The Blacker the Berry, the Sweeter the Juice.

I suppose phrases like the one in my title lent to truly being proud of my black American ancestry at an early age. Growing up in a community of people who rallied around family and their heritage made me happy to be born with chocolate skin. Only later I learned my skin color derived from the level of melanin inherited from ancestors, thus upon further reading and study of these very active melanocytes, increased my deepest respect for dark skin, beyond the superficial.

Now, this doesn’t mean I started out with all kinds of confidence. I was like millions, if not billions of young people of all colors, creeds, and cultures who started out with a bevy of self-esteem issues. I wanted smaller eyes, tiny ears, a bigger butt, and gee-whiz, what was up with the big forehead!?! I also wished I was bigger, and tougher…not meaner…but tougher as in having thicker skin. I was quite sensitive, but kept my feelings to myself, which lent to my wanting to speak up…you know, be tough.

And yet, out of all these self-esteem issues, I never once wanted lighter skin, or more poignantly, wanted to be another race. Never. Of course, this doesn’t make me better, or worse than anyone, but really amazed me reading and hearing about others who did not feel this way.

At any rate, February is Black History Month. Doing what I do, I’m celebrating books that continue to stay on my mind. The content is deep, engaging, humorous in appropriate places, and most important, hallmarks the beauty and joy of celebrating Black History.

The Best Brow Raisers!

The Black Russian by Vladimir Alexandrov
Extraordinary, Ordinary People by Condoleezza Rice
Life on the Color Line by Gregory Howard Williams
Mayor for Life by Marion Barry, Jr.
Gifted Hands by Ben Carson, M.D.

Organic Storytelling, with Impressive Stories to Tell!

A Long Walk to Freedom by Nelson Mandela
Why I Choose to Stay by Salome Thomas-El
A Mother’s Story by Eva Rutland
My Life, My Love, My Legacy by Coretta Scott King
Life is So Good by George Dawson (and Richard Glaubman)
Love in the Driest Season by Neely Tucker
Panther Baby by Jamal Joseph
ASSATA by Assata Shukur
Brother, I’m Dying by Edwidge Danticat
Thou Shall Not Steal by Bill ‘Ready’ Cash (and Al Hunter, Jr.)
A Country Called Nigeria by Robert Siller, Jr. *Read the 1st edition, not the revised edition*

#FebruaryisBlackHistoryMonth #CelebratingBlackHistory #BlackHistory #Black365 #RightOn #Just Blogged #StillWriting