August 21, 1971 – George Jackson is shot and killed at San Quentin Prison. He was convicted in 1961 of stealing seventy dollars from a gas station and sentenced to one year to life. At the time of his death he had been incarcerated for ten years. And as an outspoken member of the Black Panther Party and supporter of Marxist ideology, he became a embroiled in controversy. To this day the circumstances surrounding his death remain shrouded in mystery. It was alleged that Jackson had a firearm in his possession but how or when he obtained the gun has never been established. While incarcerated, he began to record his thoughts keeping a journal and writing letters to his family members. ‘Soledad Brother’ is the collection of the surviving letters to his family, friends and acquaintances. A foreword is provided by his nephew Jonathan Jackson, Jr. , whose father Jonathan met his own tragic fate when he was shot and killed on August 7, 1970 in a shootout with authorities during a foiled attempt to force the release of George and two co-defendants. The group was known as the Soledad Brothers and had been charged with the murder of prison guard John Vincent Mills. Also killed in foiled the attempt was Marin County Judge Harold Haley. While it has never been proven that George was involved in the deaths of the guard or Judge Haley, his name is forever linked to their deaths. And during the trial of Angela Davis several years later, their correspondence became the center of the case and helped Davis win her acquittal.
The beauty of the book is the mind of Jackson on full display for the reader. While incarcerated his sharpened his mind and pen through deep analytical thought and extensive writing. Had he not been in San Quentin, he very well could have walked alongside Bobby Seale and Huey P. Newton. The tragedy of George Jackson is the surreal jail sentence for such a petty crime and his untimely death that has never fully been explained. The youths of today have no idea who Jackson is and most will never read this book. Over time he has been forgotten by students of the civil rights movement and even those committed to prison reform. His life and death are a textbook example of the systematic discrimination that has ended the lives of thousands of young African-American men. There are hundreds of thousands of prisoners in prison today convicted on flimsy evidence and given overly harsh sentences in a criminal justice system that suffers from the bias of those tasked with upholding the blindness of justice.
At first Jackson might come off as angry or even charged. But is necessary to remember the social and political climate in which he lived and died. His letters are filled with his thoughts on the prison system, the civil rights movement and the relationships with his family members in particular his father. In his letter Jackson admits to his faults and its evidently clear that in his life he has acted on some occasions with blatant disregard for himself and others and without a clear mind. He was no angel but far from the demon that he was once portrayed to be. As he found his voice, he became an outlet for the rising anger and frustration of Black Americans and in his writings, he accurately relays the mindset that many of his peers began to develop. And if he had lived, I believe that he would have written books and given speeches about the reality of prison and the movement for civil rights.
This book is a forgotten gem that should be added to the library of the many books of the struggle for civil rights in America. Jackson is either loved or hated but his words are accurate and necessary in the process of reformation to correct the horrors of discrimination. For those who want to know more about this controversial and enlightening figure, this is the place to start.
ISBN-10: 1556522304
ISBN-13: 978-1556522307
In 1977, sixteen year old Janis Hunter married soul singer Marvin Gaye becoming his second wife following Gaye’s earlier marriage to Anna Gordy, the younger sister of Motown founder Berry Gordy. Their marriage produced two children before the couple divorced several years later. Now in her later years, Janis tells her story of what her life was like being married to the legendary recording artist. As a starstruck teenage girl, she easily falls head over heels for the soul singer whose seductive charming personality, good looks and fast track lifestyle captured her heart and interest. Following the wedding bells, reality set in and a host of demons that plagued Gaye throughout his life rise to the surface transforming the fairy tale marriage into a relationship destined to implode. Marvin’s life was an enigma in itself and it can be said that he never did find peace on earth. His ability to self-destruct and engage in life threatening behavior became staples of his career and were factors in his death after a violent confrontation with his father on April 1, 1984. Depression, a dysfunctional relationship with his father and narcotics formed a deadly triumvirate from which Gaye was never able to escape. Janis became first hand witnesses to this and as a result of her close proximity to him, she also faced her own demons that threatened to consume her own life. This is the true story of what really did happen when she married the man that was once Motown’s prince.
On May 24, 1963, Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy met with a group composed of authors and civil rights icons at his Central Park South apartment. Among those in attendance were Lorraine Hansberry and her friend and fellow author, James Baldwin (1924-1987). The meeting quickly became volatile as the activists accused the Kennedy administration of dragging its feet on civil rights legislation. Their frustrations at the rampant discrimination in the United States and the inability of the government to take action, boiled over and Kennedy found himself in a hornet’s nest of raw emotion. The meeting left a permanent mark in his memory but in time he would become a vocal advocate for equal rights for all American regardless of race, creed or gender. His resurgence as the candidate of the poor and the downtrodden became the basis for his 1968 president campaign that ended tragically with his assassination in Los Angeles on June 5 ,1968. Baldwin outlived Kennedy by nineteen years and today both are remember for their efforts to transform the American conscious and way of thinking. In recent years, his work has been rediscovered and studied for its messages that were accurate then and are accurate now. Baldwin’s public stance of many topics was blunt and non-confusing. He did not mince his words and his delivery was direct and always mean to stir thought. But for all of his public actions, his private life is a story on its own that shows the author in a completely different light. His friend for many years, David Leeming, wrote this biography of his late friend to show the world who the real James Baldwin was. And what he has composed is a definitive account of the life of the late author.
When Rodman Edward “Rod” Serling, died on June 28, 1975, he left behind a legion of fans who fondly remembered and loved his hit show ‘The Twilight Zone’. The show is an American classic and every year on New Year’s Day, the Sci-Fi channel runs a full marathon. The show aired from 1959 to 1964, and in those fives years, a legacy was created that shows no signs of slowing down. The popularity of the show has resulted in fan sites, Instagram and Facebook pages, that pay homage to what many be the greatest science fiction show in television history. Classic episodes such as Nightmare at 20,000 Feet starring William Shatner of Star Trek fame and Nothing in The Dark with a young Robert Redford are some of the author’s favorites among a vast collection of outstanding creative genius. But who was the smooth talking man who appeared in a suit at the end of the episode with a cigarette in hand? His daughter Anne answers these questions in this intimate portrait of the man she called her dad.
On February 21, 1965, Malcolm X (1925-1965) was assassinated at the Audubon Ballroom in Harlem, New York. The image of him laying mortally wounded while surrounded by his close aides shows the savagery employed by his killers. His death was violent and unmerciful, taking place in front of his wife Betty and their six daughters. From the initial volley of shots, it was clear to most that Malcolm’s wounds were fatal. First aid was administered to no avail. Among those who rushed to his side was a friend and dedicated civil rights activist named Yuri Kochiyama (1921-2014). She is rarely mentioned in stories about the legendary Muslim leader but her life was one of dedication to civil rights for all human beings.
October 1, 1990-General Curtis E. LeMay (Ret.) dies at the age of 83 at March Air Force Base in Riverside County, California. The former General became a legend in the United States Air Force after reorganizing the Strategic Air Command and pushing for the development of the B-29 bomber which changed the Allied effort in World War II. Satirically nicknamed “Bombs Away Lemay”, he developed a reputation as an extreme patriot willing to go to whatever length was appropriate in the protection of the United States. And in Stanley Kubrick’s ‘Dr. StrangeLove’, the character of Jack D. Ripper is based on of Lemay. Warren Kozak’s account of the life of the late General is the definitive account of LeMay’s life.
World War II is the worst conflict the earth has ever seen. It is estimated that well over 50 million people died during the war. This number will vary from source to source and the total number of casualties may never be known. The German invasion of Poland on September 1, 1939, triggered a world conflagration unlike anything mankind had ever seen. The Japanese army in seeking to establish and empire of its own, invaded mainland China, waging a path of destruction and terror with the intention on obliterating several Chinese cities from existence. Shanghai was reduced to rubble and Nanking nearly completely destroyed. In total, nearly 
The 1989 classic vampire film The Lost Boys remains a favorite of our family to this day. In fact, my mother will watch it all the way through anytime it is on cable. The film contained an all-star cast and plenty of frightening sequences to keep the audience engaged. Admittedly, I am more fond of The Goonies which I believe is on the list of favorite films for anyone who grew up in the early 1980s. In both of these films starred a young actor that became one of the most famous faces in Hollywood, Corey Feldman. The kid who starred in classics such as Stand By Me, Friday The 13th: The Final Chapter and The Gremlins, is still active in Hollywood today and going strong at forty-five years of age. His life in Hollywood has given him a unique perspective on the experience of children as they grow up in an industry that moves at the speed of light. This is his autobiography where he opens up about his childhood, stardom, his failures and his ultimate success in life. And what is contained in this book is sure to give the reader a different view on the place they call Tinsel Town and the life of Corey Feldman.
FREETHINKING BIBLIOPHILE 
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