Saturday, February 4th @ 3pm

Long Beach Author

Wilson Simmons III

He will read and sign his new book

A Diverse Guide for a Diverse Workplace
Toast Black History Month with a glass of Champagne

Wednesday, February 8th @7 pm
Dr. John Henrik Clarke:

A Great and Mighty Walk

Event: Screenings
Location: 2000+ Bookstore
309 Pine Ave. Long Beach, Ca. 90802/ www.edunow.com/562.435.1199
Cost: FREE and open to the public

Documentarian St. Claire Bourne takes a close-up look at author and historian John Henrik Clarke, who, on camera for much of the film, bounces back and forth between a description of his own personal history, and his views on the history of Africa and of Pan-Africanism. His points are backed up by old newsreel footage, and by images of artwork depicting Africans and their civilization over the centuries. Actor Wesley Snipes executive produced the film and serves as a narrator. John Henrik Clarke: A Great and Mighty Walk was made in 1996, with Clarke suffering from glaucoma, barely able to see as he gives his sweeping account. He talks about his own upbringing, and his growing interest in Pan-Africanism, the failures of the civil rights movement and the Black Power movement, his close friendship with Malcolm X, and his critical assessment of Louis Farrakhan's Million Man March. He also gives a primer on the history of African civilization, and argues that no conquering or colonizing power ever "brought civilization" to Africa, but rather these nations destroyed what civilization they didn't understand, and brought many of Africa's ideas back to their bases in ancient Greece and Rome. He also describes how Black Africans were methodically removed from the history of the civilization of the Nile. He details how leaders like Marcus Garvey, W.E.B. Du Bois, and Ghanaian Kwame Nkrumah spread the ideas of Pan-Africanism throughout the U.S. and the world. John Henrik Clarke: A Great and Mighty Walk was shown at the 1997 Sundance Film Festival, and won the Best Documentary award at the 1997 UrbanWorld Film Festival. Clarke died of a heart attack in 1998.

My feet have felt the sands
Of many nations,
I have drunk the water
Of many springs.
I am old.
Older than the pyramids,
I am older than the race
That oppresses me,
I will live on...
I will out-live oppression.
I will out-live oppressors.

Thursday, February 9th @ 7 pm
Film: Hotel Rwanda

Event: Screenings

Location: 2000+ Bookstore
309 Pine Ave. Long Beach, Ca. 90802/ www.edunow.com/562.435.1199
Cost: FREE and open to the public

The true-life account of Rwandan hotel manager Paul Rusesabagina (Don Cheadle) and his courageous efforts to shield a thousand refugees from the genocide that swept his country in 1994

Review by Stephen Holden, The New York Times
This wrenching political thriller, based on fact, performs the valuable service of lending a human face to an upheaval so savage it seemed beyond the realm of imagination when news of it filtered into the West. The movie certainly isn't the first screen depiction of a nation consumed in ethnic strife. But its vision of the slaughter of 800,000 Tutsis by the ruling Hutu tribe in Rwanda during a hundred-day bloodbath in 1994, offers a devastating picture of media-driven mass murder left unchecked. The story is based on the real-life experiences of Paul Rusesabagina (Don Cheadle), the soft-spoken Hutu manager of the Hotel Des Mille Collines, in Kigali, who with his Tutsi wife, Tatiana (Sophie Okonedo), and children, narrowly escapes death several times. Mr. Rusesabagina was directly responsible for saving the lives of more than 1,200 Tutsis and Hutu moderates by sheltering them in the hotel and bribing the Hutu military to spare them. The movie, which is squeamish about showing the full extent of savagery, hammers every button on the emotional console.

Saturday, February 11th @ 5 pm
Black-Brown Relations and Stereotypes
Presented  by Dr Gerald Horne
(John and Rebecca Moores Professor United States, African American)

Event: Lectures/Discussions & Booksigning

Location: 2000+ Bookstore
309 Pine Ave. Long Beach, Ca. 90802/ www.edunow.com/562.435.1199
Cost: FREE and open to the public

Teachers and professors encourage your students to attend this presentation by giving extra credit.

Race relations in twenty-first-century America will not be just a black-and-white issue. The 2000 census revealed that Hispanics already slightly outnumber African Americans as the largest ethnic group, while together Blacks and Hispanics constitute the majority population in the five largest U.S. cities. Given these facts, black-brown relations could be a more significant racial issue in the decades to come than relations between minority groups and Whites.
Gerald Horne will offers some of the first in-depth analyses of how African Americans and Hispanics perceive and interact with each other. With Los Angeles a majority ethnic population and one in which Hispanics outnumber African Americans. Drawing on the results of several sociological studies, the author/Speaker will focus on four key issues:

How each group forms and maintains stereotypes of the other,
Areas in which the two groups conflict and disagree,
The crucial role of women in shaping their communities'
Racial attitudes,
Areas in which Hispanics and African Americans agree and can cooperate to achieve greater political power and social justice.

Gerald Horne brings the tale to life in Black And Brown: African Americans And The Mexican Revolution, 1910-1920 (American History and Culture Series)
The Mexican Revolution was a defining moment in the history of race relations, impacting both Mexican and African Americans. For black Westerners, 1910–1920 did not represent the clear-cut promise of populist power, but a reordering of the complex social hierarchy which had, since the nineteenth century, granted them greater freedom in the borderlands than in the rest of the United States.

The story of Black Americans along the Mexican border has been sorely underreported in the annals of U.S. history. Gerald Horne brings the tale to life in Black and Brown. Drawing on archives on both sides of the border, a host of cutting-edge studies and oral histories, Horne chronicles the political currents which created and then undermined the Mexican border as a relative safe haven for African Americans. His account addresses blacks' role as "Indian fighters," the relationship between African Americans and immigrants, and the U.S. government's growing fear of black disloyalty, among other essential concerns of the period: the heavy reliance of the U.S. on black soldiers along the border placed white supremacy and national security on a collision course that was ultimately resolved in favor of the latter.

About Dr. Horne
Dr. Horne holds the John J. and Rebecca Moores Chair of History and African American Studies at the University of Houston (TX) . His research has addressed issues of race in a variety of relations involving labor, politics, civil rights, and war. Dr. Horne received his Ph.D. in history from Columbia University and his J.D. from the University of California, Berkeley.
Mining a forgotten chapter in American history, Black and Brown offers tremendous insight into the past and future of race relations along the Mexican border.

Tuesday, February 14th @ 7pm,
Film: Burn

Gillo Pontecorvo's epic tale of Brazilian slavery

Event: Screening
Location: 2000+ Bookstore
309 Pine Ave. Long Beach, Ca. 90802/ www.edunow.com/562.435.1199
Cost: FREE and open to the public

The story is set in the 19th century, and begins when Sir William Walker (Marlon Brando) is sent by the British government to a small Caribbean island. The island is run by the Portuguese who slaughtered the native Indian population and then imported slaves from Africa. The slaves work the lucrative sugar plantations, and the British seek to usurp the Portuguese as masters of the sugar trade. When Walker, the British government's Agent Provocateur arrives, a slave revolt is brutally squashed and its leader executed. Sir Walker was supposed to fuel this revolt and ensure its successful conclusion, so he casts around for a new rebel leader. Sir Walker finds what he's looking for in charismatic slave Jose Dolores (Evaristo Marquez). Sir Walker manipulates circumstances, and soon a slave revolt takes place, the slaves are 'freed' and the British take over the sugar trade on the island.

Thursday, February 16th 7pm,
Flim: The Agronomist

Event: Screening
Location: 2000+ Bookstore
309 Pine Ave. Long Beach, Ca. 90802/

edunow@aol.com/562.435.1199
Cost: FREE and open to the public

The latest feature film from Academy-Award winning filmmaker Demme, it tells the story of Haitian national hero, journalist and freedom fighter Jean L. Dominique. As owner and operator of his nation's oldest and only free radio station, Dominique frequently was at odds with his country's various repressive governments and spent much of the 1980s and early 90s in exile in New York.

Dominique's still-unsolved assassination in April 2000 gave Demme the impetus to assemble more than a decade's worth of material into a celebration of his legacy.

Saturday, February 18, @ 3 pm
Event: Lectures/Discussions & Booksigning
Sexual Exploits of a Nympho
by the author Richard Jeanty

Location: 2000+ Bookstore
309 Pine Ave. Long Beach, Ca. 90802/ www.edunow.com/562.435.1199
Cost: FREE and open to the public

Description
Tina develops an insatiable sexual appetite very early in her life. She only loves her boyfriend, Darren, but he's too far away in college to satisfy her sexual needs. Tina decides to get buck wild away in college. Will her sexual trysts jeopardize the lives of the men in her life?

Review
From adolescence, Tina was always curious about sex. Whether it is because of the noise coming from her parents' locked bedroom door or her older brother's need to "study" alone in the basement, Tina wanted to know more about it. What does it feel like? Like most, her curiosity blossomed into wanting to actually experience sex for herself. And once Tina started, there was no turning back, no stopping and no slowing down. Partner after partner, new experience after new experience, Tina's sexual appetite continues to grow. But too much of anything isn't good for you. Where will Tina's uncontrollable urges for pleasure land her? Will Tina be the only one affected by her behavior?

This is book number two of Richard's for me and he doesn't disappoint. The cover is hot. The title is hot. The story is hot. But don't be fooled. This is not simply a sexually charged novel lacking substance. The author tackles the subject of sexual addictions and its ramifications. Richard does a very good job. As with Neglected Souls, I really like the introduction.

Monday, February 20th @ 6pm

Event: Writers' Workshop

Is There A Book in You?

Location: 2000+ Bookstore
309 Pine Ave. Long Beach, Ca. 90802/

edunow@aol.com/562.435.1199
Cost: FREE and open to the public

Presenter by

Robyn McGee, M.A. California State University, Dominguez Hills Women's Resource Center

Robin is also the author of:

Hungry for More
A Keeping-it-Real

Guide for Black Women on Weight and Body Image

Blending kitchen table wisdom and her own experience in losing her sister to gastric bypass surgery, author Robyn McGee explores the historical and cultural roots of obesity among Black Women, offering practical guidelines to weight loss and living a more healthy and balanced life.

Saturday, February 25th @ 3 pm
Please join us for a special lecture on
Post-Traumatic Slave Syndrome
Presented by Dr. Joy Leary and author
Event: Lectures/Discussions & Booksigning

Location: TDB
www.edunow.com/562.435.1199

Today, the legacy of slavery remains etched in our souls. Understanding the role our past plays in our present attitudes, outlooks, mindsets and circumstances is important if we are to free ourselves from the spiritual, mental and emotional shackles that bind us today, shackles that limit what we believe we can be, do and have. Understanding the Post-Traumatic Slave Syndrome plays in our evolution may be the key that helps to set us on the path to well-being.”

She will laid out her theory of Post-Traumatic Slave Syndrome (PTSS), explaining what it is, how it's been passed down through the generations, and its ongoing ill effects on the Black community today. She made a clear case for the need to identify PTSS so it can be dealt with, because, as she stated, "We can't heal what we don't understand."

Dr. Leary's book "Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome - America's Legacy of Enduring Injury and Healing" incorporates her research in both America and Africa, as well as her twenty years experience as a social work practitioner and consultant to public and private organizations.
In her book Dr. Leary first exposes the reader to the conditions that led to the Atlantic slave trade and allowed the pursuant racism and efforts at repression to continue through the present day. She then looks at the seemingly insurmountable obstacles that our ancestors faced as the result of the slave trade. Next she discusses the adaptive behaviors they developed, both positive and negative, that allowed them to survive and often even thrive. Dr. Leary concludes by reevaluating those adaptive behaviors that have been passed down through generations and where appropriate, she explores replacing behaviors which are today maladaptive with ones that will promote, ensure and sustain the healing and advancement of African American culture.

Febuary 27th @ 7 pm/2006
Film: SANKOFA

Event: Screening
Location: The Found Theatre
599 Long Beach Blvd., Long Beach Ca. 90802
562-435-1199/www.edunow.com

SANKOFA is an Akan word that means, one must return to the past in order to move forward. Mona, a contemporary model, is possessed by spirits lingering in the Cape Coast Castle in Ghana and travels to the past, where, as a house servant called Shola she is constantly abused by the slave master. Nunu, an African-born field hand, and Shango, Sholas West Indian Lover, continuously rebel against the slave system. For Nunu this means direct conflict with her son, a mulatto benefitting from the system as a head slave. Inspired by Nunu and Shangos determination to defy the system, Shola finally takes her fate into her own hands.

Febuary 28th @ 7 pm/2006
Film: Redemption:

the Stan 'Tookie' Williams Story
Event: Screening

Location: The Found Theatre
599 Long Beach Blvd., Long Beach Ca. 90802
562-435-1199/www.edunow.com

Based on a true story, this enthralling drama tells the story of Stan "Tookie" Williams (Jamie Foxx). Tookie was the founder of the Crips, an L.A. street gang whose name became synonymous with gang culture. After making a fearsome name for himself on the streets, Tookie ended up on death row. While serving time he began a remarkable transformation, earning two Nobel Peace Prize nominations, writing children's novels, and preaching a life of non-violence.

Brothers and Sisters can we talk?

Political effects of population displacement

In the days following the evacuation of New Orleans, Reuters reported that displaced families in Houston, which is expecting many thousands of evacuees to remain, suggest that thousands of blacks who lost everything and had no insurance will end up living in Texas or other U.S. states.

Forbes Magazine notes that "those left homeless will take part in the biggest internal migration of people since the days of the Dust Bowl and the Great Depression."

This and other reports suggest that the hurricane will have demographic consequences, particularly in and around Louisiana. Prior to the hurricane, Louisiana was one of a handful of states projected by the U.S. Census Department to become a majority-minority state within the next two decades. Because a majority of displaced Louisiana residents are black, this occurrence will likely be delayed in Louisiana, accelerated in nearby Florida and Georgia, and increased in Texas, which itself became a majority-minority state in mid-2005.

The devastation wrought by Hurricane Katrina has already begun to have significant political effects manifested in criticism of the government response. In addition to this immediate response, commentators have discussed the likely effects of the disaster on a wide range of political issues, and potentially on future elections and legislation. The streets were barely dry in New Orleans blackest, and poorest wards, when there was talk that a white Republican may challenge black Congressional Democrat William Jefferson.

Are the mental health issues black people are dealing with off the radar screen in the debate surrounding the recovery of the Gulf Coast region?