My league bus has how to knowledge you want. My league has how to knowledge you need.
Yeah, they have out of books that the whole wild world one up read Malague Buds. Welcome, Welcome, Welcome to Malik's Bookshelf, bringing a world together with books, culture and community.
Hi, my name is Malik, your host of Malik's Bookshell.
Wooooo.
June was a captivating month.
I tell you, we hosted so many events here at Malague Books. I was able to record some of these events for my podcast. I was able to interview Nicolehannah Jones, I interviewed Macari Sellers. I was also able to which I'm a feature on this episode, Tiffany Haddish.
I wasn't able to talk to Taraji p Henson, but.
We blew the event out the water, and I mean it was a home run. The June Team Celebration, headlined by Taraji Pte Henson was amazing, extraordinary, electric.
The community came out.
It was an awesome day of music, poetry, panel discussion, information, free food, Junet, memorability of giving out and Taraji Pete Henson this story time and I mean it was powerful.
The crowds was enormous.
I think we had at least eight to nine hundred people that came out for this event.
Now throughout the event, the June team, it was more than that.
But I'm just speaking about the story time and book signing part because this was a you know, from.
One to five four our event that took place.
But we had Taraji p at three o'clock doing storytime and followed by the book signing, and it was incredible. The line wrapped the round the mall again. But their crowd downstairs, now everybody came, Not everybody came.
For the book signing.
They some came for the storytime, some came for storytime book signing, some just came for the book signing. But while they was doing the storytime, it was about seven e hundred people standing downstairs. The line upstairs for people waiting for her to come up into Elik Books because we hosted her downstairs in the center court of Westville COVID City story.
Timing that's where the Junior team celebration was taking place.
But upstairs, after that event, we escorted a back for the book signing, more private, intimate environment, and the drummers from Loyola Elementary were so powerful and touching. It moved Rogie p Henson and she graciously signed all of their books. First we as when she came up to do the book signed all the kids that performed drums and dancing.
Was incredible.
They came right up behind her and she signed all of their books and it was a wonderful, wonderful event, amazing event. I love when we hit it out the park. That's what we do, get voice to the voiceless. Well, it just so happened. We helped to Rogie pet book.
You Can Be a Good Friend No Matter What, is number one New York Times best seller, You Hurt Me, the number one children book in the country, the New York Times bestseller, You Can Be a Good Friend No Matter What.
And elitite books helped make that possible because we sold Hundredson huntreson hundreds.
Of her book and the line wrapped around the mall.
It was incredible.
It was amazing and I'm still high from the event. But we also but I'm moving on, moving on. We also this month hosted Bacari Sellers. Like I said, we also hosted Nicole Hannah Jones, which was ahead at the Miracle Theater upcoming in August thirteenth. Jay Ellis wrote a book in that and right now, that book and in front of me.
So I'm not even gonna try to. You know, it's a book.
About you know, growing up and having an imagined and every friend. But I be honest, I don't recall the title, so I won't even try. But Jay Ellis in conversation with Easter Ray is going down August thirteenth at the Miracle Theater at seven pm.
It's a book launch party.
It's a book signing, photo op and after a party.
It's going down Elite books dot com.
The reserve your tickets. We got VIP which includes floor seating, books, signed, photo op, after party.
Can't beat that.
Come on, we're gonna party. We're gonna have a good time, all right.
But another person that flew under the radar was an event that we hosted that week called Built from the Fire by Look by Victor Lukinson. Now this event was epic because it kicked off our June team celebration, to
be honest, before Saturday. Because this went down Tuesday night at Malik Books and we had the Descendants from the Miracle I'm sorry, the Descendants from the Dreamland Theater two of them that was related to the owner in the house and talked to talk about, you know, the history of Greenwood and them being a descendant of the owner
of the Greenwood Theater. The book the book Built from the Fire, the epic story of TSA's Greenwood District, America's Black Wall Street one hundred years in the neighborhood that refused to be a race by Victor Luckerson, and he just talked about the history then and the history now, and he was very brilliant, sounded like a professor. We just had a wonderful time. The whole Pinel discussion was
moderated by Shiva Turk. She's an anchor on CBA CBS morning show that call k Kyle and you know she's from New Orleans now she's in LA she's author herself and she's a morning anchor. She's doing great things and she was the host and it was just a wonderful conversation about Greenwood and.
We had a wonderful time to go on.
Over that history and reminiscing off of yesterday, but more importantly about what's happening now. What's happening now, And one of the things that was touched on was just recently a lawsuit was thrown out of I believe one of the courts. I don't know if it's state or federal, but it was several three or four descendants. They're still alive from the murder and my security that took place in nineteen twenty one in Toasa, Oklahoma, and the lawsuit
was thrown out. It's not like you giving money to a descendant. You giving money now, the money ain't gonna make you or ain't gonna bring back the house. It ain't gona bring back to people who's murder, but it can't help make you whole. And that's why you have lawsuits.
These descendants are still around, they in their hundreds and they was part of this lawsuit and the government threw it out because they didn't want a president to take place of president to take prace because it would be kind of the first in a way of reparations for people who have been persecuted, oppressed, property taken, and.
So much more.
Yet, they proved the case beyond a shadowble doubt why this case should go forward, But yet the government made some kind of ruling to kick it out because they didn't want this case to go to court in them win, and then it will be used all across this nation to talk about a very important topic, which is reparation. This is not just a looning tune controversy or some made up term that don't have no meaning and don't
have no importance. Listen, We're talking about a country who enslaved and they want to avoid this topic, and it's a hot topic. Come on now, they don't want to talk about the oppression and enslavement that took place with
Black Americans. This country has been the greatest enemy to the oppression of black people, and this government had gave an umbrella to every corporation and every individual in America to take part in crimes against humanity, enslavement of black people, and they don't want to address the atrocities.
I heard one report, if America.
Was to give reparations to black people, we'd be talking about one hundred trillion dollars. You know, much money the insurance companies made and profited. You know how much money major corporations in America made and profited off of slavery. A lot of these countries, a lot, I'm sorry, a lot of these companies made their wealth off the backs
of slave labor or slave wages. And so we cannot forget that reparations is a legitimate argument, and it shouldn't be because the people in power today inherited the wealth of America yesterday, and yet they don't want to find a way to make black people who are descendants of that oppression and enslavement hold And it's a legitimate argument,
and we not need not to. You can agree with it or not, but it don't say it's not a legitimate argument because to say that it's to you know, I was about to cuss, but is shi t on the descendants of enslavement and.
Oppression of America.
So I think it's important that we find a way to argue this in a legal way. But it appears that warfare in this country is something that is practiced.
In the way of law. It is called law.
Fare, and they use the judicial system as a weapon against the oppressed people of America.
And it's something that has.
Been being practice for quite some time when comes to black people where and others in America where it just quite don't fit the direction and agenda and the narrative that they want to take place.
And so lawfare is just using the judicial system to.
Raise havoc in war on the people that they don't like or they want to undermine. This lawfair was done on black organizations, on black leaders all across this nation, but nobody wants to talk about it because of the fact that it's hard to prove. It's hard to prove.
But where our rights stop in this country, White.
America rights begin, and that's been the.
Double standard of America that we have been fighting hard to change.
Black people have died to try to bring unity.
And peace in this nation, only to be.
Shot down, ridiculed, imprisoned, made mockery of the media viserating them, made them sound like they have mental illness.
All of these things have taken place in America and we should.
Not allow the country off just because we've made progress. There is a debt that is old and we need to get powerful enough to claim what is rightfully old to us because of the oppression and enslavement that was
done to us in America. There are tons of books to show it, and I don't have enough time to go on to that and won't, but as a bookstore owner Malik Books, we got tons of books that talk about reparation and the atrocities that have taken place in America that most Americans, I can assure you are not aware of. And they simply put Obama Care is not sufficient for payment for four hundred years of enslavement and oppression.
Plain and shupple and free education to go to your elementary and high schools is.
Not payment to for what enslavement.
And oppression this country has done to Black people. We are not gonna let you off the hook just because we might have produced out of the wickedness of the past of America, someone like a Beyonce or a Denzel Washington or all Taraji p Henson or.
Spike Lee.
I can go on and on. Yes, we have a lot of individuals that.
Have achieved enormous success in this country because of their hard work and belief in themselves. But that does not excuse this country from the onslaught and incarceration and the oppression of hundreds and hundreds of thousands and millions of oppressed Black people who just have not found a way to be successful. So that's you know, that's my thoughts. And I say built from the fire last because it was fire that elevated our rise and our success in
America despite the enslavement, no pressure. That's what the sixteen nineteenth project, the New organ Story by Nicole Hannah Jones.
Is all about.
It's about the achievements and the resilience of us in America.
And I am for reparations. Simply put.
It is old to us because of what I don't think in a lotment of money.
Let's get this straight.
Now.
A lot of different views about how reparations should be adminished to the basses, but I will say this, it has to be used to.
Solve the damage.
It can't solve it.
Just giving people a check ain't gonna solve the data. A lot of people all just give me a check.
What you're gonna do with it?
Turn around and buy the Bentley, turn around and buy you all.
Some of these frivolous things with the money that don't bring wealth.
We need generation of wealth.
We need to be able to say all the damage that was done, that's the purple.
And so that's the tricky part, that's the hard part.
And it ain't do but part of the reparation it has to be the solve a generation of issues, the teenage pregnancy, the low scores on SATs and proficiency tests. All the issues plaguing Black of Murray, the trauma, the all the the mental issues that exist within our community, the abuse as we see h P. Dady beating on someone and normalizing this behavior and getting away with it and everybody around.
Them not speaking up.
You know, these are the kind of things that the Reparations has to solve.
We have to solve the problem with self.
Hatred and lack of love of self, so, you know, we it has to solve that. If nothing else, then that has to be at the forefront to solve a generation of traumatized people and bring them hole and try to help them to live a life of peace and prosperity. So I'm a feature also on this episode. My conversation I had with Tiffany Hadis. We just hosted her at
Malik Books. Her new book I Curse You with Joy was amazing and incredible, and we had a wonderful opportunity to talk with her as well, and I want to feature that's you know, when I get a chance to have a conversation with some of the authors, I you know, take that opportunity. So while she was signing some stock, I got a chance to talk to her directly, and I want to feature that on this episode.
So enjoy, enjoy this episode because I know I did.
Peace.
I thank you for having me. It's so nice in year smell like Broach's a beautiful This is the community book store.
I love it. I love it.
In my favorite by too, the former Fox Hills mam Aka.
That's right now, Westfield, Coba City.
But Tiffany had is I ain't in here, and we turned up signs boat.
Yes, I can't believe I was dshing.
I believe.
Today it was turned up, turned up boat music. Yeah, that's where I'm from. D c you from l a HEAs toacht me the West coast all day, all day. Yeah, right here at the Belief Books. We got signed copy telling people where they can come get them sign.
You could come get your signed copy of I Curse You with Joy written by me. Tiffany had its right here at Melick's Books at the Westfield cover City comp.
Now I know that if I feels.
Up here, you know, guys on the stick talking to boys.
It was a good time.
And yes, get the cookies and all that. And then we come in the bookstore. David it wasn't no bookstore.
Then no.
In the house.
Now's the house now in the twenty two zero zeros.
Right now?
Yes here I am.
Now this is a book you told me before I curse you with George. But something that's nearing there, minoir. You don't talk about I don't talk about nothing I don't know about. So I'm talking about all the things I know about, especially.
These last few years.
Uh.
It basically just you know, shows you where my mind is at right now, where where my intentions are, where I'm going, where I've come from. What I wish people would have told me back in the day by have sag my little spirit a little bit. But you know what, sometimes gotta live and we gotta learn, and I did, and I share about that in this book.
It seems like to me, you know, just success ain't go to your head. Did you not sell yeah, love a boat? Yeah, hug a boat?
Yeah?
I mean.
Yeahs show none but love? As you signed the books today with the people. You didn't let success change you, did you?
Nah?
Now, success didn't change.
Me, yes, uh huh, it does so many other people.
It changes a lot of people. I feel like, uh, because it can be scary you know. But you know, I lived in fear all my childhood.
So what am I scared of now?
I didn't have no control then, so it makes sense then. But I got control now, so wonderful.
From foster home to success. Yeah, yeah, you got a story to tell me. I got a story I cursed you with George telling you.
Yeah, we all got stories to tell. If everybody just wrote their own damn book, maybe we would learn not to mess up.
No more all about that.
Maybe we could save each other's lives if we shared our stories. Some stories might be t m I, but that TM I gonna help you in the long run.
I'm just saying absolutely.
I shared my chapter in my books The Heart of a Black Man Stories Resilience.
Yes, thirty of us collaborated. Oh I like it.
So that's thirty hearts, thirty Heart, thirty Hearts of a black Man.
Yes, telling our sharing our story.
You know, are any of those singles?
Because I read it? Which one ain't? Got no wife?
Right?
Sure?
Some mom say, you know of keaven a healthy and long standing relation. That's a tough crack cookie to try. I know people ask you about relationship advice all the time.
No, I don't ask me about relationship advice because they know that I don't maintain tho I maintain, I do ain't.
Take relationships just not sexual. Yes, yes, yeah I get boy.
Well.
Thank somebody need to turn up, show up and keep you.
Engaged that par engagements yes, yes, yes that's what's you heard it lot right here at Malie Book Tiffany Hodey talking to my day. Thank you, thank you, thank you, thanks for listening to Malak's bookshelf, where topics on the shelf are books, culture, and community.
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See you next time.