L.A. & Dee discuss their book 'Real Talk'

L.A. & Dee

www.realtalklive.com

 

Tell us about your book Real Talk?

Real Talk is a compilation of conversations from Black men about their perspectives of Black women. We made a conscious decision to begin our series of Real Talk books within the Black community because we felt there was great strain in how Black men and women view one another. We wanted this book to be positive, yet still cover controversial topics. So you'll have sections within the book that'll make you laugh and others that'll definitely trigger some deep thought. This book is not an attempt to prove who's right or wrong, it's simply an attempt to spark conversation without bashing one another. We interviewed 8 Black men from diverse backgrounds (i.e. cities, ages, religious backgrounds, family structures). The interviews were held in a location of our participants’ choice. After we conducted the face to face interviews, we transcribed each interview verbatim. We wanted to keep the voices of the men as honest and as real as possible.

 

Who is the audience for the book and how will they benefit from reading?

The book is intended for both male and female readers. It's great for women because it provides answers and a sense of understanding to some of those questions that we over-analyze in our own minds. It's basically like having Barbershop talk--in a book.  On the other hand, it's just as great for men because it gives them an opportunity to relate and gain insight from other men. We wanted to reach out to all adult readers. It doesn’t matter what racial/ethnic background, age, or gender you are, because there is something for everyone in this book. We wanted to discuss topics that are sometimes uncomfortable for people to share with one another. Real Talk gives our readers the opportunity to hear the voices of some very opinionated men.

What is your opinion of the availability of the African American Male perspective?

There's not enough. There's an abundance of negative portrayals from the media of Black men but definitely a lack of availability of perspectives from Black men themselves. Honestly, that was one of our main reasons for creating a book from the perspective of Black men. We felt there were several  books that catered to women so it was important for us to give Black men an open forum to discuss  topics such as growing up in fatherless homes or how the really feel about the "Independent" Black woman. Unfortunately, oftentimes perceptions of Black men may not be very positive. This is due to the inaccurate and negative stereotyping that we see in the media. Black love does exist. Yet, we are all too familiar with the staggering statistics. Today, nearly 70% of African-American births are to unmarried mothers. In truth however, many Black people experience well-functioning and successful family units, yet very little research exists on positive marriages, satisfaction, happiness, and Black men’s view of love. 

 

 

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