Drive Time Thoughts

growing up. Um it helped me kind of. I wouldn't say escape book escape create new worlds, um, see things beyond my neighborhood. I'm reach you from Memphis. So like now, books are also a way to find out how we have um hit our history in order to continue in the book, especially with a lot of black authors, um running these days. And I absolutely love books. It gives you a way to look at the world in a

different mindset. And also especially if you read authors by books why black authors, you kind of get to see the totality of blackness and appreciate it. So, yeah, I love books. One of the things that I like to talk about on Leek's bookshelf is books. Um. You mentioned to me that you're getting a PhD. So how do you mix reading fiction nonfiction in between getting your PhD. Okay, now that is hard, um, because for I always say, people like people especial black books who get our doctorate,

we're not getting it for our health, right. And so I have made books audio books or just regular books even all down to like the graphic novels and come even down to a middle school grade. I like to read them too as part of my self care. You have to do that. So it's to like I'm getting my doctor in policy, It's a lot going on in policy right now. So that gives me a step back

and help remain balance. What do you think we can do to increase the interest in reading books, because you know there's a stigma in our community that we don't read enough. So what can we do? You got any ideas? Oh wow, I think honestly, audio books reopened everything to me, and so I think for more more schools, they don't know new books are out there. They want to recycle the same books and the same books not doing it um.

And so I also start forcing kids to read five books and they only like eight, Let them like, let them read, let them pick out the book like it starts really young. Because we get burnt out really young. And so I always encourage people, especially teachers English teachers, don't go with the regular books no more. The new books are the classics, right, and so that's how you get them because now we have more representation. And I

mean you just look at the book covers. Every type of black person is on the book over now, and so you just have to get them even with the most basic books. Get them back into it. Don't force it. Have audio book. Um. Sometimes I think a lot of good things that has happened that, like Netflix and Hulu has changed books into movies or something. People want to go back and read the book tied into a movie.

What do you like about you know, Mileik books because you are continue customer and obviously you know something that keeps drawing you back to Mileik books, and so I just want to hear from you directly. You know what keeps bringing you back to Milik books. Um, you guys

are open to suggestions. You carry the big authors and the small authors, from the kids to the adults to even been the the like mask and everything water bottles, anything like a black person, we won't y'all have, and it includes all types of black people, so all types of books, all types of genres. And so also it's a black on business in l A. I'm not I'm from so it's a lot of black folks, but l A,

you know, it's a little bit more diverse. Into have a black bookstore right here where people are shop and they're like, oh, what they're doing like and it's it's just the it's the it's sur vibe, the feel of the black owned and even the soul is in the bookstore. And that's why we exist simply because we want to amplify voice. You know, we're not trying to push anybody else off the shelf. We're just trying to get on the shelf. That's why that's why my podcast Malik Bookshelf.

Because we want to amplify the voices with books, with culture, with community, and so we want to amplify a voice and shout it loud and be out. And so I want to thank you for this opportunity because this segment is called customer appreciation. Um you could we appreciate your continued support and thank you and I spread it around whenever because I'm about my books for class out of here.

So I even tell like my classmates, like, if y'all live in Cover City area, come to West we if we live over there by the cost I'll come to that that go to that location if you can't order online. So I always always support black on business, especially with black on bookstores. We need them, We appreciate you. And that website for us is malik books dot com. I have with me right now, Barbara Lindsay, the founder creator of the Black Business Expo in Los Angeles. She is

a pioneer. She's helped develop so many incombative businesses all throughout Los Angeles and I'm I'm just so happy and joyful that I have her in a conversation about her, you know, as a strong black woman who's achieved the normal success in today. You know the buzzword is by black by local. Well, this is something she was doing

since that what eighties nineties. So Barbara, I want you to talk about the Black Meness Expo and the event that you're about to put on just coming up in November twenty Okay, league, thank you so much, and I

love your energy. We need that energy today, um, and I'm so happy to just be able to chat with you and your listeners um, yes, we we really were supporting each other way back in the eighties and the Expert was started in nine and we went on for years, and then Dr Odin and here On Hamburg came on board and continue it, and now we're rebirthing it virtually, and we still have the same mission today that we had back then, is to support black owned businesses and

to also let the community know where they are, and because if you don't know where they are, you cannot support them. But now with all the new social media and all the new technology, we can locate them faster and easier now. But we still want to pull them together and to make sure that people know who they are. And the leak. Guess what, You're always such an intricate part of this, and and that energy that was there,

you still have it. But we really would love to have it again where people are just excited and want to support And I believe it's coming back. I can feel I can feel it now the time and is now the time, and it is coming back. It is, you know, because people, you know, there's not enough jobs for everybody, so some of them have to get you know, create a job for yourself. We're living at a time now where stop being the victim, because there are things you can do in order to change your dynamics in

your life. And the Black Business Expo was always a pioneering event that I know we participated in that nineties and um, I mean holler than all those books back and forth. It again, that's work, but it was worth it was worth it because you know, to see these millenniums radiate this energy today where they want to do for they want to be entrepreneurs, they want to you know, they're not they That's what that was all about. We laid an example that the future generation can take that

and move forward. And so I'm glad to see that you're putting on the event that you started out in the eighty I'm glad to see even though it's virtual, eventually it's going to become uh a physical event, you know, in one of these conventions again just because um you know, is needed, is desired is a month And so I know, Barbara, UM, I just appreciate me having to have met you and being part of that legacy. So tell me you are

and I know you big on kids. I know you big on kids and part of what you're doing with the expo this year has a component for youth, and Allays said, the children are one of our future. Can you talk to us about what you have in store for the event with these with the kids and the youth. I'm sure you can do that. And Leak, I love that the kids are one of our future. And that

is so true. And if you can recall back in the day we supported young people then it was called to Mars entrepreneurs today and I want to just take a second and this I just have to share with your listeners. I was in the Carson Mars. This has been probably ten years or so ago, and someone said, Miss Lindsey. Miss Lindsey turned around, this tall guy says, I want you to see my shop. I want you to see my barbershop. And I didn't know who he was.

And then as I turned around and we engaged in conversation, she said, you know, I showed up at the expo and I saw all these barbers there on a stand and they always dressed in black. But Lee, he took time to explain all of this. But he was a kid then, right, and he said he knew from that moment he wanted to be a barber on his own shop.

Well he ended up having um, oh my god, I can't think of the name of the barbershop now, but here architect was the Archet and yes, and the Sun is still running it and he was able to open a barbershop and the Carson Mall that is called that they here Architect too or something like that. Yes, but anyway, I always say kids cannot be what they don't see, and so we always want to showcase black owned businesses.

So for this expo, we're partnering with Crystal Mitchell. She's been working with youth for years and we're gonna have a youth pavilion. These are kids, Malik. This just touches your heart. They have their own businesses. They really want people to support them because we want to assist them and buy our supplies products for their businesses. So when you log on on Saturday November ten, you would be able to support the young people. And and we want all of you to just just you know, log in

and see what our future holds. And there's no Saturday, November a m to four pm and the league. Would you be so kindest to let me leave a number because I don't want to love a long number for the website. It's three one zero four nine eight three. You heard that. That's how you can find more about

this Black Fitness Expo. I do know that because you haven't as youth component at the event, that we immensely jumped on board to donate as well as to you know, donate books and some resources and stuff, some fun and the minute you told me because kids are important, because its youth and children, you know, and thank you so much, and I'm very appreciative. We are giving them the space, of course, but we also we were looking for a sponsor, a couple of sponsors to step in and sponsor so

that we could give them prize money. And the prize money we're gonna do pitch competition and that money would go towards buying products for their businesses and just equipment whatever they need. So we were not able to get sponsors. But guess what we've been doing. We've been calling people in the community and asking them to donate, and some are donating dollars, fifty dollars, a hundred dollars. We're gonna have enough money because we're gonna keep calling until next Saturday.

We're our goal is hundred dollars and this would help these young people with their businesses. We're donating the space to them. They don't pay for any of that. We just need money to come to our help them to purchase their products for their business and the supplies that they need. Absolutely, and that's wonderful, wonderful, wonderful gesture. Um. That's it's important for us to invest in our youth and our kids, absolutely, you know. And so you know,

we're delighted to support our youth. And I appreciate the opportunity that you bring into the community. And I do want you to share the website that also that people can register for the upcoming event. Yes, just the number twenty one l A B b E dot com l A B b E dot com for Los Angeles Black Business Expo dot com. What Barbara, thank you for this opportunity so we can share what's happening in our community and around the country. Positive, positive and very important events

like the Black Business Expo. Yes, it's gonna be un virtually we can have people from all over in our topic. I think this year is creating generational wealth, you know, are and we we just know that we're going to get back and and go further than where we were because with the two thousand eight our downturning on the economy, Blacks lost most of their wealth. And where is most of our wealth created in real estate? Most of our

wealth is right there in real estate. And uh, we're we have some of the top speakers that's gonna come and discuss how to even our by real estate now, how to get to the point where you own home again. That's it block home ownership. I thought it was lord than that. Oh my god, there so don't say that, but we'll be giving. We have all the top real estate people that's going to discuss how you can really um be in a position now to purchase your home

because some of the banks have really great programs. So we're excited about it. Important. Our keynote speaker is George Fraser, and you know what, this message has never changed. It's remained the same for over thirty years, economic growth and development for people of African descent. And one thing that I've learned from him is he said, you cannot sit back and wait for corporate America to bl you out. Whatever you want to do, you just get up and do it all the time I started to blank business

ex but I had no sponsorships. At first I did American Express car Americans Fress took a card. You got me tingling. Now you got me tingling. Now that's true. Yes, because that's important. Yeah, you gotta you gotta do. This is that he says, until we create a enough businesses that we can turn around and hire our own, were two millions short. Were two million jobs short around the nation because we don't have enough entrepreneurs and and self

employed businesses. Corporate America cannot hire, they can't even hire the majority of their own. We have to create businesses for ourselves. As part of our responsibility. We got to stop the blaming. Listen, we cannot be a victim no more.

That we cannot be a victim no more. No. We think this is why this is important that we're having this conversation, because this is the positive and uplifting information just needed for change, you know, and like And another thing that George says, which is so important, I think all the stuff because he has really his teaching has had an impact on my life. His book Success Runs in our Race, Success Runs are al. Yes, it gives solutions to the problem, not just keep repeating the same

problems over and over and over again. What other solution and you know the others thinking we're gonna have is Dennis kimbro Do you remember Dennis kimbro Threak and Grow Rich and Black Choice we had, you know, but and he's interviewed all the black millionaires and he's going to be sharing information on how we can learn from the black millionaires and so which is so excited about all

of that? You got two heavy hitters to success running Our Rights and Think and Grow Rich a Black Choice, two powerful books that I know that that maliek books. We have sod tons of them over to you. We're still selling those books today. It's important these books and one of those books, I Think and Grow Rich and Black Choice, that's one of about Dennis Kimbol is part of the Nipsey Hustle reading lists. These are one. This is one of the books he read, Yes, that made

the transformation. It is like the information because you know, it's it's that you. You you know, everybody's different, So you have to figure out the dynamics that are suitable to make you successful. So you gotta look at it according to your culture and your situation. You know, sometimes the mainstream ain't gonna benefit you. You gotta think about how your community, how you can benefit you gotta think

outside the box today. So those are two powerful hitters, absolutely going to be a powerful event Los Angeles Black Business expos But well, thank you a leak. Oh my gosh, I just love your energy. Energy. And then we have we're gonna have ten wealth additional to all these other speakers, Treasure Ower and Dr Tony and we have ten other wealth speakers. The topic on the topics, they're gonna be

uncreated wealth. And debraah Thorn tells the story gives me chills of how her great her grandfather has created generational wealth, but he had a third grade education and to this day they're reaping the benefits. So if her grandfather had a third grade education and could create generational wealth, what's our excuse won't have any? And generational wealth is important. We have to pass on legacy. Yes, we have to

pass on institutions. That is always reponsibility and no one else's always And so one of the ways that you know we as collectively is that we got to find a way to pull our resources and so we got to do a bigger embropment. It's happening, is happening, is happening, the excitement that's now surrounding black on businesses. Yes, there's a young man that wants to do a documentary on it happened in the eighties, nine and two thousand with black owned businesses and how we stepped up and supported

each other. There was the Millenniums during that time. Yeah, this is what has helped then this latest generation called the Millenniums is all the work we did in the eighties and the nineties. It made it too thought, it made an impact the consciousness. It took time, but now it's it's united. It is happening all over this country. Are you these millennia fired up? They're stepping up? You know, it's stepping up. And he was twenty three has the time,

so now he's twenty four. But let me just share this with you rather quickly. He said to me, he never he didn't know about Recycling Black Dollar, the organization. So we've dropped the ball. We haven't passed on all of this to the to the next generation. But listen, he wanted to start an organization called Recycling Black dollars. Guess what, we already have recycled black dollars. Mohammed started in with something right, right. He wants to be a part of that and to carry it forward so that

black businesses can support other black businesses young. I mean, this is his mission and life. So we're gonna be in good hands. I just have so much faith and confidence in young people. Absolutely, it's room for everyone to step up, yes, you know, and be about to work now is everyone can participate, man, there's room for everyone collectively. We can make them more together. You know what I'm saying. That's why we recycling money black molting yegg, you know

what I'm saying. You can't look, you can't. You can't. You know. It takes a village to raise a child. It takes a community. It takes all of us to deal with this situation, you know, And you're an example of that. You're an example of that. Like I said, I remember you lugging your books to the convention center. You never gave up, You never gave up. You never get by surgery, all that from carrying all the books over the years. Still, but you know where you are,

and that's that's that's the key. That's the key. We can never give up up. I'm so excited and the league thank you so much for the opportunity to have me to just hop on. It wasn't the planned Um, it's all again, all again. No script you do, I don't have no notes now, just topped off another call the three but you know what, that's okay. Bottom line is that we want people to come out on Saturday. Actually it's next not to Saturday, but next Saturday from

ten am to four pm. Again. Are you can reach us direct at three one zero four nine eight thirty seven eight three three one zero four nine eight three. They feel like to meet us some at our website, you can do that as well. It's twenty one l A B b E dot com one l A Black Business Expo dot com. And it would be great to see just people tuning in, actually logging in, just logging in and it's gonna be it's gonna be a great event. You welcome, welcome, You've done. Appreciate you. I wish I

could bother you. Thank you, Bobara. I appreciate this interview so much. Much success, much success, and thank you torkay bye for now, bye bye, sometimes a moment of clarity. It's early in the morning. We're just sitting in a car, driving moved from one destination to another. We have that limited time before we arrive at our destination. Just just think about was heavy on our minds, what we need to do that day, as well as think about something creative.

I think about something that we need to do to change our lives, to make our lives better. I'm sitting in my car, I'm driving two leeks books, and I got a flood of thoughts just popping in and out of my mind. So I said to myself, why not take this time while I'm driving the work to talk about what's on my mind? Talk about whatever comes to my mind. You know these Sometimes your body, your mind is just a con do it where your receiver. And I find that early in the morning, I'm able to

be a lot more creative. I'm able to soft solutions the things that are heavy on my mind. I'm able to figure out just slowing things down, not living the life of a microwave, because nothing comes in an instant and sometimes to take brain power, thought power, that's just figure out what I need to do, how I need

to do it. You know, life is like a puzzle man, and you fit pieces together, you know, and it's like an even in a relationship, when the hands and the fingers that is, can insert in between each other and be a tight fist with two hands become one fifth, that makes a more solid relationship. But when you just clasp the hands together, not in unlocking the fingers, what I should hold, different type of relationship. And sometimes that's

how life is. You know, things don't stick, the glue don't hold because the group ain't firm and ain't tight. Every day, every day you should have something to do. You should have an agenda on your list of things to do. Life got purpose, life got many man ain't nothing idle in this world. Everything is moving. If you ain't moving, you diad and you need to move. You need to push, You need to want better. You need to not be complacent and not saying. I'm not saying

things ain't. You know they say if if it's something that's working, they don't try to change it. You know, these old cliches, the old phrases. It ain't if it ain't broke, don't fix it. Listen, you gotta strive for affection. I'm all over the place this morning because my thoughts are just flowing in me. It's just flowing in me, and I'm just like, I feel good. It's early in the morning. I'm blessed to have another day because none

was promised tomorrow. Put to day, make this day to day, to do what you need to do to change your life to make it better. Hope is always a reality, h and you always hope for better more money, better job, better relationships, a better world. Man, we're all hoping for that. We're all hoping for that kind of change. If you're not hoping, then I don't know what to say. But because you know, we're born incomplete to grow into completion. Nobody's born perfect. You gotta grow into whatever it is

that you want to be. That's the process. So that's why I said, sometimes you gotta have hope because there are a lot of forces that you don't control to become what you want. There are a lot of obstacles you gotta overcome to be what you want. When you're driving in your car of your destination, that's the time.

Cut the readio off, cut the readio off and gather your thoughts and think about take that time to meditate and to think creative and the you know, dictate your thoughts that you need to do to create a better tomorrow, a better world for yourself. Take that time to solve a problem that's in your life. Take that time to figure out how to make a better relationship with yourself, with your family, with you, your mom and your dad and your friends. Take that time to figure out how

to do something better, bigger, grander. That's what I'm doing this morning, And all I'm doing is suggest you do the same thing because a lot of times you think you don't have time to do something, but you can fit it in a time that you already are en route to do something. So that's my dry time thoughts today. Peace. Thanks for listening to Malik's Bookshow, where topics on the shelf, our books, culture and communities. Be sure to subscribe and

leave me a review. Check out my instagram at Milik Books. See you next time.