Father to Son

<p><strong>Revised edition (May 2021) seasoned and spiced with a deep gumbo pot of new stories.</strong></p><p><br></p><p><em>Father to Son: Ode to Our Black Young </em>is a spoken word celebration and drum call to duty. A blazing testimony to the phenomenal journey of African American and African Diaspora people. In the title poem a dying father's inspired and hopeful last conversation with his 17-year-old son serves as the opening context for this uplifting ancestral powerful narrative. Jaiya John's compassionate hopeful voice weaves a rich Kente cloth tapestry of Love celebration challenge and honor. </p><p><br></p><p><em>Father to Son</em> with its rich rhythmic wordplay flavored with a gumbo recipe for self-Love frames the journey of Black boys into manhood and personhood and African Diaspora people into healing and soulful freedom. Here is a role call for the spirit warrior in us who wants our families to be whole. Come beat the drum. </p><p><br></p><p><em>Father to Son</em> is a generational resource for young people families parents and caregivers leaders youth programs agencies schools libraries places of worship sororities and fraternities and community initiatives. Among many social issues the book addresses the following: parenting fatherhood womanhood family and community Love relationships education and empowerment history and heritage ancestry positive identity and self-Love leadership and role modeling spirituality and sacredness healing from trauma anger and violence racism and sexism stigma and prejudice purpose and giftedness the power of creativity and self-expression dehumanization and oppression rehumanization resilience holistic wellbeing and rites of passage.</p>