Respecting the Soul: Daily Reflections for Black Lesbians and Gays

I am the author of the book and want to share my thoughts with you about why I wrote it. There's a lot of talk about spirituality these days, but not much about the personal and spiritual needs for black people dealing with issues of sexual orientation. This book is for anyone who is dealing with these issues. It's not just for black lesbians, gays, bisexuals, and transgendered people, although they are the book's target audience. It's also for anyone who cares about a friend or loved one, has questions about these issues, or simply wants to have a more sensitive understanding of the many different types of people in our community. As I have traveled the country in recent years, I have met hundreds of black lesbians, gay men, and bisexuals starving for direction. I have learned from these experiences that the primary challenges facing black lesbians and gays are internal, not external.

For far too many of us have become stumbling blocks in the way of our own progress. Respecting the Soul can help change this reality, but only if we are willing to make our personal growth and happiness a priority in our lives. With a unique insight for each day of the year, Respecting the Soul is designed in a simple, one-a-day format to fit into even the busiest person's schedule. The approach is similar to Iyanla Vanzant's book Acts of Faith or Eric Copage's Black Pearls. Each page of the book includes a quotation at the top, a discussion in the middle, and an affirmation for the day at the bottom. No two entries are exactly alike. Some entries discuss relevant issues to the black lesbian and gay community while other entries tell inspirational stories of our achievements. Those who are quoted are straight and gay, friend and foe, and represent many different beliefs and ideas.

Included in the book are the words of well-known figures such as Alvin Ailey, Josephine Baker, James Baldwin, Angela Davis, Lorraine Hansberry, E. Lynn Harris, Langston Hughes, Bill T. Jones, Barbara Jordan, June Jordan, Little Richard, Dennis Rodman, Audre Lorde, Me'Shell Ndege'Ocello, Carl Lewis, Queen Latifah, RuPaul, Sapphire, Bessie Smith, Sylvester, Billy Strayhorn, Linda Villarosa, Flip Wilson, and hundreds of others. To learn more about the book, visit my website. Thanks for your time. I hope you enjoy the book, but just as importantly, I hope you will be as blessed in reading it as I have been in writing it for you!