Review of Defining Moments of a Free Man from a Black Stream

[Kyu ji]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Defining Moments of a Free Man from a Black Stream" by Dr Frank L Douglas.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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Dr. Frank L Douglas' book, Moments of a Free Man from a Black Stream, describes the defining moments of his life. When he was sixteen, he was already on a path less well-traveled with several questions preoccupying his somewhat troubled soul. “Why does God relegate people of color to poverty and being the colonized?” “Why do I behave differently from my brothers and sisters and cousins?” “Why does God have favorites?” These are some of the questions he had. In his early twenties, he stopped asking this question. Ultimately, after suffering a bleeding ulcer, he recognized that this was not just a religious dilemma but had become an existential question. Thus, the only sensible solution was to cease asking this question because the answer did not lie in any rational explanation.

This is not an answer as to why he behaved differently from his siblings and cousins, but rather recounts those things that kept defining who he was and who he was becoming. It traces the impact childhood events had on him and perhaps gives some insight into why, frequently, he tended to take ‘the Road Less Travelled’. His reasons as to why he decided to share this publicly are: the first is as a tribute to his mother, and her two inseparable friends, Uncle Willie and Auntie Chrisie. The second is so that his children will finally learn some of the challenges that he faced. And the third is to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Martin Luther King's assassination.

His way of looking at the world was my favorite thing about him. He absorbed the punches with the pleasantries and asked serious questions while also appreciating the beauty of life's modest delights.

Although there are a few minor errors I found in grammars and punctuation, the story is worth reading. I just think this book isn't for me as I am not particularly into memoirs and racial discrimination.

I rate this book 3 out of 4 stars because racial discrimination is all across the world, but the author's ability to draw power from it is fantastic. I didn't rate it 4 since I don't particularly fancy reading about racial discrimination and memoirs. I also didn't rate it lower than 3 as it will teach us the most important lessons of life.

I believe we can all learn from Frank's bravery, thus I will recommend this book to anyone interested. This also applies even to those who aren't discriminated against because of their skin color. This issue is still relevant today, and I suggest it especially to South Africans, who endure a lot of racial discrimination.

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Defining Moments of a Free Man from a Black Stream
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[Shridhar Suryawanshi]

I agree with the questions above. It is surprising racial discrimination is still there today. I would like to read this book. Thanks for your informational review.