story, that with its flamboyant characters, brought tears to my eyes. The often comedic and frequently tragic lives of Bessie Smith and her troupe are woven together expertly by an obviously gifted author. Though a work of fiction, I feel as though I have now had very real glimpse into a time long before my own. I heartily recommend this book.

I could not put this book down! From start to finish, it held my attention. I could picture all the characters in vivid images and felt like I was right there watching every exciting moment take place. I enjoy reading about the Harlem Renaissance period and would definitely recommend "When Colored Was Cool."

Eva Rutland's When We Were Colored is the slightest of these three books, but in some ways the most intriguing. A collection of personal essays originally printed during the 1950s in women's magazines such as Redbook, Woman's Day, and Ladies Home Journal, they were first published in 1964 under the title The Trouble with Being a Mama. Thus, with the exception of the new preface written for this reissue, the book is not retrospective but rather a series of contemporaneous accounts of her family's experience of what she calls "integration qualms." At times, Rutland would agree with Henry Louis Gates Jr., who wrote in his better-known memoir Colored People (1996), "For many of the colored people in Piedmont . . .integration was experienced as a loss. The warmth and nurturance of the womblike colored world was slowly and inevitably disappearing." However, Rutland's overall purpose was not to indulge such nostalgia, but to educate her readership, who were largely white women. Her pedagogical methods are shrewd. She begins each essay "seeking common ground with white mothers" on issues such as the role of "psychology" in childrearing, helping your children make friends, moving the family to a new neighborhood, difficulties with husbands and fathers, preparing children for school and dating, and joining the PTA.

Once she has built firm connections with her readers, she introduces the "hook" at the end of each essay. She describes the day her brothers, walking home from work, were jumped by a group of "white boys" and cut with switchblades. She ends the essay with a reflection on her brother Sam, a college graduate:

the deep, ugly bruises of a lifetime of blows--the long, long walk on a cold, wintry day to the segregated school, the push to the back of the bus, the climb to the "jim crow" section of the theater to see a special movie, the longing walk past the spacious parks and swimming pools reserved for whites, and job--truck driver, under the supervision of a man whose education could not touch his own. The switchblade marks were only the surface marks--a symbol of "what they think I am."
Many essays end with similar anecdotes: her daughter's white schoolmate whose mother won't let her "come over"; a bright black child with excellent grades placed with the "slow learners" in school; a school dance so fraught with racial and sexual tension that her daughter asks later: "I was so embarrassed . . . Why didn't they just tell me not to come?" In places she addresses her audience directly: "But I can only tell you that they are human as are your own children." Of the night she watches Vivian Malone walk past Governor Wallace and enter the University of Alabama under armed guard, she writes, "I cannot help but believe that somewhere, perhaps in the South, a white mother, simply because she was a mother, also watched with tears and pride and fear."

Rutland returns frequently to the theme of social class: her father was a pharmacist and though she insists they were poor, she admits "we were so much better off than many of our Negro neighbors." All her mother's relatives had graduated from college, and her mother consistently had hired help. As a child her world existed "across town," where friends and members of her extended family lived among the black bourgeoisie of Atlanta. Of her friends, she says "All had cars--comparatively rare in my day--many had fine houses, some had maids, and most attended private schools." Returning as an adult to these neighborhoods, she writes:

Visiting Atlanta, I would go from one spacious home to another--luncheon and bridge during the day, parties at night. Or we would visit Lincoln Country Club--the Negroes' private club with its own little golf course. Or we would take the children to visit our alma maters and the other surrounding Negro universities, stroll on the beautiful campuses, listen to a lecture, attend a University Players production, walk through the library. How I wished my children could grow up there, go to school there. How beautiful it seemed--Atlanta with its ermine-trimmed, diamond-studded, velvety cloak of segregation.
Though one may read the above sentence as tinged with irony, Rutland was a proud woman: proud of her race and class; proud of her family, especially her compassionate and tolerant mother; proud of her children; and proud of the "brave young people" who decided "segregation was wrong anywhere--schools, bus stations, lunch counters--and picketed all over the country"--even when they shut down her beloved five-and-ten cent store.

At the same time, though she denies it, she is touched by shame. She writes that the color of her skin is the mark of the slave ship, the stamp of shame upon her heritage. As she explains,

The shame transmits itself to you, and you lower your head when confronted with the symbols of your past--a bandanaed Aunt Jemima, a black-faced comedian with a Negro dialect, a bare-footed boy with his face sunk in watermelon.

And the shame becomes a burden on your heart, a chip on your shoulder, carried with you into the marketplace, the streets, the schools.
In the next breath, though, she insists that because of her family and her segregated schooling, where she learned Negro history and literature (especially the poetry of Paul Lawrence Dunbar), "I think I escaped the shame altogether, and the chip rests lightly on my shoulder." I'm not so sure. She does have a sense of humor and is able to laugh at herself. But in her urgency to convince her white female readers of the full humanity of Negro mothers and children, pride battles shame. Continually imagining herself through white eyes, she remains shadowed by what "they" think, the double-vision so well described by W.E.B. DuBois in Souls of Black Folk (1903). In the end, pride wins out. Her book closes as she watches the 1963 March on Washington: "But most of all I was proud of the people, black and white, who stood in the sweltering sun, tired and weary, quiet and dignified, saying more eloquently than we ever could, We, the people of the United States."

From the January/February 2008 Issue
"Stepping Out and Moving Forward" by Margo Culley

Ready or not, here comes the picture perfect African-American family
Norman Rockwell never got around to painting. Eva Rutland, with
absolutely no formal child-rearing knowledge, is the ever so
delightful wife, and mother of four children. She makes it
possible for us to sigh and then laugh in WHEN WE WERE COLORED. She
shows how raising four African-American children during the early
years of segregation was accomplished. There were no textbooks or
how-to magazines, and rarely does Rutland seem to be even advised
by her own mother; trial and error is the order of the day.
Recognizing no priorities keeps her sane, if you can call it that.
She is the normal African-American mother who is not afraid to take
advantage of segregated neighborhoods and allow her children to
develop into who they will become. Rutland is the pioneer
of "Mother Knows Best"(tm) or better stated, let the housework wait and
just go with the flow. She is the mother who never made it to the
sit-coms.

In a very charming and witty fashion, Rutland discovers mothering
four different individuals requires patience, delegation,
flexibility, and creativity. Plus adequate amounts of keeping her
children involved in community and church leaves no time for
destructive behavior. Just when her patience runs out, Rutland is
canny enough to pass the torch to Bill, her husband. She is
brilliantly funny enough to know when to retreat into the bathroom
with a magazine and locked door. Readers can follow this mother
through her children's dating years and laugh in spite of themselves
when she suggests how her daughter can remain a lady on her first
date.

You feel the peace emanating from this mother who courageously
selects a house in an all-white neighborhood instinctively trusting
her children will cope. Yes, Rutland is the quintessential mother of
yesteryear and all mothers can learn from reading WHEN WE WERE
COLORED: A Mother's Story. It will leave you enlightened
and inspired, it will make you proud that segregation, racism,
discrimination, riots, and prejudice did not weaken this strong
mother, or inhibit how her children turned out.

Rutland's memoir earned several awards and the only thing left to do, is come up with even more awards for this wonderful story.

Reviewed by Swaggie Coleman
for The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers

Eva Rutland takes us back to a time of penny candy, 5and 10 -cent stores, and racism. In times when the world seemed much gentler, some Americans could not simply sit down to eat at restaurants unless it was marked Colored, and could not go to the school of their choice. Ms Rutland struggled to rear her children without the emotional scars that sometimes came with dealing with racism.


Eva had an open door policy. All were welcome at her door; no one was discriminated against. Eva was born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia in the house that her grandfather, a freed slave, built himself. That community had not segregated itself. Although Atlanta was segregated, where Eva lived, everyone knew each other and Eva knew how to find common ground with her neighbors no matter what race they were.

Bill Rutland, Eva's husband, was a trailblazer. He joined the Air Force at the time that it was first desegregated. Not wanting to be separated from his family, he packed them up and moved them to California. Bill met discrimination when he went out in advance to find a home for his family. Some neighborhoods were integrated but Bill had a hard time finding them or a realtor that would help him. Whenever Bill found a house that he wanted, he would have trouble procuring a loan to purchase it. He found a run-down house in a neighborhood that Whites had began to desert because of integration. When the family wanted to move to better surroundings they had to get one of Bill's co-workers to buy it for them, much to the outrage of the seller.

Eva combated racism by becoming a den mother, joining the PTA and every other group that she could find; so that she could help her kids understand that not everyone was a racist. Eva found that every mother has the same fears for their children so she reached out to all mothers and not just members of her own race. Instead of looking for adversity, Eva always looked for the common ground. Eva was a tireless worker who was so busy insuring that her children's mental health did not get ruined that she often did not have time for herself.



I loved this story! Rutland wrote strictly from a mother's point-of-view and did not let bitterness enter into the equation. I read this book and cheered for her She bared her heart to her readers and wrote with honesty stating flaws and all. Every man, woman and child, especially the younger generation, could benefit from reading this book. This book is not about color but about a mother trying to do what is best for her children, in a world determined to keep them as second-class citizens. Every race would gain something by reading this story.

Margaret Ball

APOOO BookClub- .

"Eva Rutland has done all of us a grand favor - [to] tell the powerful and poignant story of the courage and love of a black mother in a society that devalues black children."
-- Cornel West, author, "Race Matters," Professor of Religion, Princeton University

"Eva Rutland's chronicle of child rearing during the transition from segregation to civil rights is warm, poignant, and funny. It is also a powerful object lesson in how and why women - as mommas and grandmothers -have long anchored the soul of Black America."
---Willie L. Brown, Jr., former Mayor of San Francisco and former Speaker of the California State Assembly

"Rutland brings the reader back to a time and place in this country when there weren't protected civil right, when she couldn't swin in the local pools, when a visit from a neighboring white girl who wanted to use their phone prompted a dangerous visit from the police..."
---Martha Mendoza, Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter, Associated Press

"'When We Were Colored' has an amusing 'Moma Knows Best' sensibility. The book also gives the reader a serious look at the West's black middle class - usually invisible in American storytelling."
---Janet Clayton, assistant Managing Editor, Los Angeles Times

"Eva Rutland's evocation of race, place, and time has near perfect poignancy and verisimilitude. With a wonderful blend of intemacy and sociology, 'When We Were Colored' recaptures the wisdom, resiliency, and love of a family overcoming a world once oppressively divided into black and white."
---David Levering Lewis, Professor of History, New York University, and recipient of the Pulitzer Prize for Biography

Book review of "When We Were Colored: A mother's Story" by Eva Rutland, 2007, IWP Book Publishers, ISBN 13: 978-1-934178-00-3, 152 pp.

Book reviewer: Joe Fabel, American Authors Association Review Board

Eva Rutland is a most unique individual who has shared with the reader the wisdom of her life as an individual, a wife and a mother. She is unique because she values the virtues which lie within. Exterior behavior norms are not what she is about for her family. Yes, she teaches her children how to live with others; yet she goes beyond to emphasize the true value of living a life of commitment to excellence. She instills within her children, whenever they will sit still and pay attention, the virtues of living and choosing to perfect themselves as full human beings.

There is reference to her upbringing in the South, a time of sheltering within the black community as defined by white segregation mores. She states that it was a time of comfort in the sense that she and her folks understood the boundaries established, knowing what the segregating Southern whites demanded. There was never a question of what one could or couldn't do.

The quiet segregation experienced among people in the West, the quiet yet definite
"lines marked in the sands" is a daily occurrence. Eva Rutland emphasizes that each of her family must achieve academically, socially and personally according to their abilities and gifts. There must be no question of squandering what the good Lord has allotted each of us.

This is a story by an insightful and sharing mother. The book should be on all reading lists of all levels of the schools, available for the parents of all the students. It contains
messages by which each individual must live his or her life, be you a child, a parent,
a neighbor or simply a citizen. Eva's message is a golden rule to live by.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It is one that every well-to-do African American should read. It details how those who had opened their doors to help others who couldn't afford to. How building and making available to those promising few kids something they could strive for. We need more like whirlwind today.

This book was such a great breath of fresh air! It is so good to read about African-American accomplishments, but it is even better to find out how it began. We always hear about the tennis greats of today, like the Williams' sisters but what about those African-Americans who paved the way. Doug Smith did an excellent job of presenting Dr. Johnson's story. I loved it!

Much Props to Dr.Robert walter Johnson for paving the way which isn't talked about nearly enough. Doug Smith observed and learned from Dr Johnson as Dr Johnson taught on the court and off the court lessons on how to survive and also how to stay classy. from Althea Gibson,Arthur Ashe and other players Dr.Johnson taught them and paved the way. He was a Pioneer and a trailblazer.this is a Book that is a incredible journey and a book that will make you think and reflect. a must have book.

Among the common qualities of world-changing people, you'll find passion, discipline, and an unrelenting determination to succeed. Dr. Robert Walter Johnson is no exception. It wasn't enough for Johnson to be a legendary college running back-thus the nickname `Whirlwind'--and a practicing medical doctor. He took his backyard pastime of tennis and built doors for the African American community into an exclusionary sport, shepherding the early tennis careers of greats such as Althea Gibson and Arthur Ashe. Noted tennis writer Doug Smith delivers a gripping story of the life and times of this superb athlete, mentor, and visionary.

"Whirlwind" portrays the triumphs and travails of an unsung pioneer for racial justice in the mostly white tennis world before and after Althea Gibson broke the color barrier in 1950.
Doug Smith, who attended the tennis program conducted by Dr. Robert Walter Johnson, chronicles how Arthur Ashe, Althea Gibson and other promising young African-American players learned lessons about ethics and etiquette as well as strokes and strategy. Dr. Johnson, while an altruist, was no saint, particularly in his family life, and his personal adventures and misadventures are part of what makes this biography so fascinating. Sports fans and history lovers will especially appreciate this poignant story. I highly recommend it.

In spite of all of the drama this young woman went through, she accomplished her dreams. I loved this book - especially what she said about life being like a puzzle and how we need to just take all of the pieces as they come and we will see the complete picture over time. Her life was full of heartbreak and struggle, but it appears to me that the seeds of wisdom planted by her grandmother caused her to pick herself up and brush off and get going no matter what. I could hear the love for her daughther and even for her husband. I loved her honesty about every aspect of her life including her naive perspective in her early college days. The psychologist in me couldn't help wonder why she was not as honest about her contribution to the strain in her marriage at the very end, but I do like the way she told her story overall. I would highly recommend this book after reading her first book, of course.

Words can't express how this book made me feel! For her to recount the horror and pain she underwent in Little Rock, was so touching. Her actual experience was personally felt. Ms. Beals has an extraordinary way of expressing herself. She brought out so many emotions in me. I would love to be able to personally write to her - she has truly brought me to a new level of strength. Reading her book has taught me that keeping your faith in God will ultimately show you that all the blessings he has given you should not be taken for granted.

Melba Pattillo Beals' journey through a time of prejudice shows a woman's courage. After trying, to integrate into an all white high school and being harassed by the K.K.K. Melba Beals is relocated by the NAACP. She starts her new life in California, a much different environment than the one she left behind in Arkansas. Melba hits a turning point in her life as she forgets about her studies and things to try to fit in. This non-fictional story drives your emotions as it talks of how cruel our world can be. It also showed how it only takes one person to make a difference. This truly inspirational piece will leave you screaming for justice.

If you are at a crossroad in your life or you want to reach a deeper awareness about life then this book is for you. In its easy to read language, Melba Beals recounts her life story using sections from her diary that began as a youth and she continued until adulthood. This book is romantic, comical, inspirational, and riveting. I thoroughly enjoyed walking in Melba's "moccasins" as she recounts the extraordinary events that have shaped her into a terrific human being. I loved reading the book! Thanks Melba, you've done it again!

"We were concerned about much more than breathing- we were trying to save our lives- racing from room to room, slamming our windows shut and locking them as fast as we could." Melba Patillo Beals writes the story of her life, and what she had to go through everyday, as a result of her being one of the strong teenagers that integrated Central high in the year 1957. This book, the sequal to Warriors Dont Cry, makes you feel the pain, suffering, and hurt that Melba experienced living as a young african american in Little Rock Arkansa. The book was not all about the tough times she had, but also about the good times that her and her family shared, the things she accomlpished, and how she got to where she is know. In the book, Melba is living with her young brother Conrad, her grandma India, and her mother Loise, where she is trying to graduate high school, and then hopefully leave her small town of Arkansa. The book is very touching and I got emotional reading it, as i did when i read her first book. A quote that made me want to keep reading was in the beggining of the book, when she writes in her diary"Oh, god, please help me find my way. I don't want to disappoint anyone. Don't I deserve to have a senior year? Can't we have intergration but not have me participate? This is such a big problem, only you can figure it out. Thy will be done. Please give me courage." This passage showed her courage, and i wanted to keep on reading to see what she would do.Melba travels to San francisco were she meets with the Santa Rosa NAACP, and realizes that the hatred that she once thought all the whites had, was not true, and that she would begin a new life. She dealt with growing up with a white family, getting married, having children, and having her husband leave her. Overall this was a good book, and i enjoyed it. If it could have been different i wish it would have been a bit shorter, and more descriptive about her life as an adult.I recoment this book to others, and suggest it, for a book to read on a rainy day. Enjoy reading it, and check out her other book.

The author's style takes you there with vivid descriptions, entertaining dialogue, and funny anecdotes. The South comes alive with this fascinating novel!

A wonderful story well told. I could not put it down. Gives a very interesting and valuable insight to life in the South in the mid 1900s.

I read the entire book on a one-day trip from west to east coast. Never have I read a novel that held my attention like this one, while teaching me more than I have ever known about the Black and White subcultures of Mississippi in the last century. You can't help but learn as the book sweeps you along from one authentic experience to another. You live it and come away with a profound understanding of conditions and actions within and between the Black and White sides. The main character, at the beginning an eleven year old White boy, lives these things, as the author no doubt did. The book is well worth reading if for the love story alone. You will want to keep this one in your personal library. A cracking good read - don't let it pass!

A riveting page-turning novel that every American, black,white,and other, should read. This book will place you deep in both the white and black subcultures of rural south Mississippi at mid-twentieth century, one of the most turbulent periods of the nation's history. A gripping new perspective on the social revolution in the United States and the Viet Nam War, and how the two linked to profoundly mark white and black youth of this place and time. The main character depicts a segment of American society that has, until this book was published, been unrecognized as a real victem of the time. Triumph and tragedy, race and violence, promise and betrayal, love and heartbreak - this book will educate you. Read it! You'll be glad you did.

Having not grown up in the USA culture, racism has always been perplexing to me.
This deeply personal and insightful novel is not only educational and entertaining,
but grips the heart and soul of one who reads it. As the author "lives" the story,
one is brought to a better understanding of the dynamics of our race-conflicted country.
A Must-Read!

Thank you Eileen for this wonderful book. The expressions were very vivid and eye-opening and the photos captured the essence of the expressions given. Keep the spirit flowing dear sister.

Based on a deliciously simple concept, Ms. Williams Sabry's "Wishes in Black & White" serves as a compelling repository of real human insight. This thought-provoking gem makes a wonderfully appropriate gift for any and all driven to promote unity in our world today.

Two words that describe both the author and her extraordinary book. I had the privilege of meeting Eileen two years ago while she was working on Wishes in Black & White. Eileen's determination to understand race relations in this country and to help each of us understand those thoughts and feelings are aptly conveyed in this book. This is one of the most important books you will ever read! Thank you, Eileen, for being a stakeholder in the well being of America.

Based on a deliciously simple concept, Ms. Williams Sabry's "Wishes in Black & White" serves as a compelling repository of real human insight. This thought-provoking gem makes a wonderfully appropriate gift for any and all driven to promote unity in our world today.

Avoiding the extreme views that tend to exacerbate racial problems in the U.S., Ms. Williams Sabry has gone to the middle with her question about what it would take to end racism. The respondents views and thoughts show that the gap CAN be bridged and even hints at how it can be done. The photograpy is absolutely masterful in bringing out the character and humanity of each individual.

The author is to be congratulated on both the idea and its implementation in the pages of this book.