On the Front Line

On the Front Line...tells the story of a young African American male whose hardships and upbringing created moments of uncertainty and confusion during his youth, his pursuit of love and being a black male in America. This book uses the analogy of war as it pertains to being on the front line. This analogy is primarily offered to highlight the urgency, intellectualism, patience, and confidence needed to survive during war. These elements, when placed in areas of unknown chaos, offer us the best opportunity of survival. Being the son of two drug attics whose lack of parenting lead to his siblings being adopted, he offers his testimony about growing up in the heart of Los Angeles; dealing with gang violence and how he struggled to overlook the negativity offered to him. He discusses his understanding of love and how it has manifested over the years but most importantly, where his understanding of love originated. He extensively dives in and dissects what it means to be a black man in America all while dealing with the harsh realities of America's promises. His unique perspective coupled with his creative way to express himself through both excerpts and poetry makes this book an eye opening experience.

Ife Nira is a visionary with a heart for education and advocacy. Using spoken word as one of his tools of expression, Ife's clever metaphors transform his life experiences into gems of wisdom, offering insight and encouragement to those who can connect. His talents have allowed him to teach others in various schools and prisons, both, locally and internationally through the Prison Education Project (PEP). He has traveled to Uganda with PEP to teach in the prisons and schools. As a native of Watts, CA , Ife has seen and experienced a lot of turmoil from which he has gained insight and in turn, influenced him to take on the moniker, Ife Nira, meaning "love is pain". As a graduate of California State Polytechnic University, Pomona and an advocate who hopes to use law and higher education to deconstruct the variables that enable the prison industrial complex, Ife has also found time to start his own arts-based program, AESTHETIC.