Welcome, Welcome, Welcome to Malik's bookshel bringing a world together with books, culture and community. Hi, my name is Malik, your host of Malik's Bookshelf. I never get tired of saying my intro. Instead of it being taped, I do it live every single time.
Welcome, Welcome, Welcome.
Last week you heard my last podcast. It was about saget To entertainer did a book sign an exclusive book signing at Malik Books and it was fire.
So you know, if you ain't heard.
That particular podcast label, go back and I got some of the highlights on there because it was fire.
I interviewed him.
So that's last week's podcast. This week's on this episode, you know what I want to talk about. I want to talk about band books. That's white band books. Now, there's a lot of movement going on every year about that subject. Minor and books a band from different states and different cimris and different cities all.
Over this country.
For whatever reasons, this is a hot topic out in the in the United States. This week happened to be I believe Bad Book Week and so a lot of people are doing events across the New I'm not doing an event, but I'm gonna talk about it and the reason why I'm not doing an event in the store because Malik's books. It's a bookstore that has tons of band books all throughout his bookshelf. That's why I don't need to do nothing s p you know, separate or or an event just to highlight band books.
We got an old bookstore full of band books. There's no reason for me to.
Do anything other than what I've always been doing giving voice to the voices, and that includes a gang and a ton of band books. You know, we got wall to walk books on our shelves that are banned. A lot of these books on our shelves you can't find at bookstores. Be why because they CeNSE of these books. A lot of these bookstores can say, oh, we are advocates against you know, against banned books.
But still they don't carry a lot of these books because they are biased. People are biased. They can say they not, but they are and their corporations that are biased, and they have banned many books, most.
Of them self published, and history cultural and books that speak about the upliftment and betterment and the cultural history and the historical history of rugby.
They've been banned without being banned.
You know what I'm saying, They ain't been found at these bookstore. That's how I got started. I got started selling books because I wanted to bring materials that I graduated from USC. I done told this story many times. I wanted to bring these books to our community because I felt it could make a difference in our community, because it.
Can change and transform the lives of people.
Why Because know thy self is important, believing in self, love and self is important. And most of the books that were published throughout this country and that you can finded these bookstores did not even address the mental trauma and the lack of self esteem and the lack of representation that black people had suffered from. They might've had a few shelves full of black books, but none of those books there little mainstream, and they were civil rights.
They didn't deal with the cultural significance and elevated history that black people brought to the world. They didn't address the real trauma. Most of our books have been banned.
That's how I got started. And people ask me all the time, you know what got you you started selling books. The fact that all these books that I read were banned and wasn't found.
In bookstores, and you certainly couldn't, you know, bring those books in most of the school district. You know, they allow certain books that are powerful, but yet they don't far they don't reach far enough. See Mayangelo, you see Tony Morrison, you see James bond All. They wrote significant books. Langston, you they wrote significant books. These are award winning giants in the literary world. Their books have been banned, their
books have been historically banned all across this country. But once again, they didn't address the intersecting issues that create this mass trauma where you don't have a knowledge of self.
And a lot of these books that were self published.
By doctor Claude Anderson, by Elijah Muhammad, by let's see J. A.
Rogers, by Carter G.
Woodson, by Joseph bin Yackaman, by doctor Henry Clark, by Francis cris Wellson. I mean, it's a ton of books there have been that you can't find in most bookstores all across it.
And it's not that they wasn't banned. It's just that.
These books, you know, the now Valley contribution of civilization, you know, they just didn't want this information disseminated across the name. When I opened up, I had a lot of these books that you couldn't find at.
Most bookstores, let alone band books. These books was the double double band because they wouldn't carry certain books like you know.
And and when they talk about band, they talking about books that can't be placed in libraries in school district schools all across this nation. Although some of the main book stores, yes, they will carry some of these books and have some of these books on their bookshell, absolutely, but what they wouldn't have in libraries all across this nation, they wouldn't have or they wouldn't allow these school dish wouldn't allow these kind of books to be disseminated or
read in schools across this nation. Books such as My Angelo the Uh, the books she wrote I Know Why the Cage Bird Sing You not some powerful book she wrote, My Angelo Band.
You know what I'm saying, Band the Book by H.
Richard Wright, Native Son Band, Song of Solomon by Tony mor Band, Uh Fahrenheit for fifty one in School's Band by Ray Ray Bradburry.
You know, you know, and that's.
A great book to read because look, it's band, It's banning Box in that movie.
His burning books is controlling the way people think, and they controlling what they read, so they burning every you can't have books. It's particularly the books outside of the parameter that they want sold that book Fahrenheit for fifty one. You know they did a remake of also on that movie. I remember reading that back in the day band Song
of Solomon. I don't know if I said that, but the Bluest Eye, that's the one I Met by Tony Band, Go Tell It on the Mountain by James Box Band, Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison Band, and Malcolm X The.
Autobiography of Malcolm X Band, The Color Purple by.
Allison Walker Band, The Hate You Give by Angie Thomas Band.
I can go on and on. The Lord or the Fly. I've read that back in my day band.
A lot of these books today they go on want in schools. They all have their motives, you know what I'm saying now. I don't believe in censorship myself, but I do believe in age appropriate reading. And a lot of these books they're asia prop. They don't want them there reading in schools. They feel that they're racist, that they just criminate that they're sexist, that they're homophobic, or whatever the problem that it. Look here, look here, look here.
This is a subject near to my heart, like I said. And a lot of these books that are banned, uh are one thing. And then there's the list that not necessarily get any national ten uh attention. But they're band and you can't find them at stores mainstream. The ones I just read out just now, you could find those in a lot of the public mainstream publishing bookstores, that is the mainstream bookstore, although they abandoned school.
Just you know, you could always find them books at Elik Books.
But a lot of them other books, like I said, nine Voley contribution them. So the book called the Black Jewel by Joseph bin Yacum the uh, the book called the American's Gift the Africa j Rogers, Let's see section and racest.
M World's with the Colored by Jay Run.
You ain't finding them in no mainstream published. A lot of these books you couldn't find nowhere, But then you had. I had 'em at Elie Books. And I've been serving the community since nineteen ninety and that's all I got started.
You know, we was a we was publishing children books.
Not me, but self published author was publishing children books that didn't had pictures and images of black kids and about things that goes on.
In the black family and so forth.
Now a lot of the mainstream public publishing those things, but back then they wasn't.
And I've been doing this since nineteen ninety.
So a lot of black voices was banned, a lot of black voices wasn't heard, a lot of a lot of black voices, a lot of black voices was kept off the bookshelf.
That's right, a lot of black voices was banned.
A lot of black voices wasn't heard, a lot of black voices was kept off the bookshelf.
All of this had.
Taken place all across this nation, but at Malie Books, we gave voice to the voices. So I was asked by a cause, Hey, what you doing for Banned Book Week? I said nothing, Oh, you know, you should consider doing something. I was like, at all due respect, this whole store's has a ton of books that were banned. And I've been part of the band movement for a long time, so I don't need to set aside a date on the time to celebrate.
Banded book week. Other people just now jumping on the bandwagon.
We been on it since nineteen ninety and we host a lot of books at Melief books that have been banned, and so we get voice to the voice.
So it's no need for me.
So if you wanna visit Milique Books, then you walking into a store full of band books, because we don't believe in censorship. We just believe in age appropriate reading, okay, And so anyway, this subject matter, band books, you know, it's a powerful subject.
It's a powerful movement, you know.
But every book is not a good book, and it's it is what I call naive. It is nieve to believe that every band book is still a good book for to be read.
What I'm saying, and that's being not even negative. Alright.
I read a read a ton of books that it was so negative and outrageous about black people, about black history.
And about black culture. And you will find them in libraries all across this world.
You'll find books like that, there's inaccurate about our culture and our history, and a ton of them, thousands of 'em, if not millions. They had a false narrative about black people, black culture, and black life. We've been dealing with that stereotype in those kind of books for a long time. But I don't believe in censorship. I think you have a choice. You can read it or not read it.
But my thing is, I think you should have age appropriate because I don't think children should be reading certain books that are geared towards adults. You know, there ha, there has to be advisory on that. You can't a child. Uh uh, Well, you can't drink out all to twenty one? Why because there's a age appropriate time for that. It's gotta be a age appropriate for each It's each book has a category that is targeting.
Don't get me wrong, but some of those uh.
Targets are not correct and some of those books, some kids at a certain age should not be reading. You know, I definitely don't think that the kids in preschool and elementary should be reading about sexual orientation. I don't think it's appropriate, and I don't think that it should be allowed because it's not age appropriate.
Not that they it.
Shouldn't be taught, but I don't think a five, of a six, and a three year old should be learning about sex.
You know what I'm saying.
That I don't think it's the school's right to appropriate that, and I don't think that it's wise that we have a school just focusing on sexual orientation to three, four, five, six years old. I think that's insane. And they are a movement of people trying to do that kind of stuff. Well, anyway, that's another subject. But I'm talking about band books. And band books in America have been going on for a long time, and black books have been the target of
band books for a long time. And I just don't you know me personally, I'm just not jumping on a bandwagon with everybody, because everybody got a different agenda. My agenda is to get voice to the voiceless and to have books that can be positive and impactful and elevate our community and the people in the community.
All across this nation. That's my first mission and agenda. Now it also can help educate racists outside of our culture.
If you want to know something about black life, black history, black culture.
Hey, come to Malite Books.
We got a ton of books to get help educate you and break down your ignorance and stereotype because a lot of that prejudging and prejudice that go on cause a lot of time, Peach.
Some people just don't know.
They don't know the great history of black They don't know all the impact, all the impacts Black.
People have made in America. It's a l a lot of people just like me.
When I came out of high uh College, I didn't know much about black culture, black life, and I didn't think black people.
Did much at all.
So if I thought like that, imagine how many white folks in Hispanics and Asians think the same thing. This is a reality and this is a problem. But I believe books I can educate you. I got a ton of books to.
Help you know.
Yo s know about ourselves, black people know about themselves. But also it could help other coaches know about us and have a different view of us because they see the impact that there's not a in du industry. There's not a industry in America where Blacks have not made a impact in the investment of not only America, but the sivilization of humanity. And that's before America, and that's
doing America and even doing slavery. Black people came up with inventions that enriched America, the impact of black life, black science, black culture, Mathematicians in the Industrial Revolution that shot America to the top of the superpower It's impactful. It is unimaginable how many blacks played the role, that so many people are across this nation do not know, just do not know. And you see, this is a
subject I'm passionate about. You can feel the energy because a and it's not scripted, is coming from my heart because this is a subject.
Matter that is real to me, true to me. And I've been on this journey since nineteen ninety when I wakened reading books about black culture, black history, and black life that allowed me to see a different window in a different world and a different perspective of black people.
And it is my hope that other races and other cultures read books about other cultures. My whole life, I got a PhD in white history because hell, that's all they taught in school.
There's no need for me to continue to keep reading books about them. I already read.
I'm already doing that anyway, because I do book reviews and I love some of they books. But the reality is this is there's no need for me to continue to learn about the white civilization and white coust because my whole life, I got a PhD in.
Now that's all they taught. But for other cultures, come.
Get some of this black life, this black history, this black coust so you'll know more about us and get an appreciation for our for our history, the impact that we made on some civilization.
You see, you see.
That information is better still because still most people don't know about that. All these rural and suburban cities all across this country. They under an illusion, and they're under a lie of a lot of things that they've been taught. And this is why they created this movement about what is call critical race theory. See how they kind of tied together because a lot of the falsehoods they've taught for centuries and centuries and centuries.
In school a lies about blacks.
And now that books are coming out teaching us about a little history about ourselves, the cultural impact that we made in America, like sixteen nineteen Project by Nicole Hannah Jones. Now the books out like that they want to ban because it's making them feel uncomfortable. Well, how many centuries have you in decades have you made us feel uncomfortable?
Making us hate ourselves? And nobody trying.
To teach white America to hate themselves or feel unpreciate about themselves. You running the world, You running this country and the world. How's this gonna make your children feel inferior? And you running the world? When they wake up every day? And who do they see flying airplanes? Who do they see flying making all the automobiles? Who do they see as the most teachers? Who do they see as president?
Who do they see running this world? All the congressmen they see when they go into malls, who do they see manufacturing goods and serve all across this nation? Then they gonna feel infeeling to learn about black history and black culture and black life.
They gonna make them feel or the appreciate about themselves. They gonna it's gonna make.
Them mourn about who they are really, So you can't teach. George Washington was the founding father and Thomas Jefferson was one of the founding fathers, and they were presidents, and they helped write the Decreation of Independence of what have you?
And George Washington was the first president.
You can't teach that. It's still and still teach that, you know on the other side of that. Yeah, but they were slaveholders. Yes, they were white supremacist. Yes, they were im moral, no matter how you try to make them appear to be civilized in so many they were uncivilized in a lot of other areas. They had committed crimes against humanity. Yet you can't teach both of the truths about that, both of truth. Why is it that I gotta be one or the other. Oh, Joe, I
never told her lie. Oh he never told a lie. Oh, he's the founding father.
He's Grays.
Yeah, see him the founding for true, him the first president.
True. Him never telling a lie is a lie. See, it's a lot.
Him being great, Yeah, he was great. Him being a wife suprimercy, that's what he was. Him being a slavery that's what he was him crimes against humanity. American laws is not the final law. If that's the case, they never would have had the newmborough trials for Germany. They were just following instructions. There's a higher law than what uh uh uh uh Hitler's generals and troops has has to follow. Y. They have to follow the law of humanity,
the law of life. There ain't no justification just because that was Germany's law and Hitler gave him direction.
It was wicked. It was evil. What he what they did to people, it was evil. And they didn't get away with it, did they.
They were convicted the Newmburg trial, and they should've been What about all the evil that America has done to to blacks and Indians? See when when when's the justice on that? And I'm just being hardcourting right now on that it was evil what George Washington did, what Thomas
Jefferson did, You could hold them up. See and black peo pe people are waking up and they not seeing they not seeing them in the same light as white people who see 'em because he was the founding father, he was the president.
When I'm saying, George, see, this is an example of a problem that exists. So when it come to.
Banned books, there's a lot of books that talk about a lot of white heroes that are detrimental to black minds and black thinking, and a lot of this need to be addressed and deal with. So when it comes to band books, like I said, we have a whole store full of band books. We have been an advocate for band books for since we.
Open our doors.
So there's no need for me to do anything independent other than to continue to do what I've always been doing, and that's give voice a voiceless and provide a place where people can find unique and hard to find books about black culture, black life, black civilization, black family.
You see about our culture. And all I'm saying is come to Malik Books.
You know, and and and and and you'll find a treasure troll. You know, you'll find a treasure troll because that's what I do. So that's why this subject of band book is passionate. And that's my podcast for this episode. No nothing else need to be said. I hope you enjoyed my thoughts on this Peace