Angelia Vernon Menchan

Angelia Vernon Menchan is an author, publisher and public speaker who owns two publishing companies, MAMM Productions and Honorable Menchan Media. Mrs. Menchan is also a Budget Officer and former Job Corps Counselor. To date she has published eighteen books of her own work, both fiction and non-fiction and more than forty ebook novellas on amazon.com. You can access her bibliography on www.amazon.com search words: Angelia Vernon Menchan

Menchan has also published the work of seven other authors to date and has several publishing projects upcoming in 2013 to include a children's book, Little Wing by biologist, Erin Gawera, Honorable Menchan Poets 2013 by Dictator, Genesis and Creammy Mocha and a breast cancer memoir by Lena Jordan.

She is becoming a sought after speaker for young women audiences because she speaks honestly, straight and open to the issues that plague them such as teen pregnancy, the importance of education and making life impacting choices.

Kim Floyd of Real Mommies Read, a part of the Spartanburg Public Library says:

Angelia's ability to help our teen moms see themselves as she did was a special gift. She instilled within them a desire to make better choices, take control of their bodies and their lives. They realized their pasts didn't have to determine their futures. Angelia let them know their worth.

Mrs. Menchan is available for speaking engagements; book signings and discussions. She resides in Jacksonville, Florida with her husband and graphic designer, Maurice Menchan

Contact information:
Website: http://acvermen.blogspot.com
http://honorablemenchanpromotes.blogspot.com
Email: acvermen@yahoo.com
Phone numbers: 904 714 2272 904 303 2679

Tuesday, March 20, 2007

Stereotype Busters...

I am a tired sister today…
I would like to think it’s because I work a job…
Write books…
Handle myself as a wife and mother…
But today that ain’t it…
This morning I was reading an article about…
The image of Black folks in this country…
And it was downright exhausting…
I know so many hardworking, business handling brothers and sisters…
Who aren’t deemed as newsworthy…
But unfortunately... I have come into contact with the newsworthy…
The stereotypes that continue to make the news…
What are we going to do?

How does one overcome stereotypes?
Or does one, ever overcome them?

For most of my life, I have been cast in the role of ‘Stereotype Buster’…
Hearing, you are different than most…
Blacks…
Women…
Tall people...
I have always become incensed and defensive when I heard those remarks…
Today... I am simply tired…

I can remember the first time I knew I was in a role…it was in ninth grade English…
My teacher, Mrs. Weaver walked to me with a copy of Richard Wright’s Native Son in one hand…Khalil Gibran’s The Prophet in the other.
“Angelia, I am giving you these. I know you will enjoy them. You read so well for a Black student. I would never give these to my other Black students.”
The hair stood up on my neck, tears stood in my eyes. I replied respectfully but firmly…
“Mrs. Weaver thanks for thinking of me, but I read those in sixth grade. And I read well…period.”
She looked at me with shock and just a bit of respect on her face.
Some thirty-six years have passed since that date but the same thing still occurs…
People are now more subtle…now I hear…
You are so different…
Never met anyone quite like you…
Sheeesh…
I am really rambling today…
But I am so tired…because every stereotype…like every rumor…starts with a bit of truth…
I guess our world will still need “Stereotype Busters’…I sure do wish it didn’t …

So I am going to rest up a bit…
Eat a few squares of chocolate…
Pop some caffeine…
And get back to work…
Just remember this…
I don’t mind being a soldier…
In the trenches for the cause...
Just jump in the fox-hole with a sista…there are a lot of us in there…
But, there is plenty of room for a bunch more…
acVernon Menchan
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