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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!

About a quarter way through Travellng Soul, a biography on Curtis Mayfield by Todd Mayfield. Dipping into Jimmys Blues, a small volume of Baldwins poetry. A lovely gift from my daughter.

Okay, I just broke down a begin my first foray into TicTok. Everyone is telling me I need to be on the platform. So I'm starting in earnest today. I still can't image it helping, but I hope I'm proven wrong. My goal is to post a short video several times a week. I'm open to any suggestions. The video is raw, I did not bother to shave or wear anything special -- if I did it would be too much work. I figure I could invest 15 minutes a week to post a few sub-two-minute videos to the platform.

This crazy video showed up on my channel and caught me off guard. I thought it was pretty funny though. Grandma gave the Jada Pinkett glare and off went her grandson...

She looks great in the Vogue Cover. I don't think it has to be emasculating or diminishing ASAP Rocky. It's about her rise or perhaps re-emergence not only as a star but a business woman and mother. He's there supporting her and holding her hand as a symbol of the bond. But that's just me. We want to talk about black people being liberated and strong over white racist dominatdomination yet black people male and many females still see patriarchal control as positive and necessary. Black Freedom then merely becomes freedom for black men to control black women and communities. I just think it's a good cover.

@Rodney campbell Russia's military does not want to overthrow Vladimir Putin. And the main reason are the grotesque and horrific penalties for failure. Putin is a vicious dictator. The news of his many outrages are muted in the news media, Western as well as Eastern. What manages to eke out are rumors, parts of the truth and old news. When Putin first assumed power, ordinary Russians and emigres adored him. The world was forced to reckon with a KGB-trained ruler who knew how to scare people. Finally, Russia was great again! Their country mattered once more. But everyone forgot the old adage: Absolute Power Corrupts Absolutely. And slowly but surely, those who preferred Free Thought and Human Rights and Independence were intimidated and eventually silenced or eliminated. I bet most don't realize that Free Thinking rejects authority and established beliefs, which includes any Dogma associated with Religion. Unless the person being discussed is noted and many worry about their safety and well-being, you will not hear what happens to them. What I wrote about Putin's initial popularity in Russia and elsewhere could also be said of Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini. They were both beloved. Hitler was idolized. There are people living today who still want to be like Hitler or promote his nonsense. You could probably input the name of any modern military-fascist leader and the foregoing sentences would apply to them.

@Pioneer1, I have much respect for your raw views (even if I don't agree with some of them and even when I'm offended by some of them) on this and other discussions. Your responses are truly thought-provoking. Thank you. @Chevdoveyour observations are on point. I, too, have seen lots of 'promo' for LGBTQ, BlPOC, and even with specific content requests. IDK, but what I can attest to is the challenge of marketing/promoting with impact (which is a whole other discussion) Haha… @Troy I was one of those (in your own words) ‘narrow-minded’ sistas who self-published on am*zon, but it was solely because, when researching how to self-publish, the resources listed included only the well-known sites. I can't recall how I found AALBC, but I'm delighted that I did - you do better when you know better. (Wink) To give input into my thoughts of the 35% fewer books published by black authors in 2022 than in 2021 and almost 50% fewer than the peak published in 2015, TTTGA (that thing that’s going around) played tricks with many our minds in that many of us spent the last few years so worried about our mental well-being, physical well-being, and overall spirit that, for me, I could not settle down - fearing that depression, restlessness and pity parties would rule the day. Safe to assume that 2019 - 2021, at least, remained consistent, or, at least, not much of a decline? Sh&@! by 2022, I was still recovering from the mental burnout of TTTGA, and yeah, I admit that it handled me a little as I witnessed what was happening around me, and I’m not one to be handled (I much prefer to be loved for the beautiful mess I am). Don’t get me wrong, the downtime kept me ‘still’ and allowed for some great self-reflection which included working on book IV, which, by the way, thanks to aalbc, I’ve printed copies via BCP digital, and self-distributing, temporarily, that is, until I list on aalbc, but the down time didn’t sustain my attention until mid-2022. The impact of TTTGA is not an excuse, but, in fact, a ‘whole event’ (whether a conspiracy or reality or our imagination) that influenced heavy adverse outcomes. BUT, what remains consistent is the resilience of my people - We still stand, we still have lots to say, and we will see an increase in black author publications!, again! Just look at me - ‘I wrote you 37 letters’ published in December 2022!!! Not sure if my December 2022 publication had much impact on the stats, but I'm baaaaack!

Here! Hi lovely! Nope! I have no patience for gender issues. I’ve grown tired of some men trying to dictate a woman’s partnership choices. It’s a waste of time. If those men were so concerned. They would simply show up be present and stay put. Anything less, is lip-service, bitchin’ and moanin’.

I claim it all, with neither shame nor judgement.

Field & Track Women—Hairstyles I just want to reflect on something else today because I am weary of all of depressing media hype about mass shootings and killing Black people. So, I want to share something about spectator about spectator sports, and something that I like to watch that inspires me to be active and set goals for getting better physical, mental and emotional health. The competition has begun! A few days ago, the recent track and field meets have showed up on my channel and I am amazed at these awesome and powerful beauties. And at first glance, it may not seem to be the main focus, however recently, what seems obvious to me would be the significant differences in the hairstyles displayed of some of the top Black female athletes from the recent past. Is this a brief trend? In the past few widely internationally broadcasted events, some athletes on the starting lineup were pictured with flamboyant and brightly colored or long, blonde, and bone-straight hairstyles. Obviously, it was done so to make a statement just as in the past some athletes donned unique and ‘signature’ uniforms and I am reminded of the late and incredible Flo Jo. But so far, in the few competitions that have occurred recently no one has started the line up as in the past events. My all-time favorite Track and field Olympian, Shelley-Ann Fraser-Pryce, whose other devotion, her hair salon back in Jamaica, stepped out recently with on the field with a lovely dark and braided hairstyle. Shelley-Ann Frase-Pryce No matter though, she looks adorable and so elegant in whatever style she has worn, IMO. Another ‘new’ world favorite athlete, Elaine Thompson-Herah has seemingly burst onto the world scene out of nowhere and now has become a household name for many. She steps onto the field with the most lovely and classy type hairstyles recently but, for me it’s her glow and her smile that shows her beauty. Elaine Thompson-Herah And to my surprise, our own American athlete stepped out with a beautiful appearance, Sha’Carri Richardson. She already wins hands down on being a beauty anyway though, but she also came back on the field with a blast. Richardson came in second behind Thompson-Herah in one of her races. Sha'Carri Richardson These recent and awesome women of the track and field today, have inspired me to contemplate and do more research history about how Black African women have had to deal with so much controversy over our hair. And what new stories I have found! But as for now, due to so much talent today and the new winners, it gives me great inspiration to add some more new favorites to my list and to share. Some of these athletes have consistently dominated their race so well, that it can be expected that they will be celebrated for a long time. Like Shelley-Ann Fraser-Pryce who has become a legend of all times, however, there are some new wonders. Of course, my other all-time past favorite also competed recently, Allyson Felix, and it was said that this would be her last time. But now, there are a few more lovely superwomen to cheer on such as that pretty girl, Britain’s Dina Asher-Smith, the lovely Swiss’ Mujinga Kambundji, Jamaica’s doll Shericka Jackson, our lovely New Jersey lady Athing Mu and the smart beauty who just dominated her race, Gabby Thomas and more. Ironically for me too, would be that although the past hairstyles have been eye-catching, what seems more amazing would be the age of some of these athletes who have dominated and won the foot race. This has given me the most inspiration to believe that I can get up and do something healthier to combat my health problems today. In my middle age though, I sometimes look back in time when I was younger and imagine myself sprinting that fast, but at the end of my dream I always have this re-occurring imagery of me coming through the finish line with a complete horrendous falling to the ground with a horrible horse-like uncontrollable breathing and inevitably ankle-rolling into a blundering crash with my arms flinging wildly and hitting the ground first with one knee and then enduring a complete earth-smacking, elbow-knee roll, covering a large area before finally coming to a miserable end. This fear sort of reminds me of a time when, as a gymnast, my coach believed that I was a sprinter and so, she one day abruptly surprised me and moved the springboard far away from the horse and told me to sprint into my vault. I panicked. I was so angry at her and imagined that I was going to crash into that horse and kill myself. I pulled if off successfully to my shock and surprise. But now, I have also considered being inspired by an older group of athletes who run the marathon too. Nevertheless, the older track and field stars deserves the glory that they have earned! Allyson Felix not only gave birth, but she stepped onto the field at the age of 36. And incredibly all of the women trailed far behind the Jamaican wonder Shelley-Ann Fraser-Pryce who stepped up to the challenge at the age of 35 and after she also gave birth recently. But now, I have a new favorite that stepped onto the field at the age of 29 and some sports experts believe that she stands to improve her time. This amazing PEARL recently came in close behind her American teammate, Sha’Carri Richardson and in another recent race, she stayed in second place behind Fraser-Pryce until the last moment, Jenna Frandini. When I think about this beauty, I think about Delano who also has some pearls in his life. Jenna Frandini replaced Richardson in the Tokyo 4X 100m relay and led our U.S. team to claim the silver. Recently, Frandini clocked in at 10.75 in a 100m race. It’s impossible not to watch her run over and over and over again and not spring up as she approaches the finish line. Like Elaine Thompson-Herah, it seems as if Jenna Frandini might become another household name. So I would love to share some brief clips and videos of my inspirations. At 35, Jamaica's Fraser-Pryce holds off deep field of Americans in Prefontaine 200m | NBC Sports 210,578 views May 28, 2022 https://youtu.be/nfbJeOCU0pc 2015 Beijing Olympics—Allyson Felix, Jenna Frandini, Jasmine Todd and English Gardner take the Silver! Jenna Frandini & Gabby Thomas in the Tokyo 4x 100 relay—Silver June 4, 2022 – Jenna Frandini Jenna Frandini 2015 100m Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce Still Dominating At 35-Years-Old

@GregFor somebody who is always yakking about using proper English, you could benefit from doing so yourself. Your sentence that says: "All of our issues in our Black community is self inflicted and has nothing to do with hardworking Asians, Whites, of Hispanics "etc. should say: "All of our issues in our black community are self inflicted and have nothing to with Asians, whites, or Hispanics etc... Sheeze! In fact, you are a light weight in other areas when it comes to assessing what you mis-label as the "black community". You are incapable of looking at the big picture, or peering past your nose. No deep thinker, you lack the capacity to comprehend that the pendulum of humanity's clock has been wound up and is now on the swing from back to forth. Other ethnicities inspiring your dismay at being victimized by black thugs are collateral damage representing what happens when payback rears its ugly head and justice disappears. Like now. What's being demonstrated as the black aberrations descended from slaves avenge what normal whites did to those slaves long ago. The outcome? Shit happens. If you weren't so busy carping about proper English and unwed pregnancies, and lack of ambition you'd have time to develop some intellectual muscle instead of being stuck on stupid. You could benefit from a little profound cogitation, maybe become enlightened about how CIVILIZATION unfolds, doing what it does, rising and falling, progressing and stumbling, moving on, lurching ahead, time bringing change that reverts back to sameness. In the scheme of things what is now being perpetrated by black criminals is out of control and cannot be fixed. It will have to sort itself out with what will undoubtedly be tragic results. Self Genocide. Martial Law. Race War. That's life. Or will the ghetto culture and mindset that so offends you change over night or even at all. A collective consciousness is deeply entrenched and preserved by an environment that society perpetuates because it needs scapegoats and others to blame for why things are the way they are. You cannot conceive of the idea that your world vision blurs in the face of reality and you are wasting your time and that of those who you harass with your demands. So, as far as the "Greg Project" goes, all of your bitching and lecturing is just drivel. You serve no purpose except to the white puppet masters who pull your strings. Attempting to be the paternalistic arbitrator of what the black community needs to do to be worthy of white approval is an exercise in futility because you are neither a super hero nor a role model. - just a naggin wanna-be. Stefan thinks it's not a good idea to engage with trolls, but you provide me with a way to amuse myself. Ha-Ha.

@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.

I wish the 'right-to-lifers" would be willing to exert the same energy and passion to preserving the lives of those who have actually been born. Support for quality universal health care would be a good start. To answer your question directly, anything that is bad for American people in general is almost always worse for Black people in particular. That said, this decision transcends race. It effects everyone.

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.

@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.

With NYC Central Park Condos going for nearly $10 million, imagine how much Seneca Village would be worth today? Descendants of the Lyons family may know the dollar amount but they probably will never see a penny. I shared this NYT article from my account it should be open to read. Their Land Became Part of Central Park. They’re Coming Back in a Monument. A new sculpture will honor the Lyons family, black activists and property owners who once lived in Seneca Village, a community destroyed by the creation of the park. A double ambrotype portrait of Albro and Mary Joseph Lyons. The city is planning a monument depicting them, along with their daughter Maritcha, in Central Park.Credit...Smith Collection/Gado, via Getty Images Also, check out the book Black Gotham |A Family History of African Americans in Nineteenth-Century New York City  by Carla L. Peterson, "an academic who wrote a book on investigating her own family history. Dr. Peterson is a great-grand-niece of Maritcha Lyons."

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.

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

Good afternoon, Everybody. Thank you all for taking the time to read what I wrote about my weird experiences and then giving me your feed back, which i found interesting and thought provoking. Before i return to this subject, let me assure you that seizing this opportunity to talk about myself on the assumption that you really give a damn about what's going on in my life is not my intent. I am simply an old lady rambling, the way old ladies tend to do and, in the course of further reviewing my peculiar experiences, i've narrowed down what i believe was the time-line of their origin. In 2008, I began experiencing dizzy spells and after consulting with a doctor and undergoing some tests, I was advised to have a heart by-pass operation because my arteries were clogged and my brain was not getting enough oxygen; hence the dizzy spells. It was during my recuperation from this operation, that I believe these psychic phenomena began to occur. Since i was widowed in 2006, i was living alone, and had gradually begun to shut myself off from the rest of the house, eventually turning what was my husband's den into a sanctuary. That's where I was introduced to the seductive comfort of a recliner. Having always been a night owl, the "wee small hours of the morning" began to find me curled up in this den, a spectator to the supernatural. When i moved in with my daughter, this sanctuary was replicated in the room I occupy at her house. By-pass surgery requires the patient being very closely-monitored while under aesthesia and this includes being hooked up to machines doing the work of your heart and your brain. Which is to say, i think my brain took on a life of its own while the cardiologist was replacing the clogged arteries of my heart, and the hallucinations I began to experience are the result of this. (It's possible that there are studies out there revealing that what i experience is not so rare among people who have undergone similar surgeries.) Another of my suspicions is that there are parallel universes and that i shift between them enabled by my re-wired brain. Who knows??? Whatever is going on, is something I have learned to live with... When i ventured out last night after a rain storm, looking up at the full moon in the cleared-up sky, i spotted Venus. It was back in its summer solstice position, twinkling at me... @Troy: I totally relate to your explanation about "nobody knowing nothing". What we call the "universe" can't be reduced to or defined in words. and can only be relegated to the "WOO" realm where the answer to every question exists, just waiting to be discerned, needing only to be channeled into human consciousness. As far as Aliens and UFOs are concerned, I have an open mind, and still am not sure I don't share DNA with beings who evolved from life forms that were transported to Earth via asteroids and comets. @Del: Lately, clocks and calendars have come to have little meaning to me because my life is now pretty much one day just merging into another, with the sun and the moon being my only guide lines, and I wouldn't dispute those who say time doesn't exist. Therefore, i can't answer your specific questions about what dates and what hours these odd things happened to me but, yes, when the tingling sensation overtakes me it does travel up my spine and spread out. I also found your references to creative brainstorms being preceded by experiences akin to LSD trips very interesting. i've heard that before. So, i am kinda hoping i will have a great revelation soon! @pioneer: If the Universe is preparing me for the hereafter, it sure is giving me a long trial period since this craziness has been going on for over 10 years. @Chevdov: Thanks for your vote of confidence! I'm done. See ya!

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

I am the same way. I typically try to merely express my opinion/views, not launch into outright disagreement, as though in a war. Additionally, if I have ever used that language (I disagree), it is not hard and fast disagreement. I am always open to discussing anything, regardless of my personal views. I know one fundamental thing, no human (including myself) knows everything. No human has a monopoly on truth. I try to carry a sense of humility around things/ideas/knowledge, as long as the thing isn't so overboard that it can do great harm. Then humility or not, I must do everything to stop the verbal harm being done. Generally, however, I will discourse to a point. If I see there is no balance, I stop talking.

i don't know what Mel's response to Pioneer will be when it comes to her ex-husband, but she sure got it right in her assessment of that loud mouth hypocrite Ali, whose choices of women were always examples of those consistent with western standards, - always bragging about them having long pretty hair which was anything but kinky. He also regularly referred to joe Fraizer as a monkey. In his heyday he was typical of misogynisitic chauvinistic men of islam, expecting their women to be totally subservient and obedient to their dumb asses, but in his final years, Ali was a helpless cripple at the mercy of his controlling manipulative 4th wife. Poetic justice. Always the defender of Islam and its shady leaders, one can't help but wonder why Pioneer never became a Black Muslim. They exemplify everything he believes in.

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.

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.

@Troy, I didn't agree with everything you wrote in the full comment where I pulled this quote from but I put a "like" on it because it was thoughtful. As for the quote, I hear a lot of people say and write this sentiment. I wonder, however, why some believe that it's up to someone outside of us to provide for OUR emotional and physical needs. Biologically, I understand the need to procreate with more than one person - women have been doing it since females began mating with males... but sex for pleasure has nothing to do with variety... (and no, I'm not speaking from ignorance - I've had my fair share of sex partners and lovers). And variety definitely has nothing to do with satisfying an individual's emotional needs. When I hear this, I know that the person has not matured to the level necessary to engage in a fulfilling relationship with another person. Our parents choose to provide for our physical and emotional needs and if they do their job right - we learn how to engage in loving relationships with others. We can have successful relationships without expecting others to do the job of our parents. Maybe that's why polyandry, polygamy, and polyamory appeal to so many "first world" citizens. We've been raised to believe others are supposed to do our heavy lifting whether it be physical, emotional, financial or spiritual. I can testify while we may thrive in a nurturing community - the aforementioned is an inside job.

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.

My apologies @Mel HopkinsBeing insulting or condescending is no way to have a discussion or even an argument. Mea Culpa

The character KIllmonger was written with some depth. While this is good, it is not at all unusual. A good villiams is always developed in such a way as to help the reader, or the theater goers ,understand the characters motivation. I liked Hannibal Lecter in Silence of the Lambs, he was a complete monster but we go to know him -- that and the character was brilliantly portrayed by Anthony Hopkins. I also like the character Khan in Star Trek and many others. But there are great Black character, villains or anti-heros that were just as compelling -- pretty much all of the gangster from The Wire would qualify. One thing that puzzles me about the love affair with The Black Panther film is how crazy we we are over this flick. Wakanda is something some white boys at Marvel made up. Now Black people are talking about this movie uplifting the Black race and it "telling our story." This reactions just tells me how collectively desperate we are for positive images of ourselves... it really is rather pathetic when you think about it...

I love Octavia Butler's Mind of My Mind because her characters use telepathy in an interesting way. I have believed for some time that it was possible we once only used telepathy, and verbal language has been a degeneration away from our purer state of communicating. Basically, something ruined us. Maybe processed food, bad air, bad water, or a disaster on Earth, dunno. Just some thoughts/ideas I play with. @Cynique I learned not too long ago that effect is the proper word when writing effect change. I went through several grammar websites. Effect change means to "bring about" change. Specifically, bring about a different state of affairs. So yes, it was deliberate. I want to bring about change....change the state of affairs in this world. @Delano I'm glad it's not odd to you! I have had a couple writer friends tell me it is strange since I love to write! LOL. But that is the nature of communication. There are some things one cannot get folks to understand. No amount of words anyone told me over the course of my life could get me to TRULY understand the pain that is child birth. I was told it is horrible, it hurts like hell, it's the worst pain ever. But hearing all of that STILL didn't instill in me an understanding. It would have required telepathy for me to understand them prior to having my own child. When I had my own children, THEN I understood. LOL. So it is with many things I want to get folks to understand. I am fully aware that they won't, because they do not understand the way I think. I believe I think in 7 dimensions. LOL. How do I explain some of the off the beaten path ideas I have to people who have the ability to think in 7 dimensions, but have been trained by this world (all of us were) to think in only 2 or 3 dimensions. I believe we ALL have the ability, but so many are stuck on following the status quo and repeating what talking heads say, and the news says, that they can never escape the trap of their dimension. This is why i tossed my television in the trash over 10 years ago. I saw what it was doing to me...keeping me stuck in a single dimension. When I got rid of it, my learning increased 1,000 fold. I began to see things differently, I dreamed differently, colors looked different. Everything changed for me by the single act of not letting something else think for me, speak for me and provide me with images of the world. Images that always remain the same across all news sources. New questions were never asked. I began to know more about the world than those who watched television. LOL. I also began to realize what I needed to know, what was important, rather than what the television told me was important, and I needed to know about the world by its reports. Anyhoo, I ramble again. But yeah, again, glad you don't think it's odd.

Everyone is right based on the question. Agreement or disagreement is irrelevant. Everyone can see different problems and not see others because of perspectives and experience. I prefer to be Johnny Ideaseed. Talking about whether race is a relevant topic isnt all that important to me. "Indians are red Niggers" - Ghost Dog. Does your concept of race matter to your oppression , your oppressor or even fellow poster more than their own? Is there a solution to the problem. Yes but because of heterogeneity the solution is probably more individualistic than socialistic. It is interesting that Zaji agreeing with Pioneer has a different reaction than when I did the same. Fascinating. Also you (plural) can say and believe whatever you want. It is eaier to side with Cynique Mel Pioneer or Troy in the main since there's a ideological basis that is consistent. Zaji is writer and the group is interesting material. Juat some observations or are some of them conclusions. I am not certain. Sincerely, Doubtful Delano aka not having very strong convictions or pronouncements. And like i have done earlier I will watch from the sidelines.

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.

There are so many............ These aren't in any particular order of importance and I'm sure there are some that SHOULD be included in the top 10 that I'm not thinking of right now but here are 10 just off the top: Message To The Black Man (The Honorable Elijah Muhammad) Up From Slavery (Booker T. Washington) The Phantom Tollbooth Black Labor White Wealth (Claud Anderson) Mein Kampf (Adolph Hitler) The Bible The Autobiography of Malcolm X (Alex Haily) Think and Grow Rich (Napoleon Hill) Time Machine (H.G. Wells) Life After Life (Dr Raymond Moody) It's been years since I've read them and I don't have the best memory in the world to remember every detail of them, but I do remember how much I got caught up reading these book and just thinking about them still brings comfort to this day.

Best Wishes,Respect For All The Black -Mothers,Grandmothers,Aunts, On Mothers Day..It Has Been -Said That Black Women .Are The Strength Of,The Black -Community...Extra Respect For Black Mothers Raising Children -Alone And For Black .Mothers Grieving Over their Sons --,Murdered By Nazi Terrorist Police And Street Gangs...I Think --,Cynique Is A Mother And Grandmother..A Perfect Song For -Black Mothers And Girls Is Black Pearl,By Sonny Charles -And,The Checkmates.....

I divorced my ex-husband for being disrespectful, not for an "adulterous" affair. I found out he was having an intimate and sexual relationship with another woman but didn't bother to tell me. If he would have told me he was seeing someone else, it would have given me an opportunity to decide how to proceed. He didn't. His silence took away my choice and also put my life in danger. I believe when you're in an intimate relationship you don't keep secrets from each other. Openness and vulnerability toward each other is the foundation of a great relationship.

Wishing: Troy Cynique Delano And other members of the AALBC family a happy new year................