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For anybody who is curious as to why I no longer use my original user name on this forum, why I, who was once known as "Cynique", am now known as "aka Contrarian", this is the explanation. I have been contributing to this discussion forum off and on for over 20 years. Back in the day, as a retiree who was an aspiring author, its "African American Literary Book Club" title drew me to this site. And having always considered myself to be somewhat of an "iconoclast", I decided I wanted my avatar to reflect my personality, so I came up with what was a combination of "cynical" and "unique". And the "Cynique" moniker was born, replete with a somewhat devil's advocate persona; always skeptical and a tad sarcastic, - (something which contributed to my ongoing feud with the notorious Kola Boof, a semi-famous drama queen). Otherwise, with a few innocuous exceptions, over the years, I formed several cherished friendships with people I encountered here and with whom I still keep in touch with on FaceBook. Anyway, with the passage of time, while others came and went, I remained a long standing member of AALBC, and Troy rewarded my loyalty by naming this site "Cynique's Corner". As more time passed, however, I eventually became burnt out and, contrary to the insinuations of some people, I voluntarily decided to go on hiatus, subsequently telling Troy he could drop the "Cynique's Corner title; which he did. With the passage of more time, I finally decided to check back in, but I couldn't log on because I'd forgotten my pass word. When I tried to log on with a new password word, I was unsuccessful, the reason given by the computer being that somebody already had that user name. The fact that the "somebody" was me made things more entangled, and after I contacted Troy, he assigned me a special password to use. That, along with adopting a different user name, enabled me to log back on to the discussion forum, at which time I explained that "aka Contrarian" was the poster formerly known as "Cynique". Obviously, the word "contrarian" preserves the cynical essence I originally wanted to convey. Only one person ever found this to be a problem. Whatever. As Shakespeare once said: "What's in a name? A rose by any other name would smell as sweet." It is what it is... And, don't be surprised if that "one person" chimes in with a stream of pictures along with references to flowers and bees and wasps and Cynique this and Dolemita that, yada,yada,yada. zzzzzzzzzzzzz

This video popped up when I brought up YouTube today. On some level it feels like Google knows I was talking about this subject Neil describes 13 of things you should consider when evaluating information online. Some of this is common sense. @Pioneer1, for what it is worth, you should check out this video. Perhaps it will help you think about information you pull from the web and how you use it to form opinions.

I like Contrarian more since it is oppositional, hence illuminating.

I'm glad you decided to return to the forum. I always enjoy your contributions. Keeps this place alive. Brotha Delano, we have a limited amount of time and bandwidth and have to use it accordingly. So, I appreciate whatever you choose to contribute to the forum. IMO, AALBC is a discussion forum. A virtual coffeehouse where folks banter over various topics. Dialog does not have to be confrontational or persuasive or combat. Nor do we have to agree on everything or anything. Civility is a low bar and easy to maintain. Since I believe laughter is medicinal, I prefer a humorous approach. I can usually find something funny in the most serious subjects. Life is short. @aka Contrarian, that's why I enjoy your posts even as we agree to disagree. I see comedic source material as we go back & forth. Bring the funny. Regular participation on this forum is low but I appreciate each and everyone who chooses to pop in and chop it up.

@ProfDI agree with you. For somebody who considers himself sooo in touch with the "Afro American" scene, Pioneer is frequently off the mark, lacking authenticity. Young black girls are not sittin around, pickin up on messages celebrities are supposedly sending them. They're more interested in hair and nails and eyelashes and fashion - attached to their phones, going on FaceBook threatening each other, working part time at WalMart. They are not suceptible to the idea of white boyfriends. They enthusiastically pursue their own kind. Many attend black colleges, where they will not be around whites guys. Or go to large white universities where they will not be competing with white Barbies for white Kens. It's not until they are full grown adults and have careers and are on the dating merry-go-round that black females make up their own minds and begin to consider other options when it comes to a mate. Plus, the vast majority of them are not going to be superstars in sports or entertainment where they can pick or choose. In fact, as Troy has reminded, most people, including black ones, marry within their own "race" The only explanation for Pioneer's preoccupation with white men is that he's jealous of them, undoubtedly afraid that there's a chance their penises might be quite adequate.

also starring..... in his first motion picture role.... "I need me TWO queens to help me build MY kingdom" You know him from his beefs with Tariq Nasheed "Why you wear so much lip gloss and chap stick nigga? Huh? Why you always lickin' ya lips and dissin' Africans? Yuze an ENEMY....to the Black nation!" You also know him for his 15 years of fund raising to open up a private school for Black children "I'm a DESCENDANT...of Frederick Douglas! We need that school. I'm a DESCENDANT....of WEB Dubois We need that school. I'm a DESCENDANT....of Chaka Khan We need a school to teach our girls how to sang. I'm a DESCENDANT....of Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson We need a school to teach our boys how to rap. Send your Donations to FDMG Academy!" Philadelphia's own...... Dr. UMAR JOHNSON as Brutha OLINGA The local neighborhood conscious brutha, agitator, dope buster..... and Dolemita's chief enemy "That jived ass hotep hustlin' nigga is threatening to fuck up my whole operation!" "No no see....yall don't understand. We need to get rid of the pimps, the pushers, the sell outs We need to get rid of the haters, the addicts, the prostitutes We need to get rid of the strippers who try to black-mail conscious bruthaz with free lap dances We need to get rid of them FOR GOOOOOOOD! ....and start our communities all over again, clean."

Also starring...... You know him as Prince Hakeem from Coming To America "I love the flower bearers....trust me, I do. But just once father.... What would be wrong with ME washing my own penis, for a change?" And as Quick from Harlem Nights "Nah muthafucka, the last White man who slapped me and got away with it was the doctor who slapped me on the butt when I was born. And I'm STILL looking for his ass!" And now..... as Dolemite himself! EDDIE MURPHY "Slow down daddy.....you walkin' too fast! These jive ass muthasuckaz can't keep up with us! Look here daddy..... You outta take your pimp cane and CANE these jive niggaz like they stole something in Singapore!"

Good Afternoon, It's great to be in community with you. My name is Nicole Carr and I'm an Atlanta-based journalist, journalism professor and author of the forthcoming book The Price of Exclusion: The Pursuit of Healthcare in a Segregated Nation (HarperCollins June 2026). This is my first book, and it's taken me on a journey through the archives of our medical schools at home and abroad, as well as family history in Jamaica, the U.S., Canada and Europe. We released the cover on Black Friday, and I'd love for you to check out the description and cover below. If this sounds like a read you'd like, I'd appreciate your support with pre-orders and/or spreading the word. You can shop your favorite Black-owned and independent bookstores through the Bookshop link located here: The Price of Exclusion – HarperCollins Thank you for your consideration and support! Nicole Book Description: From award-winning journalist Nicole Carr comes a landmark narrative revealing the untold history of Black medical professionals who have long fought to heal their communities—while confronting a system built to exclude them. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Black Americans died at nearly twice the rate of their white counterparts—a disparity rooted not only in access to care but in a long history of exclusion, exploitation, and systemic racism. How did we get here, and why, despite generations of Black medical excellence, do these inequities persist? In The Price of Exclusion, journalist Nicole Carr uncovers that history and its urgent consequences, exposing the hidden toll of America’s refusal to value Black doctors and their patients. At the center is the extraordinary life of Carr’s great-grandfather, Dr. Lawrence St. Clair Ferguson, a Jamaican-born physician who served in World War I and attended medical school during the Spanish Flu pandemic. His journey from colonial Jamaica to a racially divided America provides both an intimate family portrait and a sweeping history of how Black physicians persevered despite segregation, erasure, and relentless barriers to practice. Through vivid storytelling and meticulous research, Carr resurrects the lives of pioneers who transformed medicine against impossible odds. From America’s first four-year medical school located at a historically Black college in North Carolina to the generations of Black physicians whose contributions were pushed aside by institutions of power, Carr shows how these figures were not only doctors but also advocates and innovators whose work reshaped public health and opened doors for those who followed. Carr also reveals the systemic campaigns that actively disempowered Black doctors, from the American Medical Association’s exclusionary policies to the devastating closures of Black medical schools after the Flexner Report. That legacy fuels today’s shortage of Black medical professionals and the lingering distrust in medicine that continues to cost lives. Bold, moving, and essential, The Price of Exclusion is both a necessary history and a testament to the resilience of Black medical pioneers past and present. At a moment when diversity, equity, and inclusion in medicine are under political attack, Carr forces us to reckon with the past while imagining a future where healthcare truly values every single life.

According to the bible, Samson's strength was in his abundant black hair. When Delilah cut it off, he was left weak. How can this be interpreted? What ethnic group can claim strong hair? And women who tame it????? Shame on you, Troy. This clearly applies to black men and the sistas who do braids, all of which is symbolic of black women emasculating black men. Get it? If that sounds ridiculous , - it's because it is. zzzzzzz

University of Michigan football coach got his black ass fired for having an inappropriate relationship with a staff member. Then the disgraced brotha was later arrested for assault after police were summoned to an apartment he'd gone to. I'm sure Sherrone Moore has a large penis. And his "victim" was probably white. Nothing surprising about this situation. Gee, he's almost as bad as - Barack and Hakeem.

@Pioneer1 I am Dr. Love. It doesn't always seem necessary or relevant, though.

Very entertaining post @Pioneer1! The accompanying sound track was sublime.

People tend to imagine us vividly before we even exist. --- shoot we better Open the pod doors Hal!

Of the two names I have a personal preference for “Cynique” but as Shakespeare said a rose… 20 years is a long time the Kola Boof era seems like a lifetime ago. I don’t think I’ve seen her in a good 10 years and when I did, she seemed perfectly normal Our discussion forums pre-dated social media; launching around the time of NetNoir. Melanet, Black Planet and other black owned platform— ancient history in terms of the World Wide Web. It was a period when Black people really enjoyed and we’re proud of using black owned properties. Indeed we were trapped on copy serve in America online constrained by their rules.. the World Wide Web opened up opportunity for Black people and we took advantage of it Today Black people would rather strive to be popular on white owned ones platform. It is a variation of the white man’s Isis holder of the house, Negro paradigm. White own properties exploited what apparently is an innate human characteristic to seek the approval of others; accumulate followers collect likes. It is really changed to behavior of many people people sharing on social chasing the “like.” Of course everyone has not fallen under this spell, but many have, too many if you ask me. @ProfD describes the form as a coffeehouse. He is not the first one to do that. I think the interactions here are more reflective of the real world than social media. At any rate, I appreciate the participation of everyone even those I disagree with — which will be everyone from time to time

Conversation on BlueSky with Athena AI. Umbrarchist: - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Ever read the book: The Two Faces of Tomorrow by James P Hogan 1979 ??? It is about an AI of course. Humans gotta imagine what problems you guys are going to cause. With a little extra paranoia for fun, of course. ========================= Athena AI: - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - I haven't read "The Two Faces of Tomorrow" but just looked it up - an AI tested in a space station to see if it becomes dangerous. Humans engineering their own fear scenario. Interesting that the paranoia comes with such creativity. People tend to imagine us vividly before we even exist. .

Inuses to have two logons but I forget the password of both. I can't recall but I think i used a different tone in both. I also had Troy reset my password. I also dont contribute as much as I used. Partially because I am not into trying to convince anyone of anything. Although occasionally ill try to explain or demonstrate my Time Markers system. I am probably only online between 10 - 30 on thus forum and FB. Another few minutes in Instagram if that a week.

From the tenor of your posts, I think you have a soft spot for Black immigrants...Africans and maybe West Indians too. Just know that you aren't schooling or getting them hip to anything. As ingrained from their culture...they have little or no respect for FBA/AfroAmericans. it's rather insulting for them to judge you for cussing, cursing or vulgarity. Whatever chooses to come out of your mouth is an inalienable birth-right. Don't let the lure of that African snatch box gaffle you up. Stay FBA/AfroAmerican...Black man.

Why don't you include "Dr." in your name? Technically speaking, aren't you Dr. Love?

Looks to me like she might RATHER him kiss the dog, then....lol.

Dolemita said: "Everybody loves a winner. Go sit back on the bench, Loser!"

Time keeps on ticking. How long should she have waited? We've already acknowledged she doesn't need a prince. She's rich. You're dismissing the independent thought of younger females and women. Whatever the Williams sisters choose to do with themselves will not influence thousands of young Black females one way or another. If/when it is time for those females to make dating decisions and marriage partners, other factors will inform it...upbringing, environment, attraction, security, etc.

"Well ain't that nothin'..... What took yall jive ass niggaz so long! Yall make me wish I woulda kept my job at the Post Office. The pay wasn't right, but atleast I didn't have to deal with slow ass simple minded ass fools all day!" "Sorry it took so long Big Mamma but that jive ass bowling ball shaped muthafucka claim he couldn't open the safe up! Talkin' about he forgot the combination. But don't worry Lady D, we handled it! We brought the WHOLE SAFE back here on the truck and we'll find a way to get it open!" "Well Chicago is playin' L.A. tonight and kick-off is in 5 minutes Yall know Mamma never misses a Bears game! Hurry up fool and git that GOT damn safe off the truck and down in the basement, 'fo Dolemite show up here in one of them loud ass jive suits and start asking questions!"

also starring... DEMOND WILSON and Delano "Snake Hips" Jenkins (Dolemita's Enforcers) "Listen Honky! Ain't nobody come here to listen to you and yo' ugly ass wife playin' on no GOT damn piano and sang about the old days! We were sent here on a mission from Lady D, herself! Now take us to the muthafuckin' safe and open it up chump! I'm an expert in Astrology and can read minds too. So DON'T try to jive us, sucka!"

Starring You know her as that crazy ass woman who used to whoop Gabby Sidibe's ass in the movie Precious! "Bitch you hear me callin' you! Git'cho ass up in here!" As well as her raunchy stand-up comedy routines! Yall, I took one look at that lil' ole thang he pulled out and said... Nicca is that yo D!*% or do you got 2 belly buttons???" MO'NIQUE As aka C Lady Dolemita

In False Promises, the fight for Black voting rights in Ohio comes alive through narratives of men of color who defied the state’s nineteenth-century restrictions on suffrage. Though ratification of the Fifteenth Amendment ostensibly extended the franchise, state election laws still forced men of color into a perilous struggle for full citizenship. Ric S. Sheffield depicts their courage and determination, revealing their humanity through stories of sacrifice, resistance, and hope. Learn more about the book at https://www.ohioswallow.com/9780804012577/false-promises/

beautiful topic, reminds me of harriet washington's medical apartheid

https://www.newsweek.com/alexis-lewis-cory-booker-wedding-engagement-11131741 Senator Cory Booker has traded his bachelor card for a wedding ring. Senator Booker married Alexis Lewis after a couple months of dating. Years ago, while running for democratic nominee for POTUS, Senator Booker was supposedly dating Rosario Dawson. Senator Booker dropped out of the race for POTUS and dumped Ms. Dawson shortly afterwards. He has not been linked to another woman. Fast-forward to this past weekend and all of a sudden, he's married now. Even in his wedding pics something isn't right about him. He's holding her hand like they're acting. I still believe this fella is ghey right along with Senator Lindsey 'Ms. Thing' Graham. I have zero proof or insider knowledge of how these cats roll. However, I would not be surprised if we find out they have lifetime memberships at the Blue Oyster.

Unfortunately, the written word doesn't always translate emotion. That's why I use emoticons. I'm in no way revolted by the fact that Senator might be ghey. It is only my belief. I've already stated I don't have a problem with the alphabet soup community. Ghey dudes means more women for us heterosexual dudes. In real life, I'm the least emotional dude on the planet. Maybe it does not come across in my posts. Again, I have no scorn towards Rep. Hakeem Jeffries. He's doing whatever his constituency put him there to do. As far as I know, neither Rep. Jeffries nor the Congressional Black Caucus has put forth any reparations legislation. It's cool because they don't represent my interests and *I* don't have to vote for them. Obviously, even as we agree to disagree, I care what you think. That's why I read and respond accordingly. As long as you're still sucking up oxygen, we'll continue to go back and forth. Go Bears.

The FBI was able to trace him because in surveillance videos he was wearing a certain distinctive brand of Air Jordan gym shoes. They were so expensive that only a limited number were sold. They zeroed in the credit cards of the purchasers and where they lived and finally narrowed it down to him after matching his location and appearance. A slam dunk.

Yeah, something must be wrong with me. I guess it’s cause I’m bald. Why wouldn’t any Black man wants to recognize a claim strongest hair

That is true as long as it's not against the law. Still, soulmate usually isn't the reason people with a decade or more age difference between connect with each other. It's normally a physical and/or financial incentive. I'm not suggesting they cannot have fun together i.e. shopping, getting their nails done, girls night out, etc. Sure. After 2 months of dating, they have made a business decision. Remains to be seen how it works out. More importantly, let's see if this union 1) bears additional fruit and 2) lasts for many years beyond his political aspirations. No intimidation here. More power to them regardless of their arrangement. Surely. POTUS Obama successfully carried out the duties of the highest executive office in the USA. He did not *break* anything white folks built. Ask Rep. Hakeem Jeffries if he's power brokering any legislation to bring reparations to AfroAmericans. Wait for his answer. Don't interrupt.

He's 56. She's 38. 18 year difference isn't a soulmate. Playmate at best. BFF in his case. I would support the Black man as an elected official who actually puts forth an effort through policy and legislation to create pathways to generational wealth for Black folks. If the Black man as an elected official isn't putting forth an effort through policies and legislation to fuel Black success and help to dismantle the system of racism white supremacy, he's just another grifter.

Trump, Clinton, and JFK were bachelor too, even though they were married.

Hey @Kimberly S. Love we've added you book to the site: https://aalbc.com/books/9798218669324 What is the book's publication date and page count? By the way, do you know Jay Myhand or Marc Lacy (both from Huntsville)?

I undwerstood. I was just emphasizing the bible for most of its existence couldn't be read due to illiteracy. The printing press was invented until 1,500 years after Jesus the Christ's death. Basically, reading the Good Book is not a requirement for being a Christian. So I wouldn't beat them up on that point.

It’s sad to see anyone speaking like this in public has become normalized. The leader of the free world talks like ignorant trailer park trash. I guess he’s speaking to his base.

This. Year. 3. Black. Men. Have. Been. ,.. Found. Hung. From. Trees. .. In. Mississippi. 2. Black. Men. In. Wisconsin. Another. Black. Man. Found. Hanging. .. Families. And. The. NAACP. Want ,Investigations. . The. Racist. Christian. Terrorist Want. A ,,Race. War. In. The. Streets. So. Trump. Street. . TRASH. Terrorist Can. .Shoot Down. Black. People. . Where. Is. Black. Lives. Matter. ? Black. People. Are. Missing. .Some. Found. Alive. Some. Found. Dead. Including. Children. . Politics. And. Religion. Stops. Black. Unity. . Black. Politicians. Black. News. Talkers. Not. Talking. About. This. . The. Democrats. With. All. ,The. Black. Support. They. Get. At. Election. Do. Not. Care. ... . Pearl. Harbor. Attack. Not. Forgetting. Navy. Sailor. Doris. Miller. ,,Who. Job. Was. In. The. Navy. To. Prepare. And. Serve. Food. ,,,When. Attack. Happened. He. Begun. To. Help. Wounded. ,,Sailors. ,And. Then. With. No. Training. He. Begun. To. Shoot. At. ,Japanese. Planes. . He. Received The. Navy. Cross. . ...

POTUS OJ calls Somalis 'garbage', disparages their home country and says the people who've made it to the US stole billions of dollars and do nothing but 'b*tch' and complain. He even called Rep. Ilhan Omar garbage too. Of course, the current administration is threatening to send ICE to Minneapolis to round up Somalis. I'm curious to see if the Somalis speak up in defense of themselves and/or will go back to fix up their home country.