Does the fashion trend of sagging indicate a sagging mindset? The ancestral and personal history of many African Americans has wandered from slavery to sagging to success. Florence M. Howard tells a story of one family’s success based on fine artist Emery Franklin’s “Crossroads: From Sagging to Success" oil painting series which opened in February 2011 at the Benjamin L. Hooks Central Public Library. Designed for young people and adults, this book portrays the transformative journey of Derrick, who sought and found the secret to success in business and in life. Subtitled, “The Story of Emery Franklin,” this book contains information about Emery's life, his thoughts, and his successful use of the Law of Attraction as well as the series of 15 original paintings. Prints for many of these paintings can be found on Emery’s website at http://emery-franklin.artistwebsites.com.

 Bits of African American history, such as the Civil Rights Movement and the 1968 Memphis Sanitation Strike, add flavor and depth to scenes reflected in several paintings and to the entire FROM SAGGING TO SUCCESS story. Highlights in the book include an original portrait of President Barack Obama by Emery Franklin and bonus section on black inventors.