ERACISM

by Gary James

ERACISM is my first release and it is a memoir, published in July of 2007. Executing the work was a joy and the process was cathartic as it helped me to revisit the sum total of my life to that point, as the perspective was central to crystallizing my world view. The various stages of my growth and development from the South Bronx were I was born, to the transition to Springfield Gardens in Queens New York, wherein my parents purchased a house in 1961. The juxtaposition between my experiences in the Bronx as compared the suburb of Queens, as I became fascinated with the emerging black political consciousness movement. There was an emotional quality associated with my recollections of the personal conflict that overtook me as I worked on a conventional job, but the moral conflict that I experienced resulted with my joining the community organizing staff of the Nation Welfare Rights Organization (NWRO), in 1966.

The next critical point occurred when I left the NWRO staff, and began my colorful political dispensation in local community based politics in Queens. I became increasingly wary of continuing my direct action political activism with NWRO, following some race based intrigues that I experienced on the national level, in addition to my political observations leading up to and following the assassination of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. My grassroots political activism extended to Harlem in 1980 as the result of successful political and business initiatives in Queens. Our Harlem based political initiative was dynamic, far reaching and consequential as we interfaced and interacted on the county, municipal, state-wide, national and international levels. On the economic side we owned a public relation and printing company on the 125th Street corridor from 1984 to 1998.

The books story line provides an overview and chronicle of this author’s foundational experience growing up in the South Bronx during the baby boom generations and transition to the suburbs when his parents purchased a house in Springfield Gardens, Queens, New York. Ultimately, Harlem was a dynamic venue for Gary’s colorful grassroots political activism, entrepreneurial and business initiatives. Each venue that is well noted, the Bronx, Queens and Harlem highlight salient points that offer food for thought as we consider the relevance of the civil rights black leadership paradigm in the context of the needs of 21st century politics in the black community. www.VotersAnonymous.com

441 pages, Paperback

First published July 2, 2007

About the author

Gary Jose James is among the baby boom generation, born in New York City and a product of the public school system. He was a staff organizer for the National Welfare Rights Organization (NWRO) from 1966 to 1971, and was consequential in the civil rights and black power movements. Gary held policy and executive positions in various Community Action Agencies (CAA), as well as local Steering Committees. Gary is a theologian in the Eastern Oriental Orthodox tradition, in addition to Judeo-Christianity in the western traditions (Catholics and Protestants). Gary has published four books, ERACISM, EPIPHANY: Three Wise Kings of the Magi, TRANSFER DAY, and Black Politics 2.0, and is the Dean of Deacons and Students in the BalthazarMonastery.com.
My genre is non-fiction and topics include current events, politics and religion, however, I am currently working on some working titles for venturing into the novel genre. My most recent release, “Black Politics 2.0” explores that state of black politics prior to the political advent of President Barack Obama. Transfer Day was released in September of 2013. Transfer Day occurred on March 31, 1917 when the United States purchased the Danish West Indies, now known as the Virgin Islands of the United States. The narrative examines the contribution of Virgin Islanders to the cultural, intellectual and political advancement in the United States and New York City in particular. The role of Virgin Islander in the storied Harlem Renaissance and uncovers my ancestral roots on the island of St. Croix wherein my great, great, great grandparents were enslaved under the Danish West Indies.

I am developing my Internet presence: www.GaryJoseJames.com, www.Sound-Meal.com, www.Africa21Foundation.wordpress.com, www.BalthazarMonastery.com, www.theJCgroup.net.