We wrap up this week’s Black Book Chats with Kenneth Bowens as he tells us more about his debut title, The Education of Black Dickey. If you have not read the book yet, click here for the FREE copy and definitely come back to share your thoughts.
If you’ve already read it…let’s discuss!
BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Before the 1960’s it was virtually impossible for African Americans to assimilate and join any of white America’s social groups. But since the Civil Rights Bill of 1964 more African Americans have been trickling into mainstream America. More than thirty years after the Civil Rights movement of the sixties, Kayin, a naïve twenty-one year old is attending college in red state Oklahoma. And for many African Americans the definition for a red state is a place where segregation continues to be a lifestyle. On a stormy autumn morning Kayin along with his cousin and his two friends are profiled, stopped by the police, and they’re arrested for possession of crack cocaine. Were they framed? Did the cops place the drugs there or did his cousin’s friends have the powder? Either way Kayin is brought before a white jury that still hasn’t had an honest and open, touchy-feely, a loving relationship with the black community.
The education of Black Dickey is a story about after affects of slavery and all the Jim Crow Laws and how alienation from the white community is affecting a young black man’s life today. And it’s about the idea of how people are suppose to love.
Through a series of nightmares and hallucinations Kayin is transported to actual historical events; episodes that happened after the end of slavery. Kayin has always been unsure and insecure as to why white females in Oklahoma City aren’t attracted to his handsome bronze body, and through the dreams he learns about the antebellum lifestyle. And the idea that Oklahoma passed eight-teen segregated Jim Crow Laws made it clear to him that intimacy between a black man and a white woman was never suppose to take place. The Trail Of Tears; illegal castrations and hangings; the 1921 Tulsa race riot, a bloodbath that began over a white woman’s accusation of rape by a black man.
FROM THE AUTHOR:
“In my new novel The Education of Black Dickey, I give readers an intimate love story and some hard facts about the relationship between blacks and whites since the Civil War.”
The book is meant to be entertaining but my purpose for writing it was to use sex as a tool and too hopefully easily explore and inform the world of the peculiar history African Americans have had with white people since The Civil War. And between these intimate pages I wish that the messages will inspire a better bond between blacks and whites. I’d like to see diversity as a lifestyle.
VIDEO: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hATFiSn313c
WEBSITE: Http://www.KennethBowens.com
Kenneth, welcome to RAWSISTAZ and congrats on the publication of your first book. Tell us more about you, your background and why you decided to use sex to tell the story.
Well, I need to figure out how this works.
I think you have the hang of it, Kenneth, you just post your comments here, and you can do a long comment if necessary.
You don’t have to send in one liners…
Thanks Tee, happy to be here.
I’m a lifetime activist and I’m trying to be a decent writer. The underlying theme about the book is intimacy.
Tee, are you still there?
Kenneth, the site went down momentarily, so my apologies, but yes I am here. Please answer in detail at one time though as it’ll make it easier to follow along with you. This isn’t a live chat per se since, but you can type as much as you want at one time.
One out of three men will end up in prison. The Education of Black Dickey is also about the history of justice system and African Americans. The thousands of illegal lynchings and castrations, and how blacks survived under a Jim Crow system.
Sex, was the major reason black men were lynched. I give the reader an intimate physiological and anatomical description of what happens to the body when a person is hung. And, the lingering question is, what made this white society so barbaric?
Would you elaborate, Kenneth? I’m not quite sure I follow you when you say “was the major reason black men were lynched….”
By sex, are you referring to black men being lynched because of white’s societies view of him as being overly sexed or because a black man actually had sex with a white woman? Do you think this is the only reason?
I’m late.
Kenneth, what made you choose this topic specifically and how did you do research on it?
“Overly sexed…” lol. Blacks were more like animals and less human, this argument that still lingers today. Wow! Black women were Jezebels and oversexed & the big black buck that couldn’t control his animal instinctual desires.
Okay, I follow you now. So, how does The Education of Black Dickey go about changing these perceptions? And growing up, did you experience any instances you were able to use while writing this book?
Lastly, being an activist, do you find a void in the literary world for books similar to yours?
(please click on the “Reply” link directly under my comment vs posting directly in the box at the end of the page.)
Oh! I click on this box. (lol)
ROFL! I am not going to say a word. Whew!!!
In writing and researching the novel I choose a specific location. The history of Oklahoma took place after the Civil War–and I wanted to write about the black and white realtionship since that time. The state had 3 land runs from 1889 to 1892. To escape the antebellum rituals of the old deep south and the second classness blacks had to endure in the east, blacks formed wagon tranis and traveled from all over the country to be on those land runs. I read over 40 books by black & white authors, and I examined a ton of old newspaper clipping from the Oklahoma Historical Socoiety.
Oh yes. I am from Oklahoma. I was born in Tulsa. Thirty-four years before I was born, “The Tulsa Masacare” happened.
Yes, there is a void. Yeah, it’s lonesome. If this book does do well, I’m hoping I’ll get some company. I’m always going to be an activist and will always write about social issues.
All of the incidents in my life were instrumental in writing this book. I was born in 1955, a year after Brown vs Board of Education. Oklahoma was completely segregated. Beyond the physical barriers of segration, there was a mental & psycic devaluation that automatically happened in my soul.
When I moved to Seattle, Washington in 1984 because of a higher level of intimacy existed between blacks & whites the deminished concept I had of myself was healed. Now that I’m living in Oklahoma again (labbled the redish of red states), I work hard daily to maintain my human being-ness.
This is quite fascinating…that it’s still like this today, and also kind of sad. I’m not sure I’d be able to deal with that kinda “tone” around me from day to day. But, who knows? This could inspire a whole new series of books fictionalizing the events of the past, in hopes of making the future better.
Can I change perceptions, that verdict is still out. Some whites that have read the book are shocked by their brutal history. I’ve had intimately intense conversations with 2 local black bookclubs, and, I walked away proud of the work.
I’m sure it’s hard looking back and seeing the history–even for those who aren’t black. But, I’m glad you’ve had the opportunity to interact with non-blacks too.
Thanks for joining us today too. We appreciate your time and that you shared your book with us. Hopefully others chime in later as they complete the book or email you via your website.