 George at age 14 |
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George at age 14 |
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Isom, George Hemingway, WHAT IS THAT BOY GOING TO DO NEXT?: A Memoir President Barack Obama is the commander-in-chief of the armed forces of the United States, and because of President Obama’s well known attitude regarding unity and diversity, there is likely to be more African-American naval officers serving aboard warships at sea. In the decade of the 1940s, black naval officers were nonexistent aboard fighting ships. Then the Navy was very different from what it is today. What was it like for an African- American sailor serving aboard ship in the 1940s? Dr. George Hemingway Isom, distinguished educator, in his book titled What Is That Boy Going To Do Next?: A Memoir, has written about his experiences in the racially segregated Navy of the 1940s. Then aboard warships at sea this was a Navy in which black sailors and white sailors slept and showered in separate compartments and had different assignments based upon race. Equal rights activists referred to these black sailors as "sea-going bellhops" and protested their exclusive use as servants of shipboard officers. Black sailors cleaned the officers’ quarters, made their beds, and cooked and served their food. White sailors, on the other hand, had seaman duties which included keeping the ship functioning and ready for engagement with the enemy and manning its guns. Many people have little idea about the role race played in the Navy of that decade and earlier. Now, here is an opportunity to learn what it was like to be black in the segregated Navy as told through the eyes of an African-American sailor who joined the Navy in 1945 (at age 14). This engaging book can be ordered from booksellers on the internet like Bn.com, and it can be ordered at Barnes & Noble bookstores as well. In Europe it can be ordered at the Village Voice Bookshop in Paris: http://www.villagevoicebookshop.com. To order from any bookseller please give the publisher's name: iUniverse and the book number: ISBN 0-595-33804-6 in addition to the book title and author's name. Also, to purchase directly from the publisher, dial 1-888-280-7715 or write to iUniverse, Inc., 1663 Liberty Drive, Suite 300, Bloomington, IN 47403.
Some Comments From Readers: "I just finished reading your memoir, and it certainly was a page turner! It was great to learn about your coming of age. I've recommended the book to others. I hope your adventures continues. I'm so glad to have read your book. It's inspiring to me." "A stunning contribution to coming-of-age literature." "That boy really tries hard to live up to his image of a sailor, giving new meaning to having a girl in every port." "The perfect book for low achieving high school teenagers in the inner cities. It is a memoir with lots of lessons about courage, optimism, discipline, and being true to yourself. It also provides a fascinating glimpse at black history and culture in the1940s." "The book was interesting for me to read and to learn what it's like to grow up in the black culture. It sounds like you grew up fast and became worldly at an early age."
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