Books

Re-Read Book Club: Things Fall Apart

Book: Things Fall Apart
Author: Chinua Achebe
Times Read: 3

What I found compelling about Things Fall Apart this time around was the focus on gender roles. Okonkwo, the main protagonist, has precise definitions of masculinity and femininity. He rejected his father because he viewed his irresponsible and lazy behavior as effeminate and weak. In an act to compensate for his father’s lack of masculinity, Okonkwo asserted his hyper-masculinity over his three wives by beating them regularly and threatening to kill them. When British missionaries come to the village, Okonkwo tells his sons not to get involved in this new religion being introduced called Christianity, as it will make feminine. Christianity, in Okonkwo’s view, is the opposite of the masculine Igbo traditions.

I happen to have started reading the book when the new FX program Pose premiered. Sure, Things Fall Apart’s plot in pre-colonial Africa is an entirely different concept and light years away from the 1980s gay ballroom scene in New York. However, it made me think about how we view gender roles today. I saw this woman who claims to be a “gender expert” on TV the other day saying that societal gender is now a social construct. I’m not sure if I agree with that, but I understand what she is saying. I guess societal gender is different from biological gender as, according to this woman, focuses on how society views the two sexes. But she was saying in light of all the new concepts that have recently come into the lexicon, like transgender, non-binary, genderfluid.  I think I am pretty progressive on gender issues.  I remember going to a dinner party a couple of years ago with other liberal-minded folks, and an attendee said she was cisgender.  At the time, I didn’t know that meant, and apparently, everyone else in the room didn’t either.  We were all in a state of bewilderment when the attendee said cisgender was the opposite of transgender.  I seriously learn something every day!

Regardless of these new identities, there are still A LOT of rules about what masculine men can and can’t do, like eating a whole banana, lollipops, popsicles or any other phallic foods in public.  I used to date a Ghanian guy who didn’t like eating ice cream cones in public.

“Now that we have all these different genders accepted in America today, there is no longer a need for what is masculine and feminine or creating gender roles,” the TV gender expert said.

Tell that to Okonkwo.

Book Review: Barracoon

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Zora Neale Hurston’s “latest” work, Barracoon: The Story of the Last “Black Cargo,” is the most anticipated book of the year. It was one of the few books I have ever pre-purchased months ahead of time. And the book doesn’t disappoint! It should be required reading in all American high schools.

Barracoon tells the little-known story of Cudjo Lewis or Kossola, the last known survivor of the Middle Passage. What makes this book so unique is that there are not many testimonies by survivors of the African Slave Trade, which officially ended, on paper at least, in 1808. The Middle Passage is the largest forced migration of humans in world history. It is estimated that over 12 million Africans were enslaved.

Of that number, there are only a small handful of slave narratives. The most notable one is by Olaudah Equiano, whose book, The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, was the driving force behind the Slave Trade Act of 1807, which essentially ended the British transatlantic slave trade.

Between 1808 and 1861, there were at least 100 attempts by slave traders to bring human cargo to the Americas that were captured to suppress illegal trading.  However, slave trade patrolling was mostly unsuccessful because the United States didn’t have enough vessels to guard African coastlines and slave ships used sneaky ways to evade patrols like hoisting European flag on the boats.  Up to an estimated 50,000 enslaved Africans were illegally imported into the United States after 1808.

One of the boats that evaded patrols was the Clotida, the schooner Lewis came to Mobile, Alabama on in 1860. The Clotida is believed to be the last known slave ship to bring Africans to the United States.  Lewis came with approximately 150 other Africans from present-day Benin.  This human cargo – the Barracoon – only came to America on a wager for $100 made by the Clotida’s ship maker Timothy Meaher, who thought he could successfully smuggle enslaved Africans by undermining the law.

Hurston originally wrote this book in 1927, but it wasn’t published until 2018 because it is largely Lewis speaking in broken English.  Historically, publishers shy away from releasing work in vernacular language as it is not viewed as “standard” language.  Being an anthropologist, Hurston studied traditional folklore and language of the African Diaspora.  Her best-known work, Their Eyes Were Watching God, was also criticized for using vernacular black dialect by other black intellectuals at the time, like writer Richard Wright, who thought the book would make “white people laugh” at black people.  There was also concern by this same black Inteligencia that Barracoon would highlight an unspoken truth that Africans sold other Africans into slavery.

So what if Lewis didn’t speak proper English? Does that make his harrowing story less valid? Absolutely not! I assume English wasn’t his first language and he wasn’t ever given proper English language education when he came to America as enslaved people weren’t allowed to learn how to read and write.  Even after slavery was abolished, there were many attempts by racist whites during Reconstruction and Jim Crow to deny educational opportunities for black folks.  He was a product of his environment, and it didn’t seem fair that the black bourgeoisie of the day to judge him as a poor reflection on the whole black race solely on his dialect.

Yes, at times it is hard to read, but it is Lewis’s truth that he is speaking, and that is why the book is so important.  He gives very descriptive accounts about life in Benin, being on the slave ship, being enslaved in Alabama, his marriage and the tragedies that befell all his children.  He seemed very unhappy for most of his life for obvious reasons.  Although he was only a slave for five years, he never really adapted to life in America, and he was always yearning to go back to what he called the “Affriky soil.”  Africatown in Mobile was established after the Civil War for descendants of the Clotida to build a community for themselves after a failed attempt to raise funds to go back to Africa.  This self-contained community spoke their own language and maintained many African customs.

I guess what most struck me was Lewis died in 1935; less than a hundred years ago.  In theory, slavery is still a recent memory in the American psyche.  I hope that now Lewis can find some peace in death that his story is being told and can be used as a lesson about humanity for generations to come.

How to Reorganize Your Book Collection

I recently got rid of nearly 100 books from my home book collection.  That sounds like a lot, but I have over 500 books in total!  While I was doing spring cleaning around my house, I thought it would also be a good idea to rid my collection of books I don’t need or want anymore.  It is hard for me to part from any book, but sometimes you have to make space for other things and people in your life.

I created three boxes – Keep, Recycle and Toss.

Keep Box:

  1. Classic rare or out of print books that I want to keep
  2. Books signed by the author
  3. Books I plan to read in the next three months
  4. Important books related to history, post-colonial studies, media development, and journalism

Toss box:

  1. Books I read already
  2. Books I have multiple copies of in my collection ( I had five copies of The Wretched of the Earth!)
  3. Books I am never going to read
  4. Books I already have as an ebook

Recycle box:

  1. Outdated books and magazines (travel books, encyclopedias)
  2. Books with mold, missing pages, dirt etc.

I reorganized my keep books on the bookshelves and categorized them by subject matter.  I also created an Excel sheets listing all my books. This way I don’t purchase multiple copies of books again.  The books I promise myself to read in the next three months go on the top shelf.

Books from the toss box were donated to a variety of needy thrift stores and my local library’s Friends group. There are many nonprofits that also serve underserved communities that would love to take your books, like groups that send books to readers in developing countries and prison book programs.  Make sure to call these organizations before donating to be sure they will take your books.

For recycling books, paperbacks that are torn or unusable can be placed in your curbside recycling bin.

 

I hope this helps if you are looking for a way to reorganize your book collection.

Five Ways To Promote Literacy

Literacy is an important skill to have to promote both personal and professional growth.  However, according to a 2013 study by the U.S. Department of Education and National Institute of Literacy, 32 million adults in America, or 14 percent, cannot read. Twenty-one percent of adults read below a 5th-grade level, and 19 percent of high school graduates can’t read at all.  For children, a lack of books in the home is also linked to lower reading scores and less success in school.  In an Annie E. Casey Foundation report, students who can’t read proficiently by third grade are four times more likely to leave school without a diploma than proficient readers.

This is why it is important for everyone to promote literacy in their community and among their friends and family members.  Here are five simple ways to do it:

  1. Set an example and make a routine: I committed myself to reading for at least one hour a day, preferably before I go to bed when it is most relaxing. Even on days when I can’t get to read for that one hour, I find times in other ways.  I always have a book on hand, whether it is a physical book or an ebook on my mobile or tablet ready to read anywhere I go.  If I am on the bus or train or waiting in line, I use the time to read even if it is just one or two pages at a time.  It is especially important to set a reading routine with your children like a story time.  When your kids see you reading, you are setting an example for them.
  2. Discuss books with others: Being around other people who like reading supports literacy.  A book club allows you to socialize with other like-minded people while discussing the same book.  Also, sharing your book reviews on a blog or on an online forum like GoodReads or Amazon opens you up to the shared wisdom and thoughts of others around the world!
  3. Give the gift of literacy: I love giving books as gifts.  I try to find out what types of books the recipient might like and get them the book or at least a gift card for an independent bookshop or Barnes and Noble.
  4. Give away books: Every year I go through my extensive library and give away some books to either my local public library, thrift shop, or schools in need of books.  You should also consider donating to organizations that specialize in giving away free or low-cost books to marginalized populations, like prison book programs, literacy programs for people with disabilities and low-income or rural communities, or international NGOs that send books to developing countries.
  5. Support literacy causes: Whenever possible, donate your time or money to support literacy programs, campaigns, and fundraisers.  Theses causes go back into your community to help someone else in need.

 

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