Black Boston Blog Service

The Boston area will be fortunate enough to host a great presentation this week when novelist and journalist, Toure helps to present a book party. On Thursday, Jan 26 the African Meeting House at the Museum of African American History will offer up the opportunity to see this renowned African American writer talk about his brand new book release “Who’s Afraid of Post-Blackness?.”

Toure has slowly become one of the great forces in journalism and television, as well as more recently with long form novels.

Starting as an intern at Rolling Stone in 1992, he has gone on to host his own show on Fuse, as well as regular contributions to MSNBC. His literary works began in 2003 when he released a collection of short stories entitled “The Portable Promised Land.” He followed that up with a 2004 release entitled “Soul City,” which was based on living in a perfect utopia for African Americans. A collection of Toure’s writings in multiple publications was released together in 2006 with the title “Never Drank the Kool Aid.”

The release of “Who’s Afraid of Post Blackness?” in 2011 was greatly anticipated for its content. The writing takes a look at what it’s like to be a black person in America these days. With references to numerous political and celebrities in the African American world, the novel is a collection of interviews, experience and thoughts coming together to provide a distinct view of today’s world.

The book party hosted by the Boston African American National Historic Site will be an unbelievable opportunity for locals to engage with a renowned writer and figure such as Toure. The location of the African Meeting House has extra significance for this meeting. The location was once the home to the heart of the local African American community through the 1800’s. The area was filled with schools, meeting houses and apartments in Boston that personified African American living over nearly two centuries ago.

There will be limited space for the discussion event, which will begin on Thursday at 6pm. There will be a small entrance fee which has yet to be announced at this time, but is likely to be a nominal fee for what will certainly be an amazing experience. Most important about this event is the opportunity it presents to celebrate great literary work, but also engage in some excellent discussions about what it is to be black in America in 2012.

- Links to the museum at www.maah.org and to Apartment Finders in Boston are included in this article.