When Blackness Was Golden!

"When Blackness Was Golden", thrusts readers into an era when African American culture, pride, and love ruled supreme. In this chronicle of his coming of age in Bronzeville, Pemon Rami portrays a caring, neighborly Chicago many have never known. The camaraderie and kinship he developed in the Stateway Gardens Housing Projects laid the foundation for his life's work. One of the architects of the Black Arts movement, Pemon innately committed to protest social and political injustices. His influence continues to reverberate around the world-particularly in the United States, United Kingdom, Brazil, Haiti, Africa, Trinidad, and Tobago. To quote film director and producer Mr. Robert Townsend from the book forward "As you read this book, Mr. Rami gives you a front-row seat as he brushes shoulders with a Who's Who of literary, political, and Civil Rights activists who have changed the course of history for Black people in this country."

When Blackness Was Golden thrusts readers into a fascinating era of Chicago and America when Black culture, Black pride and Black love ruled supreme. Pemon Rami chronicles his coming-of-age in Bronzeville in a rarely shared manner, offering readers a loving yet honest view of the urban metropolis. The layers of camaraderie and kinship he developed in the Stateway Gardens Housing Projects, where he quickly transitioned from boyhood to manhood, laid a phenomenal foundation for his life. Pemon's parents nurtured his natural leadership skills and athletic ability at an early age. Numerous mentors helped develop his artistic abilities and innate propensity to speak up against social, political, and racial injustices while continuously pushing the envelope toward cultural transformation. His influence continues to reverberate around the world, particularly in the United State, United Kingdom, Brazil, Trinidad and Tobago, Haiti, and Africa. Pemon has glided between worlds of polar opposites throughout his entire life with a self-assured steadiness of pace. Such extraordinary commitment has earned him respect, protection, status, awards, and admiration from 'everyday people' to the elite. His memoir is unique, in that it could be used as an instructional 'how to' guide or as a historical primary source reference. From cover to cover, his story exhibits an unapologetically Black and proud soaring spirit that has transcended cultural, class, and financial disparities. Pemon Rami is a man who has unselfishly used his talents to develop greatness in others. Readers of his remarkable encounters will be amused, uplifted, and encouraged.

Pemon Rami is an International film producer and director, member of the Board of the Illinois Arts Council, former member of the Joseph Jefferson Theatre Awards committee, member of the Luminary Board of the Independent Film Alliance and former National Endowment for the Arts Program Evaluator. While in his teens Pemon was cast in a reoccurring role on the weekly TV series "Bird of the Iron Feather." television's first black soap opera. He also appeared in the acclaimed feature films "The Spook Who Sat by The Door" and Mahogany". From 1967 through 1970, Rami served as Associate Director of Theodore Ward's South Side Center for the Performing Arts; from 1971 and '72, he was director of the Kuumba Workshop; and from 1973 to 1979, Artistic/Managing Director of the Lamont Zeno Theatre. Rami served as Managing/Artistic Director for the Phoenix Black Theatre Troupe, and General Manager for Marla Gibbs Crossroads National Education and Entertainment Complex in Los Angeles. The first African American film casting director in Chicago, Rami provided talent for the classic feature films and television movies; "Blues Brothers", Mahogany", "Cooley High", "The Spook Who Sat By The Door", and "Uptown Saturday Night". Pemon produced the feature film "Of Boys and Men" released by Warner Brothers starring: Angela Bassett and Robert Townsend. Rami produced the feature film "Of Boys and Men" released by Warner Brothers starring Angela Bassett and Robert Townsend and "93 Days" in Nigeria starring Danny Glover currently airing on Netflix and Amazon Prime for which he was nominated for an African Academy Award and an African People's Choice Award. As Director of Education and Public programs for the DuSable Museum from 2011 to 2016, Mr. Rami coordinated the Interdisciplinary African and African American Studies Professional Development training for Chicago Public School as well as the Illinois Amistad Commission curriculum for the Illinois State Board of Education. In 2019, Mr. Rami was selected for inclusion in the HistoryMakers Digital Archive, housed at the Library of Congress. Rami has been recognized with awards from numerous organizations including: American Advertising Federation, International Television Association, the Beverly Hills/Hollywood NAACP (Best Theatre Director Award), Proclamation from the Los Angeles City Council, Key to the City of Detroit, the Life Time Achievement Award from the Chicago African American Arts Alliance, the Pan African Film Festival Visionary award and the Deloris Jordan Award for Excellence in Community Leadership from the Black Harvest Film Festival.