Jackson Free Press

Febuary 8, 2006

Bruh Jojo: "Thirty years ago, I was one of the first black students to attend a predominately white, private high school. I encountered my most challenging moment during an American history class. The lesson of the day covered slavery, chapter 8, page 246 of the freshman American history book. All of the attention fell on me, Jojo, the black kid, as Mr. Jones asked me to read out loud brief paragraphs about slavery, Harriet Tubman, Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln.

"After successfully reading the paragraphs assigned to me, I said, 'Whew that was quick! There has to be more.' And there was more, several years later, when my community college professor, Mr. Bernstein, gave me his personal copies of the "Autobiography of Malcolm X," "Mis-education of the Negro" and "Why Can't We Wait." While reading these books, I realized what I missed as a freshman at that private school.

"In 2006, JoJo's Discount Dollar store will celebrate Black History month with a sale on items such as Bruh Sylvester's Water-Colored Peoples Tribute paintings; Kunta "Rahsheed X" Toby's Angry Moments in Black History DVD, featuring Kanye West, Ray Nagin and post M.L.K. assassination riot footage from April 4, 1968; and Old Skool Pete's Beep, Beep, Bang, Bang, Ungowa, Black Power Message Music mix tapes and CDs.

"Remember: In the ghetto everythang is everythang. But at Jojo's Discount Dollar Store, black history will be shared with everyone."