chicago, we've got our sights on new york city. we got our sights on new orleans. in terms of expansion, because we think that the politics of school last, this last year. and we started with 230 students. so it is a growing movement, and i think that is one of the answers. >> very briefly. we have been in the business of

education for almost four years. for most of that time we ran independent aican centered schools. we charged very small tuition, even less than catholic schools. we made little money. when i was working directly in our schools i'd didn't make more than $400 a month. however, we still have to charge. with chartered schools, it's public money and kids can come free of charge. >> that's right. >> next question. >> i have a question and in a statement. the question really is for any panelists. i name is from african perspective. you talk about language. want to address the issue about naming your child, how much of a communal sense when you name your child. i'm talking about so w did he. if i hear someone else and no disrespect to anyone here, name their child alice a., or indication, and i'm not knocking what to do, but understand the power of the name of what that represents, and secondly, this is a wonderful, phenomenal

opportunity but what w are missing in this audience are the young people and that's were i'm at in terms of their voice so we can hear what they are saying about the length which we are talking about. they need to be here too we are talking about. that's all. >> i had a student named ration a. [laughter] >> i think many students a into the rap culture. thers a lot of, there's a new thing called poetry slam, which is really an expression that was started backn chicago at a jazz club by a young man named mark, i think his name is mark smith. it was a way for students to express their feeling, because they didn't have the money to go see a psychiatrist or a therapist. so poetry slam is this a new version of rap and hip-hop. it allows students to really tell you what they are thinking about the world and who they are. and we have national poetry slam contest.

actually teach poetry slam at a boys and girls high school in brooklyn. the problem that we're having with culture is we have integrated to a point where w have lost julliard. and the only time we discover who we are in our language, whenever it is expressed when you are at a family reunion or family outing, where we can connect to the family. i stress the family a lot because it's not enough to just have a charter school like doctor lee explained. it's more to get the family involved in the school and education process. you should go. you shouldn't have to give a list of books to people because we're in an age of technology now. where you can go on the computer and you can find out what your interests are, whatre the things you le to read about. there is a multitude of information out there, and i think it's african americans we need to explore more and not have such fear about going into a bookstore, or going into the

public library. it's more than that. you have to really have a love for books, and put that in the minds of the child at a yog let them fend -- don't let them fend for themselves so we have to teach them. >> i have been told that our time is up, but i believe that our panelists will be here for a little while, or at least out front for a little while longer for additional questions. thank you again, judy, andrew, roger reynolds, doctor howard dodson, wade hudson, doctor carol lee, for this topic of interest, not just african-americans, but to the entire commuty. and when we are asked who ist the door, when it comes to our understanding of the link between culture and language, the answer maybe it's me. it may be it is i.

but it ought to be we are at the door to find out. thank you very much. [applause] >> [inaudible conversations] >> good afternoon. pleaseelcome.

>> thank you very much. [applauding] >> and i am happy to be here, and i so happy to see you sitting in the audience. as you know, writers need readers. so we need the dialogue and the conversation. without yo there is no nversation. so thank you very much for being here. i am going to begin with my biography. the other writers are on the way. they phoned us. they're stuck in traffic. as soon as they come they will come up to the table and tell their stories. all right. i am going to begin by giving you some information. the masterpiece. it has been translated into many languages. however, we have not heard about his literary sister.

she also came out. 1966. published by heinemann that made her nigeria's first female novelist. she went on to publish more novels, more sure stories. after being a commissioner. let's say after administration she decided to open up a publishing company. so she became africa's first female publisher. says she is a pioneer in writing and publishing similar. now, what do i do in my

biography to back up, aft living in nigeria in the rural area . after studying flora nwapa's books i wanted to know how come this village girl was able to evolve into a international author. and it was through research. i did get some grants, but i found out that flora nwapa came from an illustrious family. for example, her grandfather was the chief, what we calla warring chief who was appointed by queen elizabeth the second to collect taxes and to introduce british life and culture to the nigerians, specifically in

southeastern nigeria. that help the whole lot because it sends her grandfather was all warring chief definitely she was expose to british life and culture. another significant factor, a family member, her great-grandmother was what we call at trader, a trader and palm kernels. the british election. so it was the trade that the women carried on that helped with the growth of flora nwapa into the international world. specifically when the portuguese and the british came to a southeastern nigeria oguta, where flora nwapa went to school and lived, the missionaries with her, relatives going on to study

in england that had had of veryt influence on flora. why? well, she was introduced to not only what we call traditional african culture, but alongside with that was the introduction of the british culture, specifically her great-grandmother's and grandfathers would decide proverbs. they were what we call the custodians of igbo culture. flora nwapa learned. let's say modern culture. so what is beautiful about flora nwapa is she was able a straddle both worlds. in other words tonight you will find in her books proverbs and let's of traditional customs, but you will also find that she was able to master the english

riding, reading, and publishing so definitely families helped her become a great writer. next we have the introduction to what we called missionary education as a studentt t the uy she was able to learn more dearies of writing and perfected rfected her skills. so flora mwapa went on to study at the university of edinburgh in scotland. she came back to nigeria, started teaching and writing, and are so happy that she is one of the role models for african women al over the

world. last night we ha the flora mwapa literary award. flora mwapa was one of the role models. she was a trailblazer that, so many women writers. so in this book it gives you traces of history of the mothers. the influence of missionary education.

all of these people and persons fluenced and transformed the life of this village girl into an international star. there are other secrets in the book, which you will learn. and certainly going to ask you to buy the book. you will be inspired to find your true gift and become a great role model. thank you very much. [applauding] >> my name is sullivan fitzgerald. i am the author of a book i will be reading from this book, it's just a few words. i think we have 50 minutes.

one is it. picks for coming. my friends from trinidad. eighty-four thanksor coming all the way to be here with us. many years ago i wrote a book. all these nasty things about the caribbean. i felt that i should write a book to say, lisn, there is another reality. i began to read that book. in the course of writing the book i showed the book to another famous literary there from london. weber. the first point i wanted to make was that he was not the first person to write abkut the eastern experience in the

caribbean. in point of fact the first person from the caribbean to write about the eastern experience was this fellow, a.r.s. weber. i had never seen the book. !j!jst3ñ,ñpñ,ñ

mining of gold. and he went down and began to work in the mine fields speculating gold and diamonds. well, one year or one day they sent up a shipment to england with all of the diamonds. and when it got to england it was full of lead. somebody had stolen the gold and diamonds. of course business broke up which led him to leave the interior of round frontier town, as it were, to go into georgetown, which is the capitol. of course he got very much involved in the potics of the day. needless to say he a rose and

becme one of the most portant thinkers inthe caribbean. one of the guidelines here, what do all of these writers have in common today? well, they all have in common that they were born fighting a very strong racism and colonialism and had to get out there and fight the man whether it was new york or ghana. and he was leading the freedom fighters. my task then waso try to recover and to recuperate mr. weber. it was recovered by a very important woman. you all kno a book called "in search of my mother's garden."

but onehing that guided me in my writing are these words of alice walker speaking. this is what she says. we are a people, but people do not throwway -- do not there their genuses away. it is our duty as authors and writers for the future to collect them again for the sake of our children. and if necessary bone by bone. and so i thought that m task was to go and find out about this. discover to make him available. one more thing before i read. onof the purest cases. these guys are so very important.

they are left by the wayside. one of the contributions is that long before -- wonderful and marvelous. long before he came to talk, weber was talking in 1931. if you don't know that you should get that. it's very important really get these to inow what we have done and try to recuperate them. i'll read now from one section of his poems which reminds me somewhat of bob marley. one has to live. one mt live. the next piece he comes to new yorc. the heart of the renaissance. he talks about his experience there. all read the first section.

life and death. the intricately woven connection. helen read from my book on page 32. weber argued that dth and life are intricately woven together. but he said if death is a part of life why is then at death we shrink and shiver? is joins us to eternity. the answer echoes similar sentiment. he says for now we see through a glass darkly, but then face-to-face. now i know in part. then shall i know even as i am known. weber, however, puts it.

he uses it about another writer. this is what weber says in his book of poems. he wrote aboutconomics. he says time still tell me. you may not. i must shred the hidden way. knowing all and yet the pad. struggling, fighting, still in bracing. another poem, an examination of death. and this poem he sits and ponders on the mystery of life

and death. teh me than to tear not death. to weber that is but another stage on an unending journey of a person's existence. but at this mighty stream. he beckons all to sit with them. learn from the furnace of the deep. in the life and death all he indicates that only time will reveal the mystery of life in which we in our bleed state cannot but fathom from the standpoint of our own material

existence. yet they are things we can do to make ourselves ready for death. as some would say i will live for a cause. if i die in the process then so be it. what then should we care about death? according to weber we should only see your the life not lived well. may i repeat, what we fear about death. according to weber we should only fear in the life not live well which to him is worse than death. suggests living is the walking dead. this is what whether -- weber says.

tilt your chin and trying and say what chair. he goes on. the last one i go to. he lived and died by it. he took in every aspect of the world around him. his interests were wide and all encompassing he believed and living. he was a man in search of life. even if death would catch him. and he does it all, but he says

fear not. the fear of death should only be. what is there. so again the fear of death should only be what trails of glory we leave behind. we live our life courteously. what did we had? that is from the palms of webber. just a second thought. we will take me to my last. weber, of course, fought the british. like all of the great caribbean writers. he fought them tremendously. but he pleaded for independence. be allowed to travel and go around. and here, of course. coming to the heights of the harlem renaissance. this will be my last section.

of course, anybodynows new york rush hour. underground rush hour. i don't care where you are. here we are talking about the rush hour in 1925. he offers a descriptions of new york rush hour subway experience at 5:00 in the evening. he claims it was one of the most amusing and sometimes exasperated experiences of the traveler. the sense of contemporaneous this which and what he might have beenescribing the first decade. 1925. this is what he says. being at rush hour in new york. remember. they come up to america.

he says, and the rush hours mostly about 5:00 passengers in the subway train our stacked absolutely literally like sardines. made and jammed together. just who does the pushing is nothing. squeezed tight and fast. now that is all very well when a man happens to be waged or a woman between women. all are mixed. though world seems to be riding in the subway at that hour. and it is male and female.

as only some room is available. one has to be cautious with o ne's hands. it was the latter. and then your number is up. the utmost in humor prevails, and everybody takes it smiling. their is a potential danger when they are jammed tight together in a 20 20 minute ride. the slightest movement of a land may may be misunderstood. but as it is in winter we all

wear overcoats. one wonders what must it be like in this summewhen clothing of both sexes is quite not so copious. that is weber on the subway in harlem. thank you very much. a.r.f. weber. thank you much. [applauding] >> good afternoon. first of all, i would like to apologize for being late. i was actually coming from another one of these wonderful panels being presented here at the harlem buck pistol in 2009.

of what tenth bank you for inviting me to this panel. means a lot @@ú@ú okay. that is what happens. with those of you who don't know bump johon was a harlem gangsters who pretty much to reined from the 1930's until his death in 1968. one of the challenges in writing

this book was i did not want to glorify a gangster. i did not want to put on a pedestal someo to do so much harm to the community, but my problem was i knew bum johnson. a -- i want to tell you a little bit. when i was nine years old i was selected for the gifted children program. of course they don't have one in harlem. when i get to that meant i had to go to ts166. so this was a big deal. to everybody except a nine year old. i knew i could not possibly

dress well enough to go to school with a bunch of wte kids. i had never been around a bunch of white kids. the only thing i knew about whitefolks, this is 1956, is what i saw on tv. what they knew about me, what they saw on tv. she made this big deal about awarding me or rewarding me for receiving such an honor. she convinced my mother that my record was to be to write a around with her her that summern her big black cadillac, 1966, an african-american woman with the big, long cadillac. running around meant riding in

the car with her while she did the number runs. she turned out there conditioners. came to the gramm apartment complex. it's beautiful. the brass chandelier in the lobby. brass doorknobs. marble floors in the lobby. high, really high. you know how in harlem we love the hi ceilings, he looks like a linebacker. so it looked really funny. you know, come on in. so i go in with madame.

all right. you go sit in the corner and be quiet. don't say anything. all right. i hear her arguing. they are arguing. raised voices. i am sitting there. there are four guys. not watching their words. i'm sitting there. okay. then i hear the voices from the rob -- room coming up the hall. there is this man's deep voice. and he is telling madame off. as he is walking into the room. and let me tell you just -- hello. how are you doing? hi. and madame said, let me introduce you to my darling, my

god child. okay. hi, mr. johnson. well, hello. how are you? and what are you doing here today? well, you know she's just won an award at school. she has been picked to go the igc. one of only three chiren in manhattan to get picked for the program. well, that is nice. we have to think of something nice for you. how would you like some ice cream? yes. what do you say? yes, sir. well, okay. go get some ice-cream.

>> he told me what a nice a guy he was, and then restarted

talking. one of the things that i realize the reason why madame brought me over there is mr. johnson loved kids and madame was always in trouble with mr. johnson. but if i was with her, and he treated her nice. so she always brought me with her. and even got to the point* where i demanded air-conditioning. he got me to finally admit i did not want to go to itc and he asked me why? i said because because when you are in nine years old and that the answer to everything? i said because. he said because why? and i said they will make fun of my close. the and i was very serious. he said miss kk you don't go to school because of your

clothes. you are supposed to go the reason is to get an education. >> host: i was in school people used to make fun of my close this is a man i am nine years old i don't know anything but you could tell these were some threads and i looked at him and said mr. johnson people made fun of you because of your clothes? he said yes i said why did you do? he said i'd be that much. we were never in a room alone the guys started laughing and they instantly stopped. he said i don't want you to beat them up. i want you to go and show them that you are as good as them. i thought, all rights. shortly thereafter he was

arrested and right after that we had two men knockedn my mother store -- door at 10:30 p.m. and when my a mother opened the door they gave her a white envelope with two, $100 bills. 9056, two, $100 bills was enough to pay for school clothes for me, my older brother and my sister for the entire sool year. you old-timers know, for about $25 you could buy all the clothes that you needed. the funny thing is that i knew that mr. johnson, his name and i knew there people that

called him a bumpy even in parliament nine years old i knew who bobby johnson was at nine years old i could not make the connection because my mr. johnson could not be that old murderer that gangster that everybody said. i could not bring myself to make that connection until more than 20 years later when i now thanks to mr. johnson i went to school and made something of myself. i am now a reporter at "the philadelphia inquirer" which is one of the top 10 newspapers in the country and there is a program that comes on a and the that is several of the rock and ended in mentions bumpy johnson a notorious harlem gangster who

is rumored to have helped with the only successful escape from alcatraz and i am talking to my daughter but i am listening but not looking at the program so then something happened and i jus happened to look up and they were showing a picture of bumpy johnson and i was my mr. johnson. and as soon as i saw it i thought of course, it is bumpy johnson, mr. johnson is bumpy johnson. so then i had to investigate. i felt compelled. my journalistic and uses kicked him. i thought of it day she started to do research and interviews and all kinds of events this schaumburg became my second home. one of the people that i talk to was dr. john henry clarke

[applause] he knew bumpy johnson and the things that i wanted to know from him more than anything what bumpy was like because this time i was wanting to know was what was wrong with me? how can i admire this man that i kn has done such dastardly things? and i was kind of afraid to bring that up to him because i dinot know how to articulate. he was a real guy. and after hcalled me down and gave me tape-recorded that worked, the feelings put me add these gummy he said the saying is i admired bumpy as

well and i still do to this day. this was in 1995 or 1996. i said how could you? he said because people are three-dimensional and there is more than one side. he said everybody exploited carl umbro bumpy exploited harlem but he gave something back. he was a gangster but he was a gangster with a social conscience. so to a acknowledge the good things that he has done, does nkt mean that you turn a blind eye to the bad things that he had done. it was not the perfect answer but it was the right answer because i did understand there are things he did for me and for so many other people it did not erase all of the bad he may have done. it did not. when i decided to go ahead and

write "harlem godfather", i did some of leaving in the wards but including some temples. because if you want to know about my past i will tell you that but on the surface middle-age middle class african-american woman a best-selling artist with awards blah, blah, blah you do not want to know the rest of the stuff. and if i can be three dinsional then so can bumpy. i met his wife, mamie john sin in 199 or 1994. and we became so clothes that she called me her goddaughter i love to maybe johnson so much. i loved her so much. !x3ñpñtñ3ñ3ñ,ñpñ

wonderful. she then decided we should write a book about the time of american gangster there is a movie that came out about 1997/98 that got everything wrong about his life. and maybe thought the movie was funny. she was not upset. her thing was they got it

wrong, they did not know. when american gangster came out, she was furious because frank lucas did no. he knewer husband and frank luca was not her husband's protege. he was more like the ninth funky you take out the a garbage. or go pull the car around but in the movie he madeimself and and maybe was furious. she said comment kk kk we will try to this book so we sat down and wrote this book i would say 80% of the book is based on research that i did back in the '90s before i knew

i was going to read a book the other 20% came from her memory and anecdotes that she told me so it was a true collaboration. it was her life stream to write a book. she always wanted to write a book but did not know what she wanted to write about. at 93 she became a published author. can you imagine that? and then she passed away may 1st of this year. but at least she saw the book blished. of like to read an excerpt from "harlem godfather" if you don't mind? [applause] >> just a few minutes. >> of this is the charleston years that made it bumpy who he was.

he was born october 1st 1905 in the negro section of charleston. when bumpy was 10 a crisis of the family his 19 year-d brother was accused of killing a white man. this was south carolina a state whose unknown taking matters into their own hands when it came of accusing blacks against whites. in 1904 when year before bumpy was born one of the most atrocious lynchings occurred and berkeley county only 40 miles away a 21 year-old was fishing with six white men on the way, argument ensued who had earlier o molested his sister and he threatened to face a man but when the group returned to town bookie was

promptly arrested and when he could not pay the $5 fine he was thrown into jail but later that day of a small group of white men went to the jailhouse and the man he be released they took him to the riverside and scalp him, poked out his eyes, cut off his genitals, cut out his tongue and then tied him and he was reportedly still alive to a great and threw him in the river. thcrime was so heinous that even the south carolina governor was second when he heard the details but nobody was brought to justice. this was the south carolina that dean anger up when he moved to harlem in 1919 his character was already formed he was sent to harlem by his family bause he had decided he was not going to back down to the white men and they did not want to get him killed.

so "harlem godfath" was published last year and actually published it through my own publishing company. with is a tribute to bumpy johnson, also may be a but also a tribute to kk who is still trying to figure things out and excepting things for what they are. thank u [applause] >> good afternoon. i am from chicago [applause] and i am happy to be here this is almost like a second home to be the schomburg center has been a part of my life is not

quite as long as the chief but somewhere in the vicinity. every time we come with third world press the chief allows us to come to this grand institution over 75 years old and we are very fortunate to be here and most certainly for the harlem book festival 11th anniversary. thank you for allowing me to say a few words to you. my wife is in the back taking note [applause] we have been together since 1969 [applause] and we always sell brothers that the way a marriage last may always marry a woman smarter than you. [laughter] then you lakisha tell her tt then you say why do right to memoir? this is my memoir, the yellow

black and this is my mother it is a book that took 50 years to getut of my system and i open with a poem that is titled yes i have nothing but my mother's memories and no piece of cloth or reread books no recipe for spaghetti or cake or coleslaw no photographs of the two of us laughing or holding hands i do not even remember her voice all i have deep inside of me are her last words, you are smarter than us, use the library and take care of your sister. and learn from what i have done wrong. coming from the lower east side a detroit michigan and

chicago i group been a situation i would not wish on anybody. i was born in little rock we migrated up south to michigan. my father left when i was quite young and my sister was just born. my mother a very pretty woman, "yellow black" she is not an educated woman she could read and write and computer to figures but she was brought into the sex trade at a very early age through black ministers. we were trying to move to detroit we moved into a place that was not suitable for anybody we went to largest black church in the troy doubt the time and sat in the front pew and the minister could not take his eyes off of another. has takenut after the sermon

he whispered in her ear and one week later we move to one of his apartment buildings he waa rich richman and she service tim -- rviced him every tuesday and thursday until he ran for the national presidency and somehow fell and hit his head and died and within the week the wife put us out and said don't come to a funeral so since we realized servicing ministers is not that dangerous they continued but it was dangerous. why write a memoir or write an autobiography? my life has been a long journey. in the beginning my sister and i essentially lived on the

streets of parts of our lives. my sister was a year and a half younger one child of 14 another is 16 and other at 18 by the time she was 27 she has six children and never married and five fathers for the six children saw her life for the most part was in a very difficult situation. i left the strike and came to shove go to live with a stranger who was my father and that lasted about six months. i finished highchool and ended up going to join a magazine selling group that travelled across illinois into misery selling magazine prescriptions to stay alive. fast for i could not make a living at that i ended up in the military in the united states army.

i was trying to join the reserves but they're not taking reserves in 1963 by went to the regular army. why is this interesting? by that time i was reading and was saved my life, brothers and sisters, was art. literature, richard wright slapped me in the face, wake up in the gross why began to question the world a little differently. i was listening to louis armstrong and he was the baddest to trumpet player in the world negative not care for his mannerisms but i did understand there is a genius working with that horn than another called mides davis he was tall and black and clean all the time and played that trump could the way the wind gravitated to him like a free

shoe store. [laughter] pplause] i decided i will place some trumpet. i was six-foot one inch, 131 pounds like a walking skeletons and the guy said you do not have enough wind in you. i was walking home dejected and passed to the poor man's bank. what is that? the pawnshop. i walked in there and a man said i said what is the cheapest trumpet? $303? that is like $350 today. i sai he said i will sell it $3 down and $1 per week and

i will teach you how to play it. it is a deal iran home i came back the same night and to start playing trumpet and then i became first trumpet when i went back to school and default. [applause] music and literature, the arts saved my life for as i move been i began to understand the importance of our and as a result of really began to think differently so i graduated and this is the first 22 years and b the time you're six your life is almost framed by 21 it definitely is. i sought answers, at 24 years old i became haki madhubuti. part of the swahili language.

i started to penetrate and redefining coulter of white supremacy. money, sex, corporate greed and the structure eight -- destruction of black men our leadership of black-and-white to prostitute themselves in the name of jesus like use razor blades to justify the cowardice and to corrupt brought all of my life i have been trying to move to that level of how would you be a good man and how you make something and bring it back to the world in a much better place? so for kozel. >> i srted writing when i was, you know, in high school and as i moved hnto the military -- at that time the military was -- the motto was hurry up and wait and since there was no war, that's what i did. i waited with books. and i wrote about my mother, her name was