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| Black, queer, feminist, HIV poz author, artist, scholar, and activist Tim'm T. West |
Blessings All,
The men of Love's Troubadours
are wrapped in a Crayola rainbow of incredible shades of brothalove blackness. They represent a wide spectrum of straight,
gay, and bisexual professionals including police men, playwrights, professors, Ph.D. students, journalists, school teachers,
architects, real estate agents, doctors, lawyers, and entrepreneurs. Their personalities are richly layered in deep chocolate.
As you get to know some of them, beware and be ready to claim your sweet tooth addiction. Each man impacts the life of the
main character Karma Francois in a unique way.
Several characters are graduates of HBCUS – Historically Black
Colleges and Universities such as:
1) Howard University
Howard is the MECCA of Black Education. It is precious because my brother Matthew J. Leeke,
CEO and President of Majik Productions, LLC (http://mjleeke.acnrep.com/) and I are Howardites - Class of 1989. So is one of my dearest brothaloves and prayer
partner Dr. Henry L. Jackson.
2) Morehouse College
Morehouse (in my humble opinion) is the architect of African American male trailblazers. It is special to me because
my brothalove friends V. Aislee Smith (http://www.taxconcepts.net/), Jason Randolph (http://www.randolphrealestatelaw.com/), and State Farm Insurance Representative Kevin M. Monroe are Morehouse men.
3) Morgan State University
Morgan
occupies a sacred space in my heart because it is my undergraduate alma mater (Class of 1986). I share Morgan with my brothalove
guardian angel and former co-writer Deno Moss (Class of 1990).
4) Southern University
5) Savannah State
College
6) Xavier University
Others
characters are distinguished members of Black Greek Letter Organizations including my personal favorites:
1) the
"frat so nice you had to name it twice" Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc.
Kappa earned a special place in my heart because my grandfather John L.
Leeke, great uncle William Jones, cousin Spencer W. Leak, Jr. (http://www.leakandsons.com/), cousin Reverend Andre E. Johnson, brothalove book editor Wayne P. Henry (former Polemarch
of the Columbia, MD Alumni Chapter), and Howard Law classmates Stu Chavis and Arnie Finlayson are proud members.
2) Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.
Alpha is a personal favorite because of the friendships I have forged with my attorney brothalove friends John K.
Coleman, Howard Law classmate Eric A. McFarland, Willard Stanback, and Werten Bellamy.
3) Omega Psi Fraternity,
Inc.
Omega is also one of my
favorite fraternities because of the connections I share with my Morehouse and Howard Law brothalove friends Aislee and Kevin.
Some of the fellas that appear on the pages of Love's Troubadours are easy to admire, understand,
and love. Other brothas require a little more of your time, energy, and patience to understand their choices and complex personalities.
Then there are some guys who are choosing to live beneath their divinity. They might make you holla, scream, and cuss words
like s--- . If you are polite, these homeboys might have you mumbling Sugar Honey Ice Tea under your breath.
Whatever you think about these charming, classically "Joe Cool," confident, conscious, committed, civic-minded,
compassionate, compelling, and complicated gentlemen, the one thing that I know for sure is that they are unforgettable. My
prayer is that readers learn what they need to learn from the choices that the men of Love's Troubadours make
in their relationships with Karma and other characters.
Enjoy!
Be love, love light, and live as the
spirit of life,
Ananda Leeke
PS: Below are links for inquiring minds.
1) Black Greek Letter Organizations
a. Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity - http://www.alphaphialpha.net/
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| Morehouse College 2005-06 Mock Trial Team |
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| Members of Kappa Alpha Psi @ Wilberforce College in 1922 |
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| Gay journalist Tom Morgan, the first openly gay President of National Black Journalists |
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| African American Men at Million Man March in 1995 |
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