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Media Materials
About Vincent Collin Beach
About Anni Beach
Press Releases
Suggested Interview Questions
What is This Book About?
What Makes This Book Unique?
What is This Book About?
Don't Throw Away Your Stick Till You Cross the River is the autobiography of a self-described ordinary man from ordinary beginnings. Vincent Beach decided to write the book because he believes life stories provide an opportunity to better understand the complexities of human beings and the realities of every day living.
His father Mas T was the quiet rock of love in the Beach family in their rural Jamaican home. His mother, whom he called Miss Rosa, was the strict disciplinarian and an endless source of old adages. "The title of the book is one she repeated most frequently," says Vincent.
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Over the past 82 years, Vincent has seen and experienced a lot-from war, to racism, to love found and lost and rediscovered, to the birth of his children, and the tragic deaths of two of them from Lupus. Each event was a river to be crossed. The old adage of his mother Miss Rosa has given him the perseverance and dedication to pursue life to its fullest despite setbacks, pitfalls, and tragedy.
In Don't Throw Away Your Stick Till You Cross the River, Vincent describes what it was like for him as a black man in the U.S. in the early 1950s and 60s. He endured the ugliness of racism and retreated for a while to the more accepting society he'd found in England during World War II. But America drew him back and it was here he made his life. However, even in the Air Force where he served as a bandsman for 22 years, there were trips he couldn't take because there were only accommodations for "white" folks.
What Makes This Book Unique?
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He's not a celebrity, nor famous-he's an ordinary man who through his perseverance has made a difference in the lives of many people through his music, teaching about the value of the political system, of money, of hard work, of faith, of moderation in all things, of being faithful to the small details in every day life, and how much there is still to learn about the human mind and brain.
The book spans eight decades and is an honest and true accounting of Vincent's life-with stories to illustrate the struggles and joys of life in Jamaica, England, and places in America including the Navajo Reservation and the state of Arizona.
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Vincent details finding a new love late in life and creating a home base for the adult children who had been devastated by life circumstances. The stories of each child are told with insight and honesty and love. The three surviving children of this blended family include Kris, a professional golfer, Sanjay, an eight year NFL veteran football player, and Jenny, a school principal in Washington, D.C.
Vincent and his wife Anni received the "2003 National Excellence in Parenting Award" from the National Parents' Day Council in Washington, D.C. The award was given in part for their dedication in helping their many neighborhood children (a cultural and racial rainbow) learn to play bluegrass music and perform as the Jam Pak Blues 'N' Grass Neighborhood Band-making people happy with their music.
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Bigotry and racial problems cause peace to be a distant dream. By living in a "bread and butter" neighborhood, with all kinds of people, and as an interracial couple, Vincent and Anni have lived in peace. By bringing the rainbow of people together through music and hospitality, the racial divide is lessened and understanding and love can flourish. They live with the knowledge that peace begins within their home.
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Vincent is living with Parkinson's Disease Plus (Progressive Supraneural Palsy) and continues to challenge himself to live a full life every day.
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In an age and society of entitlement in which each succeeding generation seems to expect and demand more be given to it, Vincent's story is a gentle and inspirational reminder of what people can accomplish through their own persistence and vision.
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© 2006 - 2008 Five Star Publications
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