Let's Talk About It - Desiree B Carpenter

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Biographie:
Desiree was born in 1971 in New Jersey, a product of the birth of the hip hop era. Born only 5 months after Tupac, she has always loved the hip hop genre and culture, and like Tupac she is also a grateful fruit that has grown from the trees the Civil Rights movement have planted. Desiree grew up a huge fan of MC Lyte and KRS-One and other groundbreaking artists of the time. She grew up in Essex County where she attended and graduated from the Montclair school system. From there Desiree went to graduate from HBCU;, Delaware State College. She later got her CPA, married, divorced, and became the proud mom of a daughter and a son. Desiree began reading Richard Wright style books and moved onto books of the Civil Rights era as a teen. There she became captivated with all things and the people that were of the struggle for black and brown equality here in America. Woman like Afeni Shakur, Assata Shakur, Elaine Davis, to the men such as Fred Hampton, Bobby Seale, Hewey P. Newton, Mumia Abu Jamal, Martin Luther King, Malcolm X and John Lewis are underappreciated today, and she wants to keep their stories alive for the later generations that don't know them. Desiree says, regarding this work and her connection to Tupac Shakur: When Tupac was murdered, I grieved heavily as all the other Tupac fans. I not only grieved for the rapper, but for the son of Afeni Shakur. I grieved for a direct and hands-on product of my own Freedom Fighters. I grieved for America's loss of his intellect. I grieved for a long time and became more immersed in his music because I needed the connection. When he was alive, I feared for his life, so when he died it was quite hard to bear. I am also a confessed alive theorist - but I have since let that idea go. As time passed, I became very disappointed and angry with the heads of the hip hop community. From successful rappers to the businessmen, I watched them honor Tupac and their love for him while at the very same time I watched Tupac's kids, The Outlaws, struggling. I couldn't reconcile the two things, and my heart always went out to my one-time homie and now deceased Bruce Washington - AKA Fatal from the Outlaws - Kadafi, and the rest of his bandmates who were all local dope artists. These young guys were talented, and I felt like the rap industry failed them. I don't know all backstories, so pardon me for anyone that I have offended, but it's how I've felt. I write this as a scholarly tool and workbook, using his voice and my own so that these types of dialogue can continue to grow Tupac's legacy in a manner that makes his love for each of us worthwhile. I write this book to contribute to the legacy of Tupac Shakur through licensing and royalty share agreements. Tupac said he may not change the world, but he may spark the brain of the person that changes the world. Let's continue to spark some brains and further Tupac Shakur's legacy in a manner in which his elders and our future generations can live as healthy, respected people that live and walk in peace and love of our differences instead of the fear of the same.With all my Respect and Love, Desiree