Black Men Read?! Blog

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noreply@blogger.com (Bert Ashe) — Thu, 04 Feb 2021 00:09:00 +0000

TIME TO VOTE!

noreply@blogger.com (Bert Ashe) — Thu, 13 Sep 2012 19:21:00 +0000

Here are the books, in alphabetical order, nominated for our November meeting. Please vote for no more than three (3) books. You may vote until 10 p.m. Friday night:

Michele Alexander, The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness

Maggie Anderson, Our Black Year: One family's Quest to Buy Black in America's Racially Divided Economy.

Nathan McCall, Makes Me Wanna Holler: A Young Black Man in America

Eugene Robinson, Disintegration: The Splintering of Black America

NOMINATIONS ARE OPEN

noreply@blogger.com (Bert Ashe) — Sat, 08 Sep 2012 03:27:00 +0000

We're back in business next week, as we gather at UR next Saturday, September 15, room 500 in Ryland Hall at 5 p.m., to discuss Our Man in the Dark, by Rashad Harrison. I'm looking forward to it.

Our next meeting after that, on Saturday, November 19, will feature WIDE OPEN NON-FICTION, which means exactly that: no fiction, no poetry, no plays. Everything else is in the mix as a possibility.

Please nominate no more than two (2) books. Nominations will stay open until Wednesday at 10 p.m., then we'll vote on the nominations for the next book selection until Friday at 10 p.m., when the poll will close. If there's a tie---and only if there's a tie; even a one-vote margin is a legitimate victory---we'll break the tie by secret-ballot vote at the meeting.

Summer Screening Difficulties

noreply@blogger.com (Bert Ashe) — Thu, 31 May 2012 18:27:00 +0000

You've read the e-mail; here's my response, again:

Looks like it was one-and-done for our usage of the screening room we used last summer.

I don't know about you guys, but ain't no way I'm advocating coughing up hundreds of dollars for the use of a theater we used for free last year. Anyone want to offer their house as a venue? I would offer mine, but our den is pretty small; we’d have to adjust the number of people who can come. But then again, I can offer a classroom on campus for discussion, but there won't be any plush, theater-style seating, and as I recall, I did receive some complaints year before last (from the womenfolks) about discomfort in a basic classroom. Monti, you might know: are there screens in the “living rooms” on campus---I really have no idea.

In any case, I haven’t yet replied to Carla---maybe you guys WOULD like to pay for the Ukrops Auditorium…

Any ideas? Any preferences?

Weigh in below...

Summer Screening, 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Bert Ashe) — Thu, 24 May 2012 18:30:00 +0000

I’m hereby announcing our Third Annual Black Men Read?! Summer Screening. On Saturday, July 21st, in the Ukrops Auditorium in Queally Hall, home of the Robins School of Business at the University of Richmond (same place as last year), we'll screen and then discuss Pariah, a critically acclaimed, Sundance Film Festival selection, directed by Dee Rees, and executive produced by Spike Lee: http://focusfeatures.com/pariah

The film is 90 minutes long. As we have in previous summers, we'll meet an hour earlier at 4 PM; watch the film; and then discuss it at 5:30 in the lobby outside the Ukrops Auditorium. Last year my wife and I had a nice dinner afterwards at Mama J's with Eric McNeely and his wife. Anyone who wants to eat afterwards is invited to do so again this year...

As is always the case, WIVES AND/OR FRIENDS are more than welcome for the Summer Screening (the more the merrier), but certainly come alone if your better half can’t come.

See you in July,

TIME TO VOTE!

noreply@blogger.com (Bert Ashe) — Wed, 16 May 2012 14:42:00 +0000

We'll meet on Saturday, May 19th, to find out, according to Baratunde Thurston, How to Be Black. 5 p.m. at our usual place.

As for our September selection: from today, WEDNESDAY, to FRIDAY, May 18, you may vote for up to three (3) of the books below. If there’s a tie we’ll take a secret-ballot vote at the meeting to determine the winning book selection.

Breath, Eyes, Memory, Edwidge Danticat

I am Not Sidney Poitier, Percival Everett

Our Man in the Dark, Rashad Harrison

The Book of Night Women, Marlon James

Big Machine, Victor LaValle

NOMINATIONS ARE OPEN

noreply@blogger.com (Bert Ashe) — Sun, 13 May 2012 04:13:00 +0000

First, I'd like to co-sign Aubrey's suggestion that you guys check out the "30 Americans" exhibition at the Chrysler Museum in Norfolk. I saw it at the Corcoran Gallery in D.C.---twice---and highly recommend it.

Since we're selecting our book for September, we're selecting a NOVEL this time out. Nominations are officially open. From tonight, SATURDAY, to TUESDAY night, May 15, you may nominate no more than two (2) books of the above genre. From WEDNESDAY, May 16 to FRIDAY, May 18, you may vote for no more than three (3) of the books that were nominated earlier in the week. If there’s a tie we’ll take a secret-ballot vote at the meeting to determine the winning book selection.

noreply@blogger.com (Aubrey Pettaway) — Mon, 07 May 2012 11:59:00 +0000

Good morning, gentlemen

In case you have not already done so, I would suggest that you check out the 30 Americans exhibit at the Chrysler Museum of Art in Norfolk, http://www.chysler.org/. It is a wide-ranging exhibit featuring art by 30 contemporary African American artists. It is available through the middle of July. UR undergraduate graduation was yesterday so it is much less congested on campus. See you in a couple weeks.

Aubrey

TIME TO VOTE!

noreply@blogger.com (Bert Ashe) — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 11:06:00 +0000

Please vote for no more than three (3) books. In case of a tie, we will decide the next book by secret ballot at Saturday's meeting.

Our Black Year: One Family's Quest to Buy Black in America's Racially Divided Economy by
Maggie Anderson

Neighbors, by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins [play]

Panther Baby, by Jamal Joseph

How to be Black, by Baratunde Thurston

Losing My Cool: How a Father's Love and 15,000 Books Beat Hip-hop Culture by Thomas Chatterton Williams

NOMINATIONS ARE OPEN

noreply@blogger.com (Bert Ashe) — Sun, 11 Mar 2012 04:59:00 +0000

Nominations are open for our May 19th meeting. This time the selection is wide-open, wild card, and genre-free. Please nominate no more than two (2) books. Nominations will stay open until Wednesday night, then we'll vote on the nominations for the next book selection. If there's a tie---and only if there's a tie; even a one-vote margin is a legitimate victory--we'll break the tie by secret-ballot vote at the meeting.

Meanwhile, we will meet on Saturday, March 17th, at UR, in our usual spot, at 5 p.m. We'll discuss Edwidge Danticat's Brother, I'm Dying for two hours, and then make an eating move for anyone who can make it. See you then.

Flatbadgers Flashbacks and Fascinations: It's just how we rolled in the 70's!

noreply@blogger.com (Lindsay R) — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 16:11:00 +0000

Flatbadgers Flashbacks and Fascinations: It's just how we rolled in the 70's!

TIME TO VOTE!

noreply@blogger.com (Bert Ashe) — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 22:21:00 +0000

Here are the books, in alphabetical order; vote NOW for no more than THREE (3) books. We'll meet on Saturday, January 21 at UR, at 5 p.m., meet for no less than two hours, and then go hang out:

Days of Grace by Arthur Ashe
Brother, I'm Dying - Edwidge Danticat

Foxy: My Life in Three Acts - Pam Grier

He Talk Like a White Boy - Joseph C. Phillips, Tavis Smiley
Michael Seth Starr, Black and Blue: the Redd Foxx Story

Born on a Blue Day by Daniel Tammet

Jerald Walker, Street Shadows
Richard Wright, Black Boy

How the ANC Lost Its Way

noreply@blogger.com (Rodney Mullins) — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 22:39:00 +0000

I wanted to share this story with you about the ANC. At the back of my mind, there's always this troubling question.. when will we as black people be able to pull ourselves together and run / established governments without (corruption, violence and third world wars..)? A friend and I had a long discussion about our track records as Africans has been spotty (i.e. Haiti - Over a 100 years of independence, etc..,etc..) Now, I know there are many other factors that go into such matters, but when I'm looking at this from a high level it just begs the question.. can Africans govern a society? I know.. someone will retort with stories of great civilizations, but I'm talking about now.. 21st century. What are your thoughts?

NOMINATIONS ARE OPEN

noreply@blogger.com (Bert Ashe) — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 20:30:00 +0000

Happy New Year, gentlemen! Nominations are hereby open for our March, 2012 selection, for our March 17, 2012, meeting, 5 p.m. in Ryland Hall, room 500, at the University of Richmond. Nominated books should be MEMOIRS this time. You are free to nominate two (2) books. Nominations will stay open until Wednesday night. On Thursday and Friday we will vote on the nominated books.

The End of Men

noreply@blogger.com (Mark Saunders) — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 15:53:00 +0000

I've read articles similar to this one over the years. The part of the article that mentions the boys eyes as "glazed over" is the reason I do what I do for a living. One of the main culprits to the decrease in the number of males seeking post-secondary education is the format of our educational system. The educational system is more suited to the learning style of females (passive, listener). Teachers, predominately, continue to stand and lecture in classes from elementary school through high school. Males are most suited for active engagement in the learning process. For a variety of reasons, people learn best by doing, but considering the way children are raised, females adapt better to being auditory learners when necessary than boys. One of the possible solutions to meeting the multiple learning styles and intelligences of learners is through technology-based interventions which is where I come in. I won't digress.

Society has become more driven by information and the skill of communicating that information. Research has long shown that females are more verbal than males. The reason for this could be debated with the classic "nature vs. nuture" theory/ born that way or developed that way. For those of you who are married, this may carry over to your household. Honestly, everything doesn't have to be a debate with spouse and shouldn't be, but it can be if you allow it sometimes. Sometimes it's best to just agree to disagree and keep moving.

So, one of the issues to consider initially is relationships. Relationships in the classroom, workplace, and home with females. They all start early in the life of males.

Just my initial thoughts. Feel free to join in or not. :)

Still reading the remainder of the article.

TIME TO VOTE!

noreply@blogger.com (Bert Ashe) — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 11:47:00 +0000

Here are the books, in alphabetical order, nominated for our January 21 meeting. Please vote for no more than three (3) books:

Rob Bell, Love Wins: A Book About Heaven, Hell, and the Fate of Every Person Who Ever Lived

Milan Ford, 83 Things I Wish the Black Church Would Stop Doing

Toure, Who's Afraid of Post-Blackness?: What It Means to be Black Now

NOMINATIONS ARE OPEN

noreply@blogger.com (Bert Ashe) — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 12:53:00 +0000

Nominations are hereby open for our January 21, 2012 selection. Nominated books should be "TOPICAL" OR "ISSUES NONFICTION this time. You are free to nominate two (2) books. Nominations will stay open until Wednesday night. On Thursday and Friday we will vote on the nominated books.

This Saturday, of course, we will meet at 5pm in the usual space to discuss Is Marriage for White People, by Richard Ralph Banks. Looking forward to it!

Women Choose Flexibility Over Big Titles (NBC Nightly News Story)

noreply@blogger.com (Mark Saunders) — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 20:09:00 +0000

Interesting story considering the current book we are reading. Applies to black women?
Click here.

Good Meeting

noreply@blogger.com (Bert Ashe) — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 14:27:00 +0000

Enjoyed our meeting, as usual, last Saturday afternoon. As revealed at the meeting, the book we'll be discussing on November 19, 2011 at our 5 p.m. meeting will be Ralph Richard Banks, Is Marriage for White People?: How the African American Marriage Decline Affects Everyone. It should really be interesting...

Blog Posting/Commenting Issues

noreply@blogger.com (Mark Saunders) — Sat, 17 Sep 2011 14:36:00 +0000

After having the experience of not being able to respond to a post or publish a new post to the blog I did some serious investigating.

If you continue having posting/comment issues, do the following:

(See the image below)
1) Sign in to the blog with the email address you gave me to grant you membership to the blog.

2) Enter your password.

2) Before clicking on the "Sign in" button, uncheck the "Stay signed in" box above the "Sign in" button.

3) Click the "Sign in" button.

4) Try a new post to the blog.

Let me know how it goes for you.

TIME TO VOTE!

noreply@blogger.com (Bert Ashe) — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 01:28:00 +0000

Here are the books, in alphabetical order, nominated for our November meeting. Please vote for no more than three (3) books:

Ralph Richard Banks, Is Marriage for White People?: How the African American Marriage Decline Affects Everyone

Rob Bell, Love Wins: A Book About Heaven, Hell, and the Fate of Every Person Who Ever Lived

Michael Dawson, Black Visions: The Roots of Contemporary African-American Political Ideologies

Gerald Early, A Level Playing Field: African American Athletes and the Republic of Sports

Milan Ford, 83 Things I Wish the Black Church Would Stop Doing

Robin D. G. Kelley, Thelonious Monk: The Life and Times of an American Original

Randall Kennedy, The Persistence of the Color Line: Racial Politics and the Obama Presidency

Ronald R. Sundstrom, The Browning of America and the Evasion of Social Justice

TIME TO VOTE!

noreply@blogger.com (Bert Ashe) — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 00:25:00 +0000

Here are the books, in alphabetical order, nominated for our November meeting. Please vote for no more than three (3) books:

Ralph Richard Banks, Is Marriage for White People?: How the African American Marriage Decline Affects Everyone

Michael Dawson, Black Visions: The Roots of Contemporary African-American Political Ideologies

Gerald Early, A Level Playing Field: African American Athletes and the Republic of Sports

Robin D. G. Kelley, Thelonious Monk: The Life and Times of an American Original

Randall Kennedy, The Persistence of the Color Line: Racial Politics and the Obama Presidency

Ronald R. Sundstrom, The Browning of America and the Evasion of Social Justice

NOMINATIONS ARE OPEN

noreply@blogger.com (Bert Ashe) — Sat, 10 Sep 2011 14:47:00 +0000

We're back in business next week, as we gather at UR on Saturday, September 17, room 500 in Ryland Hall at 5 p.m., to discuss Blonde Roots, by Bernardine Evaristo. I'm looking forward to it.

Our next meeting after that, on Saturday, November 19, will feature WIDE OPEN NON-FICTION, which means exactly that: no fiction, no poetry, no plays. Everything else is in the mix as a possibility.

Please nominate no more than two (2) books. Nominations will stay open until Wednesday night, then we'll vote on the nominations for the next book selection. If there's a tie---and only if there's a tie; even a one-vote margin is a legitimate victory---we'll break the tie by secret-ballot vote at the meeting.

The Jackie Robinson of Cycling

noreply@blogger.com (Mark Saunders) — Tue, 02 Aug 2011 12:06:00 +0000

If you watched the Tour de France this year you may have heard this story. If not ... . Click the here.

WANTED: Thoughtful Black Men Who Read

noreply@blogger.com (Bert Ashe) — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 03:17:00 +0000

We need to recruit, my friends. I propose we make this a transition year, a year to pump up the membership (after all, as we have seen, even one of our most dedicated, most enthusiastic members can suddenly leave, due to opportunities elsewhere). For one solid year---at least---I propose we regularly, aggressively invite brothers to join us around the table. So let me spin out for a second my thinking about the matter, and if anyone has something to add or amplify, please do so in comments below.

As far as I can tell, there are two key, important reasons why Black Men Read?! is such a pleasurable experience: one, brothers do read the book so we can talk about the book; and two, we have no narrow-minded, ideologically-driven brothers who are hostile to---and will shout down---any ideas that don’t mesh with their own. That’s it, in a nut-shell. The brothers in this book group don’t need prodding to read, they came to the group as readers---the five books we read a year are just five more books than we already read.

So when I’m out in the world, and I’m chatting with a thoughtful brother, a black man whom I’m enjoying talking to (say, at a reception, at an art gallery, in any social situation where I’m meeting and chatting with some brother somewhere), if I’m enjoying the conversation, at some point I’ll casually ask, “Hey, what’re you reading? Y’got some book you’re working on?” And if he easily and quickly volunteers whatever book he’s reading, that’s all I need. I’ll make the offer to come to a Black Men Read?! meeting, and I follow up with an invitational e-mail. (Please give me the e-mail address of whomever you’re inviting, so I can send him the official invitation e-mail and give him the standard spiel.)

It’s that easy. I just wish it was that simple. For one, I just don’t run into Brothers Who Read as often as I feel like I should. So there’s only so many thoughtful-brothers-who-read out there. But then the question is whether they have the time, or the interest. It’s a numbers game. I’ve invited a good four or five brothers to meet with us over the last year or so, and one (I’m grinning at you, Eric McNeely) has become a regular, and another is supposed to meet with us in September. The others are too busy, or just would prefer not to, for some reason or another. But as you can see, I’m ALWAYS on the look-out for new members. For the next year, I’d like the rest of us to be on the look-out, as well.

The goal is twelve. With that many members, it’s almost a given that someone won’t be able to make any given meeting, but my sense is that even if as many as three or four guys can’t make it we’ll regularly---every single time---have eight or nine brothers around the table. Whereas nowadays, with eight or nine regulars, we’re sometimes down to as few as four or five around the table. So. Let’s pump up the volume.

What do you guys think? If some of you have thoughtful-brothers-who-read in mind already, please squeeze off---there’s absolutely still time to buy and read Blonde Roots by Bernardine Evaristo, before our September 17 meeting. Do it.

The Summer Screening was terrific this year, for those of you who couldn’t make it. We looked at Night Catches Us in a great screening room in the Business School. Decent film, which prompted a full, satisfying discussion.

Enjoy the rest of your summers, eh?