Raped Black Male tells my story of being homeless and struggling to overcome depression while coming to terms with being sexually assaulted by my sister at age eight. Beginning in my middle school years, the novel weaves its way through the '90s to present day, as the stress of exceeding expectations of what it means to be a black male and the crippling unspoken belief that says (without saying) - it's impossible for a man to be raped - has forced one mental breakdown after another, resulting in thoughts of suicide. This memoir is filled with depth, humor, and honesty about the reality and myth of what it means to be a black male (not all of us can handle a basketball or football), while explaining the burden and responsibility each assigned title has had on my life, the way I prepare my seventh grade students to enter the world, and the way my shattered thoughts have forced me to interact. Using original journal entries written during my early life, each page is inspirational and told from the heart. About the Author: Kenneth Rogers Jr.'s first book Thoughts in Italics is a book of short stories published in 2008. His first novel, Writing in Margins, focuses on mental health through a character able to manipulate events with whatever he writes in his journal. His second novel, Sequence, is science fiction and the winner of the Next Generation Indie Book Award and the NABE Pinnacle Achievement Award in science fiction. His latest book, The Diary of Oliver Lee, is the first in the Chronicles of the Last Liturian trilogy. He is the father of two girls and an inner city teacher of humanities in Baltimore, Maryland. Publisher's website: http: //sbpra.com/KennethRogersJr Reviewed By Jessyca Garcia for Readers' Favorite Raped Black Male: A Memoir by Kenneth Rogers Jr. was an interesting book. In his memoir, Rogers talks about many different things, such as getting raped at a young age, being homeless, and life in general. When I first chose to read Raped Black Male: A Memoir, I thought I was going to be in for some heavy emotional reading. The first chapter of Rogers' book goes along with the title and is very emotional. This is where he tells how he was raped by a family member. Once you get past that chapter, his stories become a little lighter and at times even funny. Rogers had me laughing out loud at the description of his father's farts. Roger also writes about why he dropped out of college and how he survived being homeless. I was actually surprised he became a teacher after dropping out. In this book, Rogers also includes some of his short stories which are works of fiction. These are loosely based on things that have occurred in his life. I liked his story "Michael" the best. After reading this book, there is no doubt in my mind that he truly loves his wife. Overall, I thought that Raped Black Male: A Memoir was an interesting book. At times, Rogers bares his heart and other times he lets you peek between the cracks to see what went on in his life and the thoughts in his head. He does have a gift for writing because he kept me interested throughout the whole book.