Tag: teachers

Yecheilyah’s Book Reviews -Lifeline to a Soul by John K. McLaughlin

Title: Lifeline to a Soul: The Life-Changing Perspective I Gained While Teaching Entrepreneurship to Prisoners

Author: John K. McLaughlin

Publisher: Lifeline Education Connection

Published: April 4, 2023

Pages: 237

John McLaughlin uses his skills in education and experiences running his own company to teach entrepreneurship at a minimum-security prison in Lifeline to a Soul. The author’s background is described in depth, including his involvement in assisting his father with launching his sales start-up company. John gains business and customer service skills at McLaughlin and Associates that helps him teach later in life.

I was impressed with his father’s tenacity to launch his own company after years of devoting himself to someone else led to his termination. It would have been simple and understandable to give up, but he didn’t, and his son was inspired by his persistence to keep going until he achieved his goals.

Determined to do whatever it takes to pursue a profession in education and adapt to the rapidly evolving technological environment, John decides to continue his education. Not only does he go back to get his master’s degree, but he ultimately gets his teaching certificate and doctorate.

However, despite having all the education and qualifications, there has yet to be a response from teaching jobs.

That is until there is an opening for a part-time instructor to teach an entrepreneur program in a minimum-security correctional setting.

TavaresAndJohn
http://www.lifelinetoasoul.com

Getting the job was easy, and Mr. Moose (John’s hilarious nickname) immersed himself in instructing his students with course chapters from books, syllabi, and business plan templates.

But Mr. Moose did not do all the teaching.

When asked about Black Wallstreet by one of the Black students, the author admits to not knowing about it or remembering it taught in school.

“If this is a true story, do you think Uncle Cleve could’ve been a part of Black Wall Street? The time period’s about right, and he had to learn those business skills somewhere.”

I had no idea what he was talking about. “What was Black Wall Street?” I asked.

“Black Wall Street!” Kevin continued, slightly exasperated and looking around the room for support. “Look it up. An affluent Black community in Oklahoma around the turn of the century that was bombed out of existence by the United States Army.”

Laughlin then goes on to learn more about this historical period in time. He explains how his notions about who prisoners were and them getting what they deserved changed. He thought he would be teaching, but they taught him too.

Speaking of humility, the author also opened his class to inmates who weren’t registered but wanted to sit in and learn and gave away books to the men who asked, even though he had to pay for them out of his own pocket.

“Even though I wasn’t given any funds for supplies, I couldn’t deny an incarcerated man a book on my first day, my last day, or any day in between.”

“Anyone who wanted to learn was always welcome.”

Profile Picture 11523

Lifeline of a Soul is an inspiring story of one teacher’s experience teaching entrepreneurship and learning more about life for inmates, away from the stereotypes or preconceived notions of what he thought it might have been like. There was a lot about the prison that surprised even me and challenged my own misconceptions about that life. It is the story of how one man’s high level of determination saved the lives of the students he taught.

This book has layers of lessons: How a lack of resources in prison is similar to challenges entrepreneurs face with start-ups; not giving up on your dream; persisting when things get tough; pivoting where necessary, and having the humility to always be open to learning.

I also really enjoyed the presentation and organization of this book, down to the progress report of where some of the men are and their business logos. John is indeed a professional!

IMG_3599

Ratings:

  • Strong Introduction: 5/5
  • Authenticity / Believable: 5/5
  • Organization: 5/5
  • Thought Provoking: 5/5
  • Solid Conclusion: 5/5

Grab Your Copy of Lifeline to a Soul Here

Lifeline Cover with PenCraft Award

To have your book reviewed on this blog apply here. The registry is open for a limited time. Stay tuned for our next dope read.

(I am off for the rest of May. Our next review will be in June. Stay tuned!)

Yecheilyah’s Book Reviews is a reputable review service that features writers from all over the world, both traditionally and independently published. We are listed on Kindlepreneur as a top-tier book review blog and Reedsy as one of their vetted active book blogs that provide insightful, excellent book reviews.

*Books are read in the order they are received.

 

Black History Fun Fact Friday: “In Africa they Didn’t Teach about the Period of Enslavement of Our People.”

I thought this quote was an interesting and thought provoking one to share considering the crisis going on today.

What Crisis?

The one where schools are trying to remove Black History Courses from their Curriculum.

The one where today’s kids only know about Slavery and the Civil Rights Movement.

The one where the only Historical Black people most people can name are Harriet Tubman, Rosa Parks, and Martin Luther King Dr.

What about Toussaint Louverture, general and leader of the Haitian Revolution?

Or Florence Mills, nicknamed “Queen of Happiness,” and one of the most successful entertainers of the 1920s Harlem Renaissance Movement? You know Zora Neale Hurston and Langston Hughes, but what of the people mainstream society doesn’t speak of?

THAT Crisis

To the quote…

“In Africa, they didn’t teach about the period of enslavement of our people. They forbade us from speaking about it. They would kill people for speaking about that history. So we were not allowed for hundreds of years to speak about what was happening and to teach what was happening.”

– Queen Diambi: The Queen of Congo

My people across the water, is this true? Not hard to believe with the history they restrict here in America.

Now, for our first atrocity of the week…

My raggedy To Kill a Mockingbird

A public school in Biloxi Mississippi is trying to pull To Kill a Mockingbird from the eighth grade curriculum because the language is “uncomfortable.”

If the language in To Kill a Mockingbird makes thirteen-year-olds “uncomfortable,” then I assume the school district is also insisting they stay off Twitter and never listen to rap music. – Julia Dent

“The book is about life in the South during the Great Depression, specifically the life of a black man named Tom Robinson who had been framed for raping a white woman. Local lawyer Atticus Finch agrees to defend the innocent man, angering the racist white community who subject him and his children to abuse. Despite proving Robinson’s innocence, the jury still convicts him because of the color of his skin. I won’t spoil the ending for you if you haven’t read it, but it is even more violent and sad (but with a bit of a happy ending).”

And if you haven’t read the book yet, do that (and I do not mean watch the movie. Read the book).

>>Click Here to Keep Reading<<

Next up is the Winston-Salem School Board who voted SEVEN to ONE AGAINST a Black History Course

“Black American children need to know their history “not later, but now,” Winston-Salem City Council Member D.D. Adams said after a mandatory African-American history course for the district was rejected by the school board.

>>Click here to Keep Reading<<

and this one goes in depth

 

I shared these same articles with my email list and I am sharing them with you too because I am seeing more and more instances of Black history removed. This is one of several reasons why I write Black Historical Fiction. Who will restore what was lost? No greater person can do it than writers. Someone has to write it down even if through Fiction and Poetry.

The little crumbs of black history they have allowed to exist is being erased bit by bit. As the so-called Black man, woman, and child is being awakened to the knowledge of their true heritage, even what they thought they knew is being removed. A few weeks ago, I was watching Michael B. Jordan’s Raising Dion series on Netflix. Dion was being singled out by a white teacher during an altercation Dion had with another student, a white boy. His aunt told his mother it was time for her to have “the talk” with him. When she told him, Dion said he thought “Dr. King fixed all of that.”

Huh? Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.?

MLK is recent. The 60s was not that long ago and Black History did not begin with The Civil Rights Movement (The NAACP wasn’t even created by Black people. It was founded by Jewish white men.)

Black people, ask yourself why our children are only being taught about the Civil Rights Movement. Chicago Public Schools have been on strike for about two weeks ending today. Maybe parents should consider teaching their own children. It can’t be any worse than the school system.

Image from the movie, “To Kill a Mockingbird”

February is around the corner but you don’t have to wait a whole year to research your history. Here are a few good articles for you.

For The Origins of Black History Month revisit that fun fact here, which I published to this blog a couple years ago.

Here’s an article I found earlier this week written by William Spivey. He was featured on the blog a few years ago about his upcoming book. He wrote an excellent piece on Breeding Farms during slavery.

This young woman is getting a lot of attention of Social Media for being the first Black Teen Author Ever To Write 3 Books Being Used By School Districts Across The Country. She is an excellent example of how Black writers can change things through writing.

Peace and hair grease!

For more Black History Fun Facts visit the Black History Fun Fact page here. If you are interested in submitting a Black History Fun Fact as a guest post on this blog let me know! That would help me to be more consistent with this if I had help. I am putting together something now to promote that but until then, comment below if you’re interested or email me at yecheilyah (at) yecheilyahysrayl dot com. (The post on Roots has been added to the Black History Fun Fact page.)

Next week we are talking about Nina LittleJohn (Yah Willing) who opened a medical facility to treat Blacks in Spartanburg, South Carolina.

Black History Fun Fact Friday – Lucy Craft Laney

Welcome back to Black History Fun Fact Friday. Today, we learn about Lucy Craft Laney.

Lucy Craft Laney was a famous educator in the late 1800s and early 1900s. She opened her own school in 1883, which became known as Haines Normal and Industrial Institute in Augusta, Georgia where she served as teacher and principle for 50 years.

Laney was born on April 13, 1854, one of ten children, to Louisa and David Laney. Laney was not enslaved as David Laney purchased his freedom twenty years before Laney’s birth and then purchased his wife’s freedom sometime after their marriage. Laney was taught to read by her mother at the early age of four. By 12 Laney could translate passages in Latin. She attended Lewis (later Ballard) High School in Macon, GA which was sponsored by the American Missionary Association.

Laney prepared to be a teacher at Atlanta University in 1889 (later Clark Atlanta University), graduating from the Normal Department (teacher’s training) in 1873.

Sewing_class_at_Haines_Normal_and_Industrial_Institute,_Augusta,_Georgia_LCCN2003652513
Sewing class at Haines Normal and Industrial Institute, Augusta, Georgia

Laney’s school started out small with just a handful of students. She began her school in 1883 in Augusta. Her school was chartered by the state three years later and named the Haines Normal and Industrial Institute. Originally, Laney intended to admit only girls, but several boys appeared and she could not turn them away. By the end of the second year, there were more than 200 Black students enrolled in Laney’s school.

Over the years, Laney made many improvements and additions to the school. In the 1890s, the school was one of the first to offer kindergarten classes for African-American children in the South. She also opened a training center so that black women could train as nurses. The school’s curriculum provided the students with traditional liberal arts courses as well as vocational programs, which was groundbreaking at the time, but that’s not all. Laney’s school also acted as a cultural center for the Black community, hosting lectures by nationally famous guests, and various social events.