March 3, 2025 • 23 mins
Malik is back for Season 3! And he has thoughts about Black History Month, DEI and social programs!
Plus, Katie Mitchell is on to discuss black book stores and their impact across America. She featured Malik Books in her new book Prose to the People: A Celebration of Black Bookstores!
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
My league has how the knowledge you want, My league,
but has how a knowledge you need?
Speaker 2 (00:05):
Lead.
Speaker 1 (00:06):
Yeah, they have out the books that the whole wild
world one up read My League.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
But welcome, welcome, Welcome.
Speaker 1 (00:14):
To Malie's Bookshow, Bringing a World Together with Books, Culture
and community.
Speaker 2 (00:20):
Whoa, it's twenty twenty five.
Speaker 1 (00:22):
This is season three, episode one. Come on now, come on,
I gotta get back into it. I gotta get my
mind right. This episode that I'm going to be doing
today is what's been in the airwaves. Plus it's Black
History Month, and so this is called black history is
American history.
Speaker 2 (00:40):
So I hope you enjoyed this episode. But hey, I'm back.
Speaker 1 (00:44):
I'm back, and I'm back Malak's Book Show, Bringing a
World Together with Books, Culture and community.
Speaker 2 (00:51):
One more, more, more, more thing.
Speaker 1 (00:52):
I also have an episode I'm going to feature that
I interview Katie Mitchell, who wrote the book Prose to
the People. I interviewed her because that book is coming
up in April. And guess what Malik Books is in there.
Because it's a book about black bookstores and their impact
all across this nation America, and so I'm excited.
Speaker 2 (01:15):
It's a picture book, it's beautiful pictures.
Speaker 1 (01:18):
It talks about Eliite books in all the decades that
we've been doing this work as a black bookstore, but
it's we just one amongst others that are featured in there.
Speaker 2 (01:28):
I called it the Black book Revolution.
Speaker 1 (01:30):
This story has never been told and so I'm glad
that we're featured in.
Speaker 2 (01:34):
It because we have put into work and there's a.
Speaker 1 (01:37):
Lot of body of work. So pros to the people
by Katie Mitchell. That interview is going to be on
here along with my talk about Black history is American history.
And I'm woven indeed, I because that's what has been
rolled back, So I'm woven all this in together. All right,
peace enjoyed the episode. It's twenty twenty five and we're
(02:03):
starting our third season of Malak's booksh Up bringing a
world together with books, culture.
Speaker 2 (02:10):
And community. It's twenty twenty five. This is our third season.
Speaker 1 (02:14):
We hadn done over one hundred episodes in the last
two seasons. This particular episode is what's been in the
streets on in the airwaves. We're talking about black history
is American history because of this DEI this been all
in the media talking about diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Speaker 2 (02:37):
We've been.
Speaker 1 (02:38):
Listen, the father and founder of Black History Month, it
started off Black History Week.
Speaker 2 (02:44):
It's Carter G.
Speaker 1 (02:46):
Whisson who wrote a book called mis Education of the Negro.
And let me tell you, that's a powerful book. He
wrote it decades and decades and decades ago. He's an educator,
and the book is relevant to this day, this Education
of the Negro. The thing that stood out the most
about that book is the fact that he said, if
(03:07):
you control a person's education, you don't have to worry
about their actions. If you put a barrier in front
of them, they will carve out a path through the
barrier or door. That right there stuck out in my
mind because.
Speaker 2 (03:23):
Black people in America don't control their education all right.
Speaker 1 (03:28):
We go to public schools primarily, and even when we
go to most of the private schools, they are usually
funded by other cultures, other races.
Speaker 2 (03:37):
So we don't control our.
Speaker 1 (03:39):
True education in America. And one of the most dangerous
things in the country is a person who's uneducated.
Speaker 2 (03:50):
Listen.
Speaker 1 (03:50):
It costs more on this system in this country to house,
to do social reform, do all these different projects in programs.
Speaker 2 (04:02):
When someone's educated. So it is a benefit to this
nation to this country.
Speaker 1 (04:07):
If a person is educated, y as can read and
write and arithmetic, because it's a burden on society if
you're not educated. So it's a system in place. Everyone
is required to go to school, everyone is required to
take stating tests to assess the effectiveness of.
Speaker 2 (04:28):
A school or where you at as a person.
Speaker 1 (04:33):
Okay, and the American is not doing too well in
terms of that on these standardized tests. All right, considering
it's the mightiest nation on the planet, it's the major superpower,
and it's the leading nation of innovation, but yet these
test scores are horrible compared to other nations who have
far less resources and so forth. Well, anyway, DII Diversity
(04:57):
Equity and concludion, Diversity, equity and inclusion. Black history is
American history, and we don't need permission to celebrate our
culture and our achievements because.
Speaker 2 (05:12):
We made a contribution blood and sweat in this nation.
Speaker 1 (05:18):
And one of the reasons why this nation is mighty
as powerful is because of black culture, black people and
the achievements that we made many inventions. I don't need
to go through that because black history is world, not
just American, but it's wild history because black people taught
(05:38):
the world. Math, science, we educated. We wasn't jungle bunnies
running in the jungle when they came to Africa to
en slave maybe some black people, but black folks built pyramids.
Black people had high science and math. Black people was
culturally civilized, and they're taught this as secret societies and
(05:58):
certain books. You go read doctor Ben Jackman's book, Black
Men of the Now. You can read Mother of Civilization
by doctor Joseph bin Jackman.
Speaker 2 (06:10):
Hey, you can read J. A.
Speaker 1 (06:12):
Rogers and a Black American who wrote a book in
nineteen twenties.
Speaker 2 (06:17):
World's Great Men of Color.
Speaker 1 (06:19):
All Right, you can read his book that he wrote,
Africa's Gift to America.
Speaker 2 (06:23):
Black history is American history.
Speaker 1 (06:26):
Black people contributions to this nation have helped this nation
to become.
Speaker 2 (06:31):
Mighty powerful and proud. You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 1 (06:35):
When people watch us in sports, watch US win Olympic medals.
Speaker 2 (06:38):
World championships, they are excited.
Speaker 1 (06:41):
And it has united this nation under a lot of areas,
particularly sports, and he'll integrate us in a lot of ways.
Speaker 2 (06:49):
But there's this national pride.
Speaker 1 (06:51):
A lot of it has to do with black success
in sports and entertainment.
Speaker 2 (06:57):
Okay, Now, in business, come on now.
Speaker 1 (07:00):
In business, we were the top mathematicians before we became slaves.
So we were builders, just like we built that white house.
We wasn't just jungle bunnies uneducated coming over here. We
had knowledge where wisdom it was stripped from us. That's
another story. But I'm just here to talk about Black
(07:20):
history is American history, and we don't need DEI to
celebrate our culture. We didn't have it back when Jay
Rogers wrote Miseducation of the Negro and started Black History Month.
We don't need permission from no president or.
Speaker 2 (07:37):
No leader or no school board.
Speaker 1 (07:40):
We're gonna celebrate our culture because it is our culture
and is our responsibility to pass it on to.
Speaker 2 (07:45):
The next generation.
Speaker 1 (07:47):
We have achieved the Norman success in this nation, despite racism,
despite slavery, despite listen, I know some of you don't
like to hear all of that. I know some of
y'all don't want to be reminded of your past, but hey,
it's part of American history. I'm not for counsel culture.
Let's just tell the truth. Let's just be honest, all right.
(08:09):
So right now, it's twenty twenty five, we got a
new president and all this d I.
Speaker 2 (08:18):
Talk about diversity, equity, inclusion.
Speaker 1 (08:21):
A lot of companies are eliminating, the federal government is eliminating.
Speaker 2 (08:26):
So and so the question is do we need to
be successful in America? So I personally listen. I got
a bookstore. Believe books, all right, I've read a lot
of books.
Speaker 1 (08:41):
I've seen a lot of gut it, okay, And do
we need social programs and to be successful? I don't believe.
Speaker 2 (08:49):
So.
Speaker 1 (08:50):
Now it's nice to have. Then it's a benefit to heaven.
I'm not against having these social programs, you know, to
level up, all right, I'm not against that at all.
But I don't want us thinking that if we don't
have them social programs like d I, that we can't win. Well,
I'm here to tell you can win. No more excuses.
(09:11):
You can win without d I. We crawed up about
a slavery didn't have no social program and look.
Speaker 2 (09:17):
Where we're at.
Speaker 1 (09:18):
We don't have to have these programs to win and
be great and successful. We been able to achieve and
no missuccess in this country, regardless of discrimination, regardless of racism.
Speaker 2 (09:31):
So it is d I gonna stop black folks from winning. No,
it can only stop you if you believe that, and
I don't believe that.
Speaker 1 (09:38):
I believe black people are one of the most resourceful, resilient,
and strongest people on this planet. And if they don't
want to give us. I live through affirmative action, I
lived through multiculturalism. I've lived through d I it just listen.
History peats itself.
Speaker 2 (09:56):
When you don't get it right. So we always keep
going back to the same thing.
Speaker 1 (10:01):
And then another generation say, oh, as reverse racism.
Speaker 2 (10:05):
Oh you're not hiring the best people for the job. No,
and you getting favoritism because of your skin color. I
didn't been through that. Do affirmative action. I didn't been
through that through marketing called and multiculturalists.
Speaker 1 (10:20):
Now I'm living through d They give it, they take
it away, they give it, they take it away, they
give it, they take it away. It's a lot of
blacks to think that we have to have these programs,
and I'm not against it. If we have it, I'm
not against it. But you're not gonna tell me that
that's gonna stop someone like jay Z from being successful
(10:40):
or Beyonce, they being theirs. Okay, we have people do this.
Dude invented I forgot his name. He invented the water gun.
You know what I'm saying, made millions from it.
Speaker 2 (10:52):
Oh right, So man, I can go on and on
about modern day inventions.
Speaker 1 (10:57):
I believe Robin his name is Robert Hope Bryant. All right,
he's a billionaire.
Speaker 2 (11:02):
All right.
Speaker 1 (11:03):
Now, I ain't got to speak for him, but this
brother said Deis did.
Speaker 2 (11:08):
All right, all right, I'm not looking at we got sick.
Look we in nineteen sixties, we had civil rights movement.
Speaker 1 (11:15):
We are what eighty something years up from or sixty
something day? Okay, from nineteen sixty four civil rights moving
to today.
Speaker 2 (11:23):
We got data to study. The best way to learn
from the past is study the past. Study history. If
rewards you for your research, look at the data. Look
at the data. Okay.
Speaker 1 (11:33):
We can keep getting all these social reforms and handouts, right,
and all of a sudden, another generation come boom every
twenty years and we're back to square one.
Speaker 2 (11:43):
All right.
Speaker 1 (11:44):
If we want permanent change, permanent salute, we got to
learn from the past in order to gain what we
need in the future.
Speaker 2 (11:52):
All right, History rewards you for your research. We got
the data.
Speaker 1 (11:56):
We got the data when integration took place, we got
the data.
Speaker 2 (12:00):
How a lot of our black business in the South
folded up because we didn't recycle the black dollar no more.
Speaker 1 (12:05):
We was forced to do dough segregation, black bus companies,
black restaurants, black this, black.
Speaker 2 (12:11):
Dad, and you was forced to support these companies.
Speaker 1 (12:14):
Now you have a choice to go to other companies
because it's you know, they got rid of the Jim Crow,
they got rid of all that. But guess what we're
choosing as a people to not recycle the black dollar
within our own community. So we have a lot of problems,
you know, that are coming up and arison because of
the lot of unity. And really, look, I'll watch these
(12:36):
old movies and I read some of these books. When
you become an owner of business owner, you become a
problem solving all right. America in order to grow it
had to solve his problems, all right. Imagine living in
the wild, wild West, all right. People came from all
over America and hit it West to get a plot
(12:59):
of and freedom.
Speaker 2 (13:02):
They knew that there was no loss, it was lawless.
Speaker 1 (13:05):
They knew there was war with the Indians, they knew
that it was all these unlawful.
Speaker 2 (13:11):
Murders taking place.
Speaker 1 (13:12):
Yet they still came and sacrifice to come and build
the West, all right. So they didn't have DEI, they
didn't have social reform, they didn't have nothing. They had
unity and a belief and the idea. All I'm saying
is sometimes you just you know, they had they got land,
and they believed in unity, all right, and they solved
the problem.
Speaker 2 (13:33):
Listen.
Speaker 1 (13:34):
If unite the black dollar induced for self, we can
have more of what it's in America Americans for sale,
and we need to buy them like everybody.
Speaker 2 (13:45):
Else, all right.
Speaker 1 (13:47):
But if you need unity, we have to work together.
And that's not taking nothing away from other people. It's
yet because other cultures of the racists, that's what they do.
They support their own and they also read the wealth
to other people. But they start at home. Charity starts
at home. Black history is American history. We don't need
(14:10):
social programs to be successful.
Speaker 2 (14:13):
That's the trick, all right. Listen. I'm not against it,
but you can't tell me if we don't have.
Speaker 1 (14:19):
It, that you're not gonna be educated, you're not gonna win,
and you're not gonna be successful.
Speaker 2 (14:24):
All Right. It's nice to have it.
Speaker 1 (14:26):
All right, but the reality that you might not have
it and it might go away and then what you're
gonna do.
Speaker 2 (14:33):
You're gonna not be resilient.
Speaker 1 (14:35):
You're gonna you're not gonna keep continue the path, you know, charge.
Speaker 2 (14:39):
Forward, make changes may make you got to win, all right.
The bottom line is you got to win.
Speaker 1 (14:46):
I use books to help my community to win, all right.
Anything you want to find, you can find a book.
Nips Unso didn't have an education, but he was a
mellion there, right. Nipsey Hustle didn't graduate from high school
or college, but yet he was a million there, right, So.
Speaker 2 (15:01):
It DEI wasn't social programs.
Speaker 1 (15:03):
Listen, you can win without this if listen, you can't
force a people to change that don't want to be changed,
all right. But the reality is that we have to
believe in ourselves that we can still win regardless of
these social programs, because they keep playing.
Speaker 2 (15:21):
They dangle it, then they take it away. They dangle
it and then take it away, and then we.
Speaker 1 (15:25):
Start matching them down the street, wanting and shouting and pouting.
Speaker 2 (15:28):
Because they take it away. That's what they always do.
That's the history of murder. I'm just telling you the history.
I live through it.
Speaker 1 (15:35):
Affirmative fact, give it, take it away, multiculturalism, give it,
they take it away. Di they give it, they take it.
Speaker 2 (15:43):
Away, same thing. But it don't change the fact.
Speaker 1 (15:47):
Black history is American history, and Black people we don't
need no one, no permission to celebrate our culture, our history,
and our achievements in this country. We're gonna celebrate whether
we got DEI, whether we got affirmed or that, whether
we got multiculturalism, we're gonna celebrate it. And if people
don't think you visible leaks books lead books dot com.
(16:10):
If you want to see greatest yr world's great men
of color, I forgots give to America.
Speaker 2 (16:15):
J A. Rock. He didn't live to see how powerful
his books have become. But let me tell you something.
Black people is part of America and we not going nowhere.
We're part of why this.
Speaker 1 (16:26):
Nation is great, and we not going nowhere because Black
history is American history and we're gonna.
Speaker 2 (16:31):
Celebrate it from the top to the bottom.
Speaker 1 (16:35):
And Wenna, we don't need nobody's permission to celebrate what
is true and what is great about this nation. Yet
we're not trying to dwell in the past. But you
know what, Yes, we got to go forward. And there's
been a lot of changes that have happened for the good, okay,
And people have stood up, they have marched, they have protested,
(16:56):
or what have you.
Speaker 2 (16:56):
And there have been a lot of changes in this conation.
All right, we can.
Speaker 1 (17:00):
Go to any college as long as you got to
do you know, the.
Speaker 2 (17:04):
SAT scores and the grades.
Speaker 1 (17:07):
You know, you can go to pretty much any Harvard, Yale,
whatever whatever school.
Speaker 2 (17:11):
I went to USC. But all I'm telling you is,
regardless of these program.
Speaker 1 (17:17):
D I, it ain't gonna change the fact that Black
history is American history, and we're part of the success
of this nation. And we're not going nowhere, and we're
gonna keep forging ford to make this country as best
as it can can possibly. It got a lot of problems, yeah,
but it also got a lot of things that we
can be proud about.
Speaker 2 (17:34):
And so we're gonna move forward. We're gonna march forward.
Speaker 1 (17:37):
And I'm not gonna sit here and keep trying to
bag of people to do for us. Well, we must
do for ourselves, all right. No one can make the
change but us. No amount of money is gonna change
the fact that we got to unite and do for
self or we're gonna suffer the consequences so hey, that's mine.
First episode, Season three, Malik's Bookshelf, bringing a world together
(18:01):
with books, culture and community peace.
Speaker 2 (18:04):
Hope you enjoyed this episode.
Speaker 1 (18:06):
Black History is American History. Look April twenty twenty five.
The new book Pros to the People, the author Katie Midcher.
I'm sitting right here at the ABA convention out here
in Denver, Conlorado. Before I leave, I got to get
some information about this wonderful book. We are featured in it,
(18:27):
Elik Books. Like I said, it was a story that
never been told. Now people are writing, and she wrote
on Prose to the people, Katie, how you doing.
Speaker 3 (18:36):
I'm doing really good. Thanks for hanging out with me
here in Denver. Good to see y'all again.
Speaker 4 (18:41):
Yes, yes, yeah, Now break it down.
Speaker 1 (18:42):
Tell us why what motivated you to write this story
about black bookstores, your black bookstore owner as well.
Speaker 4 (18:49):
So tell us about the book, why you wrote the.
Speaker 1 (18:52):
Book, and what readers can take away from the book.
Speaker 2 (18:56):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (18:56):
So I knew that this history was so important, getting
to know all the black bookstores around the United States.
I said, people need to know this history. And it
wasn't compiled in one volume like you said, It was
all in a news article here, you know, somebody's basement there.
But I wanted it to be our history, to be
more accessible. So in the book you can expect to
(19:16):
find profiles of all sorts of different bookstores from the
past and the present. I'm going back all the way
to the eighteen thirties, which a lot of people don't
think there would be black bookstores in the eighteen thirties
because slavery was going on, but there was a black
book store then all the way to the twenty twenties,
all around the country, all different types of bookstores. Because
you know, we all are not a monolith as they
(19:36):
like to put us as. So everybody's politics is different,
their interest, their inventory and getting those stories. But then
also seeing how connected we are in that same vein.
So I'm super excited. You know Eliite Books with the jingle,
you know, we pop in with that and everything. So
super excited.
Speaker 4 (19:55):
Who we excited.
Speaker 1 (19:57):
Look, this is a photographic got information about different bookstore,
black bookstores, but it's lots of pictures, lots of history
is in this book. Did you get any of the
photos back from eighteen thirties?
Speaker 3 (20:11):
You say, we do have some old photos in there.
I went to the archives and really dug to get
that information and was so lucky and blessed to get
a four by and Miss Nikki Giovanni before she passed
last year, So you'll see that in there, and also
pictures of her at the Black bookstores, because everybody I
talked to had a Nikki Giovanni story, so I wanted
to make sure she had the first word in that book.
Speaker 4 (20:33):
Wonderful. I mean, that's an excellent author.
Speaker 1 (20:36):
She's a wonderful, award winning writer, and she is definite
impacted future generations of writers and thinkers.
Speaker 4 (20:46):
And so we excited about pros to the people.
Speaker 1 (20:50):
Hey, listen, you know gonna go hard on this book.
We in it, and I'm very thankful that the years
of work since nineteen ninety we've been doing in Los
Angeles found.
Speaker 4 (21:04):
This way in a book because we all collectedly.
Speaker 1 (21:07):
I always call it the Black Book Revolution, the impact
that we made nationwide throughout this country. It's a story
and ain't been told, but now it's being told in
Katie Mitchell.
Speaker 4 (21:18):
Book is the first off the print.
Speaker 1 (21:21):
What do you want readers to take away when they
read this wonderful, colorful, picture oriented illustrations out there.
Speaker 4 (21:29):
I mean, just incredible and all information in the book.
Speaker 3 (21:33):
I want them to take away that we've been here before.
There's a lot going on now, and I think a
lot of times people get discouraged, but when you read
the book, you'll see how our ancestors and our elders
navigated it and know that you know, we got this,
we got each other, and we will survive this, and
we're going to keep going and we're going to keep
making black history and specifically black bookstore history.
Speaker 4 (21:55):
Yeah, we are resilient. Thank you, Katie.
Speaker 1 (22:00):
Any takeaways, anything extra than we talk about you want
to add, thank you.
Speaker 3 (22:05):
I just want to say I'm so appreciative to all
the black bookstores that spoke with me. I was telling
your beautiful wife, Miss April, that I feel the weight
of all these stories and I don't take for granted
that people trusted me with telling them and getting them
out here. So I'm just excited for everyone to see
it and fall in love with the black bookstores like
I have, Katie.
Speaker 1 (22:26):
Real quick, before we conclude this conversation, tell them where
they can find you. I know where they can find
this book at Malik Books and all bookstores nationwide yes.
Speaker 3 (22:38):
If you want more information about me or the book,
you can go to a pros toothpeople dot com. And
if you would like to follow me on Instagram, I'm
at good booksatl dot com. So looking forward to connecting
with y'all.
Speaker 1 (22:49):
Tell us the title of your bookstore in Atlanta and
how they can reach you there.
Speaker 3 (22:56):
The title of my bookstore is good Books. We're in
Atlanta and we're at good Books atl dot com.
Speaker 2 (23:01):
Thank you, thank you.
Speaker 1 (23:02):
Think I know my audience on Malise's bookshelf bringing a
world together with books, culture and community. It's gonna love
this book. It's gonna love this talk that we just had.
So thank you, thank you, thank you. Thanks for listening
to Malik's Bookshelf, where topics on the shelf are books, culture,
and community.
Speaker 2 (23:22):
Be sure to subscribe and leave me a review.
Speaker 4 (23:24):
Check out my Instagram at malak Books. See you next time.
My league has how the knowledge you want, My league,
but has how a knowledge you need?
Speaker 2 (00:05):
Lead.
Speaker 1 (00:06):
Yeah, they have out the books that the whole wild
world one up read My League.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
But welcome, welcome, Welcome.
Speaker 1 (00:14):
To Malie's Bookshow, Bringing a World Together with Books, Culture
and community.
Speaker 2 (00:20):
Whoa, it's twenty twenty five.
Speaker 1 (00:22):
This is season three, episode one. Come on now, come on,
I gotta get back into it. I gotta get my
mind right. This episode that I'm going to be doing
today is what's been in the airwaves. Plus it's Black
History Month, and so this is called black history is
American history.
Speaker 2 (00:40):
So I hope you enjoyed this episode. But hey, I'm back.
Speaker 1 (00:44):
I'm back, and I'm back Malak's Book Show, Bringing a
World Together with Books, Culture and community.
Speaker 2 (00:51):
One more, more, more, more thing.
Speaker 1 (00:52):
I also have an episode I'm going to feature that
I interview Katie Mitchell, who wrote the book Prose to
the People. I interviewed her because that book is coming
up in April. And guess what Malik Books is in there.
Because it's a book about black bookstores and their impact
all across this nation America, and so I'm excited.
Speaker 2 (01:15):
It's a picture book, it's beautiful pictures.
Speaker 1 (01:18):
It talks about Eliite books in all the decades that
we've been doing this work as a black bookstore, but
it's we just one amongst others that are featured in there.
Speaker 2 (01:28):
I called it the Black book Revolution.
Speaker 1 (01:30):
This story has never been told and so I'm glad
that we're featured in.
Speaker 2 (01:34):
It because we have put into work and there's a.
Speaker 1 (01:37):
Lot of body of work. So pros to the people
by Katie Mitchell. That interview is going to be on
here along with my talk about Black history is American history.
And I'm woven indeed, I because that's what has been
rolled back, So I'm woven all this in together. All right,
peace enjoyed the episode. It's twenty twenty five and we're
(02:03):
starting our third season of Malak's booksh Up bringing a
world together with books, culture.
Speaker 2 (02:10):
And community. It's twenty twenty five. This is our third season.
Speaker 1 (02:14):
We hadn done over one hundred episodes in the last
two seasons. This particular episode is what's been in the
streets on in the airwaves. We're talking about black history
is American history because of this DEI this been all
in the media talking about diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Speaker 2 (02:37):
We've been.
Speaker 1 (02:38):
Listen, the father and founder of Black History Month, it
started off Black History Week.
Speaker 2 (02:44):
It's Carter G.
Speaker 1 (02:46):
Whisson who wrote a book called mis Education of the Negro.
And let me tell you, that's a powerful book. He
wrote it decades and decades and decades ago. He's an educator,
and the book is relevant to this day, this Education
of the Negro. The thing that stood out the most
about that book is the fact that he said, if
(03:07):
you control a person's education, you don't have to worry
about their actions. If you put a barrier in front
of them, they will carve out a path through the
barrier or door. That right there stuck out in my
mind because.
Speaker 2 (03:23):
Black people in America don't control their education all right.
Speaker 1 (03:28):
We go to public schools primarily, and even when we
go to most of the private schools, they are usually
funded by other cultures, other races.
Speaker 2 (03:37):
So we don't control our.
Speaker 1 (03:39):
True education in America. And one of the most dangerous
things in the country is a person who's uneducated.
Speaker 2 (03:50):
Listen.
Speaker 1 (03:50):
It costs more on this system in this country to house,
to do social reform, do all these different projects in programs.
Speaker 2 (04:02):
When someone's educated. So it is a benefit to this
nation to this country.
Speaker 1 (04:07):
If a person is educated, y as can read and
write and arithmetic, because it's a burden on society if
you're not educated. So it's a system in place. Everyone
is required to go to school, everyone is required to
take stating tests to assess the effectiveness of.
Speaker 2 (04:28):
A school or where you at as a person.
Speaker 1 (04:33):
Okay, and the American is not doing too well in
terms of that on these standardized tests. All right, considering
it's the mightiest nation on the planet, it's the major superpower,
and it's the leading nation of innovation, but yet these
test scores are horrible compared to other nations who have
far less resources and so forth. Well, anyway, DII Diversity
(04:57):
Equity and concludion, Diversity, equity and inclusion. Black history is
American history, and we don't need permission to celebrate our
culture and our achievements because.
Speaker 2 (05:12):
We made a contribution blood and sweat in this nation.
Speaker 1 (05:18):
And one of the reasons why this nation is mighty
as powerful is because of black culture, black people and
the achievements that we made many inventions. I don't need
to go through that because black history is world, not
just American, but it's wild history because black people taught
(05:38):
the world. Math, science, we educated. We wasn't jungle bunnies
running in the jungle when they came to Africa to
en slave maybe some black people, but black folks built pyramids.
Black people had high science and math. Black people was
culturally civilized, and they're taught this as secret societies and
(05:58):
certain books. You go read doctor Ben Jackman's book, Black
Men of the Now. You can read Mother of Civilization
by doctor Joseph bin Jackman.
Speaker 2 (06:10):
Hey, you can read J. A.
Speaker 1 (06:12):
Rogers and a Black American who wrote a book in
nineteen twenties.
Speaker 2 (06:17):
World's Great Men of Color.
Speaker 1 (06:19):
All Right, you can read his book that he wrote,
Africa's Gift to America.
Speaker 2 (06:23):
Black history is American history.
Speaker 1 (06:26):
Black people contributions to this nation have helped this nation
to become.
Speaker 2 (06:31):
Mighty powerful and proud. You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 1 (06:35):
When people watch us in sports, watch US win Olympic medals.
Speaker 2 (06:38):
World championships, they are excited.
Speaker 1 (06:41):
And it has united this nation under a lot of areas,
particularly sports, and he'll integrate us in a lot of ways.
Speaker 2 (06:49):
But there's this national pride.
Speaker 1 (06:51):
A lot of it has to do with black success
in sports and entertainment.
Speaker 2 (06:57):
Okay, Now, in business, come on now.
Speaker 1 (07:00):
In business, we were the top mathematicians before we became slaves.
So we were builders, just like we built that white house.
We wasn't just jungle bunnies uneducated coming over here. We
had knowledge where wisdom it was stripped from us. That's
another story. But I'm just here to talk about Black
(07:20):
history is American history, and we don't need DEI to
celebrate our culture. We didn't have it back when Jay
Rogers wrote Miseducation of the Negro and started Black History Month.
We don't need permission from no president or.
Speaker 2 (07:37):
No leader or no school board.
Speaker 1 (07:40):
We're gonna celebrate our culture because it is our culture
and is our responsibility to pass it on to.
Speaker 2 (07:45):
The next generation.
Speaker 1 (07:47):
We have achieved the Norman success in this nation, despite racism,
despite slavery, despite listen, I know some of you don't
like to hear all of that. I know some of
y'all don't want to be reminded of your past, but hey,
it's part of American history. I'm not for counsel culture.
Let's just tell the truth. Let's just be honest, all right.
(08:09):
So right now, it's twenty twenty five, we got a
new president and all this d I.
Speaker 2 (08:18):
Talk about diversity, equity, inclusion.
Speaker 1 (08:21):
A lot of companies are eliminating, the federal government is eliminating.
Speaker 2 (08:26):
So and so the question is do we need to
be successful in America? So I personally listen. I got
a bookstore. Believe books, all right, I've read a lot
of books.
Speaker 1 (08:41):
I've seen a lot of gut it, okay, And do
we need social programs and to be successful? I don't believe.
Speaker 2 (08:49):
So.
Speaker 1 (08:50):
Now it's nice to have. Then it's a benefit to heaven.
I'm not against having these social programs, you know, to
level up, all right, I'm not against that at all.
But I don't want us thinking that if we don't
have them social programs like d I, that we can't win. Well,
I'm here to tell you can win. No more excuses.
(09:11):
You can win without d I. We crawed up about
a slavery didn't have no social program and look.
Speaker 2 (09:17):
Where we're at.
Speaker 1 (09:18):
We don't have to have these programs to win and
be great and successful. We been able to achieve and
no missuccess in this country, regardless of discrimination, regardless of racism.
Speaker 2 (09:31):
So it is d I gonna stop black folks from winning. No,
it can only stop you if you believe that, and
I don't believe that.
Speaker 1 (09:38):
I believe black people are one of the most resourceful, resilient,
and strongest people on this planet. And if they don't
want to give us. I live through affirmative action, I
lived through multiculturalism. I've lived through d I it just listen.
History peats itself.
Speaker 2 (09:56):
When you don't get it right. So we always keep
going back to the same thing.
Speaker 1 (10:01):
And then another generation say, oh, as reverse racism.
Speaker 2 (10:05):
Oh you're not hiring the best people for the job. No,
and you getting favoritism because of your skin color. I
didn't been through that. Do affirmative action. I didn't been
through that through marketing called and multiculturalists.
Speaker 1 (10:20):
Now I'm living through d They give it, they take
it away, they give it, they take it away, they
give it, they take it away. It's a lot of
blacks to think that we have to have these programs,
and I'm not against it. If we have it, I'm
not against it. But you're not gonna tell me that
that's gonna stop someone like jay Z from being successful
(10:40):
or Beyonce, they being theirs. Okay, we have people do this.
Dude invented I forgot his name. He invented the water gun.
You know what I'm saying, made millions from it.
Speaker 2 (10:52):
Oh right, So man, I can go on and on
about modern day inventions.
Speaker 1 (10:57):
I believe Robin his name is Robert Hope Bryant. All right,
he's a billionaire.
Speaker 2 (11:02):
All right.
Speaker 1 (11:03):
Now, I ain't got to speak for him, but this
brother said Deis did.
Speaker 2 (11:08):
All right, all right, I'm not looking at we got sick.
Look we in nineteen sixties, we had civil rights movement.
Speaker 1 (11:15):
We are what eighty something years up from or sixty
something day? Okay, from nineteen sixty four civil rights moving
to today.
Speaker 2 (11:23):
We got data to study. The best way to learn
from the past is study the past. Study history. If
rewards you for your research, look at the data. Look
at the data. Okay.
Speaker 1 (11:33):
We can keep getting all these social reforms and handouts, right,
and all of a sudden, another generation come boom every
twenty years and we're back to square one.
Speaker 2 (11:43):
All right.
Speaker 1 (11:44):
If we want permanent change, permanent salute, we got to
learn from the past in order to gain what we
need in the future.
Speaker 2 (11:52):
All right, History rewards you for your research. We got
the data.
Speaker 1 (11:56):
We got the data when integration took place, we got
the data.
Speaker 2 (12:00):
How a lot of our black business in the South
folded up because we didn't recycle the black dollar no more.
Speaker 1 (12:05):
We was forced to do dough segregation, black bus companies,
black restaurants, black this, black.
Speaker 2 (12:11):
Dad, and you was forced to support these companies.
Speaker 1 (12:14):
Now you have a choice to go to other companies
because it's you know, they got rid of the Jim Crow,
they got rid of all that. But guess what we're
choosing as a people to not recycle the black dollar
within our own community. So we have a lot of problems,
you know, that are coming up and arison because of
the lot of unity. And really, look, I'll watch these
(12:36):
old movies and I read some of these books. When
you become an owner of business owner, you become a
problem solving all right. America in order to grow it
had to solve his problems, all right. Imagine living in
the wild, wild West, all right. People came from all
over America and hit it West to get a plot
(12:59):
of and freedom.
Speaker 2 (13:02):
They knew that there was no loss, it was lawless.
Speaker 1 (13:05):
They knew there was war with the Indians, they knew
that it was all these unlawful.
Speaker 2 (13:11):
Murders taking place.
Speaker 1 (13:12):
Yet they still came and sacrifice to come and build
the West, all right. So they didn't have DEI, they
didn't have social reform, they didn't have nothing. They had
unity and a belief and the idea. All I'm saying
is sometimes you just you know, they had they got land,
and they believed in unity, all right, and they solved
the problem.
Speaker 2 (13:33):
Listen.
Speaker 1 (13:34):
If unite the black dollar induced for self, we can
have more of what it's in America Americans for sale,
and we need to buy them like everybody.
Speaker 2 (13:45):
Else, all right.
Speaker 1 (13:47):
But if you need unity, we have to work together.
And that's not taking nothing away from other people. It's
yet because other cultures of the racists, that's what they do.
They support their own and they also read the wealth
to other people. But they start at home. Charity starts
at home. Black history is American history. We don't need
(14:10):
social programs to be successful.
Speaker 2 (14:13):
That's the trick, all right. Listen. I'm not against it,
but you can't tell me if we don't have.
Speaker 1 (14:19):
It, that you're not gonna be educated, you're not gonna win,
and you're not gonna be successful.
Speaker 2 (14:24):
All Right. It's nice to have it.
Speaker 1 (14:26):
All right, but the reality that you might not have
it and it might go away and then what you're
gonna do.
Speaker 2 (14:33):
You're gonna not be resilient.
Speaker 1 (14:35):
You're gonna you're not gonna keep continue the path, you know, charge.
Speaker 2 (14:39):
Forward, make changes may make you got to win, all right.
The bottom line is you got to win.
Speaker 1 (14:46):
I use books to help my community to win, all right.
Anything you want to find, you can find a book.
Nips Unso didn't have an education, but he was a
mellion there, right. Nipsey Hustle didn't graduate from high school
or college, but yet he was a million there, right, So.
Speaker 2 (15:01):
It DEI wasn't social programs.
Speaker 1 (15:03):
Listen, you can win without this if listen, you can't
force a people to change that don't want to be changed,
all right. But the reality is that we have to
believe in ourselves that we can still win regardless of
these social programs, because they keep playing.
Speaker 2 (15:21):
They dangle it, then they take it away. They dangle
it and then take it away, and then we.
Speaker 1 (15:25):
Start matching them down the street, wanting and shouting and pouting.
Speaker 2 (15:28):
Because they take it away. That's what they always do.
That's the history of murder. I'm just telling you the history.
I live through it.
Speaker 1 (15:35):
Affirmative fact, give it, take it away, multiculturalism, give it,
they take it away. Di they give it, they take it.
Speaker 2 (15:43):
Away, same thing. But it don't change the fact.
Speaker 1 (15:47):
Black history is American history, and Black people we don't
need no one, no permission to celebrate our culture, our history,
and our achievements in this country. We're gonna celebrate whether
we got DEI, whether we got affirmed or that, whether
we got multiculturalism, we're gonna celebrate it. And if people
don't think you visible leaks books lead books dot com.
(16:10):
If you want to see greatest yr world's great men
of color, I forgots give to America.
Speaker 2 (16:15):
J A. Rock. He didn't live to see how powerful
his books have become. But let me tell you something.
Black people is part of America and we not going nowhere.
We're part of why this.
Speaker 1 (16:26):
Nation is great, and we not going nowhere because Black
history is American history and we're gonna.
Speaker 2 (16:31):
Celebrate it from the top to the bottom.
Speaker 1 (16:35):
And Wenna, we don't need nobody's permission to celebrate what
is true and what is great about this nation. Yet
we're not trying to dwell in the past. But you
know what, Yes, we got to go forward. And there's
been a lot of changes that have happened for the good, okay,
And people have stood up, they have marched, they have protested,
(16:56):
or what have you.
Speaker 2 (16:56):
And there have been a lot of changes in this conation.
All right, we can.
Speaker 1 (17:00):
Go to any college as long as you got to
do you know, the.
Speaker 2 (17:04):
SAT scores and the grades.
Speaker 1 (17:07):
You know, you can go to pretty much any Harvard, Yale,
whatever whatever school.
Speaker 2 (17:11):
I went to USC. But all I'm telling you is,
regardless of these program.
Speaker 1 (17:17):
D I, it ain't gonna change the fact that Black
history is American history, and we're part of the success
of this nation. And we're not going nowhere, and we're
gonna keep forging ford to make this country as best
as it can can possibly. It got a lot of problems, yeah,
but it also got a lot of things that we
can be proud about.
Speaker 2 (17:34):
And so we're gonna move forward. We're gonna march forward.
Speaker 1 (17:37):
And I'm not gonna sit here and keep trying to
bag of people to do for us. Well, we must
do for ourselves, all right. No one can make the
change but us. No amount of money is gonna change
the fact that we got to unite and do for
self or we're gonna suffer the consequences so hey, that's mine.
First episode, Season three, Malik's Bookshelf, bringing a world together
(18:01):
with books, culture and community peace.
Speaker 2 (18:04):
Hope you enjoyed this episode.
Speaker 1 (18:06):
Black History is American History. Look April twenty twenty five.
The new book Pros to the People, the author Katie Midcher.
I'm sitting right here at the ABA convention out here
in Denver, Conlorado. Before I leave, I got to get
some information about this wonderful book. We are featured in it,
(18:27):
Elik Books. Like I said, it was a story that
never been told. Now people are writing, and she wrote
on Prose to the people, Katie, how you doing.
Speaker 3 (18:36):
I'm doing really good. Thanks for hanging out with me
here in Denver. Good to see y'all again.
Speaker 4 (18:41):
Yes, yes, yeah, Now break it down.
Speaker 1 (18:42):
Tell us why what motivated you to write this story
about black bookstores, your black bookstore owner as well.
Speaker 4 (18:49):
So tell us about the book, why you wrote the.
Speaker 1 (18:52):
Book, and what readers can take away from the book.
Speaker 2 (18:56):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (18:56):
So I knew that this history was so important, getting
to know all the black bookstores around the United States.
I said, people need to know this history. And it
wasn't compiled in one volume like you said, It was
all in a news article here, you know, somebody's basement there.
But I wanted it to be our history, to be
more accessible. So in the book you can expect to
(19:16):
find profiles of all sorts of different bookstores from the
past and the present. I'm going back all the way
to the eighteen thirties, which a lot of people don't
think there would be black bookstores in the eighteen thirties
because slavery was going on, but there was a black
book store then all the way to the twenty twenties,
all around the country, all different types of bookstores. Because
you know, we all are not a monolith as they
(19:36):
like to put us as. So everybody's politics is different,
their interest, their inventory and getting those stories. But then
also seeing how connected we are in that same vein.
So I'm super excited. You know Eliite Books with the jingle,
you know, we pop in with that and everything. So
super excited.
Speaker 4 (19:55):
Who we excited.
Speaker 1 (19:57):
Look, this is a photographic got information about different bookstore,
black bookstores, but it's lots of pictures, lots of history
is in this book. Did you get any of the
photos back from eighteen thirties?
Speaker 3 (20:11):
You say, we do have some old photos in there.
I went to the archives and really dug to get
that information and was so lucky and blessed to get
a four by and Miss Nikki Giovanni before she passed
last year, So you'll see that in there, and also
pictures of her at the Black bookstores, because everybody I
talked to had a Nikki Giovanni story, so I wanted
to make sure she had the first word in that book.
Speaker 4 (20:33):
Wonderful. I mean, that's an excellent author.
Speaker 1 (20:36):
She's a wonderful, award winning writer, and she is definite
impacted future generations of writers and thinkers.
Speaker 4 (20:46):
And so we excited about pros to the people.
Speaker 1 (20:50):
Hey, listen, you know gonna go hard on this book.
We in it, and I'm very thankful that the years
of work since nineteen ninety we've been doing in Los
Angeles found.
Speaker 4 (21:04):
This way in a book because we all collectedly.
Speaker 1 (21:07):
I always call it the Black Book Revolution, the impact
that we made nationwide throughout this country. It's a story
and ain't been told, but now it's being told in
Katie Mitchell.
Speaker 4 (21:18):
Book is the first off the print.
Speaker 1 (21:21):
What do you want readers to take away when they
read this wonderful, colorful, picture oriented illustrations out there.
Speaker 4 (21:29):
I mean, just incredible and all information in the book.
Speaker 3 (21:33):
I want them to take away that we've been here before.
There's a lot going on now, and I think a
lot of times people get discouraged, but when you read
the book, you'll see how our ancestors and our elders
navigated it and know that you know, we got this,
we got each other, and we will survive this, and
we're going to keep going and we're going to keep
making black history and specifically black bookstore history.
Speaker 4 (21:55):
Yeah, we are resilient. Thank you, Katie.
Speaker 1 (22:00):
Any takeaways, anything extra than we talk about you want
to add, thank you.
Speaker 3 (22:05):
I just want to say I'm so appreciative to all
the black bookstores that spoke with me. I was telling
your beautiful wife, Miss April, that I feel the weight
of all these stories and I don't take for granted
that people trusted me with telling them and getting them
out here. So I'm just excited for everyone to see
it and fall in love with the black bookstores like
I have, Katie.
Speaker 1 (22:26):
Real quick, before we conclude this conversation, tell them where
they can find you. I know where they can find
this book at Malik Books and all bookstores nationwide yes.
Speaker 3 (22:38):
If you want more information about me or the book,
you can go to a pros toothpeople dot com. And
if you would like to follow me on Instagram, I'm
at good booksatl dot com. So looking forward to connecting
with y'all.
Speaker 1 (22:49):
Tell us the title of your bookstore in Atlanta and
how they can reach you there.
Speaker 3 (22:56):
The title of my bookstore is good Books. We're in
Atlanta and we're at good Books atl dot com.
Speaker 2 (23:01):
Thank you, thank you.
Speaker 1 (23:02):
Think I know my audience on Malise's bookshelf bringing a
world together with books, culture and community. It's gonna love
this book. It's gonna love this talk that we just had.
So thank you, thank you, thank you. Thanks for listening
to Malik's Bookshelf, where topics on the shelf are books, culture,
and community.
Speaker 2 (23:22):
Be sure to subscribe and leave me a review.
Speaker 4 (23:24):
Check out my Instagram at malak Books. See you next time.
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