TRISH GERAN
Historical Autobiographies
Welcome. I'm Trish Geran, a Las Vegas native.
Through my writings and film works, I have dedicated the past 25-plus years to Las Vegas legends who have made major contributions to the development of the City the world now calls the "Entertainment Capital of the World."
To most Americans, Las Vegas is a city of lights and glitz and nonstop entertainment mecca, that looks to the future with few regrets for a past it barely remembers. But to me, it is a City rich with diversity and stories of Blacks who migrated during the early 1940s, and because of their enormous efforts and a desire to earn a decent living, became the backbone of this City. The history of Black residents and entertainers should not be in the past-it should be in the presence, and celebrated-not forgotten.
Trish
Author-Producer-Activist
Beyond the Glimmering Lights: The Pride And Perseverance of African americans in Las Vegas
In 1943, Magnolia Bailey "Aunt Mac" left Mississippi in her car with a map, a flask full of moonshine whiskey, and a handgun tucked under a Bible on the front seat, and headed to a dusty little town called Las Vegas for a chance to make a decent living. The country was in the middle of World War II, but she didn't care-she picked cotton once and that was one time too many. An influx of Black residents and entertainer began to make tremendous contributions that help create the Entertainment Capital of the World only to realize that Las Vegas was nothing more than the Mississippi of the West. Countless meetings were held and together with the brave efforts of the proud, everyday people, White tourists, and Jewish newspaper owner, Hank Greenspun forced a truce that ended segregation in the City on March 25, 1960.
Funny and fascinating, Beyond was endorsed by former Mayor Oscar Goodman, entertainer Wayne Newton, activist and talk show host Reverend Al Sharpton, and Rock & Roll Hall of Famer, Ruth Brown and other notable artists. It is a story about Las Vegas through the eyes of Magnolia, "Aunt Mac", who gained knowledge from five of her seven husbands, as they helped to build America's number one travel destination, Las Vegas.
Sammy Davis Jr. talking about his experience on the Historic Westside.
Beyond the Glimmering Lights: The Pride And Perseverance of African americans in Las Vegas
The Mack begins where Beyond ends. In 1961, Mack Smith, a country boy from Plain Dealing, Louisiana, took a bus to Las Vegas to work as a barber in a shop that was 1ocated in the Historic Westside on Jackson Street aka the "Black Strip." While working in three barbershops: Jackson Street '61-'71, the Moulin Rouge '71-'81, and Hair Unlimited 81-'23, Mack shares his life and times with stories that complete the missing pieces about some of the world's most notable entertainers, athletes, and unsung heroes-stories we thought we knew that is until now. While lying in a hospital bed after contacting COVID-19, Mack is a barber without a shop for the first time in 60 years. He begins to recall painful days of his early childhood when he lost an eye, how a wealthy White man took him under his wing, and the first time he met Muhammad Ali.
In The Mack, we experience the times when Las Vegas was the Boxing Capital of the World and how the events turned the City black. Mack's first encounter with the legendary pimp known as Mack, and the journey of how he became the friend and confidante of some of the world's most iconic figures. Icons such as Muhammad Ali, Floyd Patterson, Sonny Liston, Leon Spinks, Larry Holmes, Mike Tyson, Riddick Bowe, Roy Jones Jr., Floyd Mayweather, along with heartfelt moments with Fats Domino, Maurice "Chinks" Hines Sr., Redd Foxx, George Wallace, Eddie Levert, Les Brown, Gladys Knight, and Joseph "Joe" Jackson just to name a few.
Mack appeared on the Mike Tyson/ Same Name series.
To Thee I See Arby L Hambric Sr.
To Thee I See is a story about First Class Petty Officer Arby L. Hambric who served 20 years in the United States Navy during three war eras:
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World War II,
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Korean, and
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Vietnam
Growing up in Teague, Texas in 1926, there was no industry, just hope and maybe a few dreams. Work and school were evenly divided, and any faith gained from church was soon chased out of town by ole Jim Crow. But when a letter from the U.S. Navy was delivered in 1945, Arby knew it was his only chance of seeking a better life. With $3.00 in change pinned to the inside of his coat, he enlisted and was accepted, even though he and the other Black officers could not swim.
Pivotal days as a Steward for colonels and eventually for admirals, placed him in the presence of great men like: President Eisenhower, General Benjamin Davis Sr., Colonel Benjamin Davis Jr., first Black Navy Diver Carl Brashear, and Captain Jeremiah Denton. After the loss of his second wife, Arby needed time away from rules and regulations. He relocated to Las Vegas where he continued to enjoy his cousin, (the first Black to live in Compton, California) and exercise his effective military training towards unjust issues in his community and a lying, stealing pastor who he at one time thought highly of.
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Arby speaking in West Las Vegas:
More about Trish
As an author, she has co-written over eight books for clients and is credited for writing three major bestsellers: Beyond the Glimmering Lights, The Mack, and To Thee I See. A few years after Beyond's launch, it was adapted into a stage play.
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As a producer, she wrote and produced two award-winning documentaries and a screenplay that placed first in the Black Filmmakers Hall of Fame International Black Independent Film & Video Competition and the San Diego International and National Black Festival. The Other Side of the Coin is a personal recount of Black life in Las Vegas before and after segregation, and Wake Up is how a Consortium located in Sobrante Park, a community in the heart of Oakland, California that has produced famed artists but remains known for its crime and one-way entry and exit.
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Her special appearances include two international produced documentaries:
Pariah: The Lives and Deaths of Sonny Liston (aired on Showtime, 2019)
Vegas: The Story of Sin City - Episode 1, 2, 3, & 4 (aired on CNN, 2024)
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As an activist, she shared her creative passion by becoming an advocate for the community where she was raised, the Historic Westside. After the City's deliberate attempt to redline the area, she played a major role in organizing the residents, a deliberate effort that successfully reopened F and D Streets after the passing of a bill (AB304). She was instrumental in the removal of the Confederate mascot and similar reminders, as well as the hiring of Blacks in key positions at her alma mater, the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. For the University of Indiana, she reunited the IU10 football players who were blackballed for 40 years, which resulted in becoming an honorary Hoosier alumnus. For her countless acts of bravery that have impacted the lives of many, she has been recognized by civic leaders, United States congressmen and senators, both mayors of Las Vegas (Carolyn and Oscar Goodman), local politicians and churches, and national organizations. She is the recipient of the Judith Winzeler Award for Excellence in the Humanities, the Dr. Martin Luther King's President's Award, has been recognized by the NAACP Grassroots Efforts, and the National Action Network Women Changing America.
For more information: trishgeran.com or via email: trishgeran@gmail.com
Contact Trish
If you have any questions, comments, or if you'd like to schedule an interview or have me write for your publication, feel free to send me an email at trishgeran@gmail.com. I'm always happy to hear from you and I am committed to responding to every inquiry in a timely manner.
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