There are books you read… and then there are books that change you.

In this powerful episode, I’m breaking down five books that didn’t just inform me—they transformed how I see myself, my history, and what freedom truly means.

From The Autobiography of Malcolm X by Malcolm X and Alex Haley, to Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome by Joy DeGruy, to Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass by Frederick Douglass—each of these works exposes truth, demands reflection, and calls us higher.

We also dive into Spare the Kids by Stacey Patton and Rest Is Resistance by Tricia Hersey—two books that challenge how we show up in our homes, in our bodies, and in our communities.

The common thread?
We were created to be free.
But for generations, our existence has been under attack through racism and white supremacy—shaping not only systems, but mindsets, behaviors, and beliefs.

And yet…
Our greatness has never been erased. Only interrupted.

This episode is a call to unlearn what has held us back and reclaim the ways of thinking, living, and loving that move us closer to freedom.

If you’ve read these books before, this is your reminder.
If you haven’t, this is your invitation.

Because the right book… at the right time… can change everything.

Tap in, reflect deeply, and let this episode push you to pick up one—or all—of these life-changing reads. Your next level of freedom might just be one page away.

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Creating generational wealth and learning about financial literacy has been one of the most talked about conversations in the Black community over the last 20+ years. We have become more conscious about breaking free from the financial generational trauma that was created by design ever since the inception of this country. This is what esteemed author Kerwyn Phillip is doing with both of his books Malik's First Job: Financial Principles for Teens and The Money Twins: Nigel and Anaijah Learn About Payment Methods. He and I have dope conversation on why he wrote these books and how it came from him not being taught about financial literacy when he was growing up. Grab your notebook and pens because this episode is packed with nuggets and gems that I believe every parent should listen to with their child.

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www.maliksfirstjob.com

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Click the link below to purchase your copy of the book I co-authored entitled H.E.R. Healed, Empowered, Resilient

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In this episode I'm addressing the recent article done in The Harvard Gazette that talks about the driving decline in U.S. literacy rates. Of course they mention things like the rise of electronic devices, children not being taught phonics anymore or not seeing adults around them reading. However, I take it a step further by going into the root cause of this decline that really has hit Black, Brown and underserved communities which is the trauma from slavery and systemic racism. In the spirit of why I started Real Reading Talk over 7 years ago I don't just talk about the problem I also talk about the solutions. I'm reminding us that we are the solution that we have been waiting on.

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https://www.amazon.com/H-R-Healed-Empowered-Resilient/dp/B0FCFJWP59/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1RQBUQR56UKYD&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.SL9bpHu07vumWhZcWDoWpwRxwNQQDvc9e7WwgDamFjA.Yj4LZvE_TkgtsveHMN0DbO_6ER-O7tyyftEBPkwUFAw&dib_tag=se&keywords=h.e.r.+healed%2C+empowered+resilient+book&qid=1752106104&sprefix=%2Caps%2C355&sr=8-1

You tired of not trusting your gut? Do you second guess yourself a lot? Are you constantly having to ask other people what to do before you make decisions? Well in this episode I break down where that lack of trust in yourself and the ability to make sound decisions come from. This is one of the core reasons as to why I wrote my chapter Escaping the Fear Trap House of our book H.E.R. Healed Empowered Resilient. Grab your notebook, pen because I'm telling you I took the deep dive with this episode. Oh yeah be sure to order your copy of our book so that you get to read for yourself not only my chapter but all of our stories on how life's challenges turned us into champions!

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There was an article written in the Black Wallstreet Times that talked about how reading for pleasure has gone down about 40% for Americans within the last 20 years. For Black people that number looks even more dismal. Well if you've guessed the main reason are the internet, social media and electronic devices you are absolutely on point. In this episode I'm talking about how pleasure reading is almost obsolete and how we can change this negative into positive with persistency and consistency. The link to the article is below.

https://theblackwallsttimes.com/2025/08/28/reading-for-pleasure-has-dropped-40-over-the-last-two-decades/

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Need a reading tutor for pre-k-4th grade click the link below

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click the link to purchase a copy of our book.

https://www.amazon.com/H-R-Healed-Empowered-Resilient/dp/B0FCFJWP59/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1RQBUQR56UKYD&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.SL9bpHu07vumWhZcWDoWpwRxwNQQDvc9e7WwgDamFjA.Yj4LZvE_TkgtsveHMN0DbO_6ER-O7tyyftEBPkwUFAw&dib_tag=se&keywords=h.e.r.+healed%2C+empowered+resilient+book&qid=1752106104&sprefix=%2Caps%2C355&sr=8-1

Picture books are typically associated with young children. We assume because they are filled with illustrations that you must be 8 years old or younger to read them. That is quite the contrary. These books teach us how to have empathy, to have a higher level thinking and they usually have a wide vocabulary. This is why people of all ages can enjoy a picture book. In this episode I talk about how we can read picture books at any age and I give 10 recommendations of books that I believe are some of the best books to be read aloud.

"When you don't understand racism/white supremacy what it is and how it works then everything you think you understand will only confuse you."- Neely Fuller, Jr. This is the quote that I think about constantly when it comes to the deficit, disparities and lack that Black people have been dealing with ever since the inception of this settler colonial project we call America. We can't talk about the high illiteracy rates in our Black communities without putting the focus on where it started which is the denial of our basic human God given right to learn how to read. Even though we didn't create the problem WE still have a responsibility of solving it because, it has been adversely affecting our ability to thrive as a people. This is why in this episode I give a mini breakdown on why having Black people be in a perpetual state of illiteracy, aliteracy and not be educated was a necessary to evil to our enslavement. I also talk about why this was the reason I started ABC READ, INC. , the nonprofit organization that was founded to develop and nurture a culture of literacy in our Black and underserved communities throughout the city of Cleveland. I understood that reading was and will always be connected to our freedom and no one was/is coming to save us and we must save ourselves.

https://abcread.org/

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In this episode I'm addressing the article that The Grio wrote entitled, Trump Abolishing Education Department spells doom for Black America. I'm reminding us of how we should not be surprised or scared not one iota of what the president elect and his cabinet plan to put in place and take away because their actions are aligned with the white supremacist values that America holds so near and dear to their devlish hearts. The question is what are we going to do about it?!Are we going to curl up in a corner, be scared and talk about how we're doomed or are we going to get back to the mindset that our ancestors like Thomas Sankara, Marcus Garvey and Harriet Tubman had when fighting back against a system that has always intended to destroy our humanity. We can wait no longer. The Time Is Now!

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In this episode the esteemed educator Ebony Donley and I are discussing what cause and effect is and how this is one of the foundational components that is needed to have strong reading skills. We also show you our creative and artistic way to teach show what cause and effect is for your child or students. As always grab your pen and paper for the gems and jewels that are being dropped in this episode.

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Yup you read that read that right. Alot of students from elite colleges like Stanford and Columbia are struggling to read the books that have been assigned to them in their classes because they did not develop the skills that are needed to read a book in its entirety. In this episode I'm talking about the article that I read in The Atlantic that is bringing awareness to the fact that a lot of these students weren't being properly prepared to read books while in middle or high school due to the focus on standardized testing. Grab your notebooks and pens because this is an episode that you do not want to miss. The link to this article is down below.

https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2024/11/the-elite-college-students-who-cant-read-books/679945/

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