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 twenty-three books of her own work, both fiction and non-fiction and more than eighty ebook novellas on amazon.com. You can access her bibliography on www.amazon.com search words: Angelia Vernon Menchan




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

Monday, September 22, 2008

Pro Something, Anti Nothing!

I am always befuddled by how many assume that if one is PRO something, they must
Be ANTI, something else, it just ain’t so…
Being Pro-Woman, as I am, certainly does not mean Anti-Man, I am married three decades, to an awesome man, and have stretch marks to prove I produced two really cool men, I am Pro-People, but being a woman, I am certainly in the fight for my sisters,
I recall years ago, working in a bookstore in Ocala,
I was the first Black person, who had worked there,
Wasn’t sure why, maybe no other Blacks had applied (sic),
Anyway,
I was the Senior Assistant Manager, and believe me it was just a title,
But I was entering my thirties, had a small child and was in career transistion,
Had just left a sixty hour a week career, was taking a year long…something,
The manager was half Native-American and half White, cool people,
And the bookstore was filled with the latest titles, it was 88-89 and Danielle Steele,
Eugenia Price and Jackie Collins ruled the world,
I immediately noticed that the only Black authors were Alice Walker and Toni Morrison,
Of course they were award winners and I loved them, and this was pre-Terri McMillan and E. Lynn Harris but surely, I assumed, we could have some Giovanni, Baldwin, Shange, and other titles by Walker other than The Color Purple and Morrison’s Beloved,
So I went to the Ingram catalog and ordered a book or two of many titles written by Black authors, they flew off the shelves, especially the ones by Maya Angelou,
Life was good, our clientele was still mostly, retired, white people, but a bit of color, showed up every now and then,
However, what I didn’t know and was startled to discover was my co-workers felt I was Anti-White books,
HUH?
How the heck did they come up with that when I read every bestseller that came in the store, and stood for hours on end discussing with the regulars…
So I inquired,
And the manager told me it was because I was ordering so many Black books and was so,
Pro-Black, well of course a light went off in my head…
HELLLOOO!
In order to be Pro-Black, I had to be Anti-White,
Come on, give me a break,
I kindly and gently explained that I was simply about options,
And I told her I was very surprised that in Central Florida, she didn’t have more,
Native American Books, her face colored, I knew I had hit a nerve,
So ever more gently, I said,
To be Pro anything, doesn’t make you Anti anything else,
It simply makes you well rounded and well read and diverse,
It also shows you are proud of who you are,
That was the last time we had that conversation….

Love and Blessings!
Angelia
Schae’s Story: A Woman’s Transformation
12/01/2008
http://www.angeliavmenchan.com/

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

I don't know why folks think because you support and love the fact that there are books by AA authors that you didn't like non-AA books. To me that's crazy. Of course we're pro-Black because we're Black--as an avid reader, we read everything--as long as it interests us no matter what the race of the author is(quite naturally though we want to see more AA books on the shelves).

Angelia Vernon Menchan said...

Shelia,
Ya know...honestly...

Blessings!
angelia

Jennifer C. said...

You can't like a variety, it has to be one or the other.

Only in someone who is closed minded. Being well-rounded keeps you interesting and makes sure life doesn't get boring.

Lena said...

It takes folks a minute to understand that "pro" something, doesn't mean "anti" the other because this is a one or the other society we live in. For example, if I'm pro Democrat, how dare I vote for a Republican candidate...You know? I loved this blog!

Angelia Vernon Menchan said...

Thanks Jen and Lena,
seems so simple, does it not...

Smooches!
angelia

Yasmin said...

Well alright now...I'm feeling you on this my sista...and I'm PRO me...and Anti Nothing(hmm wait I'm anti-McCain and Palin...but then again I AM PRO OBAMA...hehe. ;)
xoxo

Angelia Vernon Menchan said...

Yas,

sometimes we have to say something!

smooches!
angelia