Thanks for helping me get out the last few hundred copies of "When The Lights Go Out: The Truth About Black Male Prison Sexuality" as I prepare for my next release, "The New Minstrel Show: Coonery and Buffoonery in 21st Century Black Entertainment" later this year...
I'm not going to get any more copies printed in hardback or paperback, as I'm preparing for the new book release and need ALL coins ready for that print job....lol While the media often paints a picture of a U.S prison system which thrives with rehabilitation and convict reform, many of those who have been inside report a dismal and shocking reality of sexual exploitation, homophobia and disease. Having experienced the dark side of the U.S criminal justice system first-hand, Hassan Hartley exposes the truth in his book, WHEN THE LIGHTS GO OUT: The Truth About Black Male Prison Sexuality.
The Chicago native was sentenced to three years in a Virginian prison. However, Hartley’s journey of self-correction was coupled with a deep personal study of black men around him. Noticing that many were at different levels in the self-awareness of their own sexuality, the seeds of his book were sewn.
“This book is a study into the human sexuality, and sexual identity politics of black men in American prisons. It examines the cultural, moral, and social implications of sexual behavior in prisons due to millions of black men being trafficked in and out of the criminal justice system each year” Says Hartley, who has spent the last six years researching incarcerated black men at prisons all over the United States.
He continues, “I explore the impact of religion and education on how black men view sex in prison, as well as the dangers of HIV and other STD infections that occur. I discuss how heterosexual, bisexual and gay men deal with each other, as well as my own unique and controversial journey that led me to write this book.”
Hartley’s work is the culmination of thousands of personal inmate interviews and online correspondence, during which he both confirmed his own beliefs and was enlightened with new, often disturbing information.
Aside from the personal identity of incarcerated black men, When the Lights Go Out also examines the impact that prison-spread sexually transmitted diseases have on the wider black community, and the United States as a whole.
“The homophobia that exists within the black community makes this discussion even more difficult, and my book serves as a bridge to promote healthy, intelligent, nuanced dialogue” Hartley adds.
The book has been garnering much interest among followers of Hartley’s blog. Providing an insightful narrative on the embedded homophobia surrounding current news and affairs, the blog is proving itself as an educational eye-opener on modern America.
