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Yes, @Pioneer1 this, too, may fit under Poetree, but with all the discussions about my people and about me, I felt that this is also fitting in this forum as I express my obsession with black people. I agree that you love who you love. I LOVE black and I LOVE my Black Girl Magic, and I REFUSE to let stereo-types and misrepresentations about me and my people brought upon by the, " How to Make a Slave" brainwashing tactics, that were forced upon my ancestors, keep me in a place of acceptance that is not of my own free-thinking and knowing better. This is for you, Black Beauty. Dear Black Beauty, My love for you runs to the ends of the earth because I understand your heart. I understand how deeply you love; how committed you are to family; that when you do get angry, I know that it comes from feelings that you hold inside to keep the peace. But, girlfriend, when you smile, the whole world dances. You have that spirit that gives you the courage to withstand all obstacles. That spirit that measures your woman-hood, and defies defeat - that spirit in which your mother’s breasts nourished you for what’s to come, shines through. I watch in awe of at your bravery, and I fall in love with you over and over again. My sista, the next time you look in the mirror, stand tall, stand proud, stand beautiful. Proudly show those curvy hips, those beautiful lips, that amazing kinky hair, that brown skin. Then, look to the right and smile even bigger, maybe even wink, then walk on by, gracefully. p.s. Never change.

Recently an article was published on the Oprah Magazine website, “119 Black-Owned Bookstores in America That Amplify the Best in Literature.” While I was not attributed as a source of the list, I know I was because my bookstore list contains at least one bookstore that is not a bookstore 😉. But the list was widely copied so who knows where they sourced the info (including my rouge “bookstore”). Unlike many of the other sites which used the list, Oprah Mag at least included AALBC as a store, so I’m good. Oprah Magazine also created another article, "12 Authors Share Their Favorite Black-Owned Bookstores." This is was an really cool thing to do too! One of the 12 authors, Mitchell Jackson, even cited AALBC.com as his favorite bookstore! But here’s is the thing, and it is a big deal, when mentioning the author’s books, the Oprah Magazine did not send readers to a single Black-owned store. Instead they linked to a white-owned business (bookshop.org), for the book sales — missing a tremendous opportunity to direct those sales to Black-owned bookstores’ websites! It is fine to say how much you support indie booksellers, but the biggest thing supporters of Black-owned bookstores can do is to send book buyer to our stores and websites. Far too many “supporters” send book buyers link to Amazon, and now increasingly, to Bookshop, while voicing support of Black owned bookstores (read more on why linking to Bookshop.org does not support Black-owned Bookstores). Several authors have told me that they don't want to show favoritism for one Black independent over another. However these authors easily show favoritism by linking to Amazon or Bookshop. In 2020 no one needs to be told they can buy a book from Amazon, and Bookshop gets free promotion that really was intended for Black-owned stores If you want to support Black-owned bookstores, stop promoting Amazon and promote a Black-owned bookstores instead! I know most supporters of Black-owned bookstores simply don’t know this, and this is why I'm writing the message. I didn’t know either; While I've been selling books, on the web for almost 23 years, most of that time I was selling books as an Amazon affiliate. Despite my advocacy for Black owned bookstores, I was completely unaware of how my affiliation with Amazon was undermining independent booksellers. Once I started selling books directly, boycotting Amazon just made common sense. However replacing Amazon with Bookshop is only a marginally better solution. Amazon pays affiliates 4% and Bookshop pays 10%, far less that what an indie bookseller would make on a sale. You have to actively support Black-owned stores if you believe they are important. The idea that Amazon has the best prices is often not true, so that argument no longer holds. Often books sales on Amazon are actually fulfilled by third parties anyway, so Amazon is not really adding any value. Indeed, they are reducing value by acting as an intermediary who make money on every transaction with zero risk. The American Booksellers Association (ABA) used to tout an solution called Indiebound.org which allowed supporters of indie bookstores to provide book links without showing "favoritism" to any particular bookseller or linking to Amazon. For example, if someone wanted to provide a buy to Mitchell S. Jackson's book, Survival Math: Notes on an All-American Family they could use a link like this: https://www.indiebound.org/book/9781501131707. Once the book buyer reached the indiebound site they could enter a zip code, say my local zip code 33647, and a list of local booksellers would be shown. Indiebound would send readers to local indie bookseller sites to complete the sale. It seems like the ABA is pushing the Bookshop solution which is a mistake in my opinion, but again I advocate for independence. Reliance on Bookshop or Amazon to process our book orders and take most of the profit, is the opposite of Independence. Clearly Amazon wants us to be dependent upon them. I doubt Bookshop is any different. Now I understand that some brick and mortar booksellers are unable to sell books on the web and the pandemic has only made things worse by closing some — not all — physical stores. But imagine if the Black independent booksellers, who can handle the sales, got the business that we are sending to Bookshop. Support Black-Owned Booksellers.

The image above is from a screen grab of a video I saw on the New York Times website (I'm pretty sure). They wrote an article about the election on Tulsa's mayor, a white guy in his early 40's. The most striking thing is that mayor, on his second term, the 4th Mayor of Tulsa in his family going back to the late 19th century! There was at least one Black guy running against him, the Black community is not happy with how the local government is treating their Black citizens. What else is new this is America... But I digress... Pictured s what is left of Tulsa's famed Black Wall Street. There is a tee shirt shop in the middle of the block. I did not see any designs I liked but I'll go back until I find one There is a modest museum and a church off the the right on the next block, but that is it. The Black Lives Matter sign painted on the street is actually controversial ... SMH @daniellegfny do you believe racism places a part in the destruction of what has become known as Black Walls Street? Do you believe that race has nothing to do with the guy currently running the city? The legacy of racism is broad and deep in this country. Why people on the right have difficulty seeing this is beyond me. The problems caused by the plutocracy and their most effective weapon racism is the cause. The new Mayor of Tulsa is incapable of solving the problems of the Black people there. He is the problem.

With love to my Chocolate Brutha's. In tears because I hurt for you, AND will NEVER give up on you. We suffer, we win, we fight, we forgive, we love, we survive...TOGETHER! Dear Chocolate Brotha, I love you so much because I can see it in your beautiful eyes – Your determination, your fight, your struggle, your perseverance. You have that spirit that gives you the courage to withstand all obstacles. That spirit that measures your man-hood, that defies defeat - that spirit in which your mother’s breasts nourished you for what’s to come, makes me fall in love with you over and over, again. Your eyes tell about the passion you have for family. I see the pain in your eyes, frustrated that you have to work twice as hard to get a nod - having to pat your own self on the back when you know that recognition is due. My heart bursts at the thought of your strength. I admire your endurance, humility and humble spirit. I fall in love with you over and over again, my Chocolate Brotha. Don't ever change.

Having never read any of Glaude's previous books, what better way to start than on a book of our man Jimmy.

I have to admit..... When I first started reading this I figured it was just another corny poem that was misplaced from the Poetree section -until I got to this part: frustrated that you have to work twice as hard to get a nod - having to pat your own self on the back when you know that recognition is due. That got me right there! Felt it! Sometimes just hearing someone articulate how YOU feel is enough to raise your spirits. Thanks Sis!

Dear Chocolate Brotha, I love you so much because I can see it in your beautiful eyes – Your determination, your fight, your struggle, your perseverance. You have that spirit that gives you the courage to withstand all obstacles. That spirit that measures your man-hood, that defies defeat - that spirit in which your mother’s breasts nourished you for what’s to come, makes me fall in love with you over and over, again. Your eyes tell about the passion you have for family. I see the pain in your eyes, frustrated that you have to work twice as hard to get a nod - having to pat your own self on the back when you know that recognition is due. My heart bursts at the thought of your strength. I admire your endurance, humility and humble spirit. I fall in love with you over and over again, my Chocolate Brotha.

@Chevdove We the Black Jews is a great work.