Real, raw and refreshing are just a few adjectives that describe this insightful work of art. Through his various experiences growing up in the inner city, Kevin Laron Moore, a.k.a. Height, was blessed with the unique ability to discern and articulate the many realities of Black life in America. The language is sometimes cutting, but with his exceptional word rhyming style, the author holds his readers spellbound. Emotions are taken on a rollercoaster ride by the authors accurate and incontrovertible contents.
This book is all about reflections of the writers experiences in America. The seven REFLECTIONS and BONUS CHAPTER, discuss in turn – pain, promise, and evolution in its:
Reflections on Youth,
Reflections on Black Men and Black Women,
Reflections on Self-Determination,
Reflections on Community and Self-hatred,
Reflections on Black Life in America,
Reflections on Family,
Reflections on God and Religion, and
Five Bullets and a Blessing (Bonus Chapter).
While these reflections and bonus chapter are written from the viewpoints of the Authors empirical knowledge, many who have experienced his lifes journey will understand and strongly relate, while others who are open to walking in anothers shoes will learn and be transformed.
The notes (thoughts) herein can be described as a serious, urban, social commentary written in a poetic format. It is a journey from a valley of pain and desolation to the heights of promise and ultimate potential. Thats Deep!: Reflections on the Afterlife of a Black Student is simply a MUST-READ BOOK!!! It is a sociological work that will teach others and remind those who have felt the sting firsthand of the devastating impact of Americas separate and unequal treatment of many of its voiceless citizenry. It is a history lesson to people of all races and nationalities of the matchless, resilient and soulful spirit of Africa and all of her outreached descendants. It is also a powerful message that without Gods love, mercy and grace, ones life is purposeless, empty and unprotected.
Giới thiệu về tác giả
Kevin L. Moore was born and raised in New Brunswick, New Jersey, the middle child of five siblings (three boys and two girls). His story, regrettably, is not unique. Born in poverty, he experienced the deprivation and lack of support that too often reflect the lingering effects of racism, exclusion, and well-intended but sometimes misguided social welfare policies.
Kevin was raised by a single mother after the family was abandoned by his father when he was three years old. Kevin’s mother—a devout Christian who instilled her faith and a strong belief in God in her children—did her best under conditions that were extremely difficult for the family. The five children oftentimes struggled very hard themselves; however, they learned urban astuteness and survival skills from “the streets” that helped to raise them.
Angry with his father and the world, Kevin got into fights and was labeled emotionally disturbed by his local school district. His mother refused to have him medicated to control his behavior; therefore, Kevin was ensconced in special education classes from the fourth grade through graduation from high school in 1988. He began selling drugs as a teen initially “to feed his physical hunger” and was arrested and incarcerated several times over the next few years. While in jail, he started reading everything that he could get his hands on—from the Bible to The Autobiography of Malcolm X. He credits Malcolm X and the discovery that “Jesus Christ was of African descent” with changing his life. It was then that he also began to write with an indelible, experienced pen.
After serving time in jail (during which time he grew to be 6 feet 9 inches tall), Kevin was recruited by a school in Bangor, Maine, to play basketball. Torn between the quick money of a life in the streets and making this positive move, the encouragement of a family friend and the pastor of a local church pushed him to make the decision to go to college. That first year, travel to Europe, Canada, and several states in the US helped to further convince him of the wisdom of his choice to go to school. He later transferred to Bloomfield College in New Jersey, graduating in 1997 with a bachelor of arts in sociology and several academic and athletic honors.
Returning to New Brunswick committed to making a difference in the lives of young people in the community, Kevin again found himself dealing with a plethora of issues that left him perfectly conflicted—from being a positive and productive fixture in his community to facing drug abuse, being shot five times, and becoming homeless in three states. Today, Kevin’s noteworthy odyssey has made him battle-ready to perform God’s will while encouraging others that they too can overcome the various social and life adversities that will inevitably unfold in their lives.
Currently, Kevin Moore is living in Atlanta, Georgia, and is striving to be the best example of a man and father to his son, Zakee Isaiah.