Winner of the Gullah International Film Festival, Redeeming Uncle Tom is a ground-breaking PBS documentary that restores a hero of the abolitionist movement to his rightful place in history.

Josiah Henson, a dynamic man with unyielding principles, overcame incredible odds to escape from slavery with his wife and children. His life inspired the lead character of ‘Uncle Tom’ in Harriet Beecher Stowe’s 1852 classic novel which has been recognized as one of the sparks that ignited the Civil War. Critically acclaimed actor Danny Glover narrates the voice of Josiah Henson. (Rental: $3.99 or Purchase: $9.99)

My love for reading was sparked the summer before I entered second grade. My mom, who was a teacher, got tired of waiting for my school to teach me to read, so she made sure that I not only learned how to read, but how to enjoy it.

I remember going to the barbershop with my Dad one day. As we sat down to wait our turn for haircuts, I looked around for something to entertain me. Sadly, there were only magazines geared toward adults (some of which were inappropriate for little boys!). So I folded my arms and resolved myself to an hour or so of boredom. My Dad, smoothly reached into jacket pocket and produced a paperback book. As he opened it to begin reading, he looked over at me and advised "Never leave home without a good book!" To this day, I probably take that advice to the extreme because I usually have a backpack loaded with a few books to select from.

Don't you have ENOUGH books yet?
Over the years, my library has grown to somewhere between 4,000-5,000 books. It is both embarrassing and rewarding. It is embarrassing when visitors to my home look side-eyed like I am some out of control hoarder. It is rewarding when I can find what I need for class papers (yes, I am back in school for a 5th degree). There is a thrill that comes from knowing that I have access to information that is waiting for me to discover it.

I still go wild in bookstores, and I go wild in my personal library. I hope that I can help spark a love for learning and book collecting in everyone who stumbles across this humble website.

What have you read lately that challenged you to view life from a different perspective, to judge yourself fairly and critically, to not go along with the crowd? What have you done for your mind lately?

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