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ARCHANGEL |
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A Hip-Hop Vision of Love and the Battle of Good Verses Evil ! |
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A drama and romance novel by author John Burl Smith |
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Archangel Reviews |
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ARCHANGEL |
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A Hip-Hop Vision of Love and the Battle of Good Verses Evil ! |
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A drama and romance novel by author John Burl Smith |
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Archangel Reviews |
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Purchase Archangel Today |
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$20.00 US $25.00 CAN |
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Author's Bio |
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John Burl Smith: Author, Journalist, Psychological Researcher, and Production Management Specialist. |
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Education:
Honors:
Employment:
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Author's Personal Narrative |
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Having lived a full life, 64 years, I believe the professional accomplishments and awards one receives are only glimpses of the person. From the perspective of one who endured those 64 years, what is most important about a life are the events that influenced and shaped the individual. Born the son of sharecroppers in Quitman County, Mississippi in 1943, the die was cast for a life of struggling. Barred by the color line from equal justice, dignity and access to the bounty of America, I have spent a lifetime fighting to acquire those cherished inalienable rights not only for myself, but for slave descendants and all who are denied those most precious human values. Segregation left an indelible mark on my personality and forged a will to resist domination deep within the recesses of my being. Growing up during the time when a white man’s word carried the force of law and defiance was an automatic death sentence, my rebellious nature was like a second skin. Raised by my grandparents in Mississippi until I joined my mother and siblings in Memphis, Tennessee at age six, they taught me the stealth necessary to travel incognito through a hostile environment as a child. In order to survive, it was essential to disguise one’s true thoughts and intentions. Discharged a disabled veteran from the military in 1967, I returned to Memphis following a year in Vietnam. Civil rights had come of age, nourished by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s open-handed, turn the other cheek eloquence, persistence and leadership. However, black power was just beginning to burn a flinched fist into the hearts and minds of slave descendants. During that tumultuous period, my sequestered rage surfaced and like a chrysalis, I shed all restraints. I chose black power and organized a group of urban guerillas called the Invader. The sanitation strike began during the fall of 1967 and with community support the Invaders who fought daily battles marching in the streets of Memphis. Fighting racism, I became the face of black power throughout the Mississippi River delta. Leading high school students out of class everyday in support of striking sanitation workers, they learned real live civic lessons during city hall protest. Black community leaders vowed to stop garbage collection and recruited the Invaders to attack sanitation trucks escorted by police. Dr. King came to Memphis to lead a march that did not include the Invaders and a riot ensued. Rev. Hosea Williams brought Dr. King and the Invaders together for a second march. The day we met at the Loraine Motel (April 4, 1968) to discuss strategy and plan mutual cooperation for the Poor People’s Champaign, Dr. King shared his vision of the future with the Invaders. He challenged us to relinquish hatred in favor of love, if we truly desired to subdue evil in United States of America. Unfortunately, Dr. King was assassinated that evening. Consequently, it goes without saying, he was not available to teach us how to make that transition. A marked man after Dr. King’s death, like most black power organizers, Co-Intel-Pro had a death list and my name was near the top. On the run until I was arrested by two black rookie cops, I believe they probably saved my life. I served three years in prison on school invasion charges. Those years gave me time to ponder Dr. King’s challenge and admonition. While serving time, I began to write. I read my first book from cover to cover. I got out of jail in May 1971 and if you check the dates of entries of my most noteworthy accomplishments, they occurred after that point. A historical point: I was the only black power spokesman to appear in Peter Jennings’ ABC network special Millennium Eve 2000, also known as ABC 2000 Today. The documentary recapitulated the major events of the millennium. My picture, along with other Invaders, is displayed in the Civil Rights Museum at the Loraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee. I used these experiences to create my new book: ARCHANGEL: A Hip Hop Vision of Love and the Battle of Good Verses Evil ! |
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