Californian couple uses book to educate youth on U.S period of slavery
Inspired by true events from this pivotal period in U.S history, one couple’s book could hold the key to opening the door to untold African American history for America’s younger generation. Uncovering little-known relationships and written to engage a younger audience, ‘Southern Secrets: Sins of the Past’ has been hailed as a vital learning resource.
Submitted by James Collins
ROSEVILLE, CALIF. – As the United States gears up for Black History Month, one California couple is diligently working to engage a young audience with their compelling and insightful book. Fusing a fictional story with historical events, ‘Southern Secrets: Sins of the Past’ seeks to tell the truth about slavery time in the United States.
Penned by Rick Richardson and Sandra Dee, founders of Rich Books Inc., the book highlights the many unique relationships that formed during a time of turmoil and tribulation.
Synopsis:
The Untold Story Inspired by True Events
Southern Secrets is a riveting fictional story based on true facts of the adventures of the last slaves brought to America. Almost fifty years after the importation of slaves was outlawed; a mysterious group of southern gentlemen made an unforgettable bet that would change the south forever. Strength, unity, and perseverance were crucial to the last slaves building their new lives in America. African American history, American history and African history take root in this spellbinding story.
This untold story that never made it into the pages of history books is a must read.
As one of the authors explains, the book is one of few existing resources exposing what actually did take place during the often-confused period of slavery.
“A lot of previous attempts to tell the slaves’ stories have been bastardized in order to inject entertainment value. Therefore, we stay true to the facts while making sure the book’s fictional elements don’t water-down its historical relevance,” says Sandra Dee.
She continues, “We feel compelled to introduce more history into schools across the United States. We are choosing to do this by writing fiction and nonfiction stories about African American history, which we hope will play their part in this year’s Black History Month.”
An unexpected twist to their own journey came when the couple discovered Rick Richardson’s investment in the story was a lot deeper than originally thought.
“Through circumstance and chance, we discovered that one of my relatives was on the ship that is at the center of the story. This spurred us on to want to tell this tale even more, because my passion quickly became an obsession,” Richardson adds.
The couple has toured the country introducing the book to audiences, including young readers and speaking about its content. Having been received at each engagement with enthusiastic acclaim, they remain committed to spreading the word as far as possible.
Richardson and Dee are extending their speaking offer to all schools, organizations and institutions nationally. Any interested parties are urged to make immediate contact with their requests.
“We’re not doing this for notoriety or profit, but for our passion to ensure that the story of each and every slave gets a platform to shout from. Literature is our vehicle and we know there is a lot of ground yet to be covered; let’s use this year’s Black History Month to make a real difference,” Dee concludes.
In a recent development, the couple found out that their book is one of just ninety selected for a nomination for an EVVY award by Outskirts Press.
For more information about Rich Books Inc., please visit: http://richbooksinc.com/
To purchase the book or find out details of upcoming releases, visit:
http://www.outskirtspress.com/webpage.php?isbn=9781432792152
The book can also be purchased from Amazon.com and BarnesandNoble.com.
