Black Men's Stories "REACH" New York TImes Best Seller List

New York, October 2, 2015 (Newswire.com) - “REACH: 40 Black Men Speak on Living, Leading & Succeeding” has become a New York Times Bestseller. Co-edited by Benjamin Jealous and Trabian Shorters, REACH features short revealing autobiographies from John Legend, Al Sharpton, Bill T. Jones, and dozens more black men entrepreneurs, activists, creators and investors who are devoted to helping others.

“This is black men opening up about our lives, struggles, successes and our people,” says Shorters. “It is a very personal and honest set of roadmaps for life.”

Singer John Legend shares how the death of his grandmother changed his life when he was 10-years-old. Author Shaka Senghor reveals why and how he freed himself from a life involving addiction & murder to become an educator, justice reform leader and a doting father

REACH is part of a bigger movement by BMe Community, a national network spun from the John S. & James L. Knight Foundation to engage all people in positive community-building inspired by black men. Judging by the responses, it’s working. Over 30,000 people of all races and genders subscribe to BMe through BMeCommunity.org

“This is the most inspiring book I’ve ever read,” says John Seifert, Chairman of Ogilvy & Mather North America.

“There is a great need right now for more positive conversations about black men in America,” says Archbishop Desmond Tutu, “REACH is an excellent resource to guide those conversations.”

The heads of the W.K. Kellogg Foundation and JP Morgan Chase Foundation stepped up to sponsor those conversations with a national speaking tour by REACH’s contributors including Jealous, Shorters, Al Sharpton, Lamman Rucker and dozens of national leaders of all races and genders.

In partnership with the Kapor Center for Social Impact, the sponsored stops included New York, Los Angeles, Washington DC, New Orleans, Atlanta and Oakland.

Morehouse College was the first tour stop. There President John Wilson, who wrote REACH’s afterword, declared that “REACH will be required reading for the 2015 freshmen class.”

Major colleges and universities are signing the REACH Tour for Black History Month and the 2016 campaign season.

"My hope,” says Jealous, “is that this book will empower people the way that my family’s stories empowered me, with examples of Black men who overcame great challenges to do even greater things.”