DURHAM, N.C. — Gary Clement is the author of “The Gary Clement Radio Show, Volume 1: When Strong African American Men and Women Stand Up.”

 

What You Need To Know

The novel explores literacy in the Black community

It is dedicated to Clement’s daughter, Asiedya

Notable figures such as Mathew Knowles are featured in the book

 

He began writing the book after realizing that many of the subjects discussed on his radio show were on the topic of literacy in the Black community.

“The education and literacy thing is something in the Black community that a lot of our families and a lot of our citizens struggle with," Clement said. "Some people get a good education depending on which areas they may live in. Sometimes the funding is better, the resources are better, so I wanted to explore that topic further.”

Clement then went through his list of interviews and selected seven to include, one of which was an interview from Beyonce Knowles’ father, Mathew Knowles.

“It was interesting because I never thought he would be so quick and eager to be a part of the project, so it was a blessing to have him involved,” Clement said.

Clement hopes to soon create a reading and literacy tour to get well known celebrities to tell their own personal stories surrounding literacy and explain what role education played in where they are today.

The book is dedicated to Clement’s daughter, Asiedya, who tragically passed away in a house fire in 2011.

To learn more about  “The Gary Clement Radio Show, Volume 1: When Strong African American Men and Women Stand Up,” click here.