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Harry, i enjoyed this piece, always been interested in the "what we don't see" but still is there. there are spirits in our DNA who speak to us, but we are not trained in how to hear them. places we go our ancestors are there. i find this especially true when i visit ocean shores, particularly places where the ships came in. i can hear the footsteps and voice of my ancestors. i truly enjoyed this piece. as a poet i would like to see this expanded into a series of poems. there are so many questions we have about "what we don't see" but is still there, great to see people exploring it and writing about it. many can connect with this. thank you. would you approve me sharing this piece in a workshop i have planned for 2021? it will have a focus on the Door of No Return, in how we are returning in many ways. this fits right in.

If being "Black" has nothing to do with genetics as some may claim; then why isn't this woman or anyone else JUSTIFIED in claiming to be Black? Why did Rachel Dolezal get in trouble for claiming to be Black? Hell, if all it takes to be considered "Black" is just IDENTIFYING as a Black person....as some claim....then they weren't lying and should be accepted! ......now ofcourse I don't believe that nonsense, I believe being an African (or Black if you will) is GENETIC and it doesn't matter WHAT the hell you call yourself. You can give yourself an African name, wear big hoop earrings, and eat Soul Food until your belly button pops out....YOUR ass ain't Black unless you were BORN Black! But this is the problem you run into when you want to claim EVERYBODY is of the same race or allow ANYONE to run around calling themselves "Black" without having proving it. I don't allow people to simply CALL themselves Black or Indian in MY presence if they look Caucasian! I don't give a damn how many AfroAmerican friends or other people of color around them. I don't give a damn if they have an AfroAmerican husband or wife standing next to them! I check them ON THE SPOT and say, "Wait a minute sir/ma'am.....you said 'our people'...what exactly did you mean by that?" If they say, "Well I'm actually Black" or "I'm actually Navajo/Chippeawah/Sioux/etc...." I say, "No...actually you're LYING. You're a CAUCASIAN. Now, you may be a Caucasian WITH some African or Native American ancestry but you sure as hell aren't Black/Native American!" ...and the conversation either continues peacefully or ends right there. Don't want it to turn violent. But I don't let people do that shit around me, and other AfroAmericans shouldn't either. Pretty soon they'll be teaching your children the same thing in school trying to TRICK them and CONFUSE them.

Troy I was just curious how Danielle came to speak with him? Probably picked him up in Uber/cab to take him to a lecture or event somewhere and started running his mouth to him......lol. "So uhhh....how do you like our President???" "Are you one of them LIBERAL professors????" I don't know about the James Small YOU know, but the James Small I've seen online would have been the WRONG person to reveal your fondness of Trump to, lol.

As usual, on this site not only do I get encouragement, but I also receive a thorough education. That is why I recommend this website to every writer or publisher I talk to. I feel a warmth in this community I have not found anywhere else online. Thank you, Mel. Both your counsel and your excitement about the book are much appreciated. I looked at your links and, of course, wandered off into the discussion about fictional characters and defamation. Quite intriguing. It's always good to have a plan B, so it's good to know about the Kraft Foundation. Though people who give you money always think they own you. I have no idea what the copyright office will do, but my legal advisor has a plan if the copyright turns down my request. Don't ask me what it is, I am envisioning receiving the copyright. Just sent an announcement for preorders to my email list. I am aiming for 25 preorders minimum by January 4, 2021. In 24 hours, I had 12 orders, so it looks good. The Culinary Art Portfolio of Josephine E. Jones, where art and food intersect, will be sold on this website as well as Ida Bell Publishing, LLC,'s after the book launch on May 20, 2021. Although I have posted this in another area on this site, I think I was not in the correct section, so I will post it again here. I am looking for a black website designer willing to work within the constraints of an existing design. In addition, s/he must be able to set up a new book page within the woo-commerce environment (not sure that's the right terminology, but I hope it's clear what I mean). Now that Ida Bell Publishing, LLC, has two books, I would like to have the book page set up in the same format as other publishing websites that I've seen. One page has all the covers, the reader clicks on a cover and the information about that book comes up on a separate page. In other words, the same set up that Troy has here. Please email me at idabellpub@gmail.com if you are interested. May you, your family, and friends stay safe and stay well.

Thank. I spoke with Professor James Small today

@Pioneer1 I will be working with Ghana 🇬🇭, my languages Twi and Ga. Dr Smalls and Dr Jeffries have been working with Ghana for years. Akoobooks helped me make the decision. I also took in account the Ashanti role in the slave trade, the current Chinese infiltration and its proximity to Nigeria 🇳🇬.

Really? How do you come to make the broad generalization about people based solely upon their skin color? 😆 Mor >> as in "Moronic. Yep, that pretty much sums it up. Pioneer I agree with @daniellegfny you should vote. Danielle I agree with Pioneer the electoral college is not a good idea for a at least two good reasons. It was designed to give slave holding states more representation in national elections and the idea that someone can lose the popular vote by 3 million and still win is ridiculous.

Houston, the only problem I see is that we keep letting people get in our head. I bet none of us can even count the number of inventions, millionaires, discoveries, break-throughs, successes, this-because-of-that accomplishments, heroes, champions, etc.... in which we've contributed, spear-headed, and brought to life so we've got the skills, knowledge, money, intellect, soul, dedication, work ethic, means.... In other words, we have ALL of the ingredients to do what ever it is we want - we just have to <TRUST >each other and stop letting them continue to seep into our head. Yes, we've been stripped, whipped, killed, degraded, brainwashed, branded, labeled and all of the other oppressive verbs you can think of, but still we stand. I want to spend my money in Little Africa, Chocolate City, an area of our own. Hey, I trust, I believe, I know, I support and I follow as often as I can. Admittedly, I've fallen for the okey-doke more times than I'd like to admit, but you do better when you know better and you stand in your commitment - so let's stop giving everyone else all of the attention cause we don't have to. In other words.... How do you know if and when we've achieved success as a community? *We know that we've succeeded as a community when we stay the course and stop letting people get in our heads, when we TRUST and when we take action in spite of. It will be a hill to climb, but we've been there, done that. History proves it. And by the way, let's not forget that there are already lots of success stories out there! I'm very proud of the blood, sweat, tears, dedication, commitment, focus and drive that has made them the success that they are!! I will continue to support however and whenever I can! SO PROUD OF YOU!! Baby steps yield big accomplishments, commitment yields attention, support yields trust and perseverance, in spite of, yields success. I look forward to buying from and strolling through Little Africa, Chocolate City, G.A.P, The town that Blacks made. YES WE CAN!