Welcome to APOOO Jeanette! 

In 140 words or less, tell us a little about you.   

            My name is Jeanette Davis-Adeshote’ (Add=desh=show-tay).  The total focus of my life is God, family, feeding the hungry and inspiring people to strive toward their highest potential. 

            I have a thirst for knowledge that is unquenchable.  I inspire others to learn all they can in life.  What is the sense in having life, if one does not explore all of its possibilities?  I see life as a challenge for us to grow spiritually amidst chaos and unhealthy indulgences.

I am a divorced mother of one, grandmother of two and close to all extended family members.  My mother was from a family of 19.  It has been a blessing being from such a huge extended family.  My memoir, “Black, Just Like My Mama“, that will be published later this year will give more insight on what that relationship has been like. 

In 140 words or less, tell us why your latest book would make a great addition to our personal library.

This is the right time for my book “The Great Divide Between Blacks & Whites” to be written.  Racism is an ongoing problem that I have addressed in a way that provides an inside look of core problems that exist, and viable solutions to those problems. Blinders are stripped away for clear views from both sides of the racial divide.  People’s views were collected for many years and presented in a unique style.  The provision of the Constitution of the United States and the Declaration of Independence at the end of the book are documents that everyone should have in their library.  People often talk about the documents, but find they are not readily available without research?  Also added in the final publishing of the book, is the presentation, “Communication Can End Racism”, a plausible solution strategy. 

What was the impetus behind the Great Divide storyline? What message do you want readers to take away from the Great Divide? 

            The storyline of my book is unusual.  Being tired of all of all of the games that the races play with each other, I decided to strip away all of the hidden agendas and masks.  I have placed African-American/Black points of views on every even page within the body of the book, and White points of views on every odd page with related issues facing.  This is something new that I decided to undertake due to the differences between the races.  Each page demonstrates the racial divide. 

            The viewpoints in the book are exposed honestly and boldly.  Truth slays stereotypes, misconceptions, blinders, innuendos and masks that many people believe they are hiding behind.  Condescension is revealed, and no longer are hidden words, expressions, and phrases allowed without people knowing what they mean. This book enables others to see through them clearly.  Everyone will become educated on the stimuli that racism affords be it in support, denial, escape or eradication of it. This book lets the reader “in on it” when it comes to the opinions, thoughts and actions of others.

            My evaluations are provided in the conclusion of each chapter.  

Describe a day in the life of Jeanette Adeshote.

The development of spirit, mind and body are extremely important.  These are the first areas of my life that I work on each morning.  My writing day begins after prayer and worship, spiritual encouragement through listening to and reading the Word of God and exercising of my body has been accomplished. Being positive and encouraging others to do the same, is crucial to obtaining great health and maintaining joy in my life.  If errands are necessary, I have assistance in getting them done.

Writing can only begin after I am inspired to write on the subject.  Then I develop the idea and storyline of the book in my mind from beginning to end.  I outline the subject matter, write a synopsis and begin structuring the format of the book.  All of this takes time and much thought.  Some days I just think, think, think.  Formulation is the most important key in the development of an idea. 

I always take time out to speak to relatives and other people who may call with issues, problems or just need to talk.  Being retired, I can take that liberty.  Some people call me in the middle of the night with problems and issues.  I pray with them, and then let them talk themselves into solutions to their problems.  This may take time away from my writing and development, but I always remind myself that people and their well-being are more important.

At noon each day, I say a short prayer to keep myself anchored to GOD.  I take time out for sustenance and rest.  By late afternoon, I complete the day’s issues and eat dinner.  At 9pm, I pray my evening prayer.  Now is the time when I may watch the news or whatever program that I may have Tivoed.  Bedtime can be anytime from 9:30 to midnight. 

 Other than your mother or a female relative, who was/is another female role model in your life?  Why?   

Dr. Arenia Cornelia Mallory, deceased President of Saints Junior College (Saints Academy).  Dr. Mallory was a great inspiration in my life after my mother.  She inspired me to always seek GOD first, and excel in all that I attempted to do.  She said, “Always leave a situation, place or job in better condition than you found it in when you took it on”.  Her guidance during my five years in the boarding school she presided over changed my life.  

            I was a wild 11-year-old from Harlem sent to a church-related boarding school in Lexington, Mississippi.  The whole environment was alien to me.  I saw the raw reality of racism at such a young age that I never knew existed. Coming from a sheltered, loving place with people who looked like me in New York City was very different from the existence Blacks experienced in Mississippi.  “Black, Just Like My Mama” will detail my life at that time.

 If you had to be the mother of Fantasia or Lil’ Kim, who would you choose and why?

            I would prefer Fantasia.  She has values that I would have instilled in her.  She would be able to go anywhere in the world with the information that I would have provided.  She would be able to deal with people on every level, respect everyone no matter who they were, and be kind to all people while being aware of the pitfalls and masqueraders.

 If you were to choose any fictitious world in any piece of literature, which place or book would you live in and why?

            This is a hard question for me.  I am totally non-fiction oriented.  I exclusively deal with reality.  I will, however push myself to go beyond the pale to say that I would more than likely choose something in the future such as, “Stargate”.  I like a challenge and mystery.  Solving problems and exploring the unknown.  This would work for me. 

April is National Poetry Month.  Are you a poetry writer or lover?  If so, share with us one of your favorite poems or tell us who is one of your favorite poets and why.

 POETRY (My Favorite Poem)

The Soul of a Black Woman

By Jeanette Davis-Adeshote’

I see eyes of Black old women,

young women, and girl babies

 

A look of knowing the pain,

joy, and strength of just

being human

 

They possess the loins of

ancient Candacian Queens

battling to assure their existence

 

Their blackness is in God’s image

for the Creator’s delight

 

They are clothed in mysteries never known

To anyone but them

They feel my pain from their own experiences

 

Above it all, we know each other

Well-it’s in the eyes

 

My sisters somewhere inside themselves

know the plan

They innately sense when patience

is a strategy, when action

a must

 

Through the eyes in my mirror,

dreams are moving into fruition

dreams of “doin’ what I want to now”

 

Hathor, the Great Mother of all

woman am I

I am she who taught the earth it

could give birth

From my deepest sensual being came

Kings and Queens

 

From my mind, I give strength to a

people

Raising them up from ignorance to

reasonable thought

 

I have flowered the world with beauty

from the blackest to total loss of

melanin

 

I kissed the Sun with prayers of love,

and I planted human seed astutely

I have been wise in choices, until rape

changed the plan

 

Still I move stealthily doing as I

must for the survival of all

 

These eyes have seen Osiris, and Horus

is a familiar sight

 

Men seek dark mysteries in my

 sensuality

 

They search in primitive places for

contemporary answers

While my mind has all they seek

 

Home to Mother Africa

My heart thrives to the tempo

 of the drumbeat

 

Back to the inner “knowing”

Back to the promise made long

 ago as I kissed her earth upon

my uprooting

 

Back to who I am, why I am

and forever will be

 

Without me, the earth would grow pale

and unfeeling

The rivers would cloud in need of my

prayers

 

The tempestuous souls of “The People”

would lose faith

Without me, Life would be a void and

Unvarietized

 

I AM A MUST

 

When I look in the mirror

I see the body of Isis

Black as coal I stand

The blacker, the silkier to the touch

 

My sleekness is as a stallion in the wild

Moving like a lynx, purring when content

naturally loving until pained

 

There was a time I anointed my

body with precious oils

enjoyed ornaments of gold upon my

velvety skin

 

To touch my skin is to journey into the

Deepest abyss of the origin of womanhood

My mirror empowers me with vivid vision

of what I possess

 

My body reflects ultimate resentment to

unnatural allegations of inferior being

 

My mirror shows me knees unable to bend

in the mind

 

My tongue is sore from containment

My feet spread wide for the journey

are ridiculed

 

My hair is uniquely mine

They provide tools for its destruction

I will not comply

 

My full succulent lips are worshipped

They want them too, but pale shall not

Have this reward naturally

 

My cheekbones are proud, structured

as finely chiseled stone, unrelenting

and firm

 

My breasts stand out proudly

expressing their fullness of purpose

My back is strong to bear the burden

 

My spirituality is who I am

It sculptured my physique for

survival in a desert of ignorance

of self

 

The drum is my heartbeat

Sister Nina told me that

It’s in her eyes too

The sister who is just like me

 

 

I still stand tall within the Creator’s

Bosom

For I came from the first mold of humankind

I am the mother of all

The original creation that mankind wishes to deny

 

But only through me can man kind validate itself

For

I AM AFRICAN EVE

 

My favorite poet is Nikki Giovanni because she was bold, truthful and daring at a time when boldness, truthfulness and daring were not in vogue.  She challenged the establishment by “telling it like it is” in an extraordinary way.  I have great respect and admiration for her and her stance during that time until this day. 

Jeanette, thanks so much for taking time out of your busy schedule to hang out with APOOO!

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