Progress Update, The Slave in my Mirror, 3/3/25

Dear friends, family, supporters,

I know you are all anxious to see Bryant's amazing book, and I know it has been one year since we sent an update, so I want to give you the current status and let you know what to expect. If you don't want to read the whole explanation below, the short version is that we are still slowly chipping away at the process, it is slower than we had hoped, and we are moving forward.

When Bryant wrote his memoir he was thorough in his research, sourcing historical and contextual information from books, magazines, newspapers, interviews, online sources, and he spent many hours looking over the microfiche archives in the Boston Globe offices. It was a decades long process.

Unfortunately he did not keep a complete running list of the sources, bibliography, and citations with the manuscript, and we still have to reconstruct a lot of that from short quotes and notes. When the manuscript was declared finished and ready for final editing, neither Bryant nor any of the rest of us could have predicted how incredibly complicated the process would be for getting the quotes/copyrights print-ready.

It is the combination of the sheer number of quotes (80+) and needing to follow the paper trail of pinning down each source exactly, determining what copyright permissions are needed, and then securing agreements and paying for those permissions individually.

In the last update a year ago, I had just finished the major manuscript edits and we were starting to dig into the copyright permission process. It has been more time and energy intensive than I hoped, and after realizing that it was too much for me to do on my own and with volunteer/family help, we hired an outside copyright consultant to do a thorough evaluation and help us move the process along. As of this week, they have completed the first phase of that process. It was exactly the help we needed to get unstuck, just the right boost to keep us pointing toward the finish, and we will continue to work with this capable team to complete the process.

Next steps are that I will be going through the manuscript again to clean up the quotes that we've determined to be fair use and public domain while we continue the legwork to negotiate and secure permissions for the remainder of the quotes.

Two big unknowns are how much time and how much money it will take. Some copyright holders, publishers, authors, estates are easy to track down and amicable about letting their quotes be used in this kind of book, some are a bit harder to track down, and some ask for surprisingly high fees to put tiny little quotes in a book. All of that is just a normal reality of the process. In order to be able to safely publish this book we need to make sure there are no loose ends that could result in costly disputes and legal issues down the line, so we have to be thorough ahead of time, and if we can't secure permissions we have to decide when and how to omit certain quotes.

The funds raised from your generous contributions to this kickstarter campaign are sitting in an account that we are drawing from for these kinds of expenses. The work I am doing, along with that of the rest of the family, is unpaid (one reason it takes a little extra time). We are hoping that this next phase of securing copyright permissions leaves enough of a buffer to pay for the final round of copyedits, layout, printing, and shipping costs without going into the red. If it does go over budget, we will figure it out. After being immersed in this tangle of copyright, that would be a tiny and manageable bump in the road I am not worried about.

Either way, we are on the path to completion, even if it is far slower and trickier than expected, and I am committed to getting this project done thoroughly, completely, and to a standard of quality that Bryant would be happy with.

So thank you all for your patience, and we will keep you updated when we have more news.

In Bryant's memory, much love to you all,

Abraham

So far Shirley and I are still able to update Bryant’s Substack account. If you would like to ensure you will be updated if for some reason we are unable to do so in the future, please also subscribe to my other account. https://substack.com/@abrahamschroeder In addition to getting this memoir out into the world, we also hope to have news and updates about some of Bryant’s other books and writing, and we will keep posting news as we have it to share.

Bryant Rollins Memoir Progress Update

The Slave in My Mirror

Dear friends, family, and supporters of Bryant's Memoir, The Slave in My Mirror,

We know it has been some time since we have sent an update, we hear you asking when it will be ready, and please know that we are just as eager as all of you to be able to hold the finished book in our hands. Thank you for your patience. Waiting is not easy.

I am writing today with an update to let you all know that things are definitely progressing forward. We are working toward the goal as quickly as we can, and we hope you are able to understand that the process of moving Bryant's manuscript from "finished" form to "print-ready" involves a lot of steps that are much more difficult without Bryant here with us in person. 

Last year we had an editor go through the full manuscript. The editor was recommended to us by the editor who worked on Bryant's first novel, Danger Song, in 1967, and whom Bryant had also hired in 2019 to do first rounds of edits on Slave in My Mirror, which was a poignant full-circle moment in Bryant's life and writing. We were very pleased with the work and insight of both of these editors. 

After we received the marked-up manuscript, Shirley did her own careful and thoughtful read-through while making her own suggestions and edits. You can imagine what an emotional process that was. Bryant’s passing is still very new and raw for all of us, and reading his very personal writing brings up a lot of feelings. Abraham then spent the past several months incorporating the edits into the semi-final manuscript, as well as making structural and formatting adjustments to the book as a whole. He finished that phase earlier this week, a huge relief and milestone in the process. 

The next step is very important, and will take a little longer than we had hoped. Bryant was a journalist, and very thorough in his research. The completed book has 70+ quotes and references, for which we will need to complete proper citations and in many cases copyright and licensing requests. It sounds like a lot, but it’s a step-by-step process and we have a small team of people working to get it done it efficiently. 

When we finish that step, we will be able to upload the manuscript to the publishing platform for final formatting, at which time we will likely be able to provide a solid estimated publication and ship date. 

Again, we know how hard it is to wait for this. We promised Bryant that we would complete his book, and the book will not be complete unless we do it correctly, thoroughly, and with a great deal of care. We are doing our best to honor him and his wishes, and we are thankful to have been blessed with his guidance and memory as we move forward. 

This book is really amazing, and it will 100% be worth the wait. 

Thank you for your patience.

Sincerely, 

Abraham and the book team

But wait! There's more!

If you have read this far, we are offering a small taste of what the book contains. While we’re not ready to send out full excerpts, we can give some teasers to help give a picture of the scope of this book.

It’s currently right around 380 pages, 30 chapters. 

While it is not a straightforward biography, Bryant does encapsulate and chronicle full chapters of his life within the timeline of historical events and the people around him, and again, it is thoroughly researched to provide additional context.

Chapter Two walks us through Bryant and Shirley’s 2010 visit to The House of Slaves on Gorée Island off the Atlantic Coast of Senegal in West Africa.

Chapter Three he discusses his Boston family, growing up in Roxbury, his parents’ vaudeville past. 

Chapters Four through Seven we see a portion of Bryant’s career in journalism, moving through small papers and large ones, and what it meant to be the first Black sportswriter at The Boston Globe, facing an intense culture of racism in 1960s Boston, including an encounter with Tom Yawkey that left a massive impact. 

In Chapters Eight and Nine Bryant brings us into the room with James Baldwin for a series of interviews that became a 5-part article in The Boston Globe (still available in the archives). 

Chapter Sixteen takes us to Mound Bayou, Mississippi, 1969, where Bryant lived and worked under armed guard - Korean War veterans - day and night, making the dangerous journey each day into the fields to interview Black sharecroppers and help get them registered to vote and organized into farm co-ops, activities that angered the Klan and other local White groups who would prefer to keep the oppressive power structures in place. Some of these farm co-ops are still in place today. 

Chapters Nineteen through Twenty-one cover his time as an editor at The New York Times, including during the class action discrimination lawsuit, Rosario v. The New York Times.

Chapter Twenty-four discusses the projects Bryant did as a consultant with Arthur Ashe, working closely together with him to create impactful discussion groups and workshops with Black leaders and HBCU athletes. 

In Chapters Twenty-six and Twenty-seven Bryant goes deep into his family history, beginning with his great-great-grandparents and their journey from slaves to freed slaves to community leaders in the Tallahassee area, and Bryant’s visit to the family farm that dates back to Reconstruction and still belongs to the family - relatives that Bryant didn’t know existed until 2017. 

Other chapters include the 1967 Grove Hall Riot, Boston’s 1968 Tent City occupation, the 1972 police shooting at NYC Mosque #7, and other important events Bryant was right in the middle of, literally front and center, as a journalist and Civil Rights activist, as well as the work Bryant and Shirley did for decades as DEI consultants, breaking down boundaries to bring people together. 

These are all important stories, and they provide a profound picture of Bryant and his life and journey, while also tying directly into the politics and history of the present day. 

This book is important and powerful, everyone should read it, and we are looking forward to sharing it with you as soon as we can.

Many thanks again for your patience.

Memoir Update: Bryant Featured in PBS Documentary on Boston School Busing

In 1974, Boston’s schools were ordered to desegregate. It was a tumultuous time and Bryant was a young reporter and activist in the middle of it all. In November 2021, PBS and American Experience sent a film crew from Boston to interview Bryant in Jacksonville. Bryant discussed with them the history and impact of the events surrounding the court-ordered busing on the city. The documentary premiered on PBS on 9/11/23, and is available to watch online here:

https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/films/busing-battleground/

Shirley says “He was hoarse and getting tired a lot, and he was worried he would not be able to endure a long session of taping. I was there throughout the day off camera, with warm pineapple juice and high energy snacks to sustain him. Once the interview started, he was channeling his 1974 self! I sat just off camera with all my helper supplies for 9 long and amazing hours! We stopped for a lunch break and he dozed in the car before getting back to the work at hand. They taped him at the famous Bowles Prep School where the Bush twins attended HS during their father’s tenure in the White House. It was very intentional. They kept moving him around during the day so they could shoot different angles. These two filmmakers are brilliant! They have spliced and diced those 9 hours of taping to making it look like Bryant is almost narrating the live events. After he shares each vivid memory, they have spliced in the news reels he describes in giving his responses to their questions during the day of taping. They have enough stuff to make numerous films, and he happily gave them written permission to use whatever they want, whenever they want to use it.”

This 90 minute documentary aired on PBS nationally on Monday 9/11/23 and is available to watch freely, with additional articles and other material on the website:

https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/films/busing-battleground/

https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/busing-battleground-city-boston-out-control/

---

Memoir Update:

Abraham, Malikkah, and Shirley are quietly working to prepare the manuscript for publication. Progress is never as fast as we would like, and it is a challenge to be coordinating all of the moving parts and details across long distances and busy schedules. We are trying to stay true to Bryant’s vision, and even though he is not with us in person we feel his guidance through the process. It is particularly encouraging and motivating to see his voice, work, legacy, and impact continuing to ripple through things like this PBS documentary. While we do not have an exact estimated publication date, we will continue to keep friends and supporters updated.

Thank you,

Abraham

Year End Update from Shirley and Abraham

Greetings to all of you from all of us. 

Here is a short update on the progress we are making toward publication of Bryant's memoir.

Working to get a book like this ready to publish while continuing to grieve is a daunting challenge. We are all missing Bryant, especially as questions from his life and history come up in this process.  

The full manuscript has been marked up and returned from the editor. Now we are in the midst of reviewing the edits and updating the files, some of the dry back-office work of publishing that is required to ensure the final book is as correct, complete, and polished as possible before it can go to print. 

Shirley is visiting Abraham and family in California and they are sorting out the details with Malikkah and Salim from a distance. 

We do not have a definite timeline for publication, but our current estimate is to be ready to print and ship by spring 2023. If we are able to complete everything before then, we will do our best to get it to you sooner, and will be updating regularly in the meantime.

With love,

Abraham, Malikkah, Salim, Shirley

September Progress Update: Editing and Publication of Bryant's Memoir

Greetings all,

This is Salim Rollins (Bryant’s son) reaching out. I’d first like to express my deepest gratitude for the tremendous amount of support that we’ve received behind this project. My father’s final wish was to have The Slave In My Mirror published, and your contribution will make that wish a reality. In the last couple of years of his life, it became important to dad that he share his story. His story is so intertwined with the story of the 20th and 21st century America. Dad was an optimist and had faith in people’s inherent goodness. Through the work he carried forth with his wife, Shirley, his vision was to help people understand that beneath the surface we are all fundamentally the same.

Though dad initiated the Kickstarter campaign to assist with the publishing of The Slave In My Mirror, he was not able to see the project through due to his death in May earlier this year. His family including his wife Shirley, his daughter Malikkah, his son in law Abe, and I have picked up the torch to ensure that his book is published and that the appropriate contributors receive their perks.

At the moment, the completed manuscript for the book is under review by an editor who has been in the business for over 50 years. The editor is aware of dad’s passing and is handling his job with sensitivity and care. When editing is complete we will begin the final layout and formatting for print and ebook editions. We have chosen a vendor/platform and have tools in place to complete that. We do not have a confirmed date as to when the book will be published as we want to honor the editing process, but all parts of the project are moving steadily forward and we will certainly keep you updated on the progress.

Again, we thank you for your support and look forward to seeing this project progress in the coming months.

In Community, 

Salim Rollins