The Yield is written in two parts, Book I and Book II. Book I sets forth the initial scenario; Book II: The Rest of the Story, details the corresponding resolution of each of the initial scenarios introduced in Book I.
It is a nonfiction writing though names and places have been fictionalized to protect the privacy of the real people to whom the stories belong. Many of these people have suffered intense pain; some of them are still hurting. For their pain, for their bravery, for their willingness to share their private lives, it is the author’s hope, as well as the hope of the individuals who have shared their stories, that many others will be able to avoid the pitfalls and ensuing devastation.
There are two ways to read the book: the traditional way from beginning to end, following the sequence of pages in numerical order, or you may prefer to move between the scenarios, reading the initial scenario in Book I and then its corresponding resolution in Book II. However you prefer please read it. You will be enlightened! You won’t be disappointed!
Excerpt
The Black man’s family has a need to believe in his integrity, a need to feel that what they think of him is important to him! His family has a need as well as a desire to trust him and to feel that he is worthy of their trust. And the Black Man has a need to believe that this is so. He needs to be cognizant of the fact that he is the only one who can assure his family that they have his love, loyalty, and support, that there is no reason why they cannot trust him. When he behaves as if this is not so, the family structure is weakened. When the head of the family fails to lead in a way which his sons and daughters can emulate, in a way which his wife can respect, future generations are threatened. This is so because children learn what they live, and they live what they are allowed to experience.
The constant lying, the constant game-playing, the constant need to evade, the constant cheating which is normal behavior for far too many Black men, are behaviors which many of them observed in their fathers, uncles, and other dominant male role models in their lives. This destructive cycle can be broken only by the Black man. If his sons are to be free of the psychological garbage which accumulates in a climate where these behaviors are observed and accepted as normal, masculine behaviors, then the choice is a foregone conclusion: the Black man must choose not to engage in these behaviors. This is not an option if the Black race, the Black family, is to survive!
You see, the Black family’s survival is threatened when Black men father children for whom they feel no responsibility, nor assume any. It is threatened when children are born to women to whom these children’s fathers feel no allegiance. It is threatened when the birth of a child does not assist to cement an already solid, marital relationship. It is threatened when Black boys enter manhood with misplaced or warped ideas of what it means to be a man! The Black family is threatened when children are being born, but their births are no longer considered, “A family affair.” If the Black race, the Black family is to survive, the refrain must not be, that’s just my baby’s daddy. It must be instead, this is my beloved husband, the father of our beloved child!
Dr. Joyce Willard Teal is a retired educator.
She began writing professionally in 1995 and has written numerous books and several award-winning poems.
She is host of “The Teal Appeal,” an internet radio talk show on KEBN Radio which airs at 10 a.m. CST on Saturday mornings weekly.
She is a sought-after motivational speaker and workshop leader and was named “2012Woman of the Year” by the members of Upsilon Nu Zeta, the chapter of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc., her sorority. The chapter’s scholarship has been named in her honor, the Dr. Joyce Willard Teal’s Scholarship.
Her latest honor was selection as an honoree for the 2015 African American Educators’ Hall of Fame.
She and her husband reside in Dallas, Texas.
Get to know Joyce:
- What was your inspiration for writing this book? I was inspired to write this book by the thousands of children with whom I had contact in the classroom during more than 20 years as a public school teacher. Many of them were saddened by little or no contact with their fathers. Some of them didn’t even know who their fathers were. I also got inspiration from the mothers and/or guardians of these children who were doing their best, in many instances, to rear their children without the benefit of having the children’s fathers have an active role in their lives.
- What are some challenges you faced when writing this book? Although many parents shared their stories with me when confronted with why their children were absent repeatedly, why they were acting out in the classroom, etc., most of them were unwilling to allow me to share their stories in the book. I had to convince some of them that sharing their stories could benefit other women in the same or similar situations.
- How can book clubs use this book? Book clubs interested in reading books that engender dialogue regarding relationships can use this book to generate discussions regarding male/female relationships, and though the book spotlights black relationships, any group that would like to discuss specific situations that serve to break-up families can benefit from the contents of “The Yield”.
- How can fathers be enlightened by this book? The scenarios in this book can serve to make fathers aware of just how important they are and the significant roles they play in assuring that their children are given the best advantages so far as growing up, staying on track and becoming successful adults who become contributing members of society.
- In chapter 6, there is a scenario, “Eunice and Eugene, the Weekend Alcoholic.” This scenario highlights the impact that a father’s alcoholism can have upon his family. What can a father learn from reading this scenario and its corresponding resolution in “The Rest of the Story?” This segment can serve to create awareness within those men (and women also) who drink too heavily of how their drinking impacts their children and how it influences the atmosphere in their homes.
- What is the predominant message you want this book to convey to readers? It is my hope that readers will walk away from this reading experience with the firm realization that we make our own choices and that the choices that we make frequently dictate the outcomes for us.
- What’s the overall theme? The overall theme is to showcase the various and numerous scenarios that couples deal with in their everyday lives and to create awareness within men that the physical and mental well-being of their families should be their priority.
Find the author and the book:
WHERE BOOK CAN BE PURCHASED
My website: www.untealthen.com
Amazon
Barnes and Noble