August 16, 2006Reception in honor of Brian CopelandIf you are in the Bay Area, I hope you will come. I'm organizing this. The San Leandro Community Action Network & Zocalo Coffee House invite you to A RECEPTION & BOOK SIGNING Not a Genuine Black Man: The reception will take place on Copies available for purchase at the event. " Based on the longestrunning oneman show in San Francisco history now coming to OffBroadway a hilarious, poignant, and disarming memoir of growing up black in an allwhite suburb In 1972, when Brian Copeland was eight, his family moved from Oakland to San Leandro, California, hoping for a better life. At the time, San Leandro was 99.4 percent white, known nationwide as a racist enclave. This reputation was confirmed almost immediately: Brian got his first look at the inside of a cop car, for being a black kid walking to the park with a baseball bat. Brian grew up to be a successful comedian and radio talk show host, but racism reemerged as an issue only in reverse when he received an anonymous letter: “As an African American, I am disgusted every time I hear your voice because YOU are not a genuine Black man!” That letter inspired Copeland to revisit his difficult childhood, resulting in a hit oneman show that has been running for nearly two years which has now inspired a book. In this funny, surprising, and ultimately moving memoir, Copeland shows exactly how our surroundings make us who we are." Reviews |