The 1619 Project Puts Slavery And Its Aftermath In The Spotlight

The New York Times Magazine published hundreds of thousands of extra copies of its special 1619 Project issue (August 18, 2019),which commemorated the year 1619 when the first shipload of enslaved Africans landed in the British colony of Virginia.

Unfortunately, despite its distribution at schools, libraries, and museums, I was unable to obtain a copy. It wasn't until three days ago that I found a damp copy of the issue in a Little Free Library kiosk on Saint Nicholas Avenue in Harlem. (It had been raining that day. I went home later and dried the issue on my living room radiator.)

Finding that copy was like finding a pot of gold or the holy grail. I could now read, if I chose, the magazine issue and the book it spawned, The 1619 Project: A New Origin Story (One World/ Penguin Random House, 2021) side by side. (I bought the book at the now-closed Target store in East Harlem in June of this year.)

Both the magazine and the book place slavery, considered America's "original sin," at the root of inequality and injustice in every aspect of American life.

The book will no doubt be among the many books banned and demonized in places like Florida and Texas. But, as the magazine issue's introduction states: "American history cannot be told truthfully without a clear vision of how inhuman and immoral the treatment of black Americans has been. By acknowledging this shameful history, by trying hard to understand its powerful influence on the present, perhaps we can prepare ourselves for a more just future."

The 1619 Project, the brainchild of Nikole Hannah-Jones, a New York Times Magazine staff writer, is also the subject of an original series on the streaming service Hulu. I'm looking forward to seeing it if and when it becomes available as a DVD set.

Little Free Libraries, A Sign Of Gentrification?

Being a book lover from childhood, I was pleased when Little Free Library kiosks, described in a recent Los Angeles Times article as "charming, birdhouse-like structures," began to pop up in different areas of Harlem, including two inside Marcus Garvey Park.

Not for one minute did I suspect they were a harbinger of gentrification, like a Starbucks or a Whole Foods store moving into a vacant commercial space or the construction of luxury housing.

To me, these book kiosks existed solely as a celebration and promotion of good literature by people like me, dyed-in-the-wool bookworms.

That was my thought until I read Jack Flemming's online Los Angeles Times real estate article, "Black-Trimmed Homes, Tiny Libraries, And Other Signs Your Neighborhood Is About To Be Gentrified" (December 7, 2023).

Flemming, a staff writer at the paper, assures the reader that the kiosks "don't cause gentrification." Instead they are "a product of gentrification" and that they "usually" appear "where home prices are rising and well-to-do residents are moving in."

And, he further notes, most of the books he has seen in these kiosks "generally seem to be stocked exclusively with James Patterson novels and unreadable how-to books."

Fortunately, the book kiosks in Harlem offer more diverse selections than the ones in the L.A. area. I have found children's books, black history books, reference books, travel guides, cookbooks, and novels by Octavia Butler, Michael Connelly, Amy Tan, Nadine Gordimer, Marlon James, to name a few. ( I have also donated many books, DVDs, and CDs.)

These kiosks may be a "product of gentrification," but I'm glad they're in my neighborhood, where there are no longer any bookstores. They, and the local branch libraries, are making literature available to everyone.

Like the community fridges that allow people to donate and take food, the Little Free Library kiosks have become community assets.

Throw Your Troubles To The Wind

Whenever I feel stressed out or have a lot on my mind, I like to take a long, leisurely walk, preferably in New York's Central Park, my all-time favorite greenspace.

The feel of fresh air on my face, the sight and smell of greenery, and the sound of wildlife never fails to clear my head and lift my spirits.

Until I recently heard a segment on the public radio show The World, I didn't know there was a name for this activity that I've been doing for many years. It's called uitwaaien (pronounced out-vy-een), a Dutch word for "out-blowing" or "walk with the wind."  There isn't, unfortunately, an English equivalent, according to one online article.

In the Netherlands it's a common practice for people to take these open-air strolls on windswept days to relieve themselves of stress and anxiety. And it's a lot cheaper than taking pills or going to therapy sessions.

So the next time life gets you down, try uitwaaien and let the wind blow away your troubles.

Urban Book Maven's Fifteenth Anniversary

December 18, 2023 will mark Urban Book Maven's fifteenth anniversary. Over the years, the blog has served as a soapbox, a source of information, and, for me, a writing stimulus.

I hope it will continue to be those things and much more in the coming years.

In the new year, I also hope to start a second blog that will have as its focus Harlem, my home community. I haven't decided on a name for it yet. When I do I want it to be something that's eye catching and memorable.