“Therefore I Am: A Book for African-American
Men” is definitely a book that should be read by today’s African American men. It is a unification of a
common thought process assembled from the gems of knowledge offered by a variety of men of color. Each of them come
from different backgrounds and age groups, but the words they offer seem to merge with one another and become priceless advice.
I had the benefit of a father who constantly
taught me life lessons at each and every given opportunity. Under his counsel, I have values, morals and beliefs that
I now pass on to my children in my own way. The value of Covington’s book exists in various forms. Individually
you can decide to heed or ignore the information that is presented. However, if you are an African American Male or
a male/female of any cultural/socioeconomic group, you can benefit from this collection of wisdom. If you are looking
for direction, guidance or even affirmation of your current positive values – you will find it in this book. If
you are without a positive male role-model in your life you are in luck because you will find them here as well.
“Therefore I Am: A Book for African-American
Men” is similar to James Allen’s “As a Man Thinketh” in that it strives to teach and empower individuals
to better themselves from within. The major difference however is the fact that Covington’s work is straight forward
and devoid of flowery words and symbolism. It is true knowledge passed down from positive role models and community
activists. The men in this book practice what they preach as they carry out the occupations that they have obtained
or in their deeds and actions.
These words taken directly from the book
sum up the spirit of this piece of nonfiction:
“Not all men worthy of listening
to or learning from are deceased or are those few that are only mentioned during Black History Month.” I applaud
Mr. Covington and thank him for collecting this information to share with and motivate others to become better. Read
“Therefore I Am: A Book for African-American Men” and keep it close by. It is a priceless “user-guide”
to the human experience.
Tyrone V. Banks
