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My journey as an Authorpreneur has been full of many ups and downs, and twists and turns, and blessings and burns. But today, I want to take time to stop and celebrate some wins. The ideas and concepts that flow through my book "Wanna Hide Something From a N*gga, Put It In a Book"continue to grow and be shared!
Check and see if any of these bookstores are near you, grab a copy of the book (to keep or share), and check out what else they have in there. They ALL offer great books and so much more to offer and share with the community. These are the 5 bookstores we've partnered with so far. Take some time and check them out if any of them are near you! Black Dot Cultural Center & Bookstore 6984 Main St. Lithonia, GA 30058 Juice-C-Juice Books & More (Smiley’s Bookstore) 940 E. Dominguez St. Carson, CA 90746 Nubian Books 1540 Southlake Pkwy, Suite 7A Morrow, GA 30260 Simply Wholesome 4508 Slauson Ave Los Angeles, CA 90043 Zahra’s Books n Things 900 N. La Brea Ave Inglewood, CA 90302 Check them all out individually at our Bookstore Homes.
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 It’s Black Panther weekend! If you haven’t already seen it, do yourself a favor, and run to the movie theaters! Now! Stop reading and go now! (Or at least plan to go whenever you’re free this weekend, because in all honestly it was an amazing movie with great acting, writing, directing, costumes, and all around imagery.) And just so that we’re clear, this post will include absolutely zero spoiler alerts. (I’m trying to give y’all time to go see it lol.) But I will talk about the impact that Black Panther has had and has the potential to have. It’s enormous! So let’s start with the timing of this movie. It’s Black History Month! And what better time to have a movie like this and with cast full of gifted Black actors portrayed in this manner.  What’s even better though is the fact that the weekend of the release of Marvel’s Black Panther coincides with Dr. Huey P. Newton’s birthday. On February 17, 1942 Dr. Huey P. Newton, cofounder of the Black Panther Party, was born. He would’ve been 76 years old today.  Still, in regards to the movie, the impact on our communities simply cannot be overstated. This isn’t the first Black superhero, but it is the most recent one with a movie like this coming out. And isn’t that reason enough for us to be excited? And along with having such a talented majority Black cast, we also have a gifted Black writer and director named Ryan Coogler directing the film. The impact it can have on the kids growing up seeing these images of Black people with super abilities and seeing these Black actors on the big screens getting the support of the Black community cannot be measured. Children are seeing the massive turnout and reviews for this film at a young age and has the potential to inspire their future in ways unimaginable. And for the little children in all of us adults, it’s dope to see a film like this finally being brought to the big screen that represent us in a brilliant and beautiful light. Basically, its great to see such great representation of us.  The Black Panther Party also had quite an impact on our communities as well. Dr. Huey P. Newton and Bobby Seale were cofounders of the Black Panther Party. These Blacks Panthers continued to instill a sense of pride for our history and ancestry while enforce self-defense against any threat. Besides focusing on the preservation of our communities through self-defense when necessary, the Black Panther Party helped support the community in other ways as well. The biggest ways that impact our communities then, and now, are the Free Breakfast for Children Programs and the WIC Program still at work in our communities today. And that’s just some of the impact of Black Panther. Happy Black History Month! (Go see the movie!)   "I have a dream today." - Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Today we celebrated the life, love, and legacy of a dreamer named ...
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Dr. King had a dream of freedom, hope, and equality for all. He had a dream for his children and his children’s children. Dr. King refused to be satisfied with how people were being mistreated in the world, so he dedicated his life to speaking that dream into existence. It all started with a dream, but he followed his dreams with action. Dr. King showed commitment to that dream through his love in the nonviolent movement for the advancement of the Black community. Despite what dangers he and his family faced, he chose love over hate time and time again. He knew the solution we needed had to have love in it. “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.” - Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. His life and his love have outlasted him and still impacts our world today. What he did inspired so many others to action. That legacy is the reason we celebrate today! He understood that progress takes action, but it ALWAYS starts with a dream. Happy MLK Day! The day of the dreamer!  Last weekend I attended the Black Family Conference at Tomorrow Aeronautical Museum in Compton, CA. First and foremost, let’s acknowledge how there’s an aeronautical museum right in Compton that can help our children learn more about aerospace and aviation in our own backyard. The conference itself was really good too. There was a nice turnout, family activities, dialogue and discussion around resistance. Like my preference conference, I had the opportunity to connect with the people in the community, have some great conversations that was eye-opening for all parties, and I was able to sell and share my book. All and all, it was a great day. With that being said, there was a unique situation I found myself in at this conference. Some random lady, possibly just an event attendee, was invited on stage to reenact what they would do in certain situations of social injustice that many of us face. While she was up there, however, I guess she felt so moved by the scenario that she decided to expand on her feelings and express how she thinks that not only should other races not use the "n word," but no one should be using the “n word” including Black people. I tried to give her the benefit of doubt that maybe she meant it for everybody there that day. Until I realized she had contorted her neck to look squarely in my direction, and I couldn't help but smile back at her lol. I also felt like she was speaking at me, not to me, because I may have had a nice size poster with my titled plastered on there. Wanna Hide Something From a N*gga, Put It In a Book It may have made her feel some type of way. But even back when I was still writing the book I knew that everybody wasn't going to be a fan of my title. That much was a given. Easy call.
But that's why I had to write it! I knew that I had stumbled onto a title that would make people feel a certain type of way. And how you feel about the title is more a reflection of you than it is of me, or even the title itself. This woman never took the time to actually come to speak with me about the title, about the "n word" and it's use in this context, or about the historical significance of it all. She got up, exposed her closed-mindedness, went to grab her things at her table, and left. My goal with this book and the purpose of its title truly is to make you feel a certain type of uneasiness and possibly discomfort. I want us to address those issues with the "n word" and its historical significance and its present use in popular culture. Speaking with people at these events allows for that dialogue and has changed my own view on the "n word", but it requires an open-mind and communication to make that happen. So feel a certain type of way about it, but be open to discussion. How are we ever going to move as a collective community if we can't even have a discussion around the division caused by the "n word" in our own communities. - D. Haynes The Author  August 28th is the anniversary of so many different, yet important, times in African American history, and American history in general.
August 28, 1833 - Slavery was abolished in the United Kingdom, which impacted America's abolition of slavery. August 28, 1955 - Emmett Till (a 14-year-old boy who was falsely accused) was brutally murdered by three white men. August 28, 1963 - Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his unforgettable "I Have A Dream" speech during the March on Washington. August 28, 2005 - Hurricane Katrina made landfall in New Orleans changing it forever. And August 28, 2008 - Barack Obama accepted the democratic nomination for president. Today, August 28, 2017, is a day to remember and reflect on these monumental times in history. The effects of Emmett Till, Dr. King, and Barack Obama can never be forgotten. But trust me, these are not the events that will often be brought up in history classes. Therefore it's our job to continue to share our history. In my book I address this lack of our history in our history classes. But even more important, I give you our history in that same book. It's up to you to find out about our history, and then it's up to you to share. And I hope you do share it. There's plenty of people who need to know it. - D. Haynes The Author |
The Author Dennis aka D. Haynes The Author is a Black author from Inglewood, CA. Graduating with his Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and minoring in Business Administration, Dennis grew to understand the psychological damage in our communities and the need for more knowledge to help better ourselves. Wanna Hide Something From a N*gga,
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