GROUNDING GROUP PUBLISHING
THE PURGATORY OF CONSCIOUSNESS
What is the opposite of the sunken place portrayed in Jordan Peele critically acclaimed movie Get Out? Dr. Joseph L. Jones argues it is the purgatory of consciousness a mental space where black communities are hypnotized by hope in electoral politics or this case, the election of America's first Black President. This book is a collection of opinion pieces Jones wrote in real time throughout the Barack Obama Presidency to highlight some of the shortcomings and contradictions during this era. Using political satirist,' Arron McGruder's Boondocks animation tv episode "Its a Black President Huey" as a framework, Jones writes with sober convictions on issues of politics, black identity, black institutions, historical memory, and justice. Whether he is arguing that Obama treats black communities as a political mistress or that black churches ought to democratize, Jones writes to provoke black communities to think differently about their politics, leaders, and institutions. Ultimately, he attributes the rise of woke politics as America's awakening due to shortcomings of the Obama presidency and the election of Donald Trump.
A LIFE OF PAYNE: A MEMOIR
Who am I, and Why am I me? These are the questions that Winfred Payne asked himself as he served his 25-year life sentence in prison for armed robbery. This memoir is a story of pain, or rather Payne's life journey from a soldier, robber, revolutionary, gangster, a prison escape artist, OG, and now community activist. Winfred chronicles his life in a candid and vulnerable way that seeks answers to the questions mentioned above. From his childhood days in Little Rock, Arkansas, of becoming a gangster to helping out the Black Panther Party by robbing banks, and ultimately ended up on the FBI's most-wanted list, he illustrates his motivations for it all in harrowing stories of violence, love, and redemption. The influences of family, friends, lovers, and the government all had a part in shaping him into the person he is today. Since exiting prison in 2000, Winfred has sought to take all of his life's pain towards a path of redemption, seeking to reconcile with family, community, and ultimately himself.
