Black Men and Reading Books
 

Greetings Brothers, sorors and friends LOL!

I am wondernig why there is such a decline in our young Brothers reading today. What are your opinions? Are you running any programs to increase literacy amongst young Black men? I ask that because I am director of education for my chapter and I am working on some new programs for next fraternal year and I am trying to think of ways to get young men to read more. I have suggested comic book drives as increased literacy. However, except for my well read Bros, it is hard to find a man under 30 that reads on the regular. What is up with that!

Sphinxpoet

Hi Sphinxpoet,

I think the decline in reading among young black boys comes from no reading repetition as elementary youngsters. Sure moms and dads may read to the child as toddlers and preK/Ks, but when they get older, the reading-together time drops off more and more.

The parents let the kids explore reading on their on. On the other hand, parents should get more and more involved with reading by discussing new books that they can each read together and reading together in the house as one family.

When I was younger, mom always read the same books that I finished reading (whether comic books or novels). Then we talked about them. Dad always had car stereo magazines and Kung Fu books that he would read and discuss with me. A lot of parents don't keep fellowshipping through reading with their children as their reading levels mature because the parents do not read that much for fun.

Most black people as well as black men may read, but they stick with ethnic literature and know nothing of mainstream material. How many black people have read LITTLE WOMEN or THE AGE OF INNOCENCE, or TESS OF D'URBEVILLE or THE SUN ALSO RISES or THE GRAPES OF WRATH or LES MISERABLES? I cannot think of any black people that read these books. If I do run across one who has read them, then they only know it in a cursery way (i.e. because they had to read for class or for research), not for their literary beauty.

To remedy the problem, I believe that Alphas should start with a parent/child reading program as young ones (similar to Head Start and First Steps early childhood programs) and encourage them to stay with the program and the book-sharing techniques as the child reaches pre-teenage years.

Aside from prayer and petitioning toward God, I think it takes parent education, not child education.

Brother Reginald, those are great ideas and theories.

The university I used to attend had those Christmas-time book drives where an agency would place a paper ornament on a tree in a bookstore, and patrons would read the ornament, which might say "A book for a young adult male" or "A book for a girl, age 5-7". I don't know how useful or successful such a program might be, but it seemed cool.

Brothas N 2 Books
 

Sup Gentlemen & Visitors

I hope the brothas of Alpha Phi Alpha don't mind me posting my opinions on the subject.

One of the efforts I and several of your favorite African American male authors are making is holding Brothas 2 Brothas Symposiums, which discusses our past, present and future with literature. Last year, authors such as Kenji Jasper, Brian Egeston, Eric Pete, Brandon Massey and C. Kelly Robinson met in Altanta and gave away almost five hundred books to young African American readers. Jasper, found himself in the middle of a drug deal exchange while giving away his books.

This year, the Brothas 2 Brothas Symposium will be held in Kansas City, Missouri from November 6-8. The even will be sponsored by Vincent Alexandria, author of Postal Blues & If Walls Could Talk and Kenji Jasper, author of Dark & Dakota Band.

An affiliated effort is the Brothas N 2 Books Online Book Club (BrothasN2Books.org) which was founded by Jaeyel Imes Editor of DimeMind.com & Creator of OthelloStreet.com and William Simmons, of GulfWarBooks.com. The book club is supported by some of the leading African American literary figures today. This book club has the distinction of being one of two African American book clubs for men and they currently are accepting membership from the ages of 14 & Up.

In conjunction with the B2B Symposium, they will be hosting online chats with some of your favorite authors as well as providing recommended reading lists and avenues for rising African American authors to sell their books.

The Brothas N 2 Books Online Book Club & Brothas 2 Brothas Symposium will be publishing a list of recommended books for young African American & Latino readers begining in July.

For those interested in membership in the Brothas N 2 Books Online Book Club or for more information about the Symposium, contact us at brothasn2books2@yahoo.com or PM me for details.