David Miller, a husband, father of three, writer, and social entrepreneur, has released Lessons We Learned from Our Fathers: Reflections from the Men In Our Lives. The book is a valuable edition to the books written about the life affirming power of Black fathers.
Miller, a former public-school teacher, felt it was necessary to highlight ordinary Black fathers who in many situations overcame obstacles to become great fathers. Miller believes that while many new articles, reports, and documentaries focus on the “war stories” of Black fatherhood, he felt it prudent to highlight the awesome relationship between Black fathers and their children.
Lesson We Learned from Our Fathers contains hundreds of interviews with Black fathers across the country, soliciting quotes and advice from fathers, grandfathers, uncles, coaches, friends and others who have stood in the gap providing men with fatherly advice. Many of these men were haunted by their own traumatic relationships with their fathers, yet they were able to draw wisdom from “village dads” and elders within the greater community who helped guide their fatherhood journey.
For example, Craig is a father Miller met while conducting research for the book. Craig, a young father with multiple children, had become overwhelmed with his fatherly responsibilities and previous poor life choices including spending five years in prison. Currently, Craig is engaged to Tina, a hospital receptionist. He and Tina both have two children and are raising four children as a blended family. Craig works at a hotel by day and stocks shelves at night. He’s hard working, and he’s a loving and committed father. Craig’s story is a shining example of Black fatherhood; his story and countless others, provide ample opportunities to rewrite narratives about fatherhood in the Black community.
“Without a doubt, responsible fatherhood in the Black community is the antidote to the long list of self, family and group adversities. In Lessons We Learned from Our Fathers, Brother David Miller highlights the quiet strength, the profound courage, generous spirit and the amazing love of Black fathers that refuse to give in, give up or go away,” says Richard A. Rowe, author of Wanted Black Fathers: Only Serious Black Men Need Apply.
The book provides motivation, strength and encouragement for all the days fathers feel like giving up, for the days that many fathers are overwhelmed or the days their children make bad decisions that fathers take personally. The book is designed to inspire Black fathers to keep pushing and to never give up despite how difficult their fatherhood journey may get. Black fathers will also glean nuggets of wisdom from the book to strengthen their connectedness with their children.
This book is ideal for young men who have grown into adulthood without a sober, responsible, spiritually guided father or father figure. Essays and quotes in the book provide fuel for new and expecting fathers. The book begins with forty powerful questions every father should ponder.
About the author A Baltimore native who holds degrees from The University of Baltimore (Political Science) and Goucher College (Education), Miller is widely known for designing Dare to Be King: What if the Prince Lives? A Survival Workbook for African American Males. The 52-week curriculum is designed to teach adolescent males how to survive and thrive in toxic environments.
Miller is an author with a knack for writing children’s books (Khalil’s Way, The Green Family Farm, Gabe & His Green Thumb). His work has been featured on CNN, PBS, NPR, BBC Magazine, The Baltimore Sun, The Huffington Post, and a variety of other publications.
Miller has written extensively on strategies for engaging Black fathers and strengthening Black families. His new book, Lessons We Learned from Our Fathers, celebrates Black fathers through a series of thought-provoking essays and quotes by ordinary dads sharing their unique fatherhood experiences.
NEW CHILDREN’S BOOK SERIES FEATURES A STRONG BLACK FAMILY WITH HAPPY FACES… AND A COMMITTED FATHER!
In what they are calling a movement to build strong, happy, confident children, authors Malcolm and Denise M. Johnson are releasing a series of books that portray positive Black households with an active committed father.
Malcolm and Denise M. Johnson are a Black married couple from Chicago who began strengthening their marriage, creating tools to teach children and developing their personal skills by creating and building unique characters. Lotus and Lily Go to the Park (available on Amazon.com) is the first book of their series, and they are currently working on the illustrations for their second book, which is designed for children 5 to 7 years old.
The book is designed for children, 2 to 5 years old – introducing them to new sight words, while teaching them colors and numbers at the same time. In the book, children will learn with repetition and seeing happy faces. The book is written by Denise M. Johnson with original drawings by Malcolm Johnson. The book is colored by Mrs. Johnson as well, using a simple Paint program on their laptop. They followed a complexed process to complete the artwork to avoid purchasing extra software, and are very proud of the outcome as first time published authors and illustrators.
The book relates to the Black community in particular. The family members in the book are all different complexions, which children will enjoy finding a character that they can identify with regardless of their complexions. The book shows a strong black family interacting and enthusiastic to learn and follow routines. The Johnson Jrs are very serious about portraying positive Black households with an active committed father in their writings.
Lotus and Lily Go to the Park is scheduled to be released in paperback on September 6, 2018, and the ebook is available for pre order immediately. The Johnson Jrs look forward to sharing their book with the special children in your lives. They consider this more than a book, but a movement to build strong, happy, confident children before they start school.
NEW SUSPENSEFUL BOOK, “SHORT CUT,” FEATURES POSITIVE BLACK CHARACTERS WHO WRESTLE WITH CHALLENGES IN FULFILLING THEIR DREAMS, FINDING LOVE AND HAPPINESS, AND TAKING CARE OF FAMILY
There are more ways to get out of the hood than a NBA or NFL contract or a Top 40 on the Billboard charts, but but be careful of the temptation to try a short cut.
Short Cut by Dr. Karen Sloan-Brown (available at Amazon.com) is another great read, faithful to the author’s commitment to feature positive Black characters who wrestle with similar challenges that we all deal with in fulfilling our dreams and goals, finding love and happiness, and taking care of family.
The main character, Ernest, is the owner and head barber at the King Cut Barber Shop. He can cut out the likeness of Barack Obama, Marcus Garvey, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Malcolm X with the words ‘By Any Means Necessary’ onto a client’s scalp with his straight razor that would rival any accomplished artist. He had done all right for himself and his family with a successful business on a rough corner in the hood, except he wanted more.
All he needed was a loan to make his dream of In Ernest Gentlemen’s Spa come true. When the bank said no, Eva, the attractive wife of Pinnacle Financial president, said yes. Giving Ernest more than he bargained for, his dream turned to a nightmare. When the volatile cocktail of passion, jealousy, and money are blended together, somebody is bound to end up dead.
About the author
Dr. Karen Sloan-Brown, is the author of eleven books, the non-fiction A Reflection: What a Difference a Day Makes, What About 100 Years?, Educating the Nation on a Shrinking Budget, and six novels, including The Fortunes of Blues and Blessing, Searching for Everland, and A New Season: The Fortunes of Blues and Blessings Book Two. She is currently the Research Lab Coordinator of the Molecular Biology Core Facility at Meharry Medical College. She lives with her husband and daughters in Nashville, Tennessee. Visit her web site at www.karensloanbrown.com
