Let My American ''Soul'' Speak

About the Book

LET MY AMERICAN SOUL SPEAK, A Poem Tells A Story is a collection of love, political and religious poems that tell the story of a black American woman’s historical journey through the societal changes from racial segregation to integration over a period of sixty-six years. Her book is dedicated to Heavyweight Boxing Champion Muhammad Ali as, “A Great American Hero” and in honor of the friendship they shared and lived through during the changing times when Black people were called the Negroes. Ali lived in Miami and trained for his first heavyweight championship boxing match against Sonny Listen as Cassius Clay. Ali was also a poet.

Through poetry, this author is able to convey how racial discrimination and prejudice against black people born in the United States had always been seen as justifiable by a majority of White Socialist Liberal leaders who imposed controlled human limitations on Black Americans through government made laws, rules and regulations until the 1950’s and 1960’s which marked the era’ of the, “Civil Rights Movement.” It was seen as an act of patriotism.

The writer introduces her “Poem Stories” written in essay form, to explain the political times that served as a motivation for several of the poems. Her poem stories tell of the political occasions spent either with or in the company of United States President Ronald Reagan, President George H. Bush and President George W. Bush as the first Black woman elected to Republican Party of Miami-Dade County Executive Committee. She also met President John F. Kennedy during his visit to Miami, a few weeks before his assassination. The author also spent two days with Presidential candidate segregationist Governor George Wallace of Alabama just days before he left Miami to go to Key West, Florida where his assassination was attempted.

LET MY AMERICAN SOUL SPEAK, A Poem Tells A Story is more than a poetry book. The book is a walk through the times of the Cuban Crisis and its’ impact on public school education first Cuban Refugee families in Little Havana as well as the first racial desegregation program of Miami Public Schools and its problems. These are the poems of a career teacher who was born in Miami Overtown as a Colored baby who later became a Negro child and finally a Black American woman!

About the Author

A native born Miamian, Mamie Pinder received her Bachelor of Science Degree from Bethune Cookman College University in Business Education and the Masters of Science Degree from Nova University in Educational Supervision and Administration. At Bethune-Cookman, Mamie served as President of the Drama Club for two years. While at Bethune she pledged Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority (AKA). She was one of the first Black Americans admitted to the University of Miami in 1962 as a graduate student where she sharpened her English and Writing skills. Her education included summer studies in methods for teaching new mathematics and art at U.C.L.A., and Michigan State University. During the 1963-64 school year, Mamie one of the first black teachers hired to participate in Miami Public Schools first experimental de-segregation program. She served on the committee appointed to write the first State of Florida approved curriculum for, “English as a Second Language” also known as (ESOL). Her work as an educator prepared thousands of first Cuban family refugee children and adults that settled in Miami “Little Havana” to get quickly orientated to the American life-style and speak English as they fled Communist Cuba and its’ Dictator Fidel Castro. Mamie Pinder is a retired Miami-Dade Public School Teacher of 26 years. She is also a retired Florida Mortgage Broker. On occasions she still volunteers in various Miami-Dade Public Schools where her grand children are in attendance. As a media associate, Mamie hosted her own radio talk-show on W.M.B.M. Radio (Rap with Mamie). Over the years she has appeared on numerous radio and television talk shows including ABC’s “Good Morning America!” As a journalist, Mamie worked as a free lance writer for several local newspapers. In 1981, Mamie Pinder was the first Black woman to run for Mayor of the City of Miami. She finished 4th of 8 candidates. She was the first Black American elected to Republican Party of Miami-Dade County Executive Committee as Corresponding Secretary. She was a candidate for Miami-Dade School Board. As an elected Republican Committeewoman, she has served as Chairman of Miami-Dade Republican Party; Membership Chairman and Political Education Co-Chairman. LET MY AMERICAN SOUL SPEAK, political poetry tells of the author’s experiences from her childhood years of segregation to her adult years of integration. Mamie Pinder was born a “Colored” baby who later became a “Negro” child and finally a very proud, “Black American” woman!