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Author creates affirmations book for Black boys
In the height of the pandemic, Author and Documentarian Ace Clark created an affirmation books for Black boys. He told LiveNOW from FOX host Jeane Franseen that he felt depressed during the pandemic and wanted to help young Black boys who might be experiencing the same thing.
As the nation continues to celebrate and honor Black History Month, one author has created a book for Black youth, in an effort to make their day-to-day life better.
Ace Clark, a hip-hop documentarian & author, told LiveNOW from FOX that he wrote the book during the COVID-19 pandemic.
"I was super depressed," Clark revealed. "I went on Google looking for ways to stay positive. I couldn't find much… I said, ‘I know there are people out there that need this and words that will carry you through things.’"
His book, titled "Dear Black Boy: 75 Affirmations to get you through" was written to uplift and inspire anyone who may be in a rut, the author noted. You can find the book exclusively on Barnes & Noble.
The book, written by hip hop documentarian & author Ace Clark, was created to uplift and inspire Black youth. (Credit: @AceClarkMusic)
"I wanted to create words that boys and men and people that look like me and feel like me could, embrace, especially during COVID and during a world where technology is showing you everybody's highlights," he continued. "There needed to be a platform, more space where you could hear things and feel things poured directly into you. Because we don't get that all too often."
According to the Suicide Prevention Resource Center, suicide rates among Black or African American populations increased from 5.5 per 100,000 in 2011 to 7.7 per 100,000 in 2020.
"I want anybody out there that sees this to know that you are enough. You're a capable. You are not a product of your environment in a negative way. You're part of your environment because you're scrappy and you know how to take what little or what you have and make the most of it," Clark said.
Black History Month highlights the arts
Feb. 1 marked the beginning of Black History Month in the United States and every year the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH) chooses a different theme.
This year’s theme highlights African Americans and the arts.
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Black History Month: Significance of celebration
University of Florida's Dr. Sharon Austin joins LiveNOW from FOX to highlight the importance of celebrating Black History Month. Dr. Austin is also the author of Political Black Girl Magic: The Elections and Governance of Black Female Mayors.
From visual and performing arts, literature, fashion, folklore, language, music and film, Black artists have used their creative outlets to preserve and share their history and instill empowerment in their communities.
RELATED: Black History Month 2024 theme: African Americans’ influence on the arts in the US
"Artistic and cultural movements such as the New Negro, Black Arts, Black Renaissance, hip-hop, and Afrofuturism, have been led by people of African descent and set the standard for popular trends around the world. In 2024, we examine the varied history and life of African American arts and artisans," the ASLAH said.