Karen Hunter - Stop Being Niggardly: And Nine Other Things Black People Need to Stop Doing

But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his
righteousness; and all these things shall be added
unto you.

MATTHEW 6:33

WHEN I WROTE my first book, I Make My Own Rules with LL Cool J in 1996, I had all of these people that I wanted to thank. I soon realized (and was told) that collaborators dont generally get to thank anyone. I have coauthored eighteen books and never had an opportunity to thank all of the people who have helped me become the writer I am, the teacher I am, the student I am, the person I am.

I want to first acknowledge God publicly. In the words of Nannie Helen Burroughs, I am putting first things first.

To my parents, Marge and Donald Hunterboth very different people, who somehow came together to provide me with the best foundation and allowed me the freedom of expression to explore all possibilitiesI love you dearly.

To my brother, Kevin, thank you for forcing me to set a good example and for reminding me of where Ive been, which has allowed me to continue to go where Im going.

In my career, Ive had several mentors. To Michael Goodwin, who plucked me from obscurity and gave me a vision that I, at first, could not see. Thank you for believing in me when I had doubts about myself. Thank you for sticking by me when others wouldnt. But more than that, thank you for teaching me that a constant drip of water on any hard surface will eventually wear through. You are one of the most fair-minded people I have ever known, and I appreciate you to the nth degree.

To Jennifer Raab, who treated me to lunch at the Four Seasons those many moons ago and asked me to give more of myself to help lead this next generation, thank you for giving me that wonderful gift. Teaching at Hunter Collegemore than anything else Ive done to datehas been the reward. There is nothing that can replace the feeling of when the light bulb turns on for a student. Teaching is much more than a job and I thank you for giving me a platform to have a greater purpose.

To Hap Hairston (posthumously), I am glad that I had the opportunity to thank you many times in life. To Teddy Van (posthumously), you had perhaps the most profound impact on me as a writer. You were truly one of the greatest minds I have ever known and you left this earth much too soon. You are missed. You are missed. You are missed.

To Louise Burke, publisher of Pocket Books (and probably many more imprints by the time this book comes out), you are the model. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to see this vision through and thank you for lending me your many years of wisdom. But more than that, thank you for being straight up and real with me from the very beginning. There are very few people who are as genuine as you are and my only hope is to be as strong a publisher and a person someday as you are. I truly thank you.

To Team Pocket Books at Simon & SchusterJean Ann Rose, Anthony Ziccardi, Sarah Reidy, Emilia Pisani, Keri Loyd, Melissa Gramstad, Stephen Fallert, Felice Javitz, and last but definitely not least Brigitte Smith, without whom none of this could get donethank you for sharing your expertise, your advice and excellence in helping Karen Hunter Publishing and Karen Hunter, the person, succeed in this business. Thank you all!

To Clarence Haynes, my editor, you definitely forced me to think even more out of the box and flesh out my thoughts in a way that strengthened the book. I appreciated the back-and-forth, which gave me the balance to say what I had to say in a way that more instructive and caring. You are brilliant!

Tremell McKenzie, my sister from another mister, I want to thank you for always bringing me back to the top of the page and reminding me that as long as I put Christ first, I can have and be all things. Thank you for keeping me grounded and plugged into the Word, and encouraging and inspiring me through both your words and deeds.

To Team Poopsie: Marla Andrews and Amber Andrews. Marla, thank you for pushing theargument,and keeping me on my toes politically. To Amber, thank you for just being one of the few truly unconditionally supportive people in my life. You guys are always there for me. And I love you!

To my support crew: Carol Mackey, Rajen Persaud, LaJoyce Brookshire, Richard Sullivan, Zondra Hughes, Karyn Grice, Vana Phillips, Supreme Master, Tracy Sherrod, Janet Hill, Jason Wright, Norwood Young, and Nicole Duncan Smiththank you for praying for me, fasting with me, keeping me in check, believing in me, advising me, giving me insight, wisdom and love! Thank you and I love you.

And to all of my fellow writers (there are too many to name), thank you for continuing to raise the bar, and producing the work that entertain us and make us think. I know you know this, but the work you do is important. You help shape society. I want thank the ones who have come before me, my contemporaries and the ones to come.

Keep writing!

To all who love truth, who have vision,
and who tackle life fearlessly

PROLOGUE
Wake Up, People. Wake Up!

INTRODUCTION
Please Stop!

3. Stop Blaming Bill Cosby
(And Anyone Else Telling the Truth!)

Twelve Things the Negro
Must Do

by Nannie Helen Burroughs
(with commentary by Karen Hunter)

INTRODUCTION
Who Is Nannie Helen Burroughs?

2. The Negro Must Stop Expecting God and
White Folk to Do for Him What He Can Do
for Himself

3. The Negro Must Keep Himself, His Children and His Home Clean and Make the Surroundings in
Which He Lives Comfortable and Attractive

4. The Negro Must Learn to Dress More
Appropriately for Work and for Leisure

6. The Negro Must Highly Resolve to Wipe Out
Mass Ignorance

7. The Negro Must Stop Charging His Failures
Up to His Color and to White Peoples
Attitude

8. The Negro Must Overcome His Bad
Job Habits

9. The Negro Must Improve His Conduct
in Public Places

10. The Negro Must Learn How to Operate
Business for PeopleNot for Negro
People, Only

11. The Average So-Called Educated Negro
Will Have to Come Down Out of the Air

12. The Negro Must Stop Forgetting
His Friends. Remember!

Gallery Books
A Division of Simon & Schuster, Inc.
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New York, NY 10020
www.SimonandSchuster.com

Karen Hunter Publishing
A Division of Suitt-Hunter Enterprises, LLC
598 Broadway, 3rd Floor
New York, NY 10012

Copyright 2010 by Karen Hunter

All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof
in any form whatsoever. Distributed by Pocket Books. For information address
Karen Hunter/Pocket Books Subsidiary Rights Department,
1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020.

First Karen Hunter Publishing trade paperback edition April 2010

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Designed by Ruth Lee-Mui

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available.

ISBN 978-1-4165-6374-7

ISBN 978-1-4391-2370-6 (ebook)

COAUTHORED BY KAREN HUNTER