I'm guilty of the Amazon buy as well. They have almost everything, tons of reviews and they are usually the cheapest. It's easier. I tend to only get impulse buys at Afrocentric book stores. I keep saying I'm going to change, but the allure of Amazon is powerful
-----Original Message----- From: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Lockhart, Daryle Sent: Friday, June 13, 2008 7:10 AM To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com; [EMAIL PROTECTED] Cc: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: [scifinoir2] FW: [AFAMHED] Observation: No black boys in bookstores They are in the comic book stores. They are at the video game stores. They are online. They are getting their haircut. Bookstore chains are so busy being newsstands and coffee shops and music stores that they have missed the whole point. I rarely buy books in a bookstore. I know what I want and Amazon all day. (Shame on me, I need to find and support a Black online vendor) When we had the comic book store, most of my customers were male. Half of them were Black. Now that it's gone, when I go to the nearest shop, I see LOTS of young Black men there. On Tuesdays and Saturdays, you can find 10 brothers between the ages of 8 and 50 in the course of an hour -- easily. My son and I REGULARLY hit the comic book store. We also hit up a store that specializes in books and toys for home schooled kids. He isn't home-schooled, but the books are enjoyable and give him an advantage in Kindergarten. On Thu, 12 Jun 2008 16:53:00 -0400, Martin <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Would that it weren't so...I went into two bookstores yesterday (B&N and > Borders), and the only other Black men inside *worked there*. And that's > been pretty much a consistent experience throughout my life. > > Tracey de Morsella <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > From: African-Americans in Higher Education > [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Thomas, Leroy > Sent: Thursday, June 12, 2008 1:16 PM > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Subject: [AFAMHED] Observation: No black boys in bookstores > I was in Barnes & Noble over a week ago with my daughter who just > graduated > from high school. We were discussing her recent prom date and another > young > man with whom she had gone on a few dates. We both concluded that they > were > not young men that she could see herself with in a serious relationship. > Then, she said something that surprised me, but made me feel good. She > said, "My ideal guy is someone I would meet in a bookstore." I hadn't > realized that all of those years of taking her to bookstores since she > was > old enough to walk had such an impact on her. She plans to study > creative > writing and art in college starting this fall. Then she said, "Dad, > think > about it. Have we ever seen a black male in a bookstore, a child or > teenager?" I thought about it for a few moments. I know I used to say > to > her over the years that I wish I saw more black kids in bookstores with > their parents. We always noted the Asians and white families and could > not > help but wonder where were the kids that looked like her. > So I thought long and hard and, with no exaggeration, I can say after > over > 15 years of Borders and Barnes & Noble trips, I cannot recall ever > seeing a > black male child in anyone of them. We have seen young black girls on > occasion. We always see the college-age black females. But never black > males. I can say that there are black male adults-some > "do-it-yourselfers" > and presumably grad students--occasionally reading at one of the areas > where > snacks are served. > But my daughter and I both agreed that we cannot recall a black male > child > or teen in any of the many bookstores we have visited. And I have been > in > stores from coast to coast, north and south. Girls? Yes. Boys? It's > both > sad and frightening. I mentioned this to a few colleagues and they say > that > they have made similar observations-and they offered their reasons for > this > phenomenon. I didn't want to discuss reasons. I am still trying to > wrap my > brain around my own experience, because I am concerned about how this > has > affected my daughter. > Is my experience unique (I sure hope so!), or has anyone here had the > same > experience? > LT > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] > > > "There is no reason Good can't triumph over Evil, if only angels will > get organized along the lines of the Mafia." -Kurt Vonnegut, "A Man > Without A Country" > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] > -- "We can't solve problems by using the same kind of thinking as we used when we created them." -- Albert Einstein ------------------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Links
