<![CDATA[UPLYFF, INC. PRESENTS... - Literature]]>Wed, 17 Apr 2024 02:59:25 -0700Weebly<![CDATA[Finding Me]]>Sun, 28 May 2023 07:00:00 GMThttps://warriorspulse.org/literature/finding-me
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Voncille Wratee
How fitting that a questioned asked by a renown actor sparked such a memoir.  I felt a resonance with the question, "Who are you?" asked of Viola.  In "Finding Me" by Viola Davis she was able to take us all on a journey that was full of roadblocks, inclimate weather, tough decisions and ultimately a curated arrival. 

​Viola seems to be synonymous with Voila! as she is definitely a presence in the acting community.  Her road to success is explained in such relatable way and filled with her raw emotions.  By the end of the memoir I felt a sigh of relief as her journey is truly breathtaking.
]]><![CDATA[The Fire Next Time]]>Sun, 06 Feb 2022 08:00:00 GMThttps://warriorspulse.org/literature/the-firenext-time
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by

Voncille Wratee
James Baldwin speaks of his experiences with race, religion, oppression, pain, will and heart of African Americans. His words demonstrate the need for African Americans to continue to strive for their humanity and dignity in a country where they are seen as less than human and inferior.

Baldwin tackles interviews with legendary figures Elijah Muhammad and Malcolm X as we learn of their human dynamics towards one another, expectations and styles of these iconic figures.

​Even though this book was written during the civil rights movement, the words still resonate decades into the future for the same issues are faced over a half century later.

 Enjoy the many covers of The Fire Next Time
as they evolved over the years..
]]><![CDATA[The Spirit of Intimacy]]>Mon, 06 Dec 2021 08:00:00 GMThttps://warriorspulse.org/literature/december-06th-2021
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Ginaya
​Donnette
In a cute pocket-sized, manual-style text, Sobonfu Some' gives us an in-depth analysis of the cultural expectations of marriage and relationships through the lens of the Afrikan village.  In her upbringing in a small village in Burkina Faso she explains how relationships worked there.  They encompassed an environment of people who, regardless of position, were seen as either a mother/father or sister/brother.  It is a society where the village is a group of people held nearest and dear to us; those who you share your desires and hopes with and depend on for advice and counsel. 

​Some' demonstrates how for some of us lost in the diaspora we have still held on to our source of culture and societal structure in some ways.  Specifically, we include all of our family and so called extended family as very involved in our commitments including the marriage union.  For Black families topics like divorce not only effect the two people but everyone involved and it becomes a complicated ordeal partly because you are married not just to a person but to a village.  The village reminds us that to be successful in the creation and even the dissolution of bonds we must consult with those around us.

A great take away from this book was the use and importance of rituals to maintain harmony in our relationships.  Some gives detailed advice on the purpose, intention and protocol for holding rituals and the tools for preparing a sacred space and building of a shrine.  There is no set standard but there are traditional ways to invoke the spirits of your ancestors.  Most importantly, it begins with having people involved in the ritual who are also committed to the good energy that is being created.  Collectively, there is a belief that the things you wish to obtain already exist somewhere inside you.  Ultimately, the ritual helps to give you the healing energy necessary to manifest all of which you desire in your bond.
]]><![CDATA[The Souls of Black Folk - Who Are We?]]>Mon, 20 Sep 2021 07:00:00 GMThttps://warriorspulse.org/literature/the-souls-of-black-folk-who-are-we
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By

Wulgar
Darkenwald, Jr.
W. E. B. DuBois’ 1903 seminal work, “The Souls of Black Folks”, is a series of essays that are articulate, poignant and poetic, thought provoking and heartbreaking. They paint an almost bleak picture of black life upon the canvas of post-Civil War and Reconstructionist America where an once enslaved race has gained its freedom without the resources, skills, and opportunities necessitated to be “free” within the Jim Crow society.

Struggling with the very notion of what it is and means to be of color within that world. “The Negro is a sort of seventh son, born with a veil, and gifted with second-sight in this American World, a world which yields him no true self-consciousness, but only lets him see himself through the revelation of the other world. It is a peculiar sensation, this double-consciousness, this sense of always looking at one’s self through the eyes of others, of measuring one’s soul by the tape of the world that looks on in amused contempt and pity. One ever feels his twoness, —an American, a Negro; two souls, two thoughts, two unreconciled strivings; two warring ideals in one dark body, whose dogged strength alone keeps it from being torn asunder.”

​The work describes American society at the turn of the 20th century, now more than a hundred years hence are we that far removed? Do we know ourselves let alone our souls?
]]><![CDATA[The World According to Fannie Davis By Bridgette M. Davis]]>Fri, 14 May 2021 07:00:00 GMThttps://warriorspulse.org/literature/the-world-according-to-fannie-davis-by-bridgette-m-davis
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Ginaya Donnette
The World According to Fannie Davis gives us a peek into the untold profession of a number runner in Detroit during the 70’s.  Fannie not only provided well for her family but she used her prosperity to be a beacon of support for the entire community.  Her home was a center where anyone could find a place of refuge or a good meal.  This was not the story of illegal enterprise but one of extreme bravery, resilience and leadership where a Black woman living in an era of aggressive racism and discrimination found a way to overcome these hardships and be successful. 
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As a young girl, my grandmother was in the Cleveland numbers and entrepreneur so these heartfelt stories brought nostalgia. I do remember plenty of conversation around the three and four digit box straight combinations as she talked on the phone.  She would recollect a dream and know all the exact numbers combinations that it represented, something the author reminded me of in the midst of a chapter.  Her depictions of life for African Americans didn’t start or stop in the numbers.  Although what resonates was Fannie’s way of living life on her own terms and to the fullest. 

]]><![CDATA[Black Fortunes by Shomari Wills]]>Sun, 25 Oct 2020 07:00:00 GMThttps://warriorspulse.org/literature/black-fortunes-by-shomari-wills
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by

Ginaya
​Donnette
If you like the Netflix original Self Made: the story of the life of Madame CJ Walker then you will enjoy this read. I love to learn about Black History but it’s even better when told through the art of storytelling.  In the book Black Fortunes author Wills brings life to the characters weaving each tale as if it's fiction.  The stories interlap so you never get bored like you might be with a lateral version of events.  Each riveting moment of their lives is doused with the context of what was happening during that moment in history. 

​I was astonished by how these six entrepreneurs worked so hard and didn’t give up even when faced with catastrophe or worse - violence.  They would brush off the dust and find another opportunity.  Sometimes a new opportunity wasn’t in the same state or even the same industry but it proved successful nonetheless.  It shows how brilliant they were and that no one achieved their fortunes by luck; it was a little bit of ingenuity and a whole lot of gumption.
]]><![CDATA[ANCESTOR TONI MORRISON]]>Sun, 11 Aug 2019 07:00:00 GMThttps://warriorspulse.org/literature/ancestor-toni-morrison

by

Ginaya
​Donnette
​“If America was the melting pot then Black people were kettle” Toni Morrison exclaims in the new biography movie about her life.  She was renowned for using her position as editor to pull up many Black authors.  Some time ago I met Morrison after a library conference in DC in the home of a friend’s mentor and fellow Howard University professor.  Morrison  was a keynote speaker that day at the conference. I was stunned by her presence as a strong Black female steady in her knowledge in the ways of life and womanhood.   She drank cognac and spoke about politics with an earthy tone that could plant courage in the heart of the most fearful. 

​I see why writers came to Morrison in her days as an editor and found solace in her innate abilities to bring out their creative side.  So humble that even in those days, she never called herself a writer until after she published her third book.  As a tribute to her I am reading her work The Bluest Eye about a young Black girl told to think that her beauty is defined by America’s definition.  A timeless piece that reminds us all of the true damage that failure to love ourselves can cause. And how we still face this challenge.  Hear Morrison’s silky tenor and tell your reflection in the mirror “I am beauty I am love I am fierce!”  Thank you Morrison for the stories you have left us.

Take a moment to pay homage to our groundbreaking literary giant who has transitioned.  We pour libations for ancestor Toni Morrison.
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]]><![CDATA[ANCESTOR NTOZAKE SHANGE]]>Fri, 02 Nov 2018 21:28:24 GMThttps://warriorspulse.org/literature/ancestor-ntozake-shangeTake a moment to pay homage to a literary genius.  We pour libations for ancestor Ntozake Shange.  
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Articles:

​http://www.thehistorymakers.org/biography/ntozake-shange
]]><![CDATA[Meet Dr. 'E' - PHD to Ph.D]]>Sat, 08 Jul 2017 07:00:00 GMThttps://warriorspulse.org/literature/meet-dr-ePicture
"PHD to Ph.D.: How Education Saved My Life offers a glimpse into the life of scholar, author, singer Dr. Elaine Richardson aka Dr. E and her journey as a young Black woman to healing and recovery from a life of trauma through the 1960s’-1980s ghettoes of Cleveland, Ohio, to inventing a life for herself in the halls of the university."  (from the website http://phdtophd.com/)

Dr. E is eloquent, powerful and positive.  Her ultimate love for life transcends the barriers of poverty, destructive surroundings, correctional and educational systems.  She is an example to us all and as down-to-earth as they come.  Indeed she is a professor Ohio State University and everyone deserves an instructor like her. 

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]]><![CDATA[A sermon to white america]]>Sat, 10 Jun 2017 07:00:00 GMThttps://warriorspulse.org/literature/a-sermon-to-white-americaCelebrating the 50-year Anniversary of the Stokes Brothers bursting into the political scene in America both locally and nationally, controversial author Michael Eric Dyson visited the Northeast Ohio to speak at a number of venues on his new book Tears We Cannot Stop: A Sermon to White America.  Like him or not - he has the voice and the attention of the masses.  Read it and let's discuss it.  
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