From Harlem to the Hate of KKK: Light, Bright and Damn Near White, Published by Outskirts Press
Los Angeles, CA, January 27, 2011 --(PR.com)-- Edward Baken today announced the release of his autobiography, Light, Bright and Damn Near White, published by Outskirts Press. A remarkable account of two worlds – from the flash of forties’ Harlem to the fear of being lynched in the Deep South -- Baken’s memoir takes readers on his journey from the comfort of his own culture to the frightening land where neither he nor his culture had value.
Harlem in the nineteen-forties. Mystical, challenging, hot. It was the place to be. Blacks had money and they spent it on the flashiest cars, the finest suits, the most beautiful women. In Sugar Hill lived the black entertainers, the big pimps, the actors, the writers and every black who had money. In Harlem itself were the clubs, Small’s Paradise, Sugar Ray’s, The Red Rooster, The Apollo, as well as the after hours spots, Minton’s, Flo’s, Snookie’s.
These were the places to be seen. A pretty lady was a must for a black man and she had to be white or at least light, bright and damn near white. Edward Baken and his cousin Junior were the sons of two such women and his account of life in the Harlem of those days reveals a rich, safe culture where black men could succeed on their own terms.
Deciding, however, to branch out and look for the “big money” in life, Baken and his cousin Junior decide one summer not to return to high school and they travel down into the South looking for high paying work. In Virginia they are picked up by the police and sent back home. They plan on running away again. This time to Florida.
In Florida they are arrested for vagrancy, called “white niggas” and sent away to a work farm. After being in Florida for several months, they decide to visit George’s half-sister who lives in a small town in Alabama, there, they run into real trouble. The KKK.
Light, Bright and Damn Near White is available on-line in paperback through Amazon and Barnes and Noble and at www.outskirtspress.com/bookstore for a maximum trade discount in quantities of ten or more.
ISBN: 978-1-4327-5999-5 Format: 6 x 9 paperback white SRP: $14.95
Genre: Autobiography/adventurers and explorers
About the author:
Edward Baken is now eighty years old and this is the true story of what happened to him and his cousin in the South during World War II. Some of the names have been changed, some forgotten.
For more information or to contact the author, visit www.outskirtspress.com/LightBrightandDamnNearWhite.
About Outskirts Press, Inc,: Outskirts Press, Inc. offers full-service, custom self-publishing and book marketing services for authors seeking a cost-effective, fast, and flexible way to publish and distribute their books worldwide while retaining all their rights and full creative control. Available for authors globally at www.outskirtspress.com and located on the outskirts of Denver, Colorado, Outskirts Press represents the future of book publishing, today.
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Outskirts Press, Inc., 10940 S. Parker Rd. - 515, Parker, Colorado 80134
http://outskirtspress.com 1-888-OP-BOOKS
Harlem in the nineteen-forties. Mystical, challenging, hot. It was the place to be. Blacks had money and they spent it on the flashiest cars, the finest suits, the most beautiful women. In Sugar Hill lived the black entertainers, the big pimps, the actors, the writers and every black who had money. In Harlem itself were the clubs, Small’s Paradise, Sugar Ray’s, The Red Rooster, The Apollo, as well as the after hours spots, Minton’s, Flo’s, Snookie’s.
These were the places to be seen. A pretty lady was a must for a black man and she had to be white or at least light, bright and damn near white. Edward Baken and his cousin Junior were the sons of two such women and his account of life in the Harlem of those days reveals a rich, safe culture where black men could succeed on their own terms.
Deciding, however, to branch out and look for the “big money” in life, Baken and his cousin Junior decide one summer not to return to high school and they travel down into the South looking for high paying work. In Virginia they are picked up by the police and sent back home. They plan on running away again. This time to Florida.
In Florida they are arrested for vagrancy, called “white niggas” and sent away to a work farm. After being in Florida for several months, they decide to visit George’s half-sister who lives in a small town in Alabama, there, they run into real trouble. The KKK.
Light, Bright and Damn Near White is available on-line in paperback through Amazon and Barnes and Noble and at www.outskirtspress.com/bookstore for a maximum trade discount in quantities of ten or more.
ISBN: 978-1-4327-5999-5 Format: 6 x 9 paperback white SRP: $14.95
Genre: Autobiography/adventurers and explorers
About the author:
Edward Baken is now eighty years old and this is the true story of what happened to him and his cousin in the South during World War II. Some of the names have been changed, some forgotten.
For more information or to contact the author, visit www.outskirtspress.com/LightBrightandDamnNearWhite.
About Outskirts Press, Inc,: Outskirts Press, Inc. offers full-service, custom self-publishing and book marketing services for authors seeking a cost-effective, fast, and flexible way to publish and distribute their books worldwide while retaining all their rights and full creative control. Available for authors globally at www.outskirtspress.com and located on the outskirts of Denver, Colorado, Outskirts Press represents the future of book publishing, today.
###
Outskirts Press, Inc., 10940 S. Parker Rd. - 515, Parker, Colorado 80134
http://outskirtspress.com 1-888-OP-BOOKS
Contact
Outskirts Press
Kelly Schuknecht
888.672.6657
www.outskirtspress.com
Kelly Schuknecht
888.672.6657
www.outskirtspress.com
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