welcome the books that matter people who matter the program dedicated to promoting reading among all segments of the viewing audience the purpose of the show is to encourage reading among each and everyone each and every family and we're very beyond our guest today is professor james blake he's a counselor at the borough of manhattan community college and he's also subject of the book god's bad boy written by dr bessie blake so we're going to talk about to be on you know professor let's talk about the subject matter within god's bad boy it's a biography of yourself which is so engrossing is so well written articles in the new yorker magazine which are written in such a way that you believe as a reader that that writer was there at that time it's so engaging but tell us about  some of the issues that come about that you have to address issues in terms of your own individual collecting and as opposed to the collective will the institutions that you're in to make you into something other than yourself so i became a bad boy because i wanted to hold on to what i was prior to going into these particular institutions and therefore i had a clash with the administration of these particular places and i was you know given the title bad boy but i realized that by holding on to what god gave me and what got produced in me that i was god's bad boy i was a dead to graduating with a full scholarship from north carolina central university and eventually in for a scholarship to columbia university some of the key people in my life that gave me guidance that's why i love guidance much and that's knowledge more information and that i'm married with a social worker who helped me to understand that where the system is not to respond to everything the system does to you but the pain of being is to get family that came and that i came into the world when i am responsible for the family that bring into the world professor professor professor james blake i'm smiling when you when you talk about your children in your grandchildren not knowing the the the hardships that you've been through and i'm smiling because our children when we when we come through what we've come through whether it's as traumatic as some of your experiences or or less traumatic we we don't tend to share those things without children but fortunately you have written a book and as they get into the book they say grand dad they just really  happen and the joy of your grandchildren is that so many of them are doing exceptionally well in the education field but i want to go back to the surviving the forced to care system because at eighteen and nineteen year phased out and many of our youngsters who have gone through forced to care come through forced to care not knowing how to read and write coming through forced to care on ritalin and other drugs the gateway drugs to drug addiction but use of the lived and you hinted at something that you knew that you were guards bad boy there's something in that that indicates that you had a notion of your goodness you didn't you weren't victimized completely to the extent where you felt that you were a bad person and unworthy so talk about those elements whether it was your grandmother sharing insight on guard with you or your own innate drive to to for self survival and dignity talk about that well one of the things i want to pinpoint is what helped me survive that situation is the fact that i had not a notion what i was taught knowledge of myself by counselors who sean he was a tough kid but also a smart kid and they gave me information that helped me to understand that my personal situation was not just my personal situation it was a public issue that black families would be  went back to slavery and that if i had knowledge of myself and knowledge of who i was the net increase my self esteem and that that that helped me a great deal in terms of how i begin to view myself unfortunately t opportunity to go directly to a four year college in the same way they provided if to me that these kids are going to sit over a city prominent community i have to talk with them all the time one of the things that they're struggling where they can have shelter and food so they continue their studies and just in terms of current headlines it's just been revealed that the new york city the police department evading poor families black families puerto rican families from their homes without due process and this thing just broke by way of poor probe probably because the daily news fortunately had their story out and what people don't realize is that homeless families that are made homeless their children a put into such a state that they they don't get an education and we see these youngsters out here on the street i'm talking about teenagers young men and they may be involved in what is called petty crime petty crime and we don't know how they got there but the the source is systematic as opposed to harris in a couple of other counselors who gave you a sense of self and that's one on one and you come into contact with the nation of islam in here is and is to an institution  programming individuals from a wayward way of life to a positive way of life how did that play a role or how did islam as taught by the honorable elijah muhammad come into your life well actually it came into my mind because as a social worker somebody way i need to find out more about it so it was a couple years before i actually went to the mosque and then what drove me to them was that my biological brother died in brooklyn and he didn't get there folks just have to go to it and then those who know have to put that information before the people and there is one very surprising event that many events but there are many one surprising event that is unknown to most of our people is that the only bill i had to mohammed in martin luther king met at least once but possibly two times and the impact that that had on the on on on both individuals but most importantly on martin luther king is something that is not talked about but it did in courage him to sharpen his dialogue not that it needed to be sharp sharp in his dialogue in terms of of where black people need to be thinking in terms of doing for self yes the modus operandi of the society o groups and not make the connection among people who are positive and who are struggling for unity and liberation we have been victimized by that continuously in the black community because we are in our  studying every aspect of the man impacted on famous people like that famous to us now but they became famous you know because of the of the teachings of the army lodge muhammad and how they integrated those teachings into their lives like malcolm  student body and the coalition of muslims are putting together for the celebration and promotion of the on oblige muhammad they neglected black history talk about that for the first but the first time in balance against each other and guns and all of the things that come with it you know it is going to be a very what program and if you have a chip and you need to bring up because they'll never have anything like this in the public school system and when you talk about not hearing anything i'm working with some youngsters who in public school they are not getting geography they're not getting social studies to the degree where they they don't even know they don't know about the constitution they don't know about things giving it is a they don't know penmanship they can't sign their names they have to print their names it's not a put down on the students our students are tremendously bright but they're not being educated and they're not being prepared for the next level where you are in terms of going to college that the event is going to be free is in infusion the black history at no cost to the individuals borough of manhattan community college is the exact addresses on chambers street in the west side drive is that good or less the exact address that one ninety nine jamie st one ninety nine changed the street those individuals within the nation of islam minister louis farrakhan those other branches of the nation of islam individuals and also those immigrants who have children who are now nd being raised in islam in america islam is the way of life as opposed to the propaganda and by the way professor james blake there's an important movie that gives a hint at false flag operations blamed on muslims and that is the sam jackson movie the long kiss goodnight and we want to thank you very very much for joining us once again the long kiss good night sam jackson you can  get that movie and in that movie they talk about having a false flag operation and blaming it on muslims were tuesday february twenty third at manhattan community college chambers street in the westside drive thank you very much for watching books that matter people who matter read to a child we to a senior citizen god bless you all and thank you for your support ok thank you