Author, educator, and urban scholar Duane Bowser, also known as The Black Dot, announces the release of his highly anticipated memoir, Gotta Laugh to Keep from Crying: I Didn’t Start Living Until I Thought I Was Dying – The Hero’s Journey, which details his real, raw, and riveting, healing journey from Bronx trauma to personal transformation, honoring 20 years of survival, resilience, and rebirth.
Deeply rooted in the lived experience of Black men and families, Bowser’s memoir speaks directly to the heart of the Black community — where laughter often masks pain, strength is mistaken for silence, and survival becomes a skill long before adulthood begins. Growing up in the Bronx during a turbulent era, Bowser’s story mirrors the generational struggles, triumphs, and cultural pressures that shape so many in our communities.
The book release marks a major milestone: 2025 is the 20-year anniversary of the year Bowser was told he was dying of kidney failure and spending the next 20 years on dialysis. This moment became the catalyst for his greatest transformation. Rather than surrender, he rebuilt his life, his purpose, and his legacy from the ground up.
A Healing Journey Nearly Twenty Years in the Making
Bowser’s memoir peels back decades of trauma, addiction, abandonment, near-death experiences, and spiritual rebirth. It is a powerful reflection on the emotional burdens Black men are taught to hide — and the healing that begins when those truths are finally spoken.
“If you’ve ever laughed to keep from screaming, smiled to keep from breaking, or carried pain in silence, this book is for you,” Bowser says.
Over the last two decades, Bowser has built a multi-platform media brand, raised a family, mentored young men, inspired millions through The Urban X Podcast, written culture-shifting books, healed generational trauma, and found the courage to tell the truth he once feared.
In Gotta Laugh to Keep from Crying, he invites readers into the full story — not just the strength of The Black Dot, but the vulnerable inner world of Duane, the man behind the public persona. He explores the duality faced by many Black men: being applauded publicly while suffering privately. Through humor, heartbreak, spiritual insight, and unfiltered honesty, Bowser shows how pain can become purpose — and how vulnerability can lead to liberation. Checkout His Trailer below...
