Leaderboard

Hi AALBC fam! I was watching this video on YouTube, Comedian Shuler King and Pharaoh Head Part 2. And while I was listening to him drop knowledge, I thought about how much I missed this forum. It is funny how you can go through life and acquire a bunch of skills, knowledge, and still not know how to use them until you add LOVE. I feel like that sometimes, like I ask What's the point? Then, I remembered whenever I lost my balance, my family would fill me up with love, give me that pick-me-up, and I would get energized. But it hit me, there was still something missing. It was the part I felt while listening to Shuler. I remembered when I'd come right back here, get into some battle of wits, and then I'd remember who I am completely. AALBC forum is like drinking from the chaotic and primordial waters of NUN. I'd come here to fight with @Pioneer1 - every time I do, I learn so much about myself, thank you! or see my whimsical self in my twin, @Del @Delanoadmire the wit of @Cynique @aka Contrarian,and I get energized to know how strong and brilliant women can be! I recently wondered if I'd recognize @ProfD if I heard him whispering in a library or lecturing in front of a class. You are such a mystery that I feel like I know you. Just this morning, I sent energy to, @Chevdove so she will finish her book. She is the one who needs to tell the story of African Adam!. I am proud of my alumni @Troy. Dude, you are an inspiration to me! I'm enjoying watching you beat your dreams into submission. @richardmurray you make me crazy with your projects, but please know I enjoy your enthusiasm! @frankster we haven't engaged in debate, but I'm glad you're here. You echo many of my beliefs and remind me to uncover their origins. @harry brown 's commentary through prose and poetry is a great wake-up call... I could probably go on and name many more if I searched through my memory, but I'm about to go skipping back into the world again. Thank you, thank you, each and every one of you, even the ones I missed and didn't list, thank you for sharing your Love!

Got this one last night! I forgot. The photographer owns this copyright. I removed it from my YouTube channel. 🫥

Hey Fam! I shared my heartbreak with all of you; now here is my joy! Mom, my twin daughters' father, my oldest daughter, Cheyenne's (my daughter who passed away) childhood bestie, is in the family photo with us. I love her so much, and me sitting next to my oldest twin daughter! My daughter married the love of her life in August, and we all got to share in their transformative weekend celebration. 😍 Here's me getting ready for the wedding and checking my rearview🤭 . Yes, this is a very current photo!! And that's my gorgeous mom!!! Yep, she's in her 80s!!!

Made it! Today's my 92nd birthday. Don't know whether to laugh or cry. Such is life. 🤪

Nobody I know uses the term "Afro-American". As far as I'm concerned, it is an obsolete label like - "jive-assed nigga". Over the past 50+years, "Black" is the most common word used when referring to America's slave descendants. Previously, Whites soliciously refrained from publicly calling us what was considered a derogatory term until we started calling ourselves that via the "Black is Beautiful" slogan embraced by the Black Panthers who took their cue from Malcom X. This all took place back in the late 1960s, and from that time forward we, as a people, proudly became "Black" with a capital "B"; going from an adjective to a noun. The idea of blackness being "a state of mind" also came about during this era, presumably to promote inclusiveness, especially since such dynamic activists as Huey Newton, Angela Davis, and Malcom, himself, were light-skinned. In the present, calling negroid Immigrants "African" suffices, because that is what they are, and nobody is confused as to what segment of the American population is being referred to when using that description. This applies to West Indians as well.

Here I am, setting the record straight again, doing so, not because I think anybody cares, but rather because some may be curious as to why a 92-year- old-senior citizen wastes what little time she has left, hangin' out on an online discussion forum, engaging in verbal fisticuffs with a pioneer who has never blazed a trail anywhere except up his own butt. My answer: since the cyber space universe enables one to adopt an alter-ego, and take on a user name and lead a secret existence, quite a while ago I decided why not do this? What the heck. Might be fun. And it has been. In the real world, I am a widowed mother of 5, grandmother of 7, great grandmotherk of 8, family members of whom know very little about Nana's on-line activity; too wrapped up in their own pursuits. They just know she surfs the internet, amusing herself by engaging in various activities, and they remain clueless about the extent of my involvement on this forum since they don't come to this site. Nor do any of my associates. And, rest assured that my "Contrarian" persona is different from how I am in real life among polite company. However, because I can come here and hide behind an avatar, all bets are off and I can express myself anyway I please, Since I'm no longer a single young woman "out-to-catch", I feel no need to tread lightly and act sweet and feminine. I'm off the grid, and favorably impressing men is no longer a priority of mine. Who needs 'em? Welcome to Super Bitch land. Anyway, I say all this to say that, contrary to what some seem to think, I do not expect others to ward off my detractors or take my side. I can fend for myself. Now you know. What we don't know is how much longer I'll be around? Who cares. I don't. But until my time is up, Nana aka Contrarian will just keep poppin in and out, doin' her thing competing with others who jam the board with long self-indulgent posts full of useless information. 😴

If the NYC mayoral race were a novel, I'd deconstruct its architecture. From one election to the next, the narrative appears to shift away from focused policy debates, instead centering on the influence of religious groups. The major religious factions—Christian nationalists, Muslims, and Jews—each appear to compete for cultural and political dominance within the city. Amid this religious competition, the African diaspora in the U.S.—a powerful and often underestimated voting bloc—continues to be overlooked and taken for granted by both the candidates and the dominant religious groups. It sometimes seems as though these competing religious groups neglect the African diaspora’s influence. Ironically, the roots of these religions trace back to African science-based spirituality, yet this connection receives little attention in political or religious discourse. This dynamic played out in Election 2024: Christian nationalists—including evangelists, southern Baptists, and likely Catholics—rallied strongly behind DJT. Media and external influencers shifted the conversation away from local policy and toward polarizing international issues, like the U.S. stance on Israel and Palestine, further affecting how voters chose among domestic candidates. When reviewing 2025 election results, I noticed Mamdani was not the only Muslim elected, which raises the question of whether heightened coverage of Gaza led to greater sympathy and increased Muslim representation—a trend potentially extending into the midterms. Don’t misunderstand—I bear a grudge against all religions. Religious study should bring wisdom, spirituality, and growth, yet it often has the opposite effect. Religions lead to violence instead of joy and peace. Add patriarchy, and it’s chaos. Returning to the story's structure: Is this a narrative of democratic socialism rising in the heart of Wall Street? Consider Manhattan—the FINANCIAL CAPITAL OF THE WORLD—and its boroughs. Is the city that never sleeps really ready to move from capitalism to social ownership? Notably, NYC is the largest property owner according to Curbed.com, and the mayor administers these assets. Perhaps social ownership is the underlying story arc behind recent shifts. So, in this story—call it Project 2025 (S)—the central figure is a young millennial poised to challenge the reigning power and reclaim Manhattan for the people. Behind the scenes, religious struggle, human trafficking disguised as immigration reform, and pervasive surveillance set the chaotic stage for change in the city. Meet the Muslim and Arab Americans who won in US local elections Jews vote for Andrew Cuomo over Zohran Mamdani in NYC mayoral race | The Jerusalem Post "In addition to the Jewish vote, Mamdani lost the Catholic vote by a significant margin: 53% supported Cuomo and 14% backed Sliwa, against 33% for Mamdani. A decisive 75% of voters with no religious affiliation supported Mamdani." Here's a past look at Manhattan when DJT began buying up NY property in the early 70s(?) a look back at Palestinians, Israel, Libya, etc.

You are a very kind and sweet person @Mel Hopkins with the ability to find the beauty in everyone. Thank YOU!

As my 92nd birthday approaches on August 18th, I have drifted into a reflective mood. At this point in my journey I'm experiencing a need to look back and reflect, even as I wonder if I'll make it to August 18th, considering how much my health has deteriorated during the past few months, a situation that renders me as ready as I'll ever be to blow this pop stand. This ol world is currently so screwed up and, imo, on a collision with what I think will be changes so drastic that I will be out of my element. So, whatever. All the points of view and personal philosophies of those who regularly post here, especially as it pertains to the black condition, have inspired me to put myself in perspective and share my thoughts when it comes to where I fit on the black spectrum. Bear with me because this is probably my swan song, and I may ramble. Hopefully, however, something learned about the caliber of my blackness wiil be enlightening when it comes to examining the multi-faceted nature of black America. I have always described myself as a "hybrid" descendant of slaves. That's my tribe. And it's a HoHum passive one. According to Ancestry.com, my blood lines include Irish, German, Native American and, last but not least, African by way of the Sierra Leone region of Nigeria. I do not consider the Atlantic Ocean my homeland because my ancestors obviously reached and landed in America, and were transported to the North Carolina location of what had been one of the country's most prolific slave markets. And the rest is my history. My genesis begins in the territory that originally belonged to the native American tribes like the Osage one which my paternal Grandmother was descended from. . Both my paternal and maternal great grand parents were born into slavery, the women folk, typically raped by their white slave masters... My forebears have always identified themselves as colored, negro, black, depending on the era, and I have never strayed from or had any desire to identify myself as anything other than a non white person who has no delusions about the treachery and guile of the ruthless men who established the White Power Structure that controls the globe. The most negroid thing about me is my hair, having once had an abundant, bushy crop which lent itself very well to an afro style which I affected during the 1960s when I felt compelled to establish my "negritude", (a popular term back in those days.) And, when it came to the civil rights movement, although I was not an activist out there demonstrating in the streets, in my own personal way via the Op/Ed pages of 2 of Chicago's major newspapers, I was very supportive of those courageous enough to put their lives on the line to secure equality for all. I consider myself, for want of a better term, a "soul sista", very comfortable in my skin, having no great affinity for Interacting on a regular basis with Caucasian Americans. I am a product of the middleclass black bougeoise values that I was raised with, having no illusions about the superficial materialistic aspects of this designation. Paradoxically and inexplicably, I harbor a great revulsion for right-wing conservative black Republicans, and I despise Donald Trump and his Maggots! I was born in 1933 and grew up in the small town suburb of Chicago where my parents settled in 1922 as part of the first wave of the Great Migration of Negroes leaving the south, seeking a better life up north and, uniquely, even in those pre- civil rights years, I always resided in mixed neighborhoods, always attended integrated schools and, as part of the great Civil Service work force, always held jobs working side-by-side with white co-workers. So, my mutated homo sapien "cousins" are no strangers to me. I neither like nor dislike them, opting to just judge them on an individual basis, always keeping my guard up. My politics are a reflection of my core personsality. I am a Moderate Liberal, not a militant radical progressive because I'm too cynical to take seriously these erratic types with self-serving agendas. I have never been ambitious because I'm lazy and don't like too much responsiblity or anything difficult or demanding, just content to do enough to get by. I am not proud to confess that I have gone through life, avoiding anything that required great effort on my part. I am lazy and unmotivated, only good and creative at things that interest me. I do, however, lean toward the aesthetic, profound spititual things in life and this includes liberty and justice for all. I have lived through the terms of 15 presidents and can honestly say that the administration of whomever was in office never greatly impacted on my personal day- to-day life. I've managed without even trying, to stay under the radar and - get by. I retired from the US Post Office in 1992 after 30 years of service so I have been retired longer than I worked, collecting a substantial pension replete with COLA raises, receiving money every month for doing nothing other than waking up every morning. If a problem exists when it comes to my black status it stems from my objectivity coupled with an affinity for the whole truth, 2 traits lacking in "gung ho" black chauvanists. This has led me to "divorce" on the grounds of incompatibility, the black race as it exists in the judgment of those who seek to mold it exclusively in their personal image, focusing on what in my judgment, amounts to merely chasing their tails when it comes to effectiveness. So, It is what it is, and I am what I am, - someone who will leave this earth, strong in my conviction that I am as authentically black as the most passionate chest beater. I close by acknowledging that, black is beautifully bountiful but - there are 2 sides to every coin. And so it goes...

@aka Contrarian, thanks for contributing your perspective, thoughts, opinions, zingers and insults, etc., to this coffeeshop on the internet that is AALBC. I always enjoy the exchange of perspectives regardless of whether we agree or not. That goes for each every one of you who contributes regularly. Of course, the coffeeshop would be incomplete without the hilarity that ensues from virtual dust-ups.🤣 Regardless of age, each and every last one of us is getting closer to the finish line than starting a new race. 😎

The city of Tampa recognizes National Black Bookstore Day.

Tempus is fugiting. And before we know it, election day will be here and that bad ol Donald Trump will be ousted and Democracy will be restored and gas prices and grocery bills will plummet and the Economy will skyrocket and everybody will be able to afford to be sick. Black folks? They can all come out of hiding .God will be in his heaven and all will be right in the world... Or - maybe not. Hope all you optimists have a Plan B. 🥴

Back in my teens and 20s, I wouldn't have believed that I would feel so obliged or dedicated to people I wasn't related to or something I wasn't getting paid to do. But as we know, things and often attitudes and mentalities change with time. Now if I spend an extended amount of time away from AALBC whether it's a few days, a few weeks, or a couple months.....I feel OBLIGATED to go back and as best I can respond to all posts directed at me or about me. And also, if time permits....address posts that grab my interest even if they weren't directed at me. And it appears that most of you seem to feel the same way. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ And by the way let me thank @Troy for providing this space for us to do so. It's been a while since I sent a token of my appreciation because I've had new personal obligations to focus my resources on these past few years, but your treasures are building up. Trust me 😉 _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ I suppose it's just human nature; however knowing this makes me feel good, proud, and hopeful. Why? It shows me that there are certain feelings, emotions, and drives that are just innate in human nature that guarantees that no human society will degrade down past a certain level. We will never get so selfish and individualistic AS A COMMUNITY where we simply ignore eachother and focus on our own issues and promotions. Some will, but the vast majority will not. There are certain ways we relate to other human beings that seem to be "in" us; ingrained in our psyche. These are the traits a progressive well functioning society should be built on and modeled after. Characteristics that agree with basic human nature.

@aka Contrarian....your home team, Da Bears had an excellent season. Especially compared to the past few years. 1st year Head Coach Ben Johnson deserves a lot of credit for helping QB Caleb Williams and the offense play better. HC Johnson assembled a very good coaching staff too. Defensive Coordinator Dennis Allen earned his money in his 1st year with Da Bears. I thought HC Johnson should have gone for a 2 point conversion after QB Williams threw that miraculous TD to tie the game. If the conversion was successful, Da Bears would have been in the NFC championship game. From a strategic perspective, I understand why HC Johnson played for overtime. Hindsight is always 20/15. Nonetheless, Da Bears and their fans should be very proud of the team. They have a bright future ahead.😎

Sounds like somebody has replaced Pioneer with an AI entity. the BEARS continue to amaze, inspire, and revitalize me. I adore Caleb and I'm loving every minute of this fantastic season, - knowing all good things must come to an end! 😑

"Thinking outside the box" is fine if you are of a mind to do a lot of work and shoulder a lot of responsibility and stake claims on critical thinking. And, come to think of it, I never met a conspiracy theorist who didn't brag about "thinking outside the box"... so, there's that. But lazy lovers of leisure like me are not so inclined. However I, too, was an avid reader, with writing skills that enabled me to become a contributing columnist to the op-ed pages of a major Chicago newspaper back in the 1970s where my letters-to-the-editor invoked so much response that I was approached by the newspaper to become their resident voice of the black viewpoint. Which I was, for several years. Boy, was that fun. 😬 On the job at my local Post Office where I passed up supervisory positions because dealing with time cards required much more effort than the job I held stamping "Registered" on the envelopes of mail containing valuable contents, along with being the go-to person for revising and editing the bulletins and memos dispatched from the front office. And tho I wasn’t thinking outside the box, - I did sing outside the building, because on many mornings one of my favorite things to do was tag along with the maintenance man when he performed his flag-raising duty. While he ran ol glory up the flag pole in front of the building, I would stand by and sing the national anthem. To me, this was just for fun, but being a veteran, the janitor took his duties very seriously and always saluted when he was done. God bless America. And of course after I retired back in the 90s, I got caught up in the self-publishing craze and churned out 3 books which I lost interest in when time came to promote them; too much trouble. Having 5 kids would have to serve as my accomplishments in life, what I achieved - between the sheets. 🙂‍ So the roles of a dilettante and wanna-be Renaissance person have been the "this above all" to which mine ownself "has been true". Have at it all you innovative go-getters. Somebody has to take up my slack. But keep in mind, being lazy may have something to do with my longevity. zzzzzzzzzzzz Being a CHICAGO BEAR 🐻 fan may just become my undoing. I might slit my wrists if they lose to those damned cheese head Green BayPackers tonight! 🙄 GO BEARS!

For those who have rolled into 2026, let's hope that it is a year filled with Love, Joy, Peace, Prosperity, Health and Happiness.🎉 In the meantime, I will continue calling balls & strikes i.e. offering my opinions/perspectives on whatever comes up around here. I enjoy the easy chair I've taken up.🤣 As always, many thanks to brotha @Troy for providing & maintaining this platform. Much appreciated.😎

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.

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

Well, today is the American holiday where folks gather with family and friends in food, fun and fellowship. Eat, drink and enjoy however you so choose. I know the history behind *holidays* but I do not skip them for the aforementioned reasons. I use holidays as a time to further build and connect with my tribe. Every several years, my birthday happens to fall on Thanksgiving Day. When that happens, I don't have to cook anything for the family dinner. I'll pull up, eat, enjoy my folks and watch football games.😁 Happy Thanksgiving to all.😎

Nature putting on a show via the northern lights, reminding Earth to not sweat the small stuff.

I am finding words and numbers allow me to access the unconscious mind of the Querent and for myself i use omens and clock time Yes just be open and don't have set beliefs or feelings. Just allow the information to speak to you. One of the ways is to just doodle or write down the words that pop into your mind.

Thank you! That is one of the most classic and fabulous wedding celebrations that I have ever seen! Oh My Gosh! I don't know how many times I have watched this. @Mel Hopkins I can't imagine how happy you must feel! Your daughter and her husband are so incredibly beautiful. Again, you look amazing. LOL! Okay... @Pioneer1 Come on! But you are right on one count, that wedding look like a movie; As if it was straight out of Hollywood.

"He who knows not, and knows not that he knows not, is a fool."

Yes. I voted. Dystopian executioner. For me, it's not about skin color, I just appreciate beautiful men, spiritually and physically, no matter what color or culture. However, as a Black women, I cannot help but to be drawn to beautiful men of African descent especially.

Suddenly I've drifted into a crazy zone. I have nothing but time on my hands, and I live around the clock, only sleeping when I'm sleepy, only eating when I'm hungry, suspended in limbo. My Samsung smart phone is my ever present companion and it's like there's a connection between my fingers and its keyboard and I have a compulsion to just write long dissertations or crazy vignettes, my words and thoughts feeding on each other like i'm overtaken by a rogue AI entity that compels me to write about things I didn't know I knew, - like my subconcious mind is on overdrive. Like now. Fortunately, I'm not immobile nor in dire health. But I do tire easily, and like to curl up on my recliner, where i still set aside time to do patternless crossword puzzles that seem to work themselves and play Bridge on line with computerized robots - who seem to becoming more human by the day... Family relationships are normal, but there's this other world that I drift in and out of and when I sleep I have vivid dreams about all those who have gone ahead. In a recent one it seemed like my husband had hooked up with an old girlfriend. Why do I find this funny??? Don't get me wrong. I'm not complaining, not lonely nor depressed, just curious about this weird state I'm caught up in. I still sometimes sneak out at night and look up at the stars... Now i'm about to gear up for my daily walk up and down the driveway. Stay tuned, - or tune out if you have better things to do than read the ramblings of a crazy ol lady. Hoping some winning POWERBALLnumbers will pop into my head. Nothing like a billion dollars to calm your impulses.

Computed by whom? NASA? Or the aliens who launched it and subsequently turned it green for "GO"! 👽

IMO, you have reached the zenith of life. We should all be so fortunate to get there. Relative good health is a bonus in the zenith of life. There is no shortage of posts that we express how much we enjoy your input here. I certainly look forward to and get a kick out of your ramblings. Keep posting as long as time allows..🤗😎

Sista @Mel Hopkins, it's always great whenever you decide to plop into your chair in the proverbial coffeehouse that is AALBC. Always appreciate your contribution to the discussion.🤗 I don't work in academia or the ministry but if/whenever you run across a 6 foot, well dressed, nice watch wearing, bald-headed Black man pontificating about anything in a lecture hall or pulpit or playing the piano, that could be your brotha from another mutha.🤣😎

I Love You ❤️ Am I the only one on this forum who has ever met you in person? I’m still kicking myself for not spending more time with you that evening in Chicago almost a decade ago. Even when this picture was taken, you had been participating on the forums for 12 years! I think you’re the only person here who has firsthand knowledge of that guy named Thumper. After more than two decades of participation, here I believe other than myself, you have the longest tenure of any active poster. In my opinion, you have enriched this forum in many ways and more than any other person. You also set the bar high demonstrating what a 90+ year old person can do when it comes to technology, writing, keeping up with pop culture, politics, and despite a little cynicism maintaining a sense of humor. It is hard to imagine how quickly time has flown by and how fleeting life is. Happy birthday!

Listen to these LOVERS of America bitch and moan because also being shuckers and jivers who, between constantly objectifying women, crow about black men being superior to males of other ethnicities, and who are now sulking because their fellow chauvinists can't control their "much-envied" sexual prowess the way certain other black men are able to do, thus providing newsworthy material for the dreaded white media which is controlled by the deep state racist conspirators plotting to demonize black men in order to keep them from acquiring the power they are too inefficient to acquire in the first place. HoHum. Same ol, same ol. What black folks need to do is ,,,.go find a deserted island and start their own country so they can fight amongst themselves without interference from dem bad ol white folks who have no intention of sharing their power with a sub culture of colorists debating who's black and who isn't. Obviously I'm not trying to win a popularity contest here. Since I've turned in my black credentials. I can spew the narrative of my tribe and keep on truckin'. What a wise man who should've said nothing, once let slip: "It is what it is."

Thank you @Pioneer1 . I think only in this country do you need to set aside a day of remembrance for mothers, considering this country's track record of continued abuse. I'm sure you know about the sterilization program this country ran to make sure certain women could not reproduce. Please don't get me started LOL 😆 Happy Mother's Day @Cynique @aka Contrarian Joy looks so good on you! You are a radiant beam of LOVE!

If Jesus did exist, I believe he would've had an appreciation for irony. After all, his Daddy offers free will as an option. But exercising it can get you in a hell of a lot of trouble. 😏

As part of the AALBC upgrade, I have to move to a dedicated server. The shared environment I current run on is not allowing to add the features I'd like to add and to make aalbc.com a truly world class website. This discussion forum may experience a brief outage (hours not days). It is also possible some posts may be lost depending upon when you make them. So please do not share anything you do not want to lose until I give the all-clear. Finally, I will probably migrate to newer discussion forum software (...ugh, I know). The problem with this software is that they are pushing upgrades to a cloud-based solution which is much more expensive. I'm basically broke; so, I (1) can't afford the software and (2) I don't think it is worth it. There are better solutions that I can more easily integrate with aalbc.com and I will pursue one of those. I'm open to suggestions. This software will remain in place, but I will probably lock down the discussion forums and encourage people to begin using whatever new platform I launch. I believe this is the best chance for increasing the number of engaged active users of the site and ultimately building something that someone else or another team and actually maintain after I'm gone. (Sidebar: in the longer term I doubt websites will continue to be a thing, but there will always be a need for to Black-operated and owned platforms we Black people communicate and curate out culture we can't leave this up to Elon and Mark).

Well, if you dont want the 3 Presidents to talk politics at the funeral of a political figure, then don't invite them, just to show how important the deceased was. And Al Sharpton certainly didn't mince any words about what's happening in the country in his remarks. If you want a dignified funeral, don't invite a bunch of dignitaries to speak, and hold the services at a huge hall to accommodate all the public mourners you opened the doors to. You're just asking for confusion and resentment and that's what the Jackson family got. You can't have it both ways.

Outside the Operation Push headquarters, Chicagoans assembled by the hundreds, the lines blocks long, beginning at 10 am this Thursday morning, all gathered to pay homage to one of their favorite adopted sons, Jesse Louis Jackson, who lie in state inside the building that was his domain for over 50 years. Dignitaries like Al Sharpton and commoners, old and young, mostly black, a smattering of whites including Chicago's Catholic cardinal made up the growing crowd expected to stream pass Jesse's casket for the rest of the day until 10 pm, the first of several ceremonies at various locations including Washington DC, and South Carolina, his birthplace. A few states have even ordered their flags to be flown at half mast. Jesse Jackson leaves behind a noteworthy legacy as a diligent civil rights warrior who twice ran for President, and who in 2008 stood in tears among the huge Chicago crowd gathered to celebrate Barack Obama's election victory. Jesse had his critics but few could deny his love for his people. He fought the good fight before passing at age 84. May he rest in power.

MLK didn't ask to be the leader of the Civil Rights movement. It was a responsibility thrust upon him because he was so good at articulating grievances. It was like, he woke up one morning during the Montgomery bus boycott and all of sudden he was its leader! He did not have time to map out a precise strategy or a long range grand plan, he and his cobbleled-together posse just kinda made it up as they went along, with Mahatma Gandhi's nonviolent philosophy as their inspiration. The idea of making a lot of long-range, multi-faceted demands was out of the question at that time. The movement just focused mainly on equal opportunities, and King endeavored to appeal to the conscience of his oppressors. Integration was a counter to the separate but equal policy that was nothing more than subtle Jim Crowism. Integration represented fellowship and harmony where little black boys and girls would join hands with their white counterparts and partake of equality through tolerance. It was a dream; hence King's "I have a dream" speech. In hindsight, it's easy to criticize him for not embracing the militancy of those like Malcom X and the Black Panthers. But MLK was a man of his times and he was just beginning to re-think his goals when he was assassinated. Many think his taking a stance against the Vietnam war was a mistake but his doing so was in keeping with his pacifism. A cigarette-smoking, scotch- drinking, womanizing King was not perfect, but he fought the good fight, and paved the way for those who eventually came to criticize him for not having more foresight. I lived through King's era, and to me and my contemporaries, he was a real live hero who died a martyr.

It's becoming increasingly obvious that many influencers in these so-called "New Black Media" and "FBA" movements that have been springing up all over social media for the past several years are actually Republican shills masquerading as Black content creators of independent thought. As much as they speak about tangibles for our vote, Reparations, and celebration of our lineage....there are several things they all seem to have in common: 1. They almost never criticize President Trump or the Republican party 2. They constantly criticize the Democrat Party and Democratic politicians both White and Black 3. They are very much anti Black immigrant. It has gone from a "Reparations" movement to a "Delineation" movement where they actively seek to separate and segregate themselves from other Black people. Not just celebrating our unique identity, but also in some cases denying our African roots! I'm also seeing strong evidence of colorism and featurism inside many of these movements that have infiltrated Black social media. I post this because I KNOW for a fact that many of those who follow The New Black Media also frequent this site and read MY content and commentary as well. I'm advising you to be very careful listening to these people and use discernment. Pay attention to not only what people say but what they DON'T say and NEVER say. It's one thing to be anti-immigrant, but if the ONLY immigrants you hear them speaking out against are the Black immigrants....red flag. It's one thing not to trust politics or politicians, but if the ONLY politicians you hear them speaking against are White Liberals and Democrats....red flag.

Happy New Year @aka Contrarian and AALBC Fam! As for the two popular words, I avoid both like COVID-19. Still, I like hearing about new things. I've never heard of Zipf's law. In fact, I wondered if it was a law or an odd occurrence. Well, you know, I ran to Gen AI to see how we use this empirical law and why it matters. And wow! "Coherence" is the long story short. It helps you examine your writing from a mathematical perspective. Still, I also found that "writing for likes" could have forced writers, even me, to stop fully expressing ourselves, especially in storytelling. I compared a story I wrote in 2009 with a story I wrote in 2025 - and Gen AI said I didn't sacrifice the long tail for the head in my writing - (whew). Still, in a way, I knew that because I rarely go viral with any of my stories. Thank you for sharing this new (to me) information. It even helped me to update my 2009 story as a cautionary tale for 2026!

I don't have any positive memories of her. I just remember she was on Star Trek.😎

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.

Talking to ProfD about the ratchet behavior of some of the people we knew and saw growing up brought back memories of Cooley High and scenes like this: I don't care what city you grew up in, we all knew a "Damon"....literally. Either somebody NAMED "Damon" or somebody who ACTED LIKE Damon. Mostly likely MULTIPLE....lol.

There is a certain amount of freedom in not having to make plans and/or set goals. Taking care of life responsibilities usually requires it. You're in a good position if your needs and wants are being met sufficiently.😎

I use it for that exact reason. I just prompted a chat on how to provide clean water for a community that only has sewage backups, and the government has just taken away their grant because of "DEI". ChatGPT provided me with actionable solutions, including how to address laws that prevent ordinary citizens from tackling the problem when the government puts up roadblocks. *** Chat GPT said: Treat the problem like a high-stakes community project: minimize legal risk, build legitimacy, and move fast with pilots that are lawful, visible, and persuasive. Below is a practical, lawful playbook you can use to get clean water in your community while protecting yourself and your volunteers. 1) Immediate refusal of the illegal route Don’t undertake actions that: violate health/safety codes, tamper with sewage infrastructure, perform unpermitted construction in waterways, or create public hazards. Those acts expose you to criminal and civil liability and endanger people. 2) High-level strategy (mindset) Think like a scrappy micro-operator who: designs small, replicable pilots that prove solutions work, reduces legal/financial exposure up front, documents everything (photos, water tests, receipts, volunteer logs), partners with credible institutions (health dept, university, nonprofit), uses visibility to generate political pressure for system-level change. 3) Practical step-by-step plan Assess & document the problem (2–4 weeks) Collect photos, time/date stamps, testimonies from residents. Get simple water tests (bacterial and basic chemistry) — local health department or university extension can often help or direct you to accredited labs. SMART example: “Collect 30 household water samples and 20 resident testimonies by Nov 1.” Map stakeholders & legal landscape (1–2 weeks) Who owns the sewer systems, utilities, or storm drains? City, county, private utility? Which agency enforces water quality? (Health department, EPA/state agency.) Identify allies: neighborhood association, churches, school, local university, watershed groups, community health clinics. Design a low-risk pilot (4–8 weeks) Options (lawful, immediate relief + demonstration value): Community water station (bottled or filtered) in a public, permitted space. Point-of-use home filtration voucher program (buy certified filters and distribute with instructions). Temporary rainwater harvesting for non-potable uses (with proper signage and permits). Each pilot should have measurable outcomes (e.g., “Provide safe drinking water to 200 people/week; show lab-confirmed reduction in E. coli in 90% of distributed samples”). Legal protections & structure before operating Form an entity (a nonprofit or an LLC) to separate personal liability from project assets. Purchase insurance: general liability (covers bodily injury/property damage), product liability (if you distribute hardware/filters), and directors/officers (if you run a nonprofit). If you have volunteers, confirm Volunteer Liability coverage or use waivers where lawful. Get permits when needed (temporary events, signage, modifications to public right-of-way). Consult a local attorney for project-specific counsel — many law schools offer pro bono clinics. Launch pilot with partners & document impact (8–12 weeks) Partner with a trusted local org (church, school, clinic) to host the pilot. Publicize: press release, neighborhood socials, local reporters. Collect data: usage numbers, lab results, testimonials, cost per household. Scale, fund, and pressure for systemic change Use documented pilot results to apply for grants, municipal funding, or crowdsource donations. Present findings to the city/county with a clear ask (repair schedule, budget, policy change). If government inaction continues, use civic tools: public records requests, city council hearings, petitions, and coalition building. Legal enforcement routes (e.g., citizen complaints to regulatory agencies) can be powerful — consult counsel. 4) Risk mitigation specifics Insurance: shop for general liability and product liability; nonprofits often get discounted policies. Ask about volunteer liability and event insurance. Waivers & signage: have clear, plain-language signage and intake forms; do not rely solely on waivers to avoid negligence claims — they help but don’t eliminate risk. Permits: always check local codes before modifying streets, storm drains, or public infrastructure. Even “helpful” repairs done without permission can trigger fines and removal. Recordkeeping: keep receipts, vendor contracts, volunteer logs, and test results. This builds credibility and legal defense. 5) Technical quick wins you can pursue lawfully Distribute NSF/ANSI-certified point-of-use filters and train households on maintenance. Repair or replace household plumbing fixtures that cause contamination (privately funded). Deploy green infrastructure pilot(s): bioswales, rain gardens, permeable pavement demonstrations (with permits). These reduce sewage runoff into drinking sources. Launch community education on septic maintenance, proper disposal, and pollution prevention. 6) Power moves that shift the system Get credible third-party testing and publish results. Nothing shames a municipality more than independent lab data showing contamination. Mobilize a broad coalition (schools, faith groups, parents). When the issue affects children, public pressure accelerates policy response. File targeted public-records requests and use them in media and council hearings. Offer the municipality an “easy win” — propose a funded pilot they can co-brand and adopt. 7) When civil disobedience becomes relevant Civil disobedience has a long role in social change, but it’s risky and requires willingness to accept legal consequences. If you’re considering that route, consult experienced organizers and legal counsel first and plan for bail funds and legal defense. 😎 Quick checklist you can use now Take 20 photos of the runoff/contamination with timestamps. Contact local health dept to ask about water testing. Identify 3 community partners (church, school, neighborhood assoc.). Draft a 1-page pilot plan with measurable goals and budget. Look into entity formation and call one insurance broker for a quote. I ended the prompt here because it was a hypothetical situation. So many people think advocacy is doing something but I wanted to show a movement requires actionable goals and measurable results.

I knew the Black Panthers were a powerful movement when I learned they took care of the community in ways that embarrassed the government. Today, we need more of that ingenuity. Protesting in the age of smartphones and surveillance will only work against the protestors and aid those who control surveillance equipment. We have to create programs like the Black Panthers did and follow through with them. One of the many ways ICE could enter these dwellings is because the residents are renters, and impoverished renters at that. The first thing we need to do is develop cooperative housing where residents have ownership, even if it's in small shares that come with affordable payments.

Write your dream and hypnagogic or hypnopompic visions in a dream diary.... When you come back to then days weeks or months later.....you will be pleasantly surprise... To find many of then if not all.....very informative explanatory and predictive....jackpot lotto numbers

Had to destroy the mood, didn't you...........

Say it again...🤣 To all the young folks lurking, we are quoting the words to a song called "War" by Edwin Starr.😁😎

Like every other manufactured holiday, it's a Hallmark money grab. Plenty other businesses get paid including florists, restaurants, department stores, etc. Nope. Most people recognize their mother throughout the year. That being written, it's cool to set aside a special day to recognize mothers. Let them kick back, relax and be showered with love, gifts and food. That statement does sum up a lot. It could end most conversations too.🤣 However, we wouldn't have much left to discuss once that trump card is played....it is what is. The flip side, it ain't what it ain't. 😁 @aka Contrarian, looks like you had a happy Mother's Day. I certainly hope so.😎

Beautiful Lady