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(Manhattan Beach, CA – January 18, 2023) – At this year’s Independent Book Publishers Association’s annual conference, IBPA Publishing University, the conference will explore the theme of what it means to “Navigate, Innovate, Elevate” within the independent book publishing industry. The theme is a meaningful reference to IBPA’s 40th anniversary, which the association is celebrating in 2023, and its role in the past four decades advocating for, and helping independent book publishers to build long term, successful businesses. With this theme in mind, IBPA is excited to announce that one of the three keynote presentations at the conference taking place May 4-6 in San Diego, CA, will feature a panel of highly respected industry leaders whose publishing businesses have spanned decades and have overcome every type of challenges along the way. The keynote panel “Legends of Black Independent Publishing: Learning from the Best” will invite onto the stage: Dr. Haki Madhubuti, founder of Third World Press Foundation; W. Paul Coates, founder of Black Classic Press; Kassahun Checole, founder of Africa World Press and The Red Sea Press; and Wade Hudson and Cheryl Hudson, founders of Just Us Books. The panel will be moderated by Troy Johnson, founder of the African American Literature Book Club (AALBC.com). With a combined industry experience of 150+ years, these publishers will answer the question, “What do you do when your community is under-served, under-represented, and under-published?” You serve, represent, and publish! The complete conference agenda can be viewed at https://www.publishinguniversity.org/schedule. In addition, registration is now open for IBPA Publishing University ### To moderate this panel is truly an honor. When I first sat down to start AALBC, in 1997, all of these businesses were firmly established, but I did not know anything about them. I soon learned about all of them and their significant impact on Black books and by extension our culture. If you are a book publisher, you really need to attend IBPA Publishing University It is not often you'll get these icons in the same room.

greg consistently does this one thing and it confirmed my suspicion early on that he's a white nationalist in a digital blackface. greg writes white with an uppercase "W" and Black with a lowercase "b." Black people wrote Black in uppercase long before it appeared in the AP style guide. So, if this were a game of poker, that would be his tell.

I hope (and believe) this generation of boys can figure this out for themselves. Because too many generations in the past have brainwashed them into thinking they are good for nothing. Those who don't know their strengths aren't necessarily physical will always fail themselves, the Black community, and ultimately society. Custodial mothers, fathers, and even two-parent households who are wise enough to know what we don't know have reached out for help from those in the know. (not opinion-givers) And we have educated our children, especially boys, to know physical strength isn't enough in a society that requires intellect and problem-solving. Those children are our communities' success stories. Still, civilization requires Hypermasculinity coupled with hyperintellectuality in battle. And as history shows, it can occur in any sex when necessary and as needed. Sankofa. If you don't know your history, go back and retrieve it. Check out Nyabinghi. We, as a species, adapt to our environment for survival. It doesn't require anyone's approval. Those who don't adapt perish. The last woman Dahomey warrior died in 1979. According to historical records, Dahomey's army fought against colonization until 1892, that was about 200+ years of women and men fighting off European colonization. When the French colonized them, they made sure to subjugate women. Because subjugating women is an Anglo thing. Because - No Nation Can Rise Higher Than Its Women.

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.

AALBC. Was. Created. In. 1998. ..25. Years. Of. Troy. Bringing. Black,Books. By. Black. Authors.....Poetry. ,And. Black. News, ,Culture ,,Discussions. .....Congratulations 25 years......Church. ,Sunday. The. Black. Christians. Will. Go. To. Church. Helping. The,Snake. Preachers. Pay. For. Their. New. Cars. ..Amazing........

By no means am I underestimating white power or it's destructive impact. And we know how large numbers of whites can be galvanized by racist appeals, But the monolithic notion of white unity is a fallacy. Talking and thinking about whites as a unified group ignores whites' self-perception as individuals. It also fails to take class and gender inequality into consideration. More importantly, it disempowers black people fighting for positive social change by focusing on some kind of unattainable " black unity" to counter racism and economic injustice. Because white people are so numerous and relatively well off in most ways as a group compared to black people it's easy to think they are constantly motivated by some sense of racial consciousness. Of course, discrimination against us makes it seem that way. But whites think of themselves as individuals first and foremost. They come together only to the extent that certain individuals see mutual benefit in doing so. They compete and they conflict in all kinds of ways and whiteness is never a consideration unless or until black people come along. However not all whites are racist, nor have they ever supported it. White people do things for each other out of moral consideration or self-interest not whiteness. But it's important to recognize economic inequality and the class divide. Rich white capitalists past and present have often exploited and undermined all workers regardless of race. So radical and reform minded whites have fought to tame Capitalism or Socialists have called for its abolition. By reforming the socioeconomic system (think - center left liberalism) through the New Deal America became a better place mainly for white working people. None of this excludes male domination and sexism against women. White men felt justified as men denying women regardless of color the right to vote or do anything else in society until women mostly whites fought for social change. Even in that endeavor race complicated things. Black men and women fighting against racism also challenged gender inequality. But many white women fighting sexism past, and present are racist too. The challenge is for black people who oppose racism, sexism, and economic injustice to build mass support for social change among other blacks and non-blacks. It is important to recognize that black people differ among themselves too. Some oppose activist struggle for change. They believe in adaptation or accommodation. There are wealthy blacks who don't want the economy changed. Other blacks believe in male domination over women black or white. Black people have all kinds of views. We are Black Nationalists, Socialists, Conservatives, Moderates, Democrats, and Republicans. Some of us think improvement is collective while others are individualist. Ultimately unity in some monolithic sense is not possible.

'Discharged from hospital to recuperate at home after a bout with covid flu. That was no fun. Interesting hospital experience, however. Tended by a flurry of nurses, many of whom were effusive gay men, along with Hispanic cha-chas, misled by my Spanish first name. Indian and Asian doctors, of course. Sistas shuffling round, tellin' me, "you gonna be OK, momma." A very interesting pecking order at this state of the art medical center right around the corner from where I live. Prognosis is OK, all things considered which means my age is a factor. Whatever. If anybody watched the Girot Awards on CBS last night, as black folk, we should've been encouraged! Hope everybody had a nice Thanksgiving. 90 is a lot of months away but, I'm tryin to hang in. Luv ya all! Jeeze, this really came out big!

In another thread @Mzuri wrote: Anyway, Merry Christmas to you all and your families!!! And stay safe everybody. 2022 is going to be GREAT! Whatever one chooses to celebrate or not, I hope that everyone is having a safe and happy holiday season. Looking for 2022 to be a better and brighter year for everyone.

When @Pioneer1 mentioned taking a break in that thread, I asked him to return ASAP. As far as forum participation goes, there seems to be folks who enjoy reading it based on the view numbers. Maybe they're enlightened and/or entertained by the regular contributors. I joined because of the ongoing dialog between @Pioneer1, @Cynique, @Troy, @Mzuri, @Delano @Chevdove, @daniellegfny to name a few. I know folks get tired of reading some of the same ole rhetoric or grievance or whatever. But, the conversations are still interesting and entertaining in proportion to participant perspectives. I'm enjoying my arm chair around here. So, even if I'm one hand clapping, I'll keep bringing up topics, adding my 2 cent narrative and looking forward to reading everyone else too. Come on back to those I mentioned above and anyone lurking. The forum can be as lively as we make it.

Here in the US, folks are mainly divided into two camps politically...Democrat or Republican (GOP). On the surface it looks like the two parties have different platforms (liberal or conservative). Yet, they share the same ideology which is the maintenance of white supremacy. Both parties are juggling balls i.e. platform issues. While folks are pre-occupied with the balls in the air, they're not watching the sleight of hand tricks happening below. i've never been under the illusion that either party has ever given a d8mn about the peple. Both parties make decisions based on what's good for business. That is the business of maintaining white supremacy. Regardless of who occupies the White House, they are two sides of the same coin. Follow the money. POTUS PJB (Papa Joe Biden) is the flip side of the same coin once occupied by Agent Orange. Different agenda. Same paymasters.

Cynique writes, "Tell all of my AALBC 'frienenemies' I said, "stay well." I know we all (at least I have) have been jonesing to read something from Cynique about the passing scene: “Welcome to 2020! I always knew things would catch up with this country, but I never imagined that I would be around to see it. Unlike some, however, i don't believe a conspiracy theory is at work via the new world order; the inevitable has just come to pass. I don't think the USA will ever be the same after this pandemic, and the shit is really gonna hit the fan come election time. But, whatever. I'll be doing good to even be around in November. So far, i haven't exhibited any corona symptoms and like everybody else, I'm social distancing myself on voluntary quarantine. If the virus doesn't get me, my intense loathing for Trump might bring me down. I.DESPISE.HIM. I can't believe how the Universe has put him in place as a leader during this time of crises. But with his luck, he might just emerge smelling like a rose when this new flu proves to be much ado about nothing and that the real disaster was our overreaction to it. Me and my cynicism do find the way the media is handling it to be a bit much. Yet, I have mixed emotions. In addition to the radiation being emitted by cell phone towers being the origin of the virus, another one of the theories out there on FaceBook is that if your ears are ringing, you are getting signals from unseen forces about to take over Earth, and my ears are really picking up a lot of static! Oh, well, i always did think I was an alien. And the bizarre supernatural activity that continues to occur within the walls of my bedroom in the middle of the night are very unnerving... “

Hello All, No, I'm not dead yet! Just happened to come across this thread because every once in a while i check out this site and VOILA! this time I see this headline. So, yes, I am alive! Well? Not so much. I'm tired and burdened with impatience over not being able to figure LIFE out. Too much for me. And the eventuality of the Cyber world is very scary. In the physical world it's like i'm suspended in a surreal supernatural limbo of para-normalcy. Like I'm shifting between 2 parallel universes. Too weird to go into.. My grandson's dog is my now my faithful companion, a mixed-breed mutt who is a canine version of me. We hang out together, both of us being too lazy to exert ourselves very much. I think he can read my mind. i look into his big soulful eyes, and i swear, it's like there's a human in there somewhere. If it wasn't for my Smart Phone and my TV i would just be a vegetable because i have no interest in pursuing wholesome senior citizen activities or in being a doting grandmother to a bunch of krazy Milllenials and GenZers. My kids are so old they, bore me, too, and FaceBook is the same ol, same ol. I haven't gotten my Covid shot yet, but will probably get around to it soon. Still take walks around the neighborhood, weather permitting, and still go out at night and commune with the Universe and confide in the Moon. Still hate right-wing Retrumpicans and all of the lies they are trying to convert into the truth. Still sick of niggas killin' each other. Chicago has become a combat zone, kids gettin' caught in gang cross fire, road rage drive-bys,car-jackings and police chases. So disheartening. I continue to be intrigued by quantum theories especially a new field of speculation called Biocentrism which proposes, among other things, that human consciousness imagined the universe into existence because unless something is seen it doesn't exist. Whatever. Trying to hang on for my 88th birthday on August 18th. After that all bets are off. Nobody asked for an update but there was this blank space here, so thought I'd fill it.

@Troy I can't remember disagreeing with @Cynique @Chevdove or @zaji in any way that would cause me to want to express that disagreement. I may have a different opinion about something but their presentation allows for me to consider their perspective. I've even found myself doing some research and keeping an open mind for more information to possibly advance the discussion. But I don't disagree with them. Even if you can find where I said "I disagree" know that I misspoke. I believe most women are socialized to have a perspective that is built on a foundation of evidence. Unfortunately, here in America women are often dismissed as NOT having knowledge about a topic. Even In your thread about instagram - you decided I didn't have knowledge of world wide web and its commercial activities. You didn't even ask me, first. But that's the world women live in - so when we express an opinion or subjective observation, trust most of us have a mountain of evidence to back it up. I don't bet on stuff. Aside: I used to bet on horses but racing horses is cruel and inhumane so I don't do it anymore. I would absolutely miss Cynique if she leaves the board - but I saw that in my email and I had to stop what I was doing to respond to this thread. I really appreciate you @Cynique ! You add the je ne sais quoi to this forum that allows so many of us to think and consider your words, experiences and thoughts. You are a magus and beautiful philosopher!

This is Cynique. As previously announced, my new user name is "aka Contrarian" so "A" is now me. I don't know why I'm still alive. But I am. Since I have nothing better to do, unless I sudndenly croak, I'll be hanging around here, injecting my contrary opinions from time to time. zzzzz

If I ever needed a definition of what it looks like to Love another - this is the best definition, "Caring for someone without expecting a return on the investment"

Racism and Poverty .....Inadequate Legal Representation - Prison Industrial Complex While Black people make up just 13.6% of the U.S. population, they accounted for 53% of exonerated people. Similarly, of the approximately 240 people the Innocence Project has helped free or exonerate, 58% are Black.......Five years ago, the organization found that innocent Black people were seven times more likely to be wrongly convicted of murder than innocent white people. The new report found that those odds have worsened slightly since, with Black people now being 7.5 times more likely to be wrongly convicted of murder and eight times more likely to be wrongly convicted of rape than white people. https://innocenceproject.org/nre-national-registry-exonerations-report-2022-racism-criminal-system/ Racism , Alienation and low teacher expectation.. in the educational system of the United States, students are dependent persons, and educators are independent persons. The system creates expectations and evaluates outcomes based upon ideas, beliefs, and values generally accepted by the dominant culture of the school......More than any other time in U.S. history, Black students are being educated by people who are not of their racial or cultural background......Research on effective teachers of Black students emphasizes, among other things, the teachers’ collective belief that Black students’ potential will not be realized in classrooms where teachers view Black students from a deficit perspective.......Compounding the problem of some White teachers’ cultural misunderstanding or indifference, additional research suggests that the gap between White teachers and Black students is exacerbated by powerful social conditioning that cultivates actual negative attitudes towards Black students https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ839497.pdf Please post a link to those stats as I am unable to find a correlates...so that I may properly address your query Black communities are both over policed, targeted, and under police .....Prison Industrial Complex Below is an example that is replete throughout the USA Criminal Justice System 1) In Ferguson, race had everything to do with who was stopped by police, and whom they used force against African Americans made up 67 percent of the population, but between 2012 and 2014, they made up 85 percent of the people pulled over by police. Between 2012 and 2014, black drivers were twice as likely to have their cars searched, but they were 26 percent less likely to have contraband. Between 2010 and August 2014, 88 percent of the documented use of force was against African Americans. Every time a person was bitten by a police dog, the person was black. The FPD brought certain charges almost exclusively against African Americans. For example, in 2013 black residents made up a full 95 percent of manner of walking in roadway charges, and 94 percent of all failure to comply charges. Between 2011 and 2013, African-American drivers got 72 percent of the speeding tickets when radars or laser verification were used, but when tickets were based on officers' personal observations, they got 80 percent of the tickets. 2) None of this could be explained by any differences in the rate at which people of different races violate the law It's not just that black people commit more crimes. "Our investigation has revealed that these disparities occur, at least in part, because of unlawful bias against and stereotypes about African Americans," the report concluded. https://www.vox.com/2015/3/4/8149337/doj-ferguson-report-police-racism I have seen both black and white moms lose their kids for Neglect and or Abuse.

For me, hands down, (pun intended) Bridge is my strategic game of choice. I've been playing Bridge for 70+ years, dating back to my Freshman year at the University of Illinois, during the 1950s. Back then. Bridge wasn't just a pass time, it was what students stayed up all night in their dorms playing, or cut classes haunting the Student Union lounges huddled around tables, deciding which suit to bid. It was the favorite after dinner activity at Sorority and Fraternity houses, a fanaticism that jeopardized the scholastic standing of a whole lot of students, - included myself. So Bridge is my thing and when it comes to being a strategic game, there is no substitute for just plain old gut instinct and good judgement as opposed to the crazy "cue bidding" compiled by so-called experts who have diluted the purity of the game. I've been asked by people to teach them how to pay Bridge. But i always refused the request, telling them I can't teach you Bridge. You learn by playing it. You have to have what is known as "card sense". After all this time, I'm still learning the game. Although complicated, Bridge is also simplistic. No bells and whistles, just a 52 pack of cards to deal out to 4 people for whom nothing is more fulfilling than bidding and making a grand slam - unless it's throwing your cards across the table at your partner for making a stupid play! This is why down through the years Bridge clubs always topped my list of recreational activity. But those days are gone, along with all my old buddies who have ascended to that big card table in the sky. Bridge, itself, was dying out because it tended to be an "old people's game" but it is making a come back, and I go on line and play it every day with computerized robots. And if ever anything cast doubt on the reliability of "Artificial Intelligence", it's the game of Bridge. Robots make terrible Bridge players! They lack human instinct and are unable to establish rapport with their partner or to observe their opponents style of play and sense whether a queen-ace finesse will work. So my fascination with this game continues but, of course, the day will come when instead of bidding, I will pass...

Slavery is more like the heart of capitalism

@GregSMH You are so dense and dumb - the total captive of your one-track mind. The "superior race" headline is a play-on-words pun referring to a sporting event (race) which because the members of one team ran faster than its opponents, their team proved to be the best (superior) one by coming in first. Your stupidity apparently extends to your eyesight, making you unable to see that 2 of the runners on the team that won the race were "white". Once again your lack of critical thinkin skills makes you mentally inferior and just plain stupid.

I claim it all, with neither shame nor judgement.

I think "Greg" is a troll tag team made up of a 1 white racist and 1 black fool. These 2 alternate with their scripted comments which sometimes overlap, and one is a little dumber than the other.

@KENNETH Abortion has always been a luke warm issue in the black community because an unplanned pregnancy that results in bringing a baby into an unstable environment is something that dates back to slavery days, and is an experience imprinted on the black psyche, which instinctively adjusts to adverse situations. So having a baby is something many black females just take in their stride... Society doesn't seem to care about this. Nor is there any concern emanating from the conservative ranks of latter day slave masters masquerading as pro-lifers about the plight of such children. There is, however, a tendency among certain blacks to be lax in critical thinking when it comes to this issue. The situation isn't exclusively about abortion; it's about control. Those with the authority to make a woman have a baby, can also force her to not have a baby. The only person who has the right to exercise control over a woman's body is the woman, herself! Black people should be very leery about laws that intrude on an individual's personal choices. These insidious bans can be a gateway to enforcing other restrictions.

Regardless of how the media tried to criminalize the victim, George Floyd did not deserve to be murdered. While George Floyd may not have set out to become a martyr, his murder put a bullseye on American police brutality. In fact, I think George Floyd's execution date should be another federal holiday to commemorate all of our brothas and sistas wrongfully murdered by race soldiers.

True - but it helps folks like us to not carry them. They need to be left in their hell...they don't need us to remain there with them. (Aside: Someone killed my loved one and I forgave him on day one. And when I look back I think about my loved one and all the beauty he brought into the world)

Just dropped in to get a whiff of what's going on here since I made my last departure, an exit that deferred to my aversion for being around those I can't stomach. And what a good decision that was. OMG! I can only gasp at how the vibe here has become even more irritating. 'Felt like I had stumbled into a FOX "News" echo chamber, reeking with the gospel of right wing half truths, and rampant with hysterical conspiracy theories involving the ubiquitous "they". But - before I provide further material for possible rebukes from Mzuri in her self-appointed role as the Sergeant-at-Arms of this forum, ever ready to lecture those who don't conform to the protocols she has taken the liberty to put in place, - let me assure that i am aware no one really gives a damn what I think. (And I don't give a damn that nobody doesn't give a damn.) Now, as I was saying... mulling over what's going on here, i've reached the conclusion that this mind boggling phenomenon called CIVILIZATION, in its infinite journey, lurches forward doing what it has always done in an environment teeming with natural and manufactured marvels; visible and invisible dangers. And because it is the nature of the bi-ped beast evolution has spawned, humanity engages in an eternal conflict that pits the "have's" against the "have-not's", and the "already-are's" against the "wanna-be's", dumping them into a horde of "never will-be's", leaving everyone to expect freedom and justice for all. Foolish dreamers - idiots upon whom the abused Earth will eventually take its revenge. Welcome to the real world. Ah, but every poster here clings to their own version of the truth about the "real" world where the ongoing clash between the bad "them" and the good "us" wages on. And each opinionated contributor is eager to advance political narratives or embrace deep state conspiracy theories. As if a government controlled by an evil cabal has to plot something that Mankind naturally does on its own, as if what is happening now is not just another rehearsal for the highly anticipated Armageddon extravaganza, as if there was never a bubonic plague, no unrest nor revolts among the masses, no power hungry despots nor upheavals of the status quo. As if there has never been the fall of Great Empires, as if societies and cultures don't recycle and go through eras and periods wherein the more things change the more they become the same, all under the direction of a Universe with a wicked sense of humor! Ha-Ha. The joke's on us as Fate mocks our hopes and Father Time yawns, bored by the repetition of the proverbial phoenix rising from its ashes. And Life goes on as Civilization survives. But all is not yet lost on this site, and in spite of it having become a haven for Democrat bashers, and a coop full of paranoid "Chicken Littles" beaned by acorns and panicked into thinking "the sky is falling, there is a calm voice of reason in this cyber wilderness, a someone exhibiting logic, and balance. Thank "goodness" for my boy, Troy, who neutralizes the histrionics and relegates others to wallow in the factoids of their misinformation. Happy New Year, ol buddy. Hang in there. And, oh yeah. Fuck Retrumpican obstructionists!

@Mel Hopkins I miss you, too! @ChevdoveGlad you still show up occasionally to disperse the pollution @Troy i'm glad you haven't lost patience with me when it comes to my squaring off with my female antagonists. @Del and ProfD. i appreciate your two having the broad minds to keep things in perspective. 'Hope my reappearance annoys the right wing lackeys who slither around this forum.

@Pioneer1 are you still out there? It is not the same around here without your incorrigible self Please don’t tell us you got Covid… It was almost like good old days a few weeks ago with @ProfD joining and @Cynique making a surprise appearance., of course @Delano and @Mzuri and others coming to make things interesting…

Well I did have my fingers crossed. Anyway, I had to refresh my memory on the President’s record so far - I haven’t seen anything he’s done except clean up the ish left by the last administration. This is what the democrats do for the first two years of their administration - especially after the GOP raids the treasury, pass laws for their cronies and reduce taxes on the wealthy. Here’s a list of President Biden’s signed executive orders. He even issued an EO for the Human Rights crisis in Ethiopia - - Some of the bills he’s signed into law overturn 45’s harmful laws against the environment and working class. I like that he overturned 45’s Usury law and put the cap back on how much payday lenders can charge “the poors”. - those exorbitant interest rates usually hurt black communities the most. And he also overturned a Trump law that made it easier for employers to retaliate against workers who filed EEOC claims - that is direct win for the black community. I know because I once had to file a claim against my television station. So… it would be interesting to learn who we should be checking out next.

What the general public is unaware of and needs to come to terms with is that there is no room for information which cannot be proven in the world of historical research. History is a science. And for those who conduct historical research seriously and treat it as a science, gather historical documents, news articles, journals, court cases, diaries, letters, and reference sources all of which their conclusions are based. It is this method which I used for determining the character of Christopher Columbus and charging him with crimes against the Indian people of the West Indies. This article is the product of records which will clearly point out, that from the very beginning Columbus purpose was not mere exploration or trade, but conquest and exploitation of the Indian tribes of the West Indies. African American students who are studying this article will be informed that the Indian people who Columbus oppressed, had physical features very similar if not identical to theirs. This enlightening piece of information grants the student a personal connection to this article and gives sound reasons for not glorifying Columbus. The following statements are from Columbus journal October 13 1492 with him giving his description the Arawak Indians who inhabited most of the islands in the Caribbean and what his vile intentions were. “Their hair is coarse almost like the hair of a horse’s tail and short. Their eyes are large and very beautiful. They are not black, but the color of the inhabitants of Canaries. The word Canary was a code word communicated among authorities of the Spanish empire. The word Canary was defined as the extermination of the native people of those islands. Later as we shall see the definition of Canary materialized in the violent actions of Columbus. He later went on say .” I showed them some pieces of gold which I have; I cannot not fail with the aid of our Lord to find the place where it comes.” Michele de Cuneo wrote about accompanying Columbus on his 1494 expedition into the interior of Haiti: “ After we had rested for several days in our settlement, it seemed to the Lord Admiral that it was time to put his desire to search for gold, which was the main reason he had started on so a great voyage full of so many dangers.” At dawn the next day Columbus sailed to probably what is known today as the Bahamas Island. He ended his description with these sinister words, “I would conquer the whole of them with fifty men and govern them as I pleased.” Columbus onslaught of the natives of the Caribbean Islands was also reinforced by the Spanish monarchy. There was an urgent need for slaves for mining and agriculture to sustain the colony. Slave labor supplied the Spanish crown with revenues which had a devastating affect among St. Croix and the Virgin Islands. Columbus had obtained two concessions from the Spanish monarchs, one which he would later regret was to allow criminals to be released from prisons to go to the colonies. A Spanish slave system was now put in place which would dominate the Caribbean Islands for centuries. The Repartimientos, a system for granting allotments of land and the Island natives to Spanish settlers. By 1505 the need for slave labor had become such a natural dependence, that slave raiding the Bahamas had become a profession and the first Negro slaves by and large were brought not from Africa but from the population already in Spain and in the Atlantic sugar islands brining important skills with them. Keep in mind that Columbus acted independently to exploit the native population without the instruction of the Spanish administration. The following are statements from Columbus letter of March 1493. “ On the thirty-third day after I departed from the Canary Islands;(code word meaning prime for extermination), I came to the Indian sea, where I found islands inhabited by men without number, of all which I took possession for our most fortunate king, with proclaiming heralds and flying standards , no one objecting. Yet I especially took possession of a certain, large town in a very convenient location, and adapted to all kinds of gain and commerce, to which we give the name of Lord of the Nativity.” Without any regard for the natives Columbus constructed a fort confining the natives,(a prison) and a military force for defense in the event the natives would rebel. “ And should wish to hurt those who remain in the fort, they would not be able, because they lack weapons, they go naked and are too cowardly. For that reason those who said fort are least able to resist easily this whole island, without any imminent danger to themselves, so long as they do not transgress the regulations and command we gave.” Students should ask themselves what would be the purpose for Columbus with placing the inhabitants of the Caribbean Islands in lock up? A group of people who were non- threating and never imposed any danger to Columbus or his naval forces. According to the historian James W. Loewen, on Haiti the Indians were forced to mine gold for the Spanish settlers. Another stomach-turning aspect of the slave trade was sexual. Columbus was rewarding his lieutenants with women to rape. For Spaniards sex slaves came in abundance in the form of gifts. Moral crimes of rape, forced slavery, prison confinement, and theft all add up to the undeniable fact that Christopher Columbus was a notorious criminal. After reading this article students should come to terms that Columbus is not a national hero, nor a role model. Cherishing Columbus is a characteristic of myth not reality. Worst of all Columbus left a legacy of genocide and a history of bloody horrors. By: Herbert Addison Burns Reference Sources: 1.Christopher Columbus and the Enterprise of the indies: by Geoffrey Symcox and Blair Sullivan 2. Conquest of Eden 1493-1515: by Michael Paiewonsky 3. Lies My Teacher Told Me: James W. Loewen 4. The Journal of Christopher Columbus: Translated by Cecil Jane www.onlineafricanamericanhistory.weebly.com

Who would ever think that people in Lake Tahoe and California would be devastated by the raging fires that seem to be unstoppable? It is reported that at least 15,000 fire fighters are working day and night to extinguish the deadly Caldor fire. There is no question that these brave fire fighters must have gas mask to protect themselves from smoke inhalation. But how many people know including these fire fighters that a Black inventor invented the gas mask which operates according to the same principles as the gas mask use today. This inventor's name is Garrett Morgan. He invented the gas mask during his day it was known as a smoke helmet to fight fires. The purpose of the helmet was to allow the wearer to enter a room filled with noxious gas, fumes, or smoke for the purpose of saving human life and property. And this is the same purpose of gas mask use today by fire fighters. Today’s gas mask is known as an air-purifying respirator which is standard equipment used around the globe. So the similarities between today's gas mask and Morgan's smoke helmet match. Morgan discovered that no matter how dense an environment is pure air is always located near the floor or ground. Given this fact, Morgan’s gas mask was engineered to access pure air from the ground or floor. The ability to breathe pure air in a noxious gas environment whether through accessibility or purification the goals are exact. Not to mention the saving of human lives. The gas mask is the largest prevention of deaths when attempting to extinguish a fire. Some 50–80% of fire deaths are the result of smoke inhalation injuries, including burns to the respiratory system. It is safe to say that Morgan's smoke helmet which fire stations have modeled the principles of its operation, is responsible for saving thousands of lives. With the raging fires in Nevada and California I haven’t heard of any report extending credit for Garrett Morgan’s gas mask. The safety and welfare of our society humbling given through a safety device by a Black inventor has been repeatedly ignored. This lack of consideration is a reflection of the past. Garrett Morgan was directly involved with saving lives of underground workers after an underground explosion in Cleveland, Ohio. The mayor at that time at an awards ceremony did not even recognize Morgan for his outstanding achievement of bravery along with major newspapers. The lesson to be learned is that we should always give reverence to those who are in some way instrumental with the saving of human lives. If not, this heartless action adds doubt to our humanity. By Herbert Addison Burns Reference Sources Citizen Advocate, “A Great Hero Rewarded”, 1916 NY Times, ”To Save Lake Tahoe, They Spared No Expense” 2021

The media, the media, the media. Everybody hates the white mainstream media! Sooo, it must be doing something right. Its crime, of course, is not reflecting the views of all its critics who, themselves, are at odds with each other. That's really what the complaints amount to: being offended by not having one's opinions reinforced. It would also seem that many want the media to ignore anything that is not serious; no gossip. no rumors nor anything that could be construed as being politically biased or racially offensive. Just about shit that happens. If an alien from another planet were to observe the American scene, would this viewer wonder whether things would be different if the status of Blacks and Whites were reversed? Would the white minority be crying "racism" at every turn, and would the black majority be corrupted by the power it had ruthlessly acquired over centuries. Surely black supremacy would be an issue because Blacks definitely think they are superior to Whites. Would this spectator from outer-space conclude that Earthlings are doomed to be in a constant state of discontent? And that, ideally, each race should simply have its own planet so the conflict would not be about superficial differences! Even aliens can dream. Meanwhile, the third rock from the sun continues to wobble on its axis, rocking its dizzy inhabitants, leaving them to lament its atmosphere of turmoil and bigotry. But there are exceptions. Me? I no longer give a damn.

Hey Del, I should've known you'd be interested in hearing about my weird paranormal experiences! We always were kinda on the same wave length. So, i will share some of them with you because YOU will possibly not think i am crazy. What i would initially say about these surreal episodes is that they are what i imagine it would be like to take LSD or maybe magic mushrooms because they are, for want of a better word, "psychedelic". I have also considered that they could be side-effects of the blood pressure medication i take or - signs of early dementia, considering my advanced age. Whatever. These "post-midnight-witching-hour" interludes have been going on for about 10 years. In fact, I have mentioned them before back when my alter ego Cynique was a regular contributor to this board. But they have increased with time and fallen into a kind of pattern which i suspect might be tied in with the phases of the moon. Anyhow, the most unsettling ones are those where i see huddled shadowy dark figures in my peripheral vision when i am stretched out, relaxing on my recliner, which has become my permanent replacement for a bed because its cushiony features and adjustable positions enhance my comfort and easily induce sleep. Yes, my recliner has become my best friend and that's a story unto itself.. (Some times when i do go out and socialize with my family or the few living friends i have left, the thing that gets me through a hectic or boring gathering is the thought that my recliner is waiting to welcome me into the relief of its arms when i return home!} But, I digress. As i was saying, the shadowy figures i see out of the corner of my eye disappear when i turn to gaze directly at them, seeming to be an example of some kind of quantum theory phenomenon. These dark figures are sinister but on other occasions there are colorful animated activities going on involving people or animals or objects, all of which vanish when when i turn to check them out head on. These "hallucinations" are usually accompanied by the sound of what can be compared to birds singing. Other times i shift into a dimension where all the objects in my bedroom are vibrating as i view them with something akin to x-ray vision! For instance: looking at the photographs on top of my TV can really be scary because images are jumping out at me from their frames, appearing to be more like skulls than faces. Then, there's the world that exists behind my eyelids when i close them and instead of blank blackness, i am surrounded by an entirely different vivid environment, sometimes a beautiful garden or a lively crowd scene. Unfamiliar people also appear before me and when i reach out to touch them, they disappear. Then. there are the phantom smells, usually of food, and the recurring dreams about dead family members and friends or ones where i am always trying to find my way out of a large factory building with no exit. Frequently someone seems to be grabbing my hand or shaking my feet while I'm dozing. Lastly there's the grand finale when the recliner jolts slightly and the next thing i know a tingling sensation is creeping through out my body from my toes to my neck almost as if this mysterious recliner has morphed into a lover\incubus. What i have described here is not constant but brief sporadic incidents that happen to me on a monthly basis. More often there are nights within the walls of my bedroom when everything is perfectly normal, allowing me to watch TV or scroll through my Android smart phone (and argue with conspiracy theory nut cases or "like" other peoples' comments and memes on Face Book or watch YouTube videos...and occasionally check out this site. One would think that i would be grateful to have so many fascinating occurrences going on in my sheltered little world. But i prefer solitude and tranquility and i am weary of this out-of-sync bizarre world, feeling as though i've out-lived my time here. It's like Humanity's chickens are coming home to roost and the final result will be an implosion that will be a prelude to the end of Life as we know it. Speaking of which, i am curious as to why when i go out to gaze at the night sky, there are no stars visible anymore. Do you see any in Australia? Also my cat and my dog seem uncharacteristically drawn to me, wanting to rub up against my legs and mew and whimper and make eye contact with me. Strange. Well, ol buddy, you asked for it. And you got it! Thanks for letting me unload all of this. Verbalizing my abstract experiences has provided me with a certain degree of perspective. I'd be interested in your feedback or that of anybody else who has an explanation for my surreal experiences, other than the conclusion that i am insane.

The first 24 hour Black News Channel is expected to launch November 15, 2019 @6:00 AM. The cable network is the brainchild of J.C. Watts, Jr., former U.S Representative (R-Oklahoma) now BNC chairman and Veteran Journalist Bob Brilliante who will serve as the cable network's CEO. BNC Newsroom management made their rounds at the National Association Black Journalists Job fair in Miami, FL earlier this month. The news channel, headquartered in Tallahassee, Fl, will broadcast to 33 million households nationwide with a major presence in Los Angeles, Atlanta and New York. ~MH You can read the release here: https://blacknewschannel.com/wp-content/uploads/BNC_NABJ-Press-Release_2019.pdf

O black woman, do you know who you are? It is you for whom the birds sing when the dawn opens itself for inspection. It is the glow in your eyes that the stars imitate when they sparkle. It is the color of your flava that makes the rainbow dull in comparison, and it is via your beauty that we can physically witness God’s artistry.-Gibran-• O black woman, do you know who you are? You are the secret that only reveals itself when a man is truly ready to experience the joy of having his dream transformed into reality. You are God’s private blessing to men who know what to do within the point between birth and death. To dwell within the kingdom of YOU is where heaven begins. -Gibran- • O black woman, do you know who you are? You are both the starting point and the finish line for everything I could ever aspire to be. You are a force of nature that has broken my shackles so that I can walk freely. You have erased my doubts so that I can think clearly. You have repaired my broken wings so that I can soar beside you. -Gibran- • O black woman, do you know who you are? You are the magic that awes the universe, the splendor that amazes the earth, and the glory that makes men heart beat with pride when they attempt to possess u. -Gibran- • O black woman, do you know who you are? You are the beautiful gift that God left on the doorstep of my heart. You are that special moment in time when nothing else matters but most importantly, you are YOU! Unmistakably YOU! -Gibran- • O black woman, do you know who you are? You are the sunshine that lights my life from within. You are the fire that warms every fiber of my being and that illuminates my path so that I am never afraid of the darkness. -Gibran- • O black woman, did u know that when I stare in the skies the stars spell your name? I feel your touch in the wind and I see your face in the clouds. And when I stand under the shadow of your smile, I find shelter from the storm. -Gibran- • O black woman, do you know who you are? You are that warm safe place where all roads lead at the end of a day when I have slayed all my dragons and find that all of my strength comes from you. You melt on my life and I become complete. -Gibran- • O black woman, do you know who u are? You are chocolate, dipped in mystery, a specially-designed flava whose smile is brighter than the rainbow. -Gibran-

@Mel HopkinsThe phrase "commune with the universe" was one commonly heard back in the hey day of the new age movement back in the 1960s, and it's one i've always used because, as you have illustrated, it so accurately describes what i frequently do. My experience with the latest lunar eclipse was rather weird and i've hesitated to reveal it because it's so surreal. But - I was checking the skies through my window all evening during the night of the impending eclipse. Because it was so bitterly cold, and because there was sporadic cloud cover, i didn't go outside, planning to do so when the eclipse began. While biding my time, i apparently dozed off in the chair i was curled up in. At some point later i found myself in a state of drowsy awareness, thinking how glad i was that i'd gotten to see the progress of the eclipse. Then i sat up fully awake but confused, realizing that i had never gone out side...or had I??? Later when pictures of the eclipse were shown on TV weather reports, what i saw, was what i had seen - in my mind's eye... There will be another lunar eclipse of a blood moon in 2021. I hope i see it; one way or another.

I do my best to focus on the idea- if I’ve veered from this aspect in debate charge it to my head - not my heart.

Thank you for posting. I believe tat it's fine to attack and idea but not the person. I have been guilty of that more than once. I publicly apologised and felt quite contrite. It's great to be passionate however when it becomes aggressive, that's problematic. I don't think unity is possible amongst Black people. And I have used the dynamics that play out here as an example. I have been angered and saddened by the vindictiveness of of statements made to make a point. The Dove is an appropriate moniker. I have said you are so nice that I can't argue with you. I have also tried to change my debating style. Some perceptions of me are so ridiculous that I don't respond. And recently there seems to be an agitation or irritation that members display. Usually it towards one person. I want to do less of that venomous personal attack. It creates a negative vibe. At times I have found it so frustrating that I have gone on hiatus, or have not responded to statements.

Well, certain of you conveniently ignore what i said about the book written about King by his closest confidante, the Reverend Ralph Abernathy, in which many of the rumors were confirmed. i, myself, saw a play about 10 years ago based on King's affair with a young women, which if it hadn't been accurate could've been the subject of a suit by his heirs. And it never was. I don't profess to know about any homosexual activity. When you seek the truth, it is not always what we want to hear, especially if it is about our heroes. Pioneer also seems to completely disregard how JFK's involvement with Marilyn Monroe was sensationalized, to the extent of even advancing the idea that that he was involved in her death, which his accusers say was murder, not suicide. As for King, as far as i am concerned, his greatest asset was that he was not self-aggrandizing. it was never about him when it came to the movement, it was about his urging black folks to keep their eyes on the prize. Or did he originally seek leadership. He was chosen for it because of the obvious qualifications he displayed as a relatively unknown preacher. What he did in private was not something i was ever eager to cast stones about. Since his wife seemed OK with it, and he was doing a good job of advancing the black cause, i gave him a pass. His legacy speaks for itself because it involves his being instrumental in the passage of civil rights legislation. Some historians say that had he not been assassinated, his star would've faded as the days of civil disobedience fell from favor. As it was, his death made him a martyr. The same with Malcom X. So be it. About the term, "illegitimate", it had to originate somewhere, and it makes sense that that place was in courts of law where it is routinely used.

The last i head, this is supposed to be a free country. And black people above all, are constantly striving to exercise their freedom. Because blacks are not all of one mind, some blacks have a problem when it comes to freedom of appearance. They are luke warm about diversity and want to dictate, judge, and criticize the choices of certain other blacks who resist the herd mentality of black brain washing that can be as restraining as white control. These Afro-centric vigilants, awash in their patented rhetoric, have taken on the role of deciding how black women, in particular, are obligated to look, and they are perfectly comfortable with imposing their standards, totally resistant to change because they are mired in the swamp of the past. They drone on and on about how deceived those are who don't accept their standards, mistaking the indifference of those they wish to reform, attributing it to ignorance, thinking they have to educate them about the hazards of European standards. It never occurs to them that what they are preaching is a stagnant gospel, and the are obviously unable to appreciate the idea that individuals are free to exercise a choice when it comes to how they want to present themselves to the wide world of reality. The same crowd frets about colorism which is, indeed, an unforgiving fact of life and, as such, subjects some people to unfair and insensitive rejection. This being the case, it is then nobody's damn business if some choose to get their color out of a jar, an innocuous procedure that is in a category with plastic surgery, liposuction, contact lenses, wigs, teeth braces, eyebrow-arching, acryllic nails, and gym work-outs. Ahh but the au naturelle nazis remain a constant voice of condemnation and when not disapproving of independent black women, they devote their time to harboring suspicions about ongoing secret conspiracies existing to do - what? Keep blacks down? Whoooo what a great revelation! Enough to make blacks sacrifice what little enjoyment they derive from life in order to concentrate on worrying about something they are not supposed to be aware of. Them. Discrimination is also a fact of life. Obese people, for instance, are discriminated against, so losing weight is a choice some make. Racial discrimination is something that is a constant challenge, one that involves ingenuity to circumvent. This cruel world does not adjust to the individual. The individual is charged with the task of adjusting to it, of carving his own path and going which ever way she wants. For black people this can call for tuning out the "Greek chorus" chanting the same ol message of revering Africa, the great land mass which doesn't give a damn about its American diaspora, and can hardly sustain it own people, prompting many to immigrate to this country and enjoy the fruits of the civil rights struggle they played no part in. Of course these are controversial concepts that will go in one ear and out the other of those who don't think outside the box. Those who'd much rather stay in a comfort zone free of critical thinking and just go along with the same ol litany of cliches that black have been mouthing for years in an effort to bolster their morale, huddled in the night of yesterday, reluctant to wake up to a new dawn where a person weighs his options and thinks for herself. This mind-set is not really revolutionary. Great numbers of blacks have already made the decision to do their own thing not even aware of how they have liberated themselves from the dictates of others, all the while supporting the common cause of racial injustice. And so it goes.

Lexus' Genius Product Placement in Marvel's Black Panther Movie Highlights Growing Influence of African Americans' Buying Power ROCKVILLE, Md., March 9, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- African Americans continue to have a supersized influence on the U.S. economy. By 2020 African Americans are projected to have a buying power of $1.5 trillion with a cumulative growth of 16% and a compound annual growth rate of 3% from 2015-2020, according to market research firm Packaged Facts in the report African-Americans: Demographic and Consumer Spending Trends, 10th Edition. Skeptics about the cohort's financial clout have to look no further than the recent success of the 2018 blockbuster Marvel superhero movie Black Panther, which has enjoyed record shattering returns and which to date has grossed more than $900 million globally. The film was a surefire success almost from its creative inception and official announcement four years ago as the news sent a simmering excitement through a black community starved for more minority representation in comic book movies. While Disney's Marvel Studios cheered the film's success, so too did car maker Lexus. Movie goers got a look at Lexus' new luxury LC coupe which is featured prominently in a major chase scene through the streets of South Korea. The scene marked two years of collaboration between Lexus and Marvel Studios. Packaged Facts' research revealed that product placement in movies and television shows resonates with African-American consumers. For example, black consumers are more likely to remember the brand name product characters use in a movie and try products they have never tried before that they have seen in a movie. Seeing a product used in a movie is also more likely to reassure black consumers that the product is a good one. Furthermore, when African-American consumers are online or in a store and see a brand name product they recognize from a movie, they are more likely to buy it than its competitor. Car manufacturers featuring their vehicles in comic book movies isn't anything new. However, as AutoNews.com states in an article, Lexus' multicultural marketing agency, Walton Isaacson, openly admits that the idea to for collaboration and product placement in Black Panther represented an opportunity to link the car maker with a cultural event. In addition to the product placement in film, Lexus leading up to the Black Panther release commissioned an original graphic novel, Black Panther: Soul of a Machine, featuring the LC 500 and a Lexus takumimaster craftsman as heroes. And don't forget the Black Panther-themed Super Bowl ad for Lexus. In the end it proved to be a shrewd strategy for Lexus. AutoNews.com reveals that there was "an explosion" of ad impressions across TV, social media, and in theater due to the film and the product tie-in. Further, in the week following Black Panther's domestic premiere on February 16, online searches for Lexus at shopping site Autotrader were up 15% from the previous week. Likewise, Autotrader revealed that online traffic for the LC 500 specifically was up 10%. It's impossible to say how many of these searches were performed by African Americans, However, based on Packaged Facts' previously referenced research on the impact of product placement on African Americans combined with the fact that Lexus is already popular with minority consumers, it's fair to deduce at least a portion of the searches were by black shoppers. Packaged Facts' data also revealed that African Americans are among the biggest car buyers in America. Between 2012 and 2015 spending by African-American consumers on new cars and trucks increased from $13 billion to $20 billion. Further, the 51% increase in spending by black households on new automotive vehicles significantly outpaced the 27% increase registered by other households. But it's not just new cars that get lots of love. Spending by African-Americans on used cars and trucks grew more than twice as fast as comparable expenditures by other consumers. About the Report African-Americans: Demographic and Consumer Spending Trends, 10th Edition analyzes recent consumer spending and demographic trends for the African-American population in the United States. View additional information about the report, including purchase options, the abstract, table of contents, and related reports at Packaged Facts' website: https://www.packagedfacts.com/African-Americans-Demographic-10293172/. About Packaged Facts Packaged Facts, a division of MarketResearch.com, publishes market intelligence on a wide range of consumer market topics, including consumer demographics and shopper insights, consumer financial products and services, consumer goods and retailing, consumer packaged goods, and pet products and services. Packaged Facts also offers a full range of custom research services. For more essential insights from Packaged Facts be sure to follow us on Twitter and Google+. For infographics, tables, charts and other visuals, follow Packaged Facts on Pinterest. Please link any media references to our reports or data to https://www.packagedfacts.com/. Press Contact: Daniel Granderson 240.747.3000 dgranderson@marketresearch.com View original content with multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/lexus-genius-product-placement-in-marvels-black-panther-movie-highlights-growing-influence-of-african-americans-buying-power-300611592.html SOURCE Packaged Facts

Supporting this movie is first and foremost putting money in the hands of the white film industry. None of the prosperity spawned by a fantasy movie based on comic book characters is going to trickle down to blacks. Since the country where it takes place is Africa, not America and since the people in it, with the superficial exception of having similar skin tones, do not come across as black Americans, then what redeeming value does it really have? This movie should be labeled for what it is. A money-making escapist film which, while entertaining, has no relevance when it comes to reality.

You all bring so much passion and fire to your posts! I appreciate ALL of your words and look forward to seeing many more thought provoking posts such as the ones I've read. I really do mean it when I say I appreciate ALL thoughts, not just some. Watching the opposition between ideas sharpens me and makes me even more desirous to fall back and detach from views that could be debated all day long. Bottom line, 99% of what we know we get from methods we cannot personally confirm. It's a sad truth. But it is what it is. I lay wait like a lion in the bushes for new information to guide us to truths. Stay lively and keep bringing the fire! Thanks for having me here!

@Mel Hopkins Yes!!! I have had far too many "coincidences" for it to be only a coincidence when I tap into folks. I dreamed a rather frightening dream 12 years ago. I have found that I tap into numerous aspects of my abilities, in dreams, clairvoyance, clairaudience, telepathy, etc. In the dream, I was losing my teeth. I learned from my grandmother about what this dream means, but never took much stock in it. I figured it was foolishness, old wives' tales, whatever. So I went about my life not thinking about such nonsense. Typically in the dream, one tooth falls out. In my dream, all my teeth were coming out. This was strange to me given that at 50 years old, I've never had a cavity. Ever. I was terrified and woke in a frenzy. Given that I've had other strange occurrences, some dream related some not, which i always shared after an incident happened, I decided this time I would tell someone about it in advance. I called up a friend and told him about the dream. I then sent myself an email, typing out the entire dream. Although I wasn't fully on board, it was unnerving this time around because it was the third time I dreamed of teeth coming out and someone died shortly after. So by this third dream, I was virtually converted. The first two dreams, only a single tooth came out. This was on a Sunday. My father called me on Wednesday to tell me that my 16 year old sister, with no illness, no previous medical conditions, collapsed during outdoor gym and died on the spot. Throughout my life, I've had numerous things like that happen. I would say something to someone and they would tell me they were just thinking that. Knowing who was calling when my phone rang...before caller ID. Now, with caller ID, sometimes knowing who I will soon get a call from. Thinking about someone heavily for a day or two, someone whom I hadn't spoken to in over a year, then they call me. My lover saying something that I was thinking, but we'd never discussed. So many stories. Too many. I agree on how THE ONE MIND expands and how we seek peace. THAT is the crux of how I see it, at the end of it all. When we return to one mind, seeing each other's thoughts, we return to peace. Nothing in me panics when I imagine sharing one thought with numerous people, or not so much a single thought, but a connection to all thoughts. In Deep Space Nine, there is a being called a Changeling. This Changeling comes from what could be called a sea, or ocean. The ocean is all the Changelings together in their original form, knowing every thought and experience of every Changeling that has gone into the world to form as a "solid" to experience what it is like to be a bird, or human, or object. That is how I view The ONE. The Changelings individuate to learn, then come together to share and be at peace.

Hi Everyone -- thanks for engaging in this conversation. And thanks, Troy, for kicking it off. I'm the publisher for The Mantle. I came up with the headline and the mailing that Troy distributed. For me, the use of "shithole" (or a censored version, like "sh*thole") was a way of co-opting the unfortunate (SAD!) phrase uttered by the president. It was an attempt to take control of the conversation by using the president's own words against him. One of the replies Troy received to the mailing said as much: Just this morning I received an email from a friend who lives in Haiti, who referred to the island as "my shithole country" with a mix of irony and pride. The journalist and iconoclast Chris Hedges used the phrase repeatedly in his piece, "No Telescope Needed to Find a 'Shithole Country,'" to recount the many misguided American policies toward Latin American in the past 50 years, and to declare that the U.S. is the real shithole in this dialogue. Weeks later the phrase continues to be used on Twitter to describe all kinds of political arguments and claptraps. Elsewhere, the women's movement has made a similar play in turning Trump's words against him by proudly proclaiming "pussy grabs back," in protest to his sexual abuse. Anyone who opened the email and read the content beyond the subject line would see the anger I felt in having to even write such a message: All of that said, this was a piece of marketing. The headline was deliberately provocative. I'm a book publisher, not a charity. I need to sell books so my writers can earn money to keep doing what they love, and so I can continue to bring emerging and under-heard voices to the American public. And if it takes a shitty headline to get your attention, I'll use it as thoughtfully as I can. Peace.

The following quote was from the article, “How Google may be jeopardizing African-American literature websites”; which was published yesterday on the The Outline website: Ouch! The author of the article, wrote what I thought was an important article on a subject that has gotten virtually no coverage outside of what I have written, so despite the scathing critique, that I've shared above, I'm glad the article was written. However, the paragraph, quoted above, was over the top. The site does not look like it was developed in the late 1990's indeed none of the technologies the site deployed were available in the 1990. Now I'd accept the site looks like something from late 2000's which is why I'm engaged in a website upgrade. The site is sprawing and has well over 15,000 pages, but that is stated as if it is a disadvantage and opposed to being an good thing. With the exception of the sites homepages (homepage, and other main section pages), the typical page on the site is not busy-- certainly not as busy as many other content websites. I plan to residesign all of the main pages because they are busy, but the vast majority of pages on the site are fine, in my opinion, and I will not me change their design as part of this upgrade. I actually pride myself on the internal linking of web pages. I think it is a benefit of the site, and how the web is designed to work. I will not cut out internal linking of pages--that is a strange comment to make especially when using the word "zillions." It is just hyperbolic. I agree the menu is has more links that it should and I already know how I'm going to address that issue and it will also simplify how the site is organized to visitors. I do sell books directly (drop shipped by Ingram) and also though Amazon, B&N, and other affiliate programs — AALBC.com is not just an Amazon affiliate site. I also send readers to the author’s website or to the publishes website. All of the buy links for Black Classic Press and Just Us Book send readers to the publishers websites. How I sell books depends upon the book. I’m actually growing the direct to author/publisher websites to combat Amazon’s dominance. Finally, the majority of book descriptions are the same ones most booksellers use; they are provided by the publisher. If the writer looked or was familiar with how book sites typically work she'd know this. B&N, Amazon, Google, and I often use the same book descriptions. If any keyword stuffing is done, it is done by the publisher, in the copy they provide to booksellers. But keyword stuffing on the publisher’s part seems unlikely. I have never engaged in in keyword stuffing (the practice of using specific word in copy, more than you would normally to rank better in search). I did ask to author to provide me with an example of this to better understand how she came with this idea. Other than book descriptions, Kam's articles are the only "syndicated" content that AALBC has ever used, and I actually had to stop using Kam's articles because of Google penalties (I know one publisher of Kam's content who deleted almost 2,000 of Kam's articles. i refused to remove content that I have paid for and that was published legitimately -- I don't care what Google says). ALL the rest of AALBC.com content, articles, lists, reviews, etc is unique. So while I do not say that Kam's film reviews are syndicated, they are such a small portion of AALBC.com, to use this as a critique for the site overall is extreme. At the end of the day, Google is indeed using it's dominance in search to redirect traffic from book websites to their own book store and content they have copied from Wikipedia, Goodreads and other websites. This has prevented many website from succeeding, hobbled the efforts of the sites that remain (including AALBC.com), and have essentially prevented any new one from launching -- which is the point of the article. The issue is much larger than AALBC.com or any individual site, so despite the factually inaccurate smackdown of AALBC.com the fundamental issues raised in the article needs to be addressed and are worthy of broader attention, something I think the article will help accomplish. I thanked the author of the article, Adrianne Jeffries, for bringing additional attention to this issue. Of course I pointed out the issues I had with her critique of the site .

I don't understand heterosexual males or females who are so upset about males or females who are gay. What difference does it make to you who someone loves? Also, how does a black person not see that condemnation of gays involves the same dynamic patterns as racism? It never made sense to me. My brotherfriend, Alan, is gone now, but I miss him every day. He would have been another male in our son's life-- joining my life partner, my life partner's brother, and another gay brotherfriend--who was a sterling example of a kind, loving, intelligent African American man. Alan, a gay black man, was a director/actor/writer who was in my life for a few brief years. He encouraged me to collaborate with him on writing a play based on Ida B. Wells's autobiography. We had both read it as part of a black book club, focusing on reading books about African American History, that we had co-founded. Alan had given me comments on an early draft and was about to start writing his revisions when he contracted AIDS. He was in the first group of people to get mowed down by this disease in the '80s. He died on Christmas day at the age of 36. I stopped working on the play as I grieved his death, but I received the message that I must get back to work and finish the play. Twenty-three drafts later, I did that and dedicated the play to him. "In Pursuit of Justice: A One-Woman Play about Ida B. Wells," ultimately won four AUDELCO awards. My life was enriched by knowing Alan and having him as a friend.

Not necessarily in the order given, the following books are the most valuable information, I think, because of the real world issues they discuss or their metaphorical message(s) by both Black and White authors. Souls of Black Folk Up From Slavery The Fire Next Time Sharing Wisdom Metamorphosis The Great Gatsby To Kill a Mocking Bird If Americans Knew Critical Issues in Policing The Republic

Thank you @Troy for your thoughtful words. I appreciate that we can all have slightly varying opinions yet stay respectful. I've worked with children aging out of foster care so can appreciate @Mel Hopkins work with at-risk children. I can also appreciate the wisdom and life experience of our elders and retirees such as @Cynique. And much appreciation for @Delano and "keeping it reel." Wishing you all a great day!

@Cynique who knows maybe Nubianfellow has it point. Maybe it's the black woman's hair that is the key to black people's success.. My friends call my family the hair bear bunch because we have very long hair that grows from our roots... (see my profile pic - yep that's mine) So, maybe because we don't have weaves it allows us to communicate with directly to the Universe from which all our blessings flow you know god gave it to us for a reason. ...And it makes us super smart so we don't have ever worry about being in the bottom 20% of those poverty-stricken folks. We don't need weaves, because we love showing off our beautiful locks, because, well who doesn't love our hair. By the way loving your hair, automatically translates into us loving ourselves because hair is the major key.. And, of course we attract men who are not deadbeat dads. Because of our flowing Rapunzel-like locks we attract the men who have the most money, best character and family adhesiveness ... As for the men who feel it's ok to lie down create babies and flee the scene. Well, we all know they got that way because of some weave-wearing black woman - who didn't cheer them on when they did something you know, mediocre.... I just can't.