If there is one thing the great men of history have in common it’s this: books. They read, a lot. I know it’s my first post and it something as boring as reading right? Reading is something I was forced into doing and something I forced myself to love as I grew up. The result of this practice I have grown to appreciate today are great.

Theodore Roosevelt (ugh, a “white” I know, not too much of a bad one though) carried a dozen books with him on his perilous exploration of the River of Doubt (I love travelling thus my inclusion) and Lincoln (another one) read everything he could get his hands on. Napoleon (I swear I’m getting to my point without lightening the space too much) had a library of some 3,500 books with him at St. Helena, and before that had a traveling library he took on campaigns. We can appreciate where I am going with this of course, these powerful men owed a lot of their knowledge and references to books they would have consulted on their journeys. Barack Obama (at last, right?) said “Reading is the gateway skill that makes all other learning possible, from complex word problems and the meaning of our history to scientific discovery and technological proficiency.”

A little closer to home? Dr. Joe White speaks about the psychological interventions used to liberate black males. He postulates that these interventions cannot be based on principles of domination and control (after all that’s what we have spent centuries enduring and fighting, it should make sense right?). The importance of emotional expression, mind-body-spirit holism, the interconnectedness of all living things and the importance of confronting messages of dehumanization in their comprehensive psychological theory of African descent individuals.

Hard Times – Charles Dickens

Even though there are different forms of utilitarianism, Dickens writes through the character of Mr. Gradgrind a staunch example. This is not Dickens’ most famous work, it has the most to teach us though in my opinion. It takes us to a time when economic hardship and ingrained old world prejudices keep people from exploring their potential. Dickens’ presentation of it makes it clear exactly who the victim of Utilitarianism is and it’s hard not to have even a small bit of personal re-evaluation by the end.

Empire State of Mind: How Jay-Z Went from Street Corner to Corner Office - Zack O’Malley Greenburg

The kind of biography that doubles as a business book actually – with a great balance between the two. It shows how as a young man in Brooklyn, Jay applied hustling techniques to the music business and eventually built his empire. A true hustler, he never did only one thing — from music to fashion to sports, Jay dominated each field, always operating on the same principles. As he puts it, “I’m not a businessman, I’m a business, man!”, thought provoking and inspiring which will stick with you.

The Autobiography of Malcolm X: As Told to Alex Haley by Malcolm X.

The Autobiography of Malcolm X was written for young black boys, boys who needed hope – a hope to carry on. This read emulates a man who is born into adversity and pain, struggles with criminality, does prison time, teaches himself to read through the dictionary, finds religion, and then becomes an activist for Civil Rights before being gunned down by his former supporters when he tempers the hate and anger that had long defined parts of his message. Booker T. Washington’s memoir Up from Slavery and Frederick Douglass’s epic narrative are both incredibly moving and inspiring as well.

The Will to Change: Men Masculinity and Love
Bell Hooks at her usual ground-breaking best! Micro level cruelty is on trial often in this book as hooks discusses how current systems of domination prevent males from experiencing and expressing love. The shutting down of vulnerable emotions prevents men from expressing love and also prevents others from getting to know us. And make no mistake, men cannot experience love if we refuse to share our most vulnerable selves. To be clear, all genders have embraced patriarchal dominance and thereby this system of volatility and control is perpetuated across the gender continuum. hooks explains why traditional masculinity is the enemy of the Black family and Black male mental health; all the while offering a blue print for rejecting patriarchy and embracing a form of manhood which challenges sexism, strengthens emotional connections and facilitates loving relationships.

The Autobiography of an Ex-Coloured Man

James Weldon Johnson was a lawyer, educator, social reformer, songwriter, and critic. However, when he became a poet and novelist that is where he found his nitch.

The point is: Successful people read. A lot. And what about us young, wildly ambitious black men who want to follow in their footsteps? We have that hunger, that drive, and desire. The question is: What should we read? What will help us on the path laid out for us — and all that it entails? Make notes and apply them to your lives.