African Books

As a member of a Marine rifle company in Vietnam in 1968-69, I found this book to be dead on, in its portrayal of the day to day life of a grunt. This book, for the most part stays clear of the political messages and other distractions that infect many of the other books about Vietnam. If one was to ask the author why this would be, I would guess that his response would be, that a Marine in the bush does not have time to reflect upon anything other than the mission at hand. I was also glad to see a book about combat in Vietnam,that was written by a black Marine. The year of 1967 was a deadly year for the Marines, especially for those Marines in and around the DMZ. The NVA were determined to kill as many Marines as possible, in order to sway public opinion in the United States. They (NVA)did this knowing that they would probably lose every battle and suffer untold casualities.

This book is a rollercoaster ride...It is both exciting and very revealing.

The viewpoint of the author made me wonder how I would have stood up in his place...I cared about the people in it.

The author Mr. Guidry is a good man, he was my World History teacher at Highland High School in Palmdale, CA. This is the book that sparked my interest in the history of war...

He was a quiet man but there was something about him, when he taught us students even those that hated history couldn't help but be amazed at how history just came alive. This isn't some book some historian wrote but a story of a war through the eyes of a soldier.

Every chance I get I recommend people to read this book. If you do I promise you will not be disappointed.

I loved this book very much and to anyone who reads this i hope that they will also take this wonderful opertunity to read this book. I have read this book 3 or 4 times and i really enjoyed it very much. It was EXTREAMLY detailed and Richard Guidry captured every detail to each blade of grass. A MUST READ LOVED THE BOOK.

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.

THIS IS A GOOD BOOK ON ANCIENT EGYPTIAN HISTORY WITH VERY GOOD PICTURES! KIDS & ADULTS CAN LEARN AND ENJOY A LOT FROM READING THIS BOOK AND LOOKING AT THE PRETTY PICTURES.

This book is all you'd expect for a book from a Time-Life series. The price and shipping are a fraction of what Time-Life sells it for.

Non-fiction. A small book loaded with interesting facts and color photographs. Gives a great introduction to ancient Egypt. Many anecdotes including for example how they communicated with dead family members to have them help with problems, which I've seen no where else. This book could be read by an intelligent child, but is worthwhile for adults wanting to get more information about ancient Egypt. Great photographs on every page. A classic, and not just for children despite the size and shape of it. (FYI the cover shows King Tutankhamun seated and his wife standing, it was the backrest of his throne and one of the most stunning pieces of artwork imaginable.)

This book is not meant to provide a detailed history of ancient Egypt. Rather, it is meant to breathe life into that history. The book show snips of life (musical entertainment, feasts, marriage and courtship, crafts, etc) that most history books gloss over. It is richly illustrated in vivid color photography so that there are examples of almost everything discussed. It also provides a wonderful timeline that you can reference while reading. It's certainly not the only book you'll want to read in learning about ancient Egypt, but it is definitely to be included. Something like this went out of print? Grab one before they're all gone.

"Interwoven throughout, these stories are the intimate details of daily life- what people ate, wore, and thought about life, love, and the afterlife." A persuading address to my grandson Nuni, from the back cover.




Hail to thee, O Nile!
Who manifests thyself over this land, and comes to give life to Egypt!
O Nile, come and prosper!
O you who make men live through his flocks and those through his orchards!
Like a giant Anaconda, the world's longest river, the Nile, slides through some of the most arid deserts on earth to engulf a rather narrow fertile valley, which extends for a thousand miles from the cataracts south of Aswan into the delta on the Mediterranean sea in the north. Hapi, the Nile God was believed to have been the trigger to this great early civilizations in history, as Herodotus had written, "Egypt is the gift of the Nile." The Nile has been a faithful provider to the earliest known civilized nations, and a central core to its thought and religion.

Ancient Egyptian Life:
Daily life in ancient Egypt revolved around the Nile and the land along its banks, it divided the land of the living and those of the dead on its west banks. The yearly river flood enriched the soil and brought good harvests and wealth to the land. Most ancient Egyptians worked as farmers, craftsmen and scribes. The pharaoh with a small group of people were the priests and nobles. Together, these groups of people made up the population of ancient Egypt, that survived for more than two millennia.

A Time-Life Classic:
Based on interwoven notes from scholarly works of Egyptologists, amazing artifacts in museums, writings by discoverers and archeologists. When Champolion deciphered hieroglyphics, he made available history, stories, as well as written prayers to recount what life was like in the land of temples, Pyramids, obelisks and the Sphynx. Accounts of pharaohs, wise priests and scribes, warriors, and common people alike are narrated, with emphasis on the role of women, which distinguishes Ancient Egyptians from all other peoples, who lived in their surroundings.
This meticulously prepared, and beautifully displayed book brought about by the time-Life research tank provides an in depth panorama of the amazing ancient Egyptian symphony, with basic information about the pyramids, mummification, social life, work and religion. Also delving into the life of famous Egyptian royalty, including Akhenaton and Ramses. Ancient Egyptians whose stories are told, with full color photos, showing statues, sculpture, and portraits of their artifacts exposes their lives. The text is friendly, reconstructing in readers imaginations the past as its own participants has recorded. The real enjoyment of this book will be shared by civilization explorers and ancient history teachers.

Reviewers Opinion:
"A fascinating volume that can't help but make readers wonder if human emotions will survive as well on paper and e-mail as these amazing messages have done in clay and stone." Cathryn A. Camper, Minneapolis Public Library

I so love Teresa McClain-Watson's writing, I've read all of her books including Plenty Good Room. I first read "Surviving Mr. Right" and enjoyed it so much (such wit and humor) that I immediately looked for another by her. When I found "Loose Lips", I was at first skeptical because reading the summary, it didn't sound that interesting but LORD was I wrong!! Thankfully. Of all of her characters, Ben and Josie had me the most enthralled! I absolutely love them. Ben is beyond sexy and Josie just pure cracks me up. But I can identify with her too. The conflict between the two (personality, age, interests, etc.) makes for thrilling reading and I couldn't put the book down. I've read both "Loose Lips" and "What We Did For Love" at least five times over already and I'll continue to do so. I never get tired of Ben and Josie. Please Mrs. Watson, bring on some more. We readers need it!

Oh My Goodness. I must say, when I picked this book up at the store I only bought it because it was the sequel to "Loose Lips". Now that I have read it, I WANT ANOTHER SEQUEL. I am so estatic to have read a book, gotten to the last page and I want to read more! The relationship between Ben & Josie is so turbulent, yet and still they are unable to give up because they are so in love with each other. They both grow a lot in this book and I want to continue to experience their growth as a couple. I want to know how the Vegas episode goes (I don't want to give the book away), I want to know how life continues for these two people. I want to know how Ben & Josie grow together. I want to know how Ben handles himself now that Josie has developed into the woman he knew she could, & the woman he wanted to see & he now has the desperate need, desire & love for her that she once openly expressed for him. I want to see Josie strong, driven, purposeful & confident in herself & their relationship. I want to hear more about Scotty & see their comraderie again. I want to see Ben smile more often & experience life as he never knew he could now that he has the woman he doesn't want to live without.

This is the best sequel ever!! It doesn't overshadow its predecessor but instead compliments it perfectly. If you want to lose yourself in a book, get sad, get angry, get happy & experience written suspence, then read this book. If you don't want to enjoy those things..read it anyway. I promise you will not be dissapointed.

This followup book will keep you wanting more!! I totally enjoyed Loose Lips and actually loved What We Did even more. Josie is growing up and it was fullfilling to see the tables turned with a jealous Ben. I am actually reading this book again now that Josie and I have finally understood the depth of Ben's love. Some slight continuation errors but overall, just Awesome!! To the Author: Please let there be another book, this story is NOT finished, not by a long shot!!

I am totally addicted to these two people in these books. I have read each of them back to back for as long as I have had these books..please, please, please write a sequel so that I can know what happened to Ben & Josie. I want to follow them to the end of thier lives.

I am a prolific reader and will not waste my time or energy on a book if it isn't good. My thought process is that life's too short and there are too many other good books to waste my time on just one. I hated for this book to end. This book touched my heart as few have when dealing with love. You felt Josie's love....kind of made me want myself a Ben. He's the strong, silient type. Won't pass this book on to others as I have with other books. I'm keeping this one to read again...I NEVER DO THAT!

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.

Norman Yetman has done every researcher of African American history a great service by his splendid compilation in "When I Was a Slave." Yetman used a precise formula for inclusion and/or exclusion in order to compile these narratives out of more than 3,000 interviews performed by the WPA in the 1930s. They are clearly representative of the entire 3,000, while at the same time of greater length and providing more detail than the 2,900 others.

Here the reader hears first-hand the voices of the ex-enslaved African American--telling his or her story with startling imagery and amazing detail. This is a one-of-a-kind collection well worth buying, reading, and re-reading.

Reviewer: Bob Kellemen, Ph.D., is the author of Beyond the Suffering: Embracing the Legacy of African American Soul Care and Spiritual Direction , Spiritual Friends: A Methodology of Soul Care And Spiritual Direction, and Soul Physicians.

I was captured by the frankness and brutal honesty depicted in these slave narratives. The stories are varied and I am reminded that yes, slavery was horrific and barbaric but these were people and as such all have different experiences. African Americans in this country are at a clear disadvantage in terms of understanding our heritage and reading these stories kept reminding me of that fact.

That's a good thing because this collection covers the gamut of slavery. Unimagineable cruelty to high society life, all led by slaves. Each story is kept short but in the end you have a better view of the people component of slavery not just a view of the "institution of slavery." There was one story about a family run plantation that was considered fairer than most in that they didn't beat, brand or mistreat their slaves. During the course of the Civil War slave families are torn apart and taken away. After the Civil War, these particular plantation owners went looking for all their former slaves as most were starving or being worked in worse conditions than pre Civil War. One former slave girl they found wanted to find her mother and siblings and they set about helping her to do that. In the end she actually finds her mother and a few siblings in another state but it would not have been possible without the assistance of her former owners. This story imparts that there were people who understood that skin color does not mean you lack feelings, that states like Texas were horrible slave raiding states and that the south after the Civil War wasn't a good place to be if you were a former slave.

This is a good book to read if you want that overview and being 149 pages it's not overly long. It's also great if you have to pick it up and put it down as each story is only a few pages long.

This is one of the most startling yet enlightening books I have ever read. Remembrances, recollections and memories of ex-slaves were gathered by Mr. Yetman and reproduced unedited (except for clarity) as a project developed by Franklin Delano Roosevelt.

Written in the 1930's when a few very elderly slaves were still living and taken directly from them, the reader gets a true sense of the inhumanity of slavery.

Althugh some slaves were treated decently (I cannot say "kindly" - that word didn't exist when it came to slaves), most were simply a product or asset on a plantation or farm.

Families were ripped apart and sold at the owner's whim - never to see brothers, sisters, mothers, fathers again.

Husbands and wives suffered the same fate.

Many were starved and beaten. Many had no place to sleep at night.

It was forbidden for them to learn to read.

The treatment, tortures and torments these poor souls endured will break the hardest of hearts.

This was not just a "Southern" way of life. There were Northerners equally guilty of these crimes against humanity.

There is simply no way to describe the less-than-human conditions that slaves endured except to read their travails for yourself.

We owe a great debt of gratitude to Mr. Yetman for preserving these remembrances of "our eternal shame".

I feel that this should be required reading in schools. And included in some way in the test for citizenship.

The book is slim and the memoirs are short and quickly read.

Although it is revolting, slavery is part of our American heritage and
every American should know that slavery was our legacy of dishonor" and will foreveer remain our eternal regret.

This book gives a wonderful insight into what slavery was like. It's hard to believe that human beings can be so cruel to each other. I don't know how slaves were able to endure such horrible lifes. This book helped me to have even more respect for my ancestors and admire their strengh and wisdom.

This easily held small collection of slave narratives is exactly what its author describes as "a concise introduction to the Slave Narrative Collection... reprinting some of the most detailed, compelling, and engrossing life histories in it." For all of the rest of us it is a valuable collection as well as an introduction to other books on slave narratives by Norman Yetman. It also can easily be incorporated into any curriculum from middle school through post graduate work.

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.

It has been awhile since I read this book so I have to rely on my memory somewhat of the book's contents. Yes, it is a very interesting book and as a Motown fan, I certainly enjoyed it. Sometimes, though, I wonder about some of Mr. George's comments (and if you are reading this Mr. George I mean no disrespect).

Did he really have to describe the talented Kim Weston as a "dark skined woman with a tendency to put on weight?" Was she really laughed at when she got on stage? To me, Kim Weston was one of Motowns most talented female singers. Couldn't the author have spent a little more space on her vocal talents?

He dismisses the Supremes post-Diana Ross career in a few sentences. Did he ever listen to any of those records? The post-Ross Supremes made some wonderful music which is just now being rediscovered.

He writes off white singer Chris Clark as a "not very gifted singer". From the few songs I have heard, she may not be a virtuoso, but she's not that bad! I know of some rabid Chris Clark fans who would challenge Nelson George on that point.

He spends a lot of time on certain subjects such as Motown's post-70's decline, but seems to spend very little time actually analyzing the music.

A writer, of course, has a right to his opinions and I think, in all fairness, he does a very good job with the book. My biggest complaint is that he seems a little cynical about Motown. I know that not all was happy beneath the wonderful music people heard, but there is still something in his attitude that bothers me a little. Sometimes he seems a little bit mocking in his tone. He wrote a later book about hip hop (a music style I don't care for) and seemed to treat the whole subject with more respect.

I'm probably being a little too analytical about this book.

Anyway, this is still a good book. Put on some Motown music and enjoy.

One of my smartest purchasing decisions was to pick up this work by Nelson George in June 1986 when it was still in hard cover. I've never let it out of my sight since. Time has proven it the precursor of a deluge: `Dreamgirl,' & `Supreme Faith' by Mary Wilson (1986, 1990), `Temptations' by Otis Williams (1988), `To Be Loved,' by Berry Gordy (1994), `Inside My Life' by Smokey Robinson (1989), `Dancing In The Street' by Martha Reeves (1994), and `Between Each Line of Pain and Glory,' by Gladys Knight (1997), among others. I bought them all and I read them all. By far the worst, was the October 1993 work by Diana Ross, `Secrets of a Sparrow,' which was quickly named the worst non-fiction work of the year by People magazine. I couldn't argue with them.

`Where Did Our Love Go,' on the other hand, proves a truth we discovered in the day of the very music it chronicles: no amount of tepid covers surpasses a towering original. Perhaps because Mr. George was not an insider at Motown in the 60s, his history of the company is so objectively good. I've read it many times in over 16 years, and haven't found a date or factual mistake.

And it is balanced. The wonderful music of those glory days in Detroit is given the respect and affection it deserves, as well as the how-it-came-about details. Mr. George acknowledges as most of us do, that Motown's 60s sound is timeless, and is going to outlive Berry Gordy, the artists whose names appeared on the labels, and we baby-boomers who were weaned on it.

Yes, the who-struck-John stories of disappointment are delineated fairly too: the career declines and /or disappointments of folks like Martha Reeves, Gladys Knight, Chuck Jackson, Marvin Gaye and, especially Florence Ballard. But unlike the recollections of the authors listed above, `Where' is not told by a writer needing to come out smelling blameless or put-upon at the end.

All these years later, `Where Did Our Love Go,' by Nelson George remains the single most essential biography of Motown Records you can own. Buy it anyway you can manage to, even used - just don't ask to borrow mine. Beyond it, there are two companion works you should also seek out for some fair and detailed `inside' looks of Motown in those days: `Divided Soul,' David Ritz' account of Marvin Gaye's life, which appeared first in 1985, and might have been helped in its excellence by the fact that its subject was no longer around to censor it or `advise.' Finally, from 1989, J. Randy Taraborrelli's `Call Her Miss Ross,' could likely be a dozen times more factual and objective than the 1993 work of the former Supreme herself could ever be!

For the time that it was written, I found this book to be my Motown bible. I still enjoy reading this book on Motown by someone who does not have an axe to grind with the company. Upon seeing the first review of this book, here at Amazon, I felt the need to respond. The reviewer mentioned that the author should have focused on Kim Weston's talents more than he did. Since 1986, Kim Weston has had a ton more recordings released by Motown then ever before. She never even had an album with Motown during her tenure. Her solo stuff released since 1986 could easily fill a box set. Her duets with Marvin Gaye could fill another two CD's. Had these recordings been available when the author had written his book, I would agree with the first reviewer. Her best recordings have only seen recent release. Kim Weston is probably the most talented woman to ever come out of Motown. Diana Ross had the luck and the hits but there was a stable full of women at Motown who were much more talented than she was. Also, the first reviewer mentions the talents(?) of Chris Clark. I love the whole Chris Clark persona and story. There are about four of Chris' recordings that I do love. However, if you listen to all of the Chris Clark recordings currently available on the Motown label (about three CD's worth) you'll question her talents, as the author also did. Mr. Gordy, in all of his arrogance once said, "Give me a singer who can sing three notes and I'll get a hit on her." I think he might have been thinking of Ms. Clark when he said it. By the way, he never got a hit on Chris Clark. This is an amazing book & a great introduction to Motown.

I found this book to be very informative on the music that I grew up with but it also revealed how Mr. Gordy has ruined the lives of talented but uneducated people.

Although a little short on photos (it was obviously not the authors' intention to be another photo book), this is in many ways the best book for someone really interested in the subject of Motown to own,in that the author pulls no punches. Other books on this record company/hit machine of the 60s & 70s suffered from censorship by the record company's head and his people.

This book does not suffer that hinderance, and it allows us to read what really went on behind the scenes. It was not such a happy family with Berry Gordy Jr. as the paternal head as it is often depicted.

An excellent book, both readable and informative, and well worth getting hold of for all fans of the music who want to know what really went on as the records were made and the tours were run.

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.