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I could see why you may feel like a "bitter Black woman lacking compassion," but I don't see it that way. If you were totally devoid of compassion you would not have bothered sharing your thoughts. Rather I think that you are a mature human being telling her truth. I'd be willing to bet that most people don't care about the things you mentioned. We are bombarded with so much it is hard to care about any--at least not until it effects you and then it is usually too late... I trust that at some point we will put our focus more on what people your age have to say @Cyniquerather than the twenty-somethings, and dysfunctional older people, who get all the media's attention. Maybe in that world people your age would feel more invested in what happens after they are gone and everyone else would benefit as a result. While most of the people who read what you write will not acknowledge it, you do have an audience who benefits from your thoughts. Hopefully you won't become too bitter to sharing them here.

In the twilight of my years, there are a lot of things about which i've been trying to not let my baser instincts prevail. But lately, i have become inundated with current events that i am just not compatible with or sympathetic about. In my ongoing search for the truth, i have begun to look inward and if i am to be honest, i have no choice but to confess that i am descending into a state of "i don't give a damnism". i am not proud of this but the truth is not always pretty and, in my case, there are many things that have neutralized my humanity and no longer inspire my concern. Where to begin? What don't i give a damn about? Well, i don't care about the plight of Muslim immigrants or Hispanic illegals. i don't care about feminists and their shrill complaints about sexual harassment. i don't care about the ambiguous Black Lives Matter movement. i don't care about the opioid epidemic. i don't care about the Las Vegas mass murders. i don't care about manipulation of corporate America. i don't care about anything pertaining to celebrities. i don't care about any black actor or author who has an African surname. i don't care about the america flag or the country that it flies over. More specifically, why should i care about clannish Muslims, hovering in their little enclaves, their women claiming to not be submissive while dutifully wearing head coverings? Why shold i care about hard-working Mexicans speaking Spanish and implicitly scorning lazy blacks. Neither one of these group have ever bonded with black people in their struggle but instead just want to avail themselves of a better life they hope America will provide. Why should I care about this "me too" mania of white women and their phony newly-found male supporters who formerly looked the other way and shrugged, all jumping on the bandwagon pointing their fingers as if dirty ol men haven't always been around propositioning females, many of whom took them up on their offers. Not to mention the ambitious aggressive seducers using their wiles to get what they wanted from men. None of this is new to long-suffering black women who are not held in high esteem like fragile, intimidated white women. Why should i care about the floundering BLM movement which has been taken over by inept self-serving leaders putting out a message that is being blatantly ignored? Why should i care about the opioid crises and its white suburban victims any more than whites cared about the crack epidemic that devastated black ghettos. Why should i care about the Las Vegas terrorist shootings, white-on-white crime instead of white-on-black killings at the hands of police terrorism? Why should i waste time caring about Amazon and FaceBook and other mega capitalists who exploit the powerless masses of every color? Why should i care about the baby bumps and hook-ups and excesses in the shallow ranks of the rich and famous? Why should i rejoice about the success of Africans living in this country who reap all the benefits that American-born blacks fought and died for, smug pervasive late comers with strange names who haven't paid their dues? Why should i care about that star spangled rag that is the symbol of red genocide, black enslavement, and white entitlement. Or about the BS country that this besmirched banner represents. Why should i care indeed? i have better things to occupy myself with. Do i sound like a bitter black woman, lacking in compassion? Can i regard life as a big joke and be bitter at the same time?

@Cynique , Nope! You sound like a wise woman who's witnessed a lot. And now you have the opportunity to watch this big sh*t show brought to us by a reality TV show performer. Or you can tune out too... I used to think Gil Scott Heron prophecy of " the revolution won't be televised" as something profound. Now I see it's simply because there won't be one. We're not going out with a bang...just a petering out.

Hi Cyn...I suspect the reason this is a cricket post is because folks are feeling the same way and why there is no outrage about these items. I feel ya !!

I realized as soon as the family on the beach in Brazil came up that I'd seen the documentary before. But I did like the approach of putting the issue of poverty in a global context. The documentary is a decade old and things have gotten worse. The interesting thing about 45 dissing the widow was the fact that America was carrying out operations in Niger. Wait, what what the heck are we doing in Niger? All due respect to the widow, but 45's flubbing of the condolence was both expected and pales in comparison to what American is doing in with our money, and in our name, on the continent of Africa. There are many who feel we are growing our colonizing ways, raping Africa of their resources, and impoverishing the people. But as long as we have cell phones (Africa is rich in the metals needed to make these devices), we don't care. But how can we care? We don't have a media with the resources to help us understand what is happening and why it matters.

The Writers' Block (Tennessee) is piloting its first monthly Literary Pop-Up Shop in Bartlett, TN! On December 2, 2017, The Writers’ Block is launching its first Literary Pop-Up Shop in Bartlett, TN. I piloted the concept with the objective of bringing authors together with their audience. It is a book fair, meet-and-greet, mix and mingle, book signing event like none other. It will be held Saturday, December 2, 2017, at the Singleton Community Center, 7266 Third Road, Bartlett, TN 38135, from 12:00 PM – 5:00 PM CST! FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC, we have seventeen authors from Tennessee, Mississippi, and Texas with an array of genres; as well as, eight non-author exhibitors. We have something for the entire family – Romance, Devotional, Inspirational, Fiction, Poetry, Christian and Children Books. We are inviting the community to come out and support us – browse, $hop, mix and mingle, and donate just in time for your holiday shopping! The Literacy Lighthouse will be accepting donations of new and used children's books during the event! Whether you are buying or selling you do not want to miss this event! Not in the area, you can still support our efforts by shopping in our online store and purchasing our Official The Writers' Block T-Shirt ! Check out our website for more information on the authors and exhibitors who are participating in December's event, read our November's newsletter for some of their interviews, and support us by ordering your T-Shirt! www.thewritersblock-tn.com Our Author Showcase Includes (in alphabetical order): Alexandra Allred, Texas! Ann Bates, Mississippi! Meg Farrell, Mississippi! Arnita Fields, Tennessee! Cherida Lynn Franklin, Tennessee! Sandra Golden, Tennessee! Rosetta Holmes, Tennessee! Jennifer James, Mississippi! Yvonne James, Host, Tennessee! Clarence McFerren, II, Tennessee! Stacie Boyce Page, Tennessee! Debra Parmley, Tennessee! Wintrell Pittman, Tennessee! Joyce Smith, Tennessee! Spartan City Poetry Club, Tennessee! Seletha Tucker, Tennessee, and Lynn Watson, Tennessee! We also have representatives from Avon, Mary Kay, LipSense/SeneGence, Thirty-One, Paparazzi Jewelry, MyEcon, and Literacy Lighthouse as exhibitors! And, Cupcake Cutie Etc. a custom cupcake bar offering seven everyday cake flavors, nine different icings, a variety of fillings, and over thirty-five toppings!

Yes... because while I knew of the inequity- I didn't know of the laws that made it possible. What's worse is we haven't stopped it yet. We haven't changed our ways. We continue to vote to allow the oligarchs to take more of our rights. We haven't taken the steps prescribed in the documentary or even from the man who is a confessed economic hit man to act on it. @Troy is sounding the alarm to put an end to it by slowing down Amazon, facebook, google , apple - microsoft - what NY Times called Technology's Frightful Five ... and he posted the push back he received from doing something as simple as boycotting Amazon. Those people are extremely scary...(I was them before I had the information we have today) - So yes, I think we do need more people of every color to keep speaking up and providing solutions. These are laws being enacted that are enslaving people once again. I bet if I tracked my activities of a 24 hour period it would reveal how I'm contributing to poverty in the motherland. In fact, I know it..because I'm a huge coffee and tea drinker ...so even that simple action is aiding in the genocide of Kenyans. @Pioneer1 Question: What part shocked you? What part did you already know but decided there was nothing you could do about it? What simple action can you do to make a difference in all our lives today?

Do i sound like a bitter black woman, lacking in compassion? No, you sound indifferent for the most part and a bit irritated that the issues you brought up are getting so much undeserved attention. Perhaps you may have a few health issues. If so, THAT may be where your real concern and focus is and all the other crap going on in the news will seem like trivial in comparison to something that actually affects you in a direct personal way. Perhaps you're really missing loved ones who have passed and that frustration makes the current events of this world seem rather dull and mundane without them being here to witness these events with you and share there input. Or perhaps you've seen so much of "this world" that you've become jaded with it and now are ready for something NEW and exciting.....like a major world war or authentic extraterrestrial invasion....to liven things up.

For the first time in AALBC history I agree with Delano 100%. It must have been that Solar Eclipse or something....lol. Racism is a problem WHITE PEOPLE need to discuss with EACHOTHER because it's a problem that....outside of Divine influence.....only they can solve for themselves. We can talk about it among ourselves or to White people for centuries and it still wouldn't change anything. Black people have only a limited ability to eliminate racism because it's not coming from US but from THEM....so they have to change themselves. We can PROTECT ourselves from the effects of racism. One of the ways to do this is to take control of our communities and provide housing, employment, food, health care, and other necessities and luxuries for ourselves so that we aren't beholden to Whites for them. But that will only have a minor effect on the MIND SET or ATTITUDE of Whites toward us. LIke Malcolm told the White student who said she wanted to help him, he said if you want to help me then go to YOUR PEOPLE and influence them. If White people are truly interested in ending racism then THEY must confront the racists and White supremists among themselves and have a civil war to end it. And that will be one of the GREATEST WARS that has ever been fought in the history of humanity.

@Cynique I know you have seen so much. My respects to your strength and resilience ma'am.

I hear you both, but we can simply live are lives. If you engage with the world--they are constantly assaulted us in a myriad of ways. And when I say "they" I don;t mean all white folks or even a majority of them. I'm talking about the plutocracy, who treat poor an middle class white folks like crap too. The dot com bubble, the real estate meltdown, hyperincareation, drugs, affect them too. Sure Black folks are adversely impacted disproportionately, but making this an issue of race is why these problems can't be fixed. Racism is an invention of the ultra-rich to keep us fighting with each other rather than dealing with our real enemy.

@Mark RadfordPretty much where i am. i have to stop expending my energy on hating the Donald Trump disease which is infecting this country. i am ready to secede from America and live in my own world.

I will not waste any of my precious time on this planet explaining humanity to racial aggressors. None. They will need to sort it out amongst themselves. In the meantime I will live life, associate with human beings who are secure with who/what they are, go where I feel welcome and avoid where I don't.

How many people ARE paid what they actually "deserve" male or female? I found out a long time ago that you usually are paid what you either DEMAND or are skillfull enough to hustle up on. Black people need to seriously examine this belief that somehow if they work hard or produce a great product that White people (in Hollywood or elsewhere) will automatically recognize it or their greatness and compensate them for it. White people aren't divine deities.....they are human beings who shouldn't be expected to give people what they deserve. Infact, you should EXPECT them to lie and steal your ideas and claim them as their own and be pleasantly surprised if they DON'T, lol. White people in Hollywood are prone to lying and injustice like everyone else, so expecting them to pay Black excellence what it deserved is naive. We need to just be greater and greater and improve ourselves for OUR OWN SAKE and compensate OURSELVES however we see fit regardless of what White people think or do.

Hi @Linda Chavis, I don't see it as hate. I seems to me that whenever a Black person critiques another Black person the negative connotation of "hate" is applied. Essentially Monique is arguing that she, and other critically acclaimed Black female actresses are not paid on par with white actress and that other Black people help perpetuate this situation. One can take issue with Monique's use of language, but the essence of what she was saying is true. Linda do you (or anyone), disagree with Monique's assessment? I don't think Monique has the desire or skill to organize the creation of another actor's union.

I'm going to watch this too. "We aren't inching towards the haves and have nots... we are there - slaves and slave masters..." Exactly. But this we will not change because too many people don't realize this or care. The most astonishing reaction to my proposed boycott of Amazon, for example, is that some, a minority for sure, but a sizeable one, sees absolutely nothing wrong with Amazon being a monopoly. Here is a conversation I had with someone (who I don't know) on Facebook over a period of less than 24 hours. The conversation went nowhere. I don't see how I could possible help someone like this understand why Amazon's growing dominance is bad for all concerned (save Amazon's investors). Troy Johnson María, It is interesting that some have made this an issue of Amazon versus mainstream publishing. Sure Amazon is manhandling the "Big 5" publishers, but my motivation for this action is to help independent authors, publishers, and booksellers. Manage María Cristina Silva López Amazon is not the only place independent authors can use to publish. There's tons more. But they require extra work and advertising, which many are not willing/able to put in. Hardly Amazon's fault. As for independent booksellers, there's Amazon marketplace, as well as many other alternatives. Nowadays if a person wants to run a business and be profitable they can't just expect one source of revenue income. That's why Amazon is so profitable, they get it. It's not just books, it's clothes, it's appliances, it's groceries, it's dash buttons, it's own products, it's percentages of other business' sales. It's a great business model that anyone could replicate in smaller scale. Bitching and moaning about the big bad Amazon is not gonna get these people sales, but it's a heck of a lot easier that working your arse off to get them. Consumers are turning to alternatives from traditional publishing because they're not getting what they want. Amazon is just one of the ways they can access that. 30 years ago it would have been impossible for me to discover a self-published teen author from Australia. Today that teen can get my money and a new fan, and I can help spread their name around. Remove Troy Johnson I'm not sure if you've read my article. In it I reference a report: Amazon’s Stranglehold: How the Company’s Tightening Grip Is Stifling Competition, Eroding Jobs, and Threatening Communities (Institute for Local Self-Reliance), you may download it her...See More Manage María Cristina Silva López Yeah I read it. I agree with a lot of it, the way they do some things is far from great. Doesn't contradict at all what I'm saying though. Assuming I didn't because I don't suddenly agree with you it's insulting towards me and extremely arrogant. They ...See More Remove Troy Johnson María, being insulted is your choice. I simply did not think you read my article or any of the related information because of what you wrote. In many areas Amazon is, or approaching, becoming a monopoly. Surely you must realize a monopoly represents is a complete failure of capitalism. Now if you think Amazon is a reflection of capitalism working well; then we will have to disagree--no insult intended. Manage Valerie Drew I purchase books from Amazon, Kobo, local bookshops, charity shops and mainstream sellers. I support local bookshops as I love them and don't want to lose them. So no this isn't just about Amazon. Remove Sarah Hindmarsh Then stop being a prat and kill this before it starts. You are going to HURT independently published authors beyond belief. Your actions are completely irresponsible and you clearly have not properly considered the consequences for the people who depend on ebook sales through Amazon to make a living. Remove Troy Johnson Sarah, my sole motivation for considering this action is to benefit independent authors, publishers, and booksellers. I would be willing to bet that I've made more money from Amazon that you have, since I've been an affiliate for them since 2002. If I were to boycott them I'd be cutting off a revenue stream--fortunately my livelihood is not dependent upon a single corporation. But again the very fact that you believe that I would "HURT independently published authors beyond belief" is precisely the problem I'm trying to solve. No author should be dependent upon one company. Again this is the situation monopolies create. Manage Sarah Hindmarsh You obviously fail to see the point completely Troy Johnson. I have a very successful tuition business and rely on amazon precisely zero for the roof over my head. Others are not so fortunate. Attempting to make them destitute to further your own political cause in this way is frankly despicable. Remove Troy Johnson Being hyperbolic and accusing me of wanting to make others destitute is absurdly hyperbolic and/or disingenuous. But thanks for your comments. Manage Sarah Hindmarsh That may not actually be your aim, but if this poorly thought out action were to succeed that would be precisely the result. I know you think you are doing a good thing here but your grasp of the potential consequences is atrocious. At this point i gave up. Some people have to had the last word, and I was clearly not getting anywhere. But it gives you a sense of how Amazon has become an issue of religious proportions. I doubt even a documentary like the one above will make a dent in people like the person I was debating above.