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But I couldn't get one of the 13 versions because I'm not a NY resident! But my daughter is, and she got the "Hard Knock Life" card pictured below. I did get an eyeful of this beautiful "Book of HOV" two-story, 8-section exhibit. The exhibit has been extended twice and will end on December 4, 2023, coinciding with Jay-Z's birthday. The brilliance of the production lies in Jay-Z's storytelling ability. There will be no re-writing of his story. It is a fully interactive exhibit with artifacts, including signage from The Marcy Projects to a replica of the Baseline studio where Jay-Z recorded his multiplatinum albums. The beauty of this endeavor is that nothing stops us from erecting our multimedia memoir exhibition. As I write this, I realize that I can't capture the emotions I experienced in words. Especially as I think there may have been some residents who have never stepped foot in a library yet will probably be inspired to come now, even if it's to see this memoir come to life. The day I attended, the library was filled with tourists and residents alike. It was challenging to get a proper photo without someone photobombing the shot. But I did get some good pictures. All in All, I give this exhibit five out of five stars; if you can, see it.

Senator Tim Scott is another one of those self-hating Black men: This bootlick will do anything to cozy up to white folks. He's only been doing it his entire political career. A snowball stands a better chance of survival in an active volcano than Scott has of becoming POTUS. Sen. Scott is clearly auditioning for a VP or cabinet level position if Orange Julius gets re-elected. Sen. Scott should be Secretary of Interior. He's got his nose so far up white folks azz he can smell their breath. Of course, like Uncle Clarence Thomas, Ben Carson, Herschel Walker, Herman Cain (RIP) and every other wannabe GOP knee-grow, Sen. Scott's 15 minutes will be up soon enough. I'd slightly like to know who's giving birth to and raising these types of n8gglets. But, I've seen how it happens. Still a d8mn shame. 😎

ahh fair enough @Mel Hopkins

I can understand why the poverty status of college students and military personnel isn't recorded. But people who are jailed and in prison? It shouldn't be hard to determine a person's financial status before incarceration. And as for: Living situations without conventional housing (and who are not in shelters) What about homeless people who are living on the streets and not in shelters? They don't count them either although they are definitely in poverty. I think they're being not only lazy but quite deceptive in their statistics. Kind of like they do with the "unemployment" rate. They don't count the unemployed homeless OR people who stopped looking for work OR working aged people who are disabled in their statitics....which they should. How would you know the TRUE unemployment rate if you remove people who are actually UNEMPLOYED???? That's like doing a survey on how many adults are single....but not counting those who are crazy, ugly, and anti-social. Ofcourse the stats are going to be skewed.

I have to admit that like Ice Cube....Jay Z is a lyrical genius despite the CONTENT of his work. Could he be doing more for the AfroAmerican community? Sure? We all could. But I can't knock the brother's hustling spirit. He's been throwing down since the 90s. And knowing that despite your looks you can STILL get rich, be popular, and get a lot of fine babes.....he's a real inspiration for "ugly" bruthaz....lol. A real American "rags to riches" story. Like he said in one of his song, "I went from rags to riches niggaz....I ain't dumb. I got 99 - (yall know the rest...lol)". BTW..... This is also another reason I like New York. Even though Black folks don't make up a majority of the city like Atlanta, Detroit, or New Orleans......the Black talent is still celebrated and praised! Imagine a PUBLIC LIBRARY featuring let alone honoring the work of a rapper in a city in the Midwest or South (outside of Atlanta).

From the moment this old dumb azz nigglet started running his mouth, I knew it was only a matter of time before he would get arrested: https://apnews.com/article/tupac-shakur-killing-duane-keefe-davis-vegas-3f7050c2a68813d86a96b96fbb3f1d1a The million dollar question is will he start singing like a bird and point fingers at everyone else involved to include solving the Notorious BIG murder too. It's been almost 30 years since Tupac and Biggie were murdered. There's no statute of limitations on convicting murderers and accomplices. 😎

Oh Yes! I loved listening to every minute of it. Thanks for posting @Pioneer1 Like you said, he may not be THEE leader to everyone but, it is respected as such among many.

@nels If your words were applied to some other institutions, I would see your point of view! I would agree that there are even some Black institutions that may be guilty of doing exactly what you describe. I don't follow Jay-Z in his music because it was not my genre, but I am trully amazed at some of his projects he has invested in when it comes to helping Black people who are under priviledged. I think Jay-Z is awesome. He's got heart for his people, imo.

@Mel Hopkins I think the original post would had been better for the black excellence showcase. some of the comments in here are unbecoming in the black excellence topic. I wish you would had asked, i could had told you that the brooklyn library system is separate. Remember NYC's government originally is manhattan's. Manhattan absorbed the bronx which was more a dairy area, named for the bronx family. Then it absorbed rival city brooklyn through Kings county and half of queen's county, and the Richmond , staten island's older, not oldest name<that is native america>. So the borough presidents and various legal mechanisms in NYC derive from the fact that five counties with a lot of impetus by manhattan or new york county, joined to make the five borough nyc. And in defense , NYC is in truth five cities that standalone are top seven cities in the usa, los angeles + chicago are in the seven as well. so less centralized control is warranted as the bureaucracy is too big in nyc. I am happy for the inspiration that some... many, black people in NYC needed by having the library exhibit. To money... I am happy for Jay-Z's financial success. As an artist i do not see any connection between financial value or artistic value in the arts anywhere. If Curtis blow or Grandmaster flash started a few decades later while jay-z a few decades earlier more than likely they switch financial fortunes. If Beyonce was during the 1960s while tina turner was today, i imagine a similar reversal financially. Last poets for me is artistically superior to jay-z's work but jay'z's work is commercially superior to last poets , and that is ok. But jay-z was at the best time to make profit. the black communities wealth, the globla media acceptance of hip hop, his fanbase, the internet, it all fits to lead to money, and that luck is fine, but just luck.

Brother @ProfD THIS!!! Reading, Writing, and Arithmetic! No student loans, nothing but relying on what he already possessed!

@Niccolo Machiavelli, Leader of the black community. Do you need directions? 😉

@nels Your shade is misdirected. Jay-Z is a product of America. Most of Jay's wealth comes from white people, not "needy black youth" -- they don't have any money to spend. Why this activity interests people beyond a certain stage of development and age and always puzzled me. Gossip is for bored people without lives of their own, so they cast shade, judge, and hate on others -- a sad, pathetic form of amusement. Social media has exploited this base behavior for massive profits brining everyone's inner yenta to the fore. 😃

This time, they followed JAY-Z to the library and got a card. A library card that will give them access to a lot of worlds for a long time after this exhibit ends. However, I won't comment on Jay-Z's personal life or what he buys. That doesn't interest me. And further, none of that is on exhibit. I'm sharing my perspective on the powerful display and how anyone can tell their story in this age of digital media to inspire others. The exhibition does an excellent job providing insight into Jay-Z's career and what he does with his celebrity to help those impoverished people you've mentioned; it also shares how others can follow their dreams and ascend the ladder to financial and professional success. This is a generous endeavor on a scale I've not seen from any other celebrity thus far. https://www.bklynlibrary.org/exhibitions/book-hov

Reverend Sharpton looks normal in person. He was on one of my flights when I worked for United. You can tell that he changed his eating habits. I agree, though he has a small frame, and his build probably struggled with that extra weight.

I may be a bit late in replying, but good response on that one, Pioneer1.

Whew. Say that with your chest mayne.👏🏿 Black folks definitely have to get past the belief that well known or popular people are qualified to be leaders. For example, Michael Jordan could play basketball no doubt. Yet, the only thing MJ is capable of leading off the court is a cigar into his mouth. As I mentioned in another thread, contrast that with the actions of former POTUS 45 who has the MAGA crowd ready to fight. Leaders take actions to motivate people to get on code and be ready to work or fight or whatever it takes to accomplish the mission.😎

Here is a list of other Black owned newspapers: https://aalbc.com/newspapers/ Regardless of what you think about the man, Sharpton is the most prominent Black leader of this generation. Yes there are Black leaders in communities across the country, but on a national no one else comes close to Sharpton's prominence. I listened to the 30 minute sermon above and is was delivered in the style of the Baptist ministers on my youth which is interesting because Rev Al is only 7 years older than me but presents as a much older man... I'm not sure if that style appeals to many young people. I'm from NYC and remember Rev Al when is was an obese, perm-sporting, medallion-wearing, jogging suit attired brother. He did not fit the mold of a leaders and was an easy target for ridicule. In his sermon he mention that a reporter told him that he was surprised Al would end up an a State dinner in the white house -- shoot I was surprised too! Of course Brother Al has modified his appearance conforming to the traditional mold -- indeed out dressing pretty much everyone. Obama's embrace of Sharpton over Tavis Smiley and others was deliberate and ultimately divisive to Black leadership. Sharpton roles was apparently to keep the Blacks under control. Others like Cornel West and the Black media were more interested in holding him accountable -- which Obama always avoided. One would think Obama would have assumed the leadership role, but I'm not surprised he hasn't...

Well, Al Sharpton may not be THEE leader of Black America but he's certainly A leader and mobilizer. Take a look at the recent rather uplifting speech he gave at his church: I didn't realize that the Jacksonville Shooting took place at the same time the 60th anniversary of King's March was happening! But Mr. Sharpton put the two together like that. How ironic. How diabolical. Maybe some other publications mentioned it but I don't remember having heard this anywhere else in the media.

POWERFUL observation and statement. This entire "stop playing victim" theme was really born out of the 80s with Ronald Reagan and the conservative movement as they tried to shame Black folks into not complaining about racism. -Stop playing victim. -Get over the past. -Stop with all the complaining. -No one likes a complainer -Stop the bitching and moaning All of these are terms that White folks love to use....ON BLACK FOLK when we speak up and stand up for ourselves or point out injustice. However if you notice they never use them on eachother! When a White woman gets on televison crying about how she's been raped, you never hear a White man tell her to "stop playing victim". When White Republicans get on television or the radio complaining about a law or state of the nation, you don't hear White folks tell them to "stop complaining" or "if you don't like this country than leave it". It's a form of reverse psychology or perhaps gas-lighting to try to turn the tables on the victim so that they'll be ashamed to speak up.

Troy I didn't even KNOW there was a paper called the "Afro American" until I read it in this thread....lol. It was organized by the leader of black america, in so far as we have one, Al Sharpton. 😆 Only one? Al Sharpton????? I'd say we have hundreds if not THOUSANDS of Black leaders in America today....which is part of the problem. The people are confused and not sure which direction to go in. Too many to choose from. I didn't even KNOW there was a paper called the "Afro American" until I read it in this thread....lol.