Allen Temple Authors' Corner

Rags to Real Estate: One Woman's Journey to Empowerment by Allen Temple's Own Deacon Denise Smith

While still in high school, Denise landed an internship at a finance company and a deep interest in the real estate business was born. Through grit and sheer will, Denise Smith carved out a path that led to the top of the mountain and by the time she was 30 years old, she owned a million dollars worth of real estate.

In Rags to Real Estate: One Woman's Journey to Empowerment, her first book, Denise Smith shares how her vision became reality. She shares lived insights on romance, relationships, and spirituality. At the book's conclusion, the reader will understand that everything is possible if one only believes in themselves and has motivation. My life is about encouraging young people to believe in themselves. What traits you want in someone else, develop in yourself. Don't strive to marry a millionaire, strive to become your own millionaire. It's been a long time coming; I'm excited to be able to share my journey. My hope is to inspire, motivate and empower someone to dream big dreams. Build on what you love to do and plan to work at it!

Rags to Real Estate can be purchased in the Allen Temple Bookstore, on Amazon.com or from several local booksellers in the Oakland area.

Akiti the Hunter The First African Action Superhero By Allen Temple's Own Sister Denise Mobolaji Ajayi-Williams

Akiti the Hunter is a riveting and exciting tale that will leave you at the edge of your seat page by page. With amazing and colorful illustrations and a heartfelt message, this book is sure to warm your heart and lead the mind to a world of imagination. Witness the power of his magical dust that can transform you into any animal in the kingdom of the forest, and experience his lyrical song that is bound to uplift and empower the young reader. Take a journey with us as we explore the world of Akiti the Hunter, the first African Action Superhero!

Rising Up From The Blood: A Legacy Reclaimed, A Bridge Forward by Allen Temple's Own Sarah Washington O'Neal Rush - the Great Granddaughter of Booker T. Washington

Solid Rock Book Publishing has published Rising Up From The Blood: A Legacy Reclaimed - A Bridge Forward - The Autobiography Of Sarah Washington O'Neal Rush, The Great-Granddaughter of Booker T. Washington by Sarah Washington O'Neal Rush, with Yvonne Rose, and a forward by Tony Rose, NAACP Image Award Winner for Outstanding Literature, and Publisher of Amber Books.

Although there had been hints throughout her childhood that she had a special calling from her ancestors it would be years before a bridge between her deprivation and her calling were revealed. Sarah's great-grandfather, Booker T. Washington, was the inspiration for this book. He was born a slave on a plantation in Virginia and became an advisor to United States Presidents. He was the founder of the Tuskegee Institute, today known as Tuskegee University, and became the most influential world-renowned black leader and educator of his time.

This is the brilliantly told story about a young woman's struggle to reclaim her legacy. Many years had passed and Sarah knew nothing about the true meaning of her heritage; but finally everything came full circle when she realized the power of her legacy. Sarah had an epiphany when she visited Tuskegee University for the first time. For Sarah, the veil of ignorance was lifted that day. Shortly thereafter, she became clear about her purpose and began to embark upon her intended journey in life. For decades, as a child, a teen and a young adult, Sarah struggled with many insecurities brought upon her by unstable living circumstances; and she carried those insecurities into adulthood. Little did she know that the time spent falling and failing could only serve as a stepping stone to a future that would help her own children and grandchildren, and the numerous youth that she would encounter.

In Rising Up From The Blood: A Legacy Reclaimed - A Bridge Forward, Sarah states that her journey was by no means easy, but it has led to a place that she could have only arrived at with the trials she overcame along the way. It also allowed her to have genuine compassion for the underprivileged, while affording her the wherewithal to empower those who were within earshot to do something about their circumstances. Where Sarah is today is remarkably different from where she started. Each chapter of the book includes lessons learned and solutions. Sarah states: "By understanding more about my great-grandfather, I learned if I get down in the trenches with others and help to pull them out, I am much more effective than if I tell them how to get out. As one saying goes, 'People don't care how much you know, until they know how much you care.'"

Rising Up From The Blood may be purchased at Amazon

From Labor to Reward: Black Church Beginnings in Oakland, Berkeley and Richmond: 1848-1972 by Allen Temple's Own Rev. Dr. Martha C. Taylor

Allen Temple is honored to celebrate the publication of our own Reverend Dr. Martha C. Taylor's landmark book, From Labor to Reward - Black Church Beginnings in San Francisco Oakland, Berkeley and Richmond - 1848-1972. This is an epic story of black people sojourning from the south to the Pacific Coast and starting their own independent churches in a social context of discriminatory practices. Martha Taylor takes us on a journey through four time frames; Gold Rush (1849-1909), First Migration (1910-1939), Second Great Migration (1940-1949), and the Civil Rights Era (1950-1972).

In Part I Taylor takes us behind the scenes of slavery in California. As early as 1852, black preachers, leaders, and organizations formed a Colored Convention for the purpose of obtaining justice because of the severity of discrimination toward black people. As early as 1852, San Francisco had three independent Black Churches that are still in existence. The first black church in Oakland started as a mission in 1858, and evolved into an African Methodist Episcopal Church followed by Beth Eden Baptist Church in 1869 known as the "Mother Church" of the East Bay because of the numerous churches that branched off.

Part II covers 1910 through 1939 including the "neck bone years" of the Great Depression. and the added pressures placed on black churches to extend beyond spiritual space to welfare space. Part III describes the growth of black churches during the Great Migration period when hundreds of thousands of blacks flooded the Bay Area as a result of employment opportunities in shipyards. At the height of the Second Migration, one old timer said "we'd go down to the 16th Street station to watch the people get off the trains. It was like a parade. You just couldn't believe that many black people would come in, some didn't even have luggage, just boxes with three or for children with no place to stay."

The concept of developing a black church in black communities often started in private homes as prayer bands and bible study using the living room as sacred space without the benefit of a preacher and absent of church constitutions, or by-laws. Using the Early Church model, they shared their meager belongings, devoted themselves to fellowship, and were filled with the Holy Spirit. As more people joined, the groups would pool their meager resources and rent space in storefronts. During the same time period, the Bay Area became known as the West Coast Harlem Renaissance as jazz, gospel and blues were brought from the South to the West coast. In Part IV, Taylor brings to light how urban renewal uprooted black communities creating an urban diaspora. By the late 1990s, there was a significant decline in the black population; some moved back to the South, others relocated to the suburbs draining valuable resources from the urban areas.

From Labor to Reward is more than a book about black church growth. Black churches were more than religious institutions, they became the center of black communities providing social, economic, political, and educational support for black people. Readers will experience the joys, frustrations and unity of black people who started communities in the enclaves of the San Francisco Fillmore District, West Oakland, South Berkeley, and North Richmond as they struggled against adversities of racism, housing discrimination, KKK threats of violence and death and other socio-political barriers.

From Labor to Reward is a little known piece of black church history written from a "peoples" perspective using their voices from their own local church anniversary books, church records, oral interviews, and other sources from newspaper clippings, and library historical archives. Watch this video of Dr. Taylor sharing!

From Labor to Reward may be purchased at the Allen Temple Bookstore or from Wipf and Stock Publishers. For more information, click here to be redirected to fromlabortoreward.com, or contact Dr. Taylor at send2mct@gmail.com

From a Northern Louisiana Village to a Northern California Village: The Life and Times of Jesse Perry, Jr.

Allen Temple is honored to celebrate the publication of our own Dr. Jesse Perry's stirring memoir, book, From a Northern Louisiana Village to a Northern California Village: The Life and Times of Jesse Perry, Jr.

This autobiographical look at the life of Jesse Perry, a World War II veteran, an educator, a loving husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, and one who believes in a beloved community.

From a Northern Louisiana Village may be purchased at the Allen Temple Bookstore or from Amazon.com. Additionally, you may contact Dr. Perry at jessecperry@earthlink.net

Trouble the Water: A Christian Resource for the Work of Racial Justice Featuring Allen Temple's own Rev. Charlotte Williams

Allen Temple is honored to celebrate the publication of Trouble the Water: A Christian Resource for the Work of Racial Justice, featuring Allen Temple's own Rev. Charlotte Williams. This resource by the Alliance of Baptists features 27 authors' reflections and resources.

Trouble the Water transcends our particular faith community in calling us to greater awareness and action in the ministry of racial justice is deeply rooted in the Christian tradition and evidences the flavors of peace-and-justice Baptists in particular.

Reverend Charlotte's chapter, "Doing the Work In The Intersection", is designed for individuals and congregations that would take seriously the ever-increasing necessity of work toward racial justice while attending to the intersections of our identities and the intersecting nature of oppression, injustice and violence.

Trouble the Water may be purchased at Amazon.com

More Than a Uniform: Keeping the Promise By Allen Temple's own Deacon Michael Holland

Allen Temple Family and Friends are invited to join us in celebrating our own Deacon Michael Holland and the publication of his book, More Than a Uniform: Keeping the Promise! More Than a Uniform will help policing professionals raise the ethical bar, identify unseen ethical threats, develop ethical body armor, and avoid the ethical trap of "noble cause" thinking.

Deacon Holland retired as a Deputy Chief of the Oakland Police Department after serving the people for over a quarter of a century. Since retiring, Michael has established Holland & Associates, a consulting firm focused on improving ethical decision making for individuals and organizations. Michael has presented for the International Association of Chiefs of Police, U.S. Postal Police, Boy Scouts of America, mentor trainings and church retreats. He is a member of the National Speakers Association and an ordained Deacon of Allen Temple Baptist Church.

More Than a Uniform may be obtained at Deacon Holland's website (HollandAssoc.com) or by emailing michael@hollandassoc.com