Title: Defining Moments of a Free Man from a Black Stream
Author: Dr. Frank L. Douglas
Publisher: Frank Douglas Books
ISBN: 978-1948828703
Genre: Biographies/Black & African American
Pages: 388
Interviewed by: Anthony Avina
Author Interview with Dr. Frank L. Douglas
Today we are talking to Dr. Frank L. Douglas, author of Defining Moments of a Free Man from a Black Stream.
PBR: Tell us a little bit about yourself.
See Back cover of my Memoir: Defining moments of a Free Man from a Black Stream.
PBR: What was the inspiration behind your book, “Defining Moments of a Free Man from a Black Stream”?
The inspiration was my desire to encourage my grandchildren to pursue their dreams and never to succumb to discrimination.
PBR: What themes or messages do you hope readers take away from you memoir?
Themes include:
Having true grit and adhering to one’s values are important in facing adversity
Focus more on what one contributes and less on what one controls
Hard work and perseverance are the secrets for success
It takes a village to raise a child, but only a few good people to help a man rise
Assume that others might have the best intentions
Everything is possible even if it does not presently exist
The essence of systemic racism is the denial of the VALUE in others
PBR: What would you say was one of the most defining moments of your childhood that influenced your path as you went on to study medicine and gain your scholarship?
The most defining moment in my childhood was the attempt to commit suicide after a severe whipping from my mother.
PBR: In your book you describe the hardship you faced coming to America to study, only to be met with racism from White Americans and the cultural prejudice you faced from Black Americans. What motivated you to work through this hardship and struggle to not only further your studies but further your career as a whole?
My major driver for success was the desire to improve the life of my family and poor Black people. The second driver was to demonstrate that I was as capable as my Caucasian counterparts.
PBR: As someone who has worked hard and earned scholarships to further your studies in the United States and has been an active voice in the cause of African American Students, what would be your biggest piece of advice to those who wish to make the leap and get into the field of pharmacology and medicine as a whole, especially young people of color from around the world who seek better opportunities of study in the United States?
My advice to young Black students is for them to work hard and persevere; and to view every outcome as an opportunity to improve. There is no such thing as Failure.
PBR: Now that you have published your book, what are your future plans? Any other books in the works?
My future plans are to use my experience, some of which is contained in my Memoir, to motivate and encourage Black and other underrepresented minorities.