By Norma Adams-Wade
The white clothing on the majority of the guests at Travis Wortham Jr’s book signing and reception Sunday June 26 was an immediate sign that the author and his team had designed the occasion to unify and uplift guests.
The event lived up to expectation with about 200 guests hyped to take on the challenge Wortham presented while debuting and signing his new book at the Fair Park Hall of State.
The book is Creating Monsters or Raising Champions: “What’s Wrong with Deez Kidzs?”
“We are in the 4th quarter and there’s no more overtime,” Wortham Jr. stressed as he urged guests to join him in his crusade to win the battle and save the lives and futures of today’s youth.
“With how crazy our world has become, we’ve got to go out there and get these kids,” Wortham urged. “Politicians can’t fix this.”
Practically everyone in the room knew what Wortham was talking about and had come to show their support for his cause. The book is a primer on how to avoid mistakes parents make that produce troubled and at-risk children and in turn how to raise successful children.
Wortham Jr. told the audience that the book had been on his heart for about 40 years and that he has been refining and completely it during the last five years –resulting in the book launching and signing Sunday.
A counselor, trainer, speaker, and consultant on all youth and family issues, Wortham’s background includes some 40 years as an administrator with troubled and at-risk youth in juvenile residential facilities in Texas and also counseling their families. He founded and owns The Wortham Group consortium of resource professionals on family and youth issues, some of whom gave input for his book.
Speaking at the book signing, the Bishop College and Texas A&M University -Commerce graduate said his book gives many examples of behaviors and happenings that cause parents to fail in raising their children. Then, on the other hand, he also gives many examples of practices and routines that allow parents to successfully raise champion children.
He gave examples of chapters that detail mistakes men make as fathers and husbands and, conversely, actions and behaviors that help fathers reverse bad behaviors and learn to succeed at parenting.
The book also includes a chapter that counsels women about how to improve their parenting and family relationships. Additionally, the book explores topics that include gangs, drugs, sex offenders and sex trafficking, bullying and aggressive behavior. Positive topics include building wealth, pre-marital counseling, and restoring men to their families.
Many of his resource associates were at the book signing and more than 20 associates gave brief remarks about their areas of expertise and how they have collaborated with Wortham throughout his career.
Radio personality Robert Ashley moderated the program. Those who gave remarks included Vincent Gaddis, Dr. Richard Broussard, Rev. Carey Dowel, Vince Nelson, Rev. Chris Simmons, Amon Rashidi, Antong Lucky, Nia Maat Khepera, Phyllis Bills, Joy Weaver, Darrin Hemphill, Michael Bland, Jan Tennyson, Steve Robinson, Robert Pitre, and Nicole Craig,
I was just thinking…how much better would the world function if much of Wortham’s advice from his book were practiced in families, schools, and society?
Wortham is available to discuss and sign his book at various public and organizational gathering. Contact him at cell 214-399-7171 and email travis.wortham@att.net. To purchase the book, contact Derrick I. Temple Sr., founder/managing member with Urban Publishing House, LLC, P. O. Box 1684, Oxnard, CA 93032, phone 805-609-4951, email urbanceo@urbanpublishinghouse.com, web
www.urbanpublishinghouse.com.
Dallas native Norma Adams-Wade is a University of Texas at Austin journalism graduate, and retired senior Staff writer at The Dallas Morning News. In 1974, she was The News’ first Black full-time reporter who covered news city-wide. She followed her mentor Julia Scott Reed, hired in 1967 as first Black on staff, who wrote a column about the Black community. Adams-Wade is a National Association of Black Journalists founder and was NABJ’s first southwest regional director. norma_adams_wade@yahoo.com.
