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5 Minutes, 5 Questions With… Mark L. Shurtleff, author of Am I Not a Man? The Dred Scott Story

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JoeyPinkney.com Exclusive Interview
5 Minutes, 5 Questions With…
Mark L. Shurtleff, author of Am I Not A Man? The Dred Scott Story
(Sortis Publishing)

An illiterate slave, Dred Scott, trusted in an all-white, slave-owning jury to declare him free. But after briefly experiencing the glory of freedom and manhood, a new Missouri Supreme Court ordered the cold steel of the shackles to be closed again around his wrists and ankles. Falling to his knees, Dred cried, “Ain’t I a man?” Dred answered his own question by rising and taking his fight to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Despite the help of his white friends who loved him, Dred ultimately lost his epic eleven-year legal battle when Chief Justice Taney declared that a black man was so inferior that he had “no rights a white man was bound to respect.” He died eighteen months later not knowing that his unfailing courage and tenacity led directly to the election of President Abraham Lincoln, sworn in 150 years ago; and ultimately to the Emancipation Proclamation, Civil War and freedom.

Dred Scott’s inspiring and compelling true story of adventure, courage, love, hatred and friendship parallels the history of this nation from its founding, through the long night of slavery, to the narrow crack in the door he opened that would ultimately lead to freedom and equality for all men.

Joey Pinkney: Where did you get the inspiration to write Am I Not A Man? The Dred Scott Story?

Mark L. Shurtleff: As Utah Attorney General, I enforce the rule of law to ensure justice for all. One day several years ago while studying famous court cases for a Continue reading 5 Minutes, 5 Questions With… Mark L. Shurtleff, author of Am I Not a Man? The Dred Scott Story →

5 minutes 5 questions with, african american author, african american authors, african american book, african american books, amazon.com, interview

5 Minutes, 5 Questions With… R. S. Basi, author of The Black Hand of God

JoeyPinkney.com Exclusive Interview
5 Minutes, 5 Questions With…
R. S. Basi, author of The Black Hand of God
(The Marked)

A groundbreaking look at the history of Christianity, Black Feminism and the African-American Church, The Black Hand of God (The Marked, LLC, 2009) explores the teachings and convictions of Dona Beatriz Kimpa Vita – founder of the first Black Christian movement in sub-Saharan Africa whose contributions – shamefully – too few are aware of.

Told through the narrative of a man embarking on his own personal spiritual journey, the book highlights Kimpa Vita’s efforts to free and protect her people from physical and spiritual enslavement.

Joey Pinkney: Where did you get the inspiration to write The Black Hand of God?

R. S. Basi: What really inspired me was the almost complete dearth of information in the public realm about what could and should be a highly celebrated life. The more I learned Continue reading 5 Minutes, 5 Questions With… R. S. Basi, author of The Black Hand of God →

5 minutes 5 questions with, african american author, african american authors, african american book, african american books, amazon.com, interview

5 Minutes, 5 Questions With… Jason A. Grant, author of My Life, My World, My Truth

JoeyPinkney.com Exclusive Interview
5 Minutes, 5 Questions With…
Jason A. Grant, author of My Life, My World, My Truth
(AuthorHouse)

My Life, My World, My Truth is a collection of poetry by Jason A. Grant that reveals the author’s soul as he negotiates through life and reflects on all that makes up the world he inhabits.

From the self-affirming “I am Africa” to the combination of rage and hope displayed in “The Last Poem,” My Life touches on a variety of thoughts and emotions, including love, vibrantly exhibited in the chapter “Scorpio.”

This collection of poetry represents poems written during Grant’s teenage years through his present young adulthood.

Joey Pinkney: Where did you get the inspiration to write My Life, My World, My Truth?

Jason A. Grant: My poetry is about life, living, loving and what’s going on in the world. My emotions and feelings about all these things inspire me to write. Continue reading 5 Minutes, 5 Questions With… Jason A. Grant, author of My Life, My World, My Truth →